Dr. Anita Borg revolutionized the way we think about technology and worked to dismantle the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields. In her lifetime, Anita founded the Institute for Women and Technology (now The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology), began an online community called Systers for technical women, and co-founded the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. We’re proud to honor her memory through the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, established in 2004.

Today we’d like to recognize and congratulate the 30 Google Anita Borg Memorial scholars and the 30 Google Anita Borg Memorial finalists for 2013. The scholars, who attend universities in the United States and Canada, will join the annual Google Scholars’ Retreat this summer in New York City, where they will have the opportunity to attend tech talks on Google products, network with other scholars and Googlers, participate in developmental activities and sessions, and attend social activities. This year, the scholars will also have the opportunity to participate in a scholars’ edition of 24HoursOfGood, a hackathon in partnership with local non-profit organizations who work on education and STEM initiatives to make progress against a technical problem that is critical to their organization’s success.

Find out more (PDF) about our winners, including the institutions they attend. Soon we’ll select the Anita Borg scholars from our programs around the world. For more information on all our scholarships, visit the Google Scholarships site.

Posted by Azusa Liu, Student Development Programs Specialist

Last summer, we announced a joint scholarship program for aspiring journalists with the Associated Press, administered by the Online News Association. Congratulations to the six students who will each be receiving $20,000 to pursue degrees that lie at the intersection of journalism, computer science and new media:

• Emily Eggleston, 24, graduate student at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, studying journalism and geography.
• Reginald James, 30, undergraduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying political science and African American studies.
• Katie Zhu, 20, undergraduate at Northwestern University, studying computer science and journalism.
• Rebecca Rolfe, 25, graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology, studying digital media.
• Kevin Schaul, 20, undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota, studying journalism and computer science.
• John Osborn, 29, graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley, studying journalism.

These students have big plans that range from producing hyperlocal data-driven stories, to developing open-source apps that allow for democratic news gathering and greater collaboration, to data visualization for current events and entertainment, to producing political news games and teaching journalists how to code.

We hope these scholarship winners, and their future projects, inspire the broader journalism community to keep rethinking how to report and share stories through new technologies.

For all undergraduate and graduate students already brainstorming ideas for next year, read more about the application process and eligibility on the scholarship program’s website. Thank you to the Associated Press and the Online News Association for making this scholarship program possible, and we look forward to seeing the impact these students have in their communities and in journalism.

Posted by Sean Carlson, Global Communications & Public Affairs

Last August, we announced a joint scholarship program for aspiring journalists with the Associated Press, administered by the Online News Association. A total of six $20,000 scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate and graduate journalism students pursuing or planning to pursue degrees at the intersection of journalism, computer science and new media.

Knowing that journalists respect the pressures and motivations of a tight deadline, we want to remind everyone that all applications are due on January 27. That’s just 10 short days away!

The selection committee is looking for applicants with original and exciting ideas for using online tools and new technology to move digital journalism forward. We’re looking for students who love great reporting and value the importance of a strong press, and who can articulate creative and forward-thinking ways of using technology as a way to support and extend what’s possible through journalism.

Read more about the application process and eligibility on the scholarship program’s website, and beat that deadline!

Posted by David Smydra, Strategic Partner Manager, News

(Cross-posted on the Google Student Blog)

Consider the following:

• Are you an undergraduate or graduate student in the U.S. with new ideas about news? 
• Have you already created original journalistic content with computer science elements? 
• Do you find yourself brainstorming different ways of telling stories and covering your community news using technology?

If you responded with a resounding “yes” to any of the above questions, then the new AP-Google Journalism and Technology Scholarship may be perfect for you.

To further encourage and enable innovation from classrooms and dorm rooms alike, we’re announcing a new scholarship program with the Associated Press that will provide $20,000 scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year to six promising students pursuing or planning to pursue degrees at the intersection of journalism and technology.

While we’re underwriting the scholarships in partnership with the AP, the Online News Association will be responsible for administering the program and managing the selection process. We support a variety of scholarships aimed at giving students from historically underrepresented groups experience in the technology industry, and a key goal of this program will be to promote geographic, gender and ethnic diversity, with an emphasis on rural and urban areas.

Whether you’re exploring data visualizations, 3D storytelling, digital ethics or something else entirely, as ONA’s executive director Jane McDonnell says, “our hope is to shine a light on the hidden treasures in schools across the country—the digital-minded journalists who will be the future of our industry.”

Help us shine a light in your direction—applications are open until January 27, 2012. We hope this program inspires today’s students as they become leaders showcasing what’s possible through digital journalism, and we look forward to celebrating the scholarship winners at the 2012 ONA conference in San Francisco.

Posted by Nilka Thomas, Manager, Global Diversity & Inclusion Programs

(Cross-posted from the Google Students Blog)

We're pleased to announce the winners of the second annual European Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This scholarship gives recognition to outstanding scientific contributions from students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science at a university in the European Union, Switzerland or Israel. It aims to help break barriers that keep students with disabilities from entering computing and encourages them to excel in their studies and become active role models and leaders in creating technology.

