Anita Borg Institute Encourages Students to Apply for Scholarships for the 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference
Largest Event for Women in Computer Science and Engineering
Provides Special Opportunity for Students to Collaborate and Learn
from Leading Women in Technology
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) announced
today that scholarship applications are now being accepted for the
2008 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference, which
brings together women in all aspects of computer science and
engineering. This year's conference will be held October 1-4, 2008 at
the Keystone Resort in Colorado. The deadline for scholarship
applications is Sunday, June 15, 2008.
Offered by the Anita Borg Institute and made possible through
generous grants from the Anita Borg Institute, the National Science
Foundation and sponsors, numerous full and partial scholarships are
available for this year's conference. Full scholarships cover
conference registration, lodging for three nights, and travel expense
reimbursement. Partial scholarships are also available. While the
largest portion of scholarships are awarded to undergraduate and
graduate students, junior faculty and members of non-governmental
organizations and non-profits are also eligible to apply.
"Last year, 115 full scholarships and 23 partial scholarships were
awarded," said Deanna Kosaraju, director of programs, ABI. "We
received 915 applications, and we expect a similar response for 2008."
Applications are being accepted online at
http://gracehopper.org/2008/participate/student-scholarships/. The
deadline for applying is Sunday, June 15, 2008. A scholarship
committee consisting of men and women from industry and academia
performs blind reviews of the applications and scores each one.
Scholarships are awarded to the candidates with the highest scores.
"We use a variety of criteria, and we evaluate each candidate
individually. We consider academic achievement, potential in the
field, and need," says Kosaraju. "But we also look for thoughtful,
creative, well-written essays that stand out."
The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is a program of
the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology and is co-presented
with the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). The 2007 Grace
Hopper Celebration attracted record-setting attendance with 1,436
participants from 23 countries with more than 250 presenters.
A research study of last year's participants revealed that more
than 70 percent of student respondents said the conference increased
their commitment to earning their degree in technology and pursuing a
technology career. In addition, many student attendees reported that
the opportunity the conference afforded them to take part in a
community of technical women and the knowledge they gained from the
speakers and presenters inspired them and increased their confidence
in their chosen field.
The theme of this year's 8th annual conference is "We Build a
Better World," which recognizes the contribution that women in
computing are making to the world around them using technology. The
conference will feature plenary sessions, panels, poster sessions, and
workshops led by successful researchers and professionals in the
computer science industry.
About the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI)
The Anita Borg Institute provides resources and programs for
industry, academia, and government to help them recruit, retain, and
develop women leaders in high-tech fields resulting in higher levels
of technology innovation. ABI programs serve high-tech women by
creating a community and providing tools to develop their careers. ABI
is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. ABI partners
include Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft Corporation, Sun Microsystems,
Google, IBM, Intel, Cisco, Juniper Networks, National Science
Foundation, Symantec, NetApp, and Capgemini. For more information,
visit www.anitaborg.org.
Anita Borg Institute
Jerri Barrett, 650-857-6095
jerrib@anitaborg.org
Copyright Business Wire 2008
