This month, we are proud to spotlight Dr. Dieuwertje (DJ) Kast (TAS, 2015). DJ is the Director of STEM Education Programs at University of Southern California. She is the recipient of a 2023 Moxie Award from Built In. These awards recognize 100 women, chosen from among 800 nominations, across the tech industry for their outstanding contributions.

According to Built In:

“Women remain an underrepresented demographic in the technology industry but there is no shortage of women doing amazing work within the space.

Rather than filling the list with the growing number of impactful women VPs or CEOs of the world, we chose to represent women rising in their careers who are creating change from the ground floor of tech. The result is an impressive line-up of visionaries who have broken barriers to shape a bright future of technical excellence and inclusivity for women and other demographics in this industry.”

In the nomination process, DJ was described as “passionate”, “determined”, and “courageous”.

Congratulations, DJ, and thank you for all your contributions to education!