How has she transformed the scene?
Bernice Folz advanced the worldwide caliber and scope of graduate level academic programs in Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) by founding the Graduate Program in Software (GPS) at the University of St. Thomas in 1985. At the time of its inception, GPS was one of only four such programs offered in the United States: under Folz’ leadership it would grow to become the largest of its kind in the world, with enrollment in 2001 topping 900 students. Hallmarks of this academic program, which continues today, are its strong ties to the business community, the responsiveness of its curriculum to ever-changing industry trends, and its applied rather than research-based approach. GPS is internationally recognized for excellence, and has been widely modeled in other academic/training programs.
“A teacher and maker of leaders.”
Dr. Bhabani Misra, Director and Department Chair of Graduate Programs in Software, University of St. Thomas
Alumni of the program have gone on to become industry leaders working within hundreds of corporations in Minnesota and around the globe, among them West Publishing, Cargill, Norwest, Medtronic, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Silicon Graphics and Microsoft.
“Corporate America should be valued based on knowledge rather than on bricks and mortar.”
Bernice Folz, excerpted from “Impacts on Information Technology” (in) MN Information Professional Society newsletter, 2003
Folz was instrumental in setting the tone and the guiding vision for GPS that has echoed throughout the high-tech industry via the program’s alumni, and which is exemplified not only by advancement of technical skills but by the stated ideal of providing “a learning environment where students become aware of the ethical, legal, moral and human issues of the
Digital Age.”
Tens of thousands of careers have been shaped by the innovative teachings, academic leadership and advocacy efforts of Bernice Folz. A true pioneer, she gave a generation of software professionals the hard skills and worldview to lead in a burgeoning global high-tech industry. Minnesota’s corporate offices and directors’ rosters are filled with alumni of degree programs designed by, taught by, administered by Bernice Folz.
As a role model, Folz has broken important ground for women in engineering and other high-tech disciplines. From her start as an IBM Systems Engineer in 1956 to her leadership of Graduate Programs in Software, she made clear by her example that brilliant women were an integral force in the industry. Says a former student (who later received a Ph.D. in Computer Science and went on to become an award-winning software engineer), “Dr. Folz was the central catalyst in forging my career as a young woman in technology. She led as a superior model of competence and professionalism.”
Folz was a true visionary in her efforts to foster an understanding of technology in a multi-cultural, international context. Long before the global revolution in the software industry, Folz was providing travel opportunities for students to directly observe technology applications in businesses, research, and educational institutions in foreign markets. She created networks of contacts and led groups of students on educational excursions to Japan, China, the former Soviet Union, Egypt, Israel, Uruguay, Brazil, Costa Rica, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Cuba, and South Africa. In so doing, Folz not only prepared her students to step confidently into leadership roles as the software industry dramatically expanded in scope, but also served as a kind of “high-tech ambassador” for Minnesota in business and academic arenas around the world.
Presently Professor Emeritus at St. Thomas’ Graduate Programs in Software (GPS), Folz retired from the program in 2003. She remains a positive force in the regional business community, serving on (among other initiatives) the Governor’s Task Force on the Future of the Computer Industry in Minnesota, the U.S. District Court for the State of Minnesota Technology Committee, the State of Minnesota Office of Technology Advisory Board, and the U.S. Department of Education Advisory Board on Science. Folz continues to travel nationally and internationally for speaking engagements.