Scholarships will be granted for the 2011-2012 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at Google’s Engineering Center in Zurich in June 2011. The retreat includes workshops with a series of speakers, panels, breakout sessions and social activities.

This year we received almost double the amount of applications compared to 2010 and have increased the number of scholars from seven to 10.

Congratulations to our scholars!

Aurora Constantin, The University Of Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Celine Moret, University Of Geneva, Switzerland

Lewis McLean, Heriot-Watt University, United Kingdom

Max Hinne, Radboud University Nijmegen, Netherlands

Nicolas Bellm, Heidelberg University, Germany

Peter Gatens, University Of Liverpool, United Kingdom

Peter Weller, Aberystwyth University, United Kingdom

Polina Proutskova Goldsmiths, University of London, United Kingdom

Sophie Kershaw, University of Oxford, United Kingdom

Thomas Hennigan, University Of Southampton, United Kingdom

For complete details, see www.google.com/studentswithdisabilities-europe. To learn more about scholarships, grants and other opportunities for students in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, visit www.google.com/university/emea.

Posted by Jenny McColl, Univeristy Programs Specialist, EMEA

About a week ago, we hosted more than 130 Google Scholarship recipients in our Beijing office. These outstanding undergraduates and graduate students in computer science and software engineering from more than 20 universities across China were the recipients of the Google Excellence Scholarship and the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship—our first scholarships in China. The students participated in an awards ceremony and toured the Google office.

The Google Excellence Scholarship aims to award the outstanding undergraduates and master degree students from the computer science and software engineering disciplines. It has been set up at 20 top universities in China, with five awardees for each university—three undergraduates and two graduates.

The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship supports outstanding female students in computer science, including undergraduates, master's degree students and Ph.D. students, at five top universities. There are six awardees for each university (three undergrads and three graduate students), as well as three awardees from Taiwan.

Google has been collaborating with Chinese universities for a long time through a variety of programs—ranging from curriculum development, donations, to today’s scholarship program—to support the education of talented students in China. And we'll extend into other university collaboration programs in the future.

Congratulations to all the Google Scholarship recipients! And if you read Chinese, check out our corresponding post on the Google China Blog.

Google Scholarship Universities for 2010:
Beihang University, Beijing Normal University, Fudan University*, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nanjing University, Nankai University, Peking University*, Renmin University of China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University*, Shandong University, South China University of Technology, Southeastern University, Sun Yat-sen University*, Tianjin University, Tongji University, Tsinghua University*, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, University of Science and Technology of China, Xi’an Jiao Tong University, Wuhan University

*Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship Program universities

Posted by Kathy Deng, Google University Relations

Back in June, our Zurich engineering headquarters welcomed 100 of EMEA’s brightest computer science students to our annual Europe, Middle East and Africa Scholars’ Retreat. Recipients of the Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities joined Anita Borg Memorial Scholars and Finalists for three days of workshops, technical talks, poster sessions, networking events and, of course, lots of fun! Check out our video below to hear from scholars and speakers in their own words:



Our academic scholarships are designed to support a new generation of talented, diverse computer scientists from all backgrounds. If you want to learn more, visit www.google.com/university/emea for a complete list of scholarships, grants and other opportunities available to students and academics.

Posted by Caitlin Pantos, University Programs Specialist

Creating products, applications and services which benefit millions of users means looking at the world from a variety of perspectives. Envisioning and realizing the next generation of technology requires a diverse pool of creative and motivated engineers from all backgrounds. To that end, we're very pleased to announce the winners of our first annual European Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This scholarship recognizes outstanding scientific contributions from students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science at a university in the European Union, Switzerland or Israel.

Scholarships will be granted for the 2010–2011 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at the Googleplex in Zurich in June 2010.

Congratulations to our scholars!

Andrei George Petraru, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, Romania
Dave Todd, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Fabio De Dominicis, University of Naples Federico II, Italy
Igor Gonopolskiy, Ben Gurion University, Israel
Jordi Sanchez-Riera, INRIA Grenoble Rhône-Alpes, France
Wanda Diaz-Merced, University of Glasgow, Scotland

For complete details, see www.google.com/studentswithdisabilities-europe. To learn more about scholarships, grants and other opportunities for students in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, visit www.google.com/university/emea.

Posted by Eleanor Mulligan, Diversity & Inclusion Programs Manager

The Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship, established by Google in 2004, honors Dr. Anita Borg, a computer science pioneer who dedicated her life to changing the way we think about diversity and technology. Now in its seventh year, her namesake scholarship continues to support under and post-graduate women completing degrees in computer science and related areas, recognizing and encouraging the next generation of technical leaders and role models.

This year, we're awarding 62 scholars and finalists in the U.S., 17 in Canada and 91 in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to receiving academic scholarships, all of our winners will be invited to participate in all-expenses-paid networking retreats featuring workshops, speakers, panelists, breakout sessions and social activities at Google offices. See below for a full list of winners and the institution they currently attend.

In the coming months, we’ll be announcing winners for the Australia and New Zealand Scholarships. And we’ve introduced some other big changes for 2010: for the first time, we’re awarding Anita Borg Scholarships to students in Sub-Saharan Africa and to high school seniors in the U.S. Later this year, we plan to introduce the first-ever Anita Borg Scholarship in Asia.

