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. — March 23, 2009 —The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology announced today that scholarship applications are now being accepted for the 2009 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 September 30 to October 3, 2009 in Tucson, AZ. The deadline for scholarship applications is May, 27, 2009.
Full and partial scholarships to this year’s conference are made possible through generous grants to the Anita Borg Institute from Industry and Academic sponsors. 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, 254 scholarships were awarded,” said Deanna Kosaraju, Vice President of Programs. “We reviewed over 700 applications, and we expect an even greater response for 2009.”
Applications are being accepted online. A scholarship committee consisting of women and men 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.” We also encourage international students, women from smaller schools, diverse backgrounds and education to apply.
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 2008 Grace Hopper Celebration attracted record-setting attendance with 1,447 participants from 23 countries with more than 300 presenters.
A research study of last year’s participants revealed that more than 75% of student respondents said the conference increased their commitment to earning their degree in technology and pursuing a technology career. In addition, over 90% of 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 9th annual conference is “Creating Technology for Social Good”. The conference will feature plenary sessions, over 87 panels, poster sessions, and workshops led by successful researchers and professionals in the computer science industry. For more information about scholarships and the Conference, visit our website www.gracehopper.org.
About the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI)
The Anita Borg Institute provides resources and programs to help industry, academia, and government recruit, retain, and develop women leaders in high-tech fields, resulting in higher levels of technological innovation. ABI programs serve high-tech women by creating a community and providing tools to help them develop their careers. ABI is a not-for-profit 501(c) 3 charitable organization. ABI Partners include: Google, Microsoft Corporation, HP, Sun Microsystems, Amazon, Cisco, Intel, Intuit, SAP, Lockheed Martin, NSF, NCWIT, IBM, Symantec, CA, NetApp, and Capgemini. For more information, visit www.anitaborg.org.