  Technology plays a crucial role in people's lives. However, software
engineering discriminates against individuals from underrepresented groups in
several ways, either through algorithms that produce biased outcomes or for the
lack of diversity and inclusion in software development environments and
academic courses focused on technology. This reality contradicts the history of
software engineering, which is filled with outstanding scientists from
underrepresented groups who changed the world with their contributions to the
field. Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, and Clarence Ellis are only some individuals
who made significant breakthroughs in the area and belonged to the population
that is so underrepresented in undergraduate courses and the software industry.
Previous research discusses that women, LGBTQIA+ people, and non-white
individuals are examples of students who often feel unwelcome and ostracized in
software engineering. However, do they know about the remarkable scientists
that came before them and that share background similarities with them? Can we
use these scientists as role models to motivate these students to continue
pursuing a career in software engineering? In this study, we present the
preliminary results of a survey with 128 undergraduate students about this
topic. Our findings demonstrate that students' knowledge of computer scientists
from underrepresented groups is limited. This creates opportunities for
investigations on fostering diversity in software engineering courses using
strategies exploring computer science's history.