For more information on the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship and other Google scholarship opportunities, visit our scholarships page.

Congratulations, 2010 Scholars and Finalists!

U.S. Scholars

Aditi Goyal, Stanford University
Adrienne Felt, University of California-Berkeley
Angela Oguna, University of Kansas Main Campus
Anna Molosky, Carnegie Mellon University*
Bonnie Kirkpatrick, University of California-Berkeley
Boya Xie, East Carolina University
Carla Villoria, Texas A & M University
Carrine Johnson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology*
Daniela Rosner, University of California-Berkeley
Erika DeBenedictis, California Institute of Technology*
Fan Zhang, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Floraine Grabler, University of California-Berkeley
Jill Woelfer, University of Washington
Karthika Periyathambi, Stanford University
Kristi Morton, University of Washington
Kyle Rector, Oregon State University
Lauren Stephens, Massachusetts Institute of Technology*
Lydia Chilton, University of Washington
Madeline Smith, Ithaca College
Maithilee Kunda, Georgia Institute of Technology
Micol Marchetti-Bowick, Stanford University
Moira Burke, Carnegie Mellon University
Nalini Vasudevan, Columbia University in the City of New York
Natasha Nesiba, New Mexico State University*
Samantha Ainsley, Columbia University in the City of New York
Sheri Williamson, George Mason University
Shilpa Nadimpalli, Tufts University
Sneha Popley, Texas Christian University
Svitlana Volkova, Kansas State University
Therese Avitabile, Brown University
Valeria Fedyk, Stanford University*
Victoria Nneji, Columbia University in the City of New York*

*High school senior — planned matriculation at university listed

U.S. Finalists

Adriana Lopez, New York University
Anne Neilsen, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Cassandra Helms, Colorado State University
Christina Brandt, Cornell University
Emily Shen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Esha Nerurkar, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Farzana Rahman, Marquette University
Jana Zujovic, Northwestern University
Jessie Li, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Juliet Bernstein, University of Washington
Lirida Kercelli, Carnegie Mellon University
Marayam Ramezani, DePaul University
Maryam Aziz, Montclair State University
Michal Rabani, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michelle Burroughs, Carnegie Mellon University
Minlan Yu, Princeton University
Miray Kas, Carnegie Mellon University
Natalie Yudin, Rice University
Pallavi Yerramilli, University of Pennsylvania
Rachael Harding, Carnegie Mellon University
Rachelle Fuhrer, University of California, San Diego
Razieh Nokhbeh Zaeem, University of Texas at Austin
Riddhi Mittal, Stanford University
Sanjana Prasain, University of Washington
Sonia Haiduc, Wayne State University
Wei Chen, Carnegie Mellon University
Yang Shan, Carnegie Mellon University
Yi Gu, University of Memphis
Yinian Qi, Purdue University Main Campus
Zeinab Abbassi, Columbia University in the City of New York

Canada Scholars

Allaa Hilal, University Of Waterloo
Barbara Macdonald, University Of Waterloo
Dana Jansens, Carleton University
Ioana Burcea, University Of Toronto
Michelle Annett, University Of Alberta

Canada Finalists

Audrey Corbeil Therrien, University Of Sherbrooke
Constance Adsett, Dalhousie University
Inmar Givoni, University Of Toronto
Jasmina Vasiljevic, Ryerson University
Jennifer Woodcock, University Of Victoria
Jignasa Shah, Dalhousie University
Margareta Ackerman, University Of Waterloo
Nazish Bhatti, Concordia University
Phillipa Gill, University Of Toronto
Rachel Zhang, Queen's University
Veronica Irvine, University Of Victoria
Yanyan Zhuang, University Of Victoria

Europe, Middle East and Africa Scholars

Adi Shklarsh, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Alexandra Jimborean, Université Louis Pasteur Strasbourg, France
Andrea Francke, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
Arlette van Wissen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Birgit Schmidt, Graz University of Technology, Austria
Christina Pöpper, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
Christine Zarges, Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany
Ekaterina Shutova, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Elena Tretyak, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Estrella Eisenberg, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
Hilary Finucane, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
Hind Saddiki, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
Irina Makhalova, Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology, Russia
Katayoun Farrahi, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Lavinia Basaraba, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania
Limor Leibovich, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Maria Francesca O' Connor, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
Maria-Camilla Fiazza, University of Verona, Italy
Melanie Ganz, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Monika Schubert, Graz University of Technology, Austria
Nina Kargapolova, Novosibirsk State University, Russia
Ntombikayise Banda, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Nuzhah Gooda Sahib, Queen Mary, University of London, United Kingdom
Oana Tifrea, Free University of Bozen · Bolzano, Italy
Pinar Yanardag, Bogazici University, Turkey
Ruzica Piskac, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Samreen Anjum, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Qatar
Silvian Gitau, University of Cape Town, South Africa
Sinini Ncube, Rhodes University, South Africa
Sus Lundgren, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Susanne Pfeifer, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Tatiana Starikovskaya, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Yael Amsterdamer, Tel Aviv University, Israel

