# Center for Information on Women in Engineering > former research organization based at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA **Wikidata**: [Q132363418](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q132363418) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/center-for-information-on-women-in-engineering ## Summary The Center for Information on Women in Engineering was a former research organization based at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, dedicated to gathering and disseminating information about women in the engineering field. It operated from 1985 to 1990 under the parent organization the Society of Women Engineers. The center's archives are now housed at the Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections. ## Key Facts - **Entity type**: Former research organization - **Classification**: Research institute - **Location**: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA - **Inception**: 1985 - **Dissolved**: 1990 - **Parent organization**: Society of Women Engineers - **Archives repository**: Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections - **Archives identifier**: UA305 - **Archives collection name**: Center for Information on Women in Engineering Records - **SNAC ARK ID**: w6xm388f - **Wikidata description**: "former research organization based at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA" ## FAQs ### Q: What was the Center for Information on Women in Engineering? A: The Center for Information on Women in Engineering was a research organization that operated at the Georgia Institute of Technology from 1985 to 1990, focusing on collecting and providing information about women in engineering professions. ### Q: Which organization oversaw the Center for Information on Women in Engineering? A: The center was under the parent organization the Society of Women Engineers, a professional organization dedicated to supporting women in engineering careers. ### Q: Where can I find records of the Center for Information on Women in Engineering? A: The center's records are preserved at the Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections under the identifier UA305, with the collection titled "Center for Information on Women in Engineering Records." ### Q: When did the Center for Information on Women in Engineering operate? A: The center was established in 1985 and was dissolved in 1990, making it a five-year initiative focused on information dissemination about women in engineering. ### Q: What type of organization was the Center for Information on Women in Engineering? A: It was classified as a research institute, an organization whose primary purpose is to conduct research and generate new knowledge through systematic investigation. ## Why It Matters The Center for Information on Women in Engineering represents an important historical effort to document and advance the presence of women in engineering during a period when women remained significantly underrepresented in the field. Operating at one of America's premier engineering institutions, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the center served as a dedicated resource for gathering knowledge about women's experiences, achievements, and challenges in engineering professions. The center's existence from 1985 to 1990 coincided with growing national attention to diversity in STEM fields. By operating under the Society of Women Engineers, it connected institutional research capabilities with a professional organization directly serving women engineers. The center's focus on information collection and dissemination addressed a critical gap—systematic documentation of women's contributions and challenges in engineering was sparse during this era, making such centralized information resources invaluable for researchers, educators, and policymakers. The preservation of the center's records in the Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections ensures this historical documentation remains accessible. The center's archives provide primary source material for understanding the institutional efforts to support women in engineering during the late 1980s, a formative period for diversity initiatives in technical fields. ## Notable For - One of the few research organizations specifically focused on women in engineering during the 1980s - Operated as a dedicated research institute rather than a general advocacy or membership organization - Located at Georgia Institute of Technology, a major engineering research institution - Affiliated with the Society of Women Engineers, connecting research activities with professional support networks - Preserved archives documenting women in engineering history - Short operational span (1985-1990) making it a distinct historical initiative ## Body ### History and Establishment The Center for Information on Women in Engineering was established in 1985 as a research organization based at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The center was created to address the need for systematic documentation and information about women in the engineering profession. Operating under the auspices of the Society of Women Engineers, the center combined institutional research capabilities with professional organization support to advance understanding of women's roles in engineering. The center functioned for five years before dissolving in 1990. During its operational period, it served as a centralized resource for collecting, organizing, and disseminating information related to women in engineering fields. This included documentation of women's contributions to the profession, challenges faced by women engineers, educational pathways, career trajectories, and professional development opportunities. ### Organizational Classification The entity is classified as a research institute, which is an organization whose primary purpose is to conduct research. Unlike universities that combine teaching and research, or companies that pursue research for commercial ends, research institutes exist purely to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation. The Center for Information on Women in Engineering fit this definition, focusing specifically on research related to women in the engineering profession. Research institutes are differentiated from several related organizational types. Unlike scientific societies or learned societies, which are membership-based organizations, research institutes are operational entities conducting hands-on investigation. They differ from think tanks in their focus—while think tanks conduct policy-oriented research, research institutes pursue fundamental inquiry across all fields. The Center for Information on Women in Engineering conducted research specifically focused on gender in engineering, contributing to body of knowledge about women's participation in technical professions. ### Parent Organization and Institutional Context The Center for Information on Women in Engineering operated under the parent organization the Society of Women Engineers (SWE). The Society of Women Engineers is a professional organization established to support women in engineering careers through networking, mentorship, professional development, and advocacy. By operating as a center within Georgia Tech while maintaining affiliation with SWE, the center bridged academic research capabilities with professional community needs. Georgia Institute of Technology served as the host institution, providing physical space, institutional resources, and academic credibility. Georgia Tech is one of the United States' leading engineering institutions, making it a logical home for a research center focused on women in engineering. The combination of Georgia Tech's engineering expertise and SWE's professional network created a unique environment for the center's research activities. ### Archives and Preservation The records of the Center for Information on Women in Engineering are preserved at the Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections. The archives are assigned the identifier UA305, and the collection is formally titled "Center for Information on Women in Engineering Records." This preservation ensures that documentation produced by the center remains available for historical research and scholarly inquiry. The Georgia Institute of Technology Archives & Special Collections serves as the repository for institutional records, historical documents, and special collections related to the university and its affiliated organizations. The inclusion of the Center for Information on Women in Engineering records in this repository places the center's documentation within a broader collection of Georgia Tech historical materials, making it accessible to researchers, historians, and anyone interested in the history of women in engineering. ### Dissolution and Historical Significance The Center for Information on Women in Engineering was dissolved in 1990, after five years of operation. While the center's operational period was relatively brief, its existence represents a specific historical moment in the advancement of women in engineering. The late 1980s saw increased attention to diversity in STEM fields, and dedicated research organizations like this center played a role in documenting progress and identifying ongoing challenges. The center's dissolution in 1990 does not diminish its historical importance. The preserved records provide primary source material for understanding institutional efforts to support women in engineering during a formative period. Researchers studying the history of women in STEM, the development of diversity initiatives in engineering education, or the evolution of professional support organizations can draw upon these archives to reconstruct the center's activities and impact. ### Identification and Reference The Center for Information on Women in Engineering has been assigned unique identifiers across multiple knowledge systems. The SNAC (Social Networks and Archival Context) system assigns the ARK ID w6xm388f for persistent identification. The Wikidata entry describes the entity as a "former research organization based at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA," providing a concise summary for knowledge graph applications. These identification systems ensure the center can be accurately referenced in academic citations, archival descriptions, and digital knowledge bases. The assignment of consistent identifiers across multiple systems reflects the center's recognition as a notable historical entity within the broader landscape of organizations focused on women in engineering and technical professions.