Europe, Middle East and Africa Finalists

Afsaneh Asaei, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Aia Hassouneh, Birzeit University, Palestinian Territories
Alissa Cooper, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Anastasia Tkach, Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Russia
Anastasia Shakhshneyder, Technische Universität München, Germany
Anna Astrakova, Novosibirsk State University, Russia
Anna Dehof, Saarland University, Germany
Anna Zych, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
Annemarie Friedrich, Saarland University, Germany
Archana Nottamkandath, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Charlotte Ipema, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Ching-Yun Chang, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Claudia Rosas Mendoza, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
Claudia Schon, University of Koblenz-Landau, Germany
Efrat Mashiach, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Elzbieta Dlutowska, University of Wrocław, Poland
Eman AbdelSalam, Alexandria University, Egypt
Eva Darulova, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Floor Sietsma, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Grace Mbipom, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
Hildegard Kuehne, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
Ifeanyichukwu Ekeruche, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
Ioana Verebi, Politehnica University of Timisoara, Romania
Ivonne Thomas, Hasso Plattner Institute, Germany
Janneke van der Zwaan, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Julia Preusse, University of Magdeburg, Germany
Julie Rico, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
Karolina Soltys, University of Warsaw, Poland
Laura Zilles, Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Germany
Lene Mejlby, Aarhus University, Denmark
Lina AL Kanj, American University of Beirut, Lebanon
Lucy Gunawan, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
Maria Mateescu, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
Maria Karoliina Lehtinen, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Marije de Heus, University of Twente, The Netherlands
Marleine Daoud, University of Stuttgart, Germany
Mary Baraza, Busoga University, Uganda
Maysa Nouh, Birzeit University, Palestinian Territories
Meyyar Palaniappan, Technische Universität München, Germany
Min Bao, Linköping University, Sweden
Mounira Bachir, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France
Naama Tepper, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Nga Nguyen, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Nino Shervashidze, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Germany
Olga Streibel, Free University of Berlin, Germany
Reem Mostafa, Alexandria University, Egypt
Rehab Alnemr, Hasso Plattner Institute, Germany
Rikke Bendlin, Aarhus University, Denmark
Ruth Rinott, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Sarah Greenfield, De Montfort University, United Kingdom
Sarah Niebe, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Saskia Groenewegen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Sophia Wadie, American University in Cairo, Egypt
Svetlana Olonetsky, Tel Aviv University, Israel
Sylvia Grüener, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany
Tamar Aizikowitz, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
Viviana Petrescu, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, Switzerland
Zsuzsanna Püspöki, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary

Posted by Beate List, EMEA University Programmes

(Cross-posted with the Google Students Blog)

We know firsthand how vital a good science or math education is to building products that change the world and enrich peoples' lives. We're committed to supporting students in their pursuit of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields — particularly those from traditionally under-represented backgrounds.

Over time, we've dedicated time, people, and financial resources to organizations, events and schools to help advance this mission — and we're excited to share that we rounded out 2009 with a donation of $8 million to a variety of organizations who share our dedication to this cause. Our efforts were focused in four key areas:

Starting in high school
STEM education at an elementary and high school level builds technical skills early and encourages interest in technology. To support the ongoing education of these subjects, we identified more than 600 high schools with significant populations of students from under-represented and economically disadvantaged backgrounds and are providing laptops to their computer science and math departments. We are also offering laptops to some of the most promising students in these schools. In a time when many of these schools are experiencing decreased funding, we wanted to support their continued commitment to learning and teaching these subjects, and recognize the exceptional work done by teachers in these communities. If you're interested in learning more about our efforts in this field, check out Google Code University (CS tutorials for students and teachers) as well as our tools, tips and lesson plans for K-12 educators.

Growing promising talent
We've worked with over 200 outstanding students as part of our FUSE, CSSI, BOLD and BOLD Practicum summer programs. To help the alumni of our 2009 summer programs pursue their studies, we awarded former program participants with school-based scholarships. We hope that this support for tuition will lessen the financial burden on these students and their families, reduce work-study commitments and free them up to explore other educational opportunities, like studying abroad.

Advancing technical knowledge through universities
We have close relationships with universities around the world — not only do we employ their alumni, but they are also a source of groundbreaking research and innovation. We awarded grants ranging in size from $20k to $100k to 50 U.S.-based universities with whom we already have relationships and directed these funds toward departments that are closely aligned with promoting under-represented minorities in technology. We hope to expand this effort both to more U.S.-based universities and to universities around the world in the future.

Partnerships with the organizations that make it happen
Our commitment to promote women and under-represented minorities in technology is shared by dozens of local and national organizations around the country. We awarded grants to 22 partner organizations, almost all of which we have worked with in the past. These organizations are on the front lines, making sure that under-represented groups have the support, resources and contacts they need. You'll find a list of these organizations with a quick overview of the work they focus on here.

This was a terrific way to close out 2009 and we look forward to attracting and encouraging more students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds to pursue studies and careers in science, technology, engineering and math. In the meantime, you can find news especially for students on the Students Blog and by following us on @googlestudents.

Posted by Shannon Deegan, Director, People Operations

(Cross-posted with the Google Students Blog)

Today, we're excited to announce the most recent addition to our scholarship programs in Europe, the Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This scholarship is designed for students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science at a university anywhere in the European Union, plus Switzerland and Israel. Multiple scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic performance and demonstrated passion for computer science.

Scholarships will be granted for the 2010/2011 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at Google’s Engineering Center in Zurich in 2010.

Here's what Nelson Mattos, our VP for Product & Engineering in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has to say about this scholarship: "We're committed to diversifying the long-term engineering talent pool for the industry as a whole. We hope that this scholarship will increase opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage them to pursue careers in computer science. The retreat fosters relationships so that scholars can form a supportive network lasting the full length of their academic studies and beyond."

We know that a diverse group of people use our tools and services and only an equally diverse workforce can anticipate our users' needs. We've found that the diversity of perspectives, ideas and cultures leads to the creation of better products to the benefit of all users of the Internet. We hope that this scholarship works towards that end.

The deadline to apply is March 15th 2010. For more details, visit www.google.com/studentswithdisabilities-europe.

Posted by Beate List, EMEA University Programmes and Eleanor Mulligan, EMEA Diversity & Inclusion

(Cross-posted on the Google Student Blog)

We had a busy summer here at Google interacting with students through a wide variety of scholarship, internship and networking opportunities across North America. Here's a look back at a few of our programs (you can bet we'll be hosting them again!) along with news on some upcoming initiatives.

Rising college sophomores participated in two Google programs: Google FUSE, in its inaugural year, and the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI).

For FUSE, we welcomed 50 rising college sophomores to our New York City office for a three-day retreat designed to connect students from groups that are under-represented in the field of computer science. The retreat focused on making connections between students and Googlers, encouraging students to create meaningful academic experiences and allowing them to learn more about possible career paths via hands-on activities, panel discussions and a bit of fun around the New York City area.

Another group of twenty rising sophomores spent two weeks at the Googleplex in Mountain View for the second annual Computer Science Summer Institute. This special program included an interactive and collaborative Computer Science curriculum, as well as a living-learning residential experience for student networking. Students worked in teams to create an interactive web application using Python in Google App Engine. When not in class, they heard technical talks from Google engineers, spoke with professionals from across the technology industry and academia about the many things they can do with a Computer Science degree. They also had some fun joining the Bay Area summer interns on a boat cruise and catching a baseball game after an exciting San Francisco scavenger hunt.

In addition, our engineering internship program hosted more than 450 college (undergraduate and graduate) interns in 15 locations across North America. These interns were an integral part of the engineering team and made significant contributions this summer working on exciting projects including Android, Chrome, Docs and machine translation.

We also had more than 100 students working across multiple functions, including sales and engineering in Mountain View, New York, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston as part of the Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development (BOLD) Program. BOLD is a 10-week internship program designed to provide exposure to the technology industry for students from groups that are historically underrepresented in technology. This summer experience includes a unique glimpse into a business or engineering career, professional development and leadership courses, as well as one-on-one mentorship designed to further support professional growth.

Of course, we realize that growing future leaders in engineering and business doesn't just start with college students. For this reason, we partner with the LEAD programs in both business and engineering to encourage outstanding high school students to pursue careers in these fields. This year, all four LEAD Summer Engineering Institute participants had the opportunity to tour a local Google office to attend technical talks and interact with Google engineers (okay, with some tasty food and video games thrown in as well).

As part of Google's ongoing commitment to recognizing student achievements and promoting leadership, we also offer a number of academic scholarships. We are currently accepting applications for the Google Lime Scholarship for Student with Disabilities in the U.S. and Canada, and the Anita Borg Scholarship in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the United States. In case you're curious, we offer a host of scholarships for many other international regions.

If one or more of these opportunities sounds like something you'd like to participate in, you can find applications for full time opportunities and summer internship opportunities on our student job site. Visit our scholarship page for more information on our scholarship opportunities. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on application deadlines and new program announcements.

Making an early connection playing People Bingo at Google FUSE.

Taking a break from bowling during Google FUSE.

Posted by Kyle Ewing, Talent and Outreach Programs - University Programs and Recruiting

I can't think of a better environment than academia for asking hard questions and trying to solve the unsolvable. It's at universities that graduate students perform some of the most exciting and game-changing research in computer science and technology. These university labs foster the students that are going to be the next innovators and leaders in research.

We started the Google Fellowship Program this year to support graduate students in their quest to discover and achieve great things. Our goal was to find the best and brightest PhD students and award them a unique fellowship that highlights their contributions to research and supports them through their graduate studies. Several top universities submitted their students for consideration by research scientists, distinguished engineers and executives at Google. The breadth of research covered by these students and the scope of their vision was astounding. Learning about them was exciting; choosing from among them was truly difficult.

After careful review, we are proud to announce the 2009 Google Fellowship recipients:

• Roxana Geambasu, Google Fellowship in Cloud Computing (University of Washington)
• Michael Piatek, Google Fellowship in Computer Networking (University of Washington)
• David Sontag, Google Fellowship in Machine Learning (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Ali Farhadi, Google Fellowship in Computer Vision Image Interpretation (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
• Nicholas Chen, Google Fellowship in Human-Computer Interaction (University of Maryland)
• Siddhartha Sen, Google Fellowship in Fault Tolerant Computing (Princeton University)
• Ryan Peterson, Google Fellowship in Distributed Systems (Cornell University)
• Eric Gilbert, Google Fellowship in Social Computing (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
• Micha Elsner, Google Fellowship in Natural Language Processing (Brown University)
• Subhransu Maji, Google Fellowship in Computer Vision Object Recognition (University of California, Berkeley)
• Nicolas Lambert, Google Fellowship in Market Algorithms (Stanford University)
• Han Liu, Google Fellowship in Statistics (Carnegie Mellon University)
• Lixia Liu, Google Fellowship in Compiler Technology (Purdue University)

These students exemplify excellence in all areas, and we look forward to the impact that they are sure to have on their fields and the world. The Google Fellowship will provide them with funding to cover their tuition and expenses, plus an Android-powered phone and a Google mentor. Our sincere congratulations to all of them!

Posted by Leslie Yeh Johnson, Google University Relations

We're pleased to announce our 2009 Anita Borg Scholars and Finalists. We established the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship in 2003 to encourage undergraduate and graduate women completing degrees in computer science and related fields to excel in computing and technology and become active role models and leaders in the field. This year, we're awarding 50 scholars and finalists in the U.S., 18 in Canada and 56 in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. We'll also be awarding scholarships to female students in Australia and New Zealand later this year.

In addition to receiving academic scholarships, all of our winners will be invited to participate in all-expenses-paid networking retreats featuring workshops, speakers, panelists, breakout sessions and social activities at Google offices.

For more information on the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship and other Google scholarship opportunities, visit our scholarships page.

Congratulations to all of our winners!

The 2009 U.S. Anita Borg Scholars

• Dana Forsthoefel - Georgia Institute of Technology
• Divya Ramachandran - University of California-Berkeley
• Elaine Short - Yale University
• Isabel Mattos - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Jennifer Roberts - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Katherine Corner - University of Colorado at Boulder
• Leshell Hatley - University of Maryland College Park
• Manjari Narayan - Rice University
• Mary David - University of Southern California
• Natalie Freed - Arizona State University Main
• Norma Savage - University of California-Santa Barbara
• Ramya Raghavendra - University of California-Santa Barbara
• Saleema Amershi - University of Washington
• Sara Sinclair - Dartmouth College
• Sarah Cooley - Oregon State University
• Sarah Loos - Indiana University Bloomington
• Sheena Lewis - Northwestern University
• Xuexin (Alice) Zhu - Harvey Mudd College
• Yi-Chieh Wu - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• YoungJoo Jeong - Carnegie Mellon University

The 2009 U.S. Anita Borg Finalists

• Alyssa Daw - California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
• Angela Yen - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Carrie Ruppar - Graduate Program TBD
• Chaitrali Amrutkar - Georgia Institute of Technology
• Cindy Rubio Gonzalez - University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Corey Toler-Franklin - Princeton University
• Ekaterina Gonina - University of California-Berkeley
• Jacinda Shelly - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Jennifer Harrison - Arizona State University
• Julia Schwarz - University of Washington
• Kelli Ireland - University of Pittsburgh
• Kristi Morton - University of Washington
• Krystle de Mesa - University of California, San Diego
• Kyle Rector - Oregon State University
• Manasi Vartak - Worcester Polytechnic Institute
• Margaret Leibovic - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Maria Kazandjieva - Stanford University
• Pinar Muyan-Ozcelik - University of California-Davis
• Rachel Sealfon - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Rachelle Fuhrer - University of California, San Diego
• Sarah Shiplett - Wellesley College
• Shilpa Arora - Carnegie Mellon University
• Sneha Popley - Texas Christian University
• Sonal Gupta - University of Texas at Austin
• Sujatha Nagarajan - University of Illinois at Chicago
• Supriya Vadlamani - Cornell University
• Tracy Chou - Stanford University
• Valerie Yoder - Westminster College
• Wendy Stevenson - Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
• Xia Zhou - University of California-Santa Barbara

The 2009 Canada Anita Borg Scholars

• April Khademi – University Of Toronto
• Jenna Cameron – University Of Western Ontario
• Jing Xiang – University Of British Columbia
• Pooja Viswanathan – University Of British Columbia

The 2009 Canada Anita Borg Finalists

• Barbara Macdonald – University Of Waterloo
• Fahimeh Raja – University Of British Columbia
• Gail Carmichael – Carleton University
• Kate Tsoukalas (withdrawn) - Simon Fraser University
• Katherine Gunion – University Of Victoria
• Marjorie Locke – University Of Western Ontario
• Melanie Tupper – Dalhousie University
• Michelle Annett – University Of Alberta
• Mona Mojdeh – University Of Waterloo
• Ozge Yeloglu – Dalhousie University
• Phillipa Gill – University Of Toronto
• Sarah Carruthers – University Of Victoria
• Somayeh Moazeni – University Of Waterloo
• Xiaoyuan XU – Simon Fraser University
• Zahra Ahmadian – University Of British Columbia

The 2009 Europe, Middle East and North Africa Scholars

• Anna Magdalena Michalska - University of Warsaw (Poland)
• Bianca Madalina Milatinovici - RWTH Aachen (Germany)
• Chia Ching Ooi - University of Freiburg (Gemany)
• Christiane Lammersen - Technische Universität Dortmund (Germany)
• Christiane Peters - Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands)
• Daria Yartseva - Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)
• Ekaterina Volkova - Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)
• Elisa Rondini - University College London (U.K.)
• Katayon Radkhah - Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany)
• Keghani Kristelle Kouzoujian - Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (Qatar)
• Keren Censor - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)
• Kira Radinsky - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)
• Iulia Ion - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)
• Ligia Nicoleta Nistor - University of Oxford (U.K.)
• Maja Temerinac-Ott - University of Freiburg (Germany)
• Marian George - Alexandria University (Egypt)
• Moran Yassour - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
• Regina Bohnert - Universität Tübingen (Germany)
• Selen Basol - Sabanci University (Turkey)
• Suzan Bayhan - Bogazici University (Turkey)
• Tali Treibitz - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)

The 2009 Europe, Middle East and North Africa Finalists

• Adrienn Szabo - Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary)
• Anastasia Shakhshneyder - Novosibirsk State University (Russia)
• Andreea Voicu - Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherlands)
• Anna Astrakova - Novosibirsk State University (Russia)
• Anna Sperotto - University of Twente (Netherlands)
• Anna Katarzyna Zych - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (Switzerland)
• Birgit Vera Schmidt - Graz University of Technology (Austria)
• Didem Gozupek - Bogazici University (Turkey)
• Elena Smirnova - INRIA Sophia Antipolis (France)
• Franziska Huth - Saarland University (Germany)
• Gaya Nadarajan - The University of Edinburgh (U.K.)
• Irina Calciu - Jacobs University Bremen (Germany)
• Kerstin Bauer - Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (Germany)
• Laia Subirats i Mate - Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (Spain)
• Limor Leibovich - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)
• Lina AL Kanj - American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
• Lu Feng - University of Oxford (U.K.)
• Lucia Fedorova - Czech Technical University (Czech Republic)
• Maria-Camilla Fiazza - University of Verona (Italy)
• Maya Kabkab - American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
• Melinda Toth - Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary)
• Naama Elefant - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
• Nadezda Osadchieva - Bauman Moscow State Technical University (Russia)
• Natalia Criado - Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (Spain)
• Nina Kargapolova - Novosibirsk State University (Russia)
• Noga Zewi - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)
• Noura Yousef Salhi - Birzeit University (Palestine)
• Oana Tifrea - Vienna University of Technology (Austria)
• Rehab Khalid Alnemr - Hasso Plattner Institute (Germany)
• Riina Maigre - University of Technology (Estonia)
• Talya Meltzer - The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Israel)
• Tamar Aizikowitz - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Israel)
• Unaizah Hanum Obaidellah - University of Sussex (U.K.)
• Yana Momchilova Mileva - Saarland University (Germany)
• Yimeng Yang - University of Twente (Netherlands)

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Today, we're pleased to announce the most recent addition to our scholarship programs, the Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. We're partnering with Lime to offer scholarships to students with disabilities who are pursuing university degrees in the field of computer science in Canada or the U.S. Lime is a not-for-profit organization that brings together global corporations and people with disabilities, bringing to light an untapped source of talent. Scholarships will be granted for the 2009–2010 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View in 2010.

We hope that this program will increase opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage them to pursue careers in computer science. We also hope to foster long-lasting relationships through which these students can support each other over the course of their academic studies.

The deadline to apply for this year's Lime Scholarship is June 1, 2009. For complete details, visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships.

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent and Outreach Programs Specialist

Across the world, the participation of women and minorities in computer science is at an all-time low. According to studies conducted by the National Science Foundation, the annual graduation rate for women in computer science is just 22%, just 6.5% for Hispanic students, 4.8% for African American students, and under 1% for American Indian students. As part of our global effort to increase diversity in our industry, we have created scholarship programs with the United Negro College Fund, the Hispanic College Fund and the American Indian Science & Engineering Society. Each of these programs is meant to encourage students to excel in their studies and become active role models and leaders. It's our hope that these programs also help dismantle barriers that keep women and minorities from entering computing and technology fields. (Read more about Google's scholarship programs.)

Now comes the really fun part: announcing the 2008 winners. Please join us in congratulating the 42 students who have been recognized for their outstanding academic and leadership accomplishments in the computer science field. Each of these students will receive a $10,000 academic scholarship from Google, as well as an invitation to attend the all-expenses-paid Annual Google Scholars' Retreat held each Spring at the Googleplex in Mountain View.

Earlier this year, we also had the great pleasure of announcing the winners of the 2008 Google Anita Borg Scholarship in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Europe. (This scholarship is also offered to women in Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.)

Congrats to all!

2008 Google United Negro College Fund Scholars

• Brian Beecham - Alabama A&M University
• Clinton Buie - Stanford University
• Dorian Perkins - University of California, Riverside
• John Mosby - Clark Atlanta University
• Katherine Trushkowsky - University of California, Berkeley
• Lateef Yusuf - Georgia Institute of Technology
• Mamadou Diallo - University of California, Irvine
• Mcdavis Fasugba - University of Miami
• Pascal Carole - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• Rashida Davis - University of Delaware
• Remy Carole - University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
• Sheronda Nash - Georgia Institute of Technology
• Souma Badombena-Wanta - George Mason University
• Yolanda McMillian - Auburn University

2008 Google Hispanic College Fund Scholars

• Miguel Rios - University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
• Milton Villeda - University of Texas, Austin
• Ricardo Rodríguez - University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
• Marco Medina - Eastern Washington University
• Abel Licon - University of Deleware
• Maximiliano Ramirez Luna - University of California, Berkeley
• Juan Herrera - University of Oklahoma
• Kenneth Faller Ii - Florida International University
• Heriberto Reynoso - University of Texas, Brownsville
• Jose Martinez - California State Polytechnic University
• Otoniel Ortega - University of Illinois, Chicago
• Antonio Rodríguez-soto - Universidad Del Turabo
• Tina Ziemek - University of Utah
• Diana Flores - University of Florida
• Matthew Martinez - University of New Mexico
• Frank Blandon - University of Florida
• Felipe Carmona - Roosevelt University
• Pamela Gutierrez - Oklahoma Panhandle State University
• Daniel Hernandez - Tennessee Technological University

2008 Google American Indian Science & Engineering Society Scholars

• Erik Bennett - New Mexico Tech
• Kaylei Burke - University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• Cory Cornelius - Dartmouth College
• Daniel Jachowski - Stanford University
• Denise Martin - Capella University
• Mitchell Martin - University of Texas, San Antonio
• Melanie Prevett - Oklahoma State University
• Thomas Reed - University of California, Santa Barbara
• Delbert Willie - Colorado State University

Posted by Meredith Carroll, Global Diversity and Talent Inclusion Team

At a time when more and more digital technologies are becoming indispensable to millions of people, the field of computer science (CS) is in trouble. Enrollment and retention of CS students, particularly those historically underrepresented in the field (women, African-Americans, Native-Americans, and Hispanics) has declined sharply. According to the Computing Research Association, CS enrollment in the U.S. was at its peak in 2000, with 15,958 undergrads. By 2006, enrollment declined by roughly half: 7,798 undergrads. And enrollment among already-underrepresented groups has dropped even more sharply.

We hope to address this problem (and potential shortage) with a variety of programs beyond our scholarship initiatives. Recently, our educational outreach group, University Programs, and Diversity and Talent Inclusion teams joined forces to create the Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI). This special institute included an interactive and collaborative CS curriculum, as well as a living-learning residential experience for student networking. We chose 17 college sophomores, all aspiring computer scientists, to attend the all-expenses-paid CSSI in Mountain View from August 3–15.

Our goals for the institute:

• To enrich the skills of students early in their CS studies (or at risk of leaving the major) in an effort to increase the pipeline into the CS major and boost retention
• To provide a social and professional network for underrepresented (women, Hispanic, African-American, and/or Native-American) technology students
• To empower students, giving them the tools, motivation and confidence to continue with CS studies
• To show students daily life at Google and the amazing applications of CS that occur here

The CSSI faculty was comprised of Google engineers and our educational outreach group. We paired students with Google "buddies" - engineers with whom they can develop a long-term advising relationship. Students heard from professionals from across the technology industry and academia about the many things they can do with a CS degree.

Students worked in teams to build a completely interactive Web 2.0 website, keeping in mind both practical programming skills and the theory behind it.

We plan to keep in touch with these students across their college careers, and to encourage future participants to complete their CS work and join the community of computer scientists.


Posted by Rebecca Selvenis, University Programs Specialist

Posted by Beate List, University Programme, Zurich

A few months ago we had the great pleasure of announcing the fifth class of Anita Borg Scholars in the U.S. and our first class of Scholars in Canada. Now it's the Europeans' turn.

This scholarship program, originally established in the U.S. to honor the work of Anita Borg and to recognize outstanding young women scholars in computer science and related fields, expanded to Europe most recently. Nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 31 countries applied for the award. Sixty-three finalists were selected; 20 women received a €5,000 scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year. The remaining 43 finalists received a €1,000 award.

Each of the finalists visited our Engineering Centre in Zurich for our annual Scholars' Retreat, which included tech talks, career panels and social fun. All of it was a way for the young women to share experiences and come together as leaders in the computer science field.

Visit the Google Europe Anita Borg Scholarship page for more on the program. Hearty congratulations to these winners!

The 2008 Europe Anita Borg Scholars

• Cynthia Liem, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Despina Michael - University of Cyprus, Cyprus
  
• Dina Petri - University of Reading, UK; Aristotle University, Greece; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Inbal Talgam -Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
• Katy Howland - University of Sussex, UK
• Kerstin Wendt - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Spain
• Ksenia Rogova - Petrozavodsk State University, Russia
• Mirela Ben-Chen - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
• Nadezhda Baldina - Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology, Russia
• Olga Boronenko - University of Reading, UK; Aristotle University, Greece; Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Patricia Moore - Dublin City University, Ireland
  
• Rebecca Stewart - Queen Mary, University of London, UK
• Sara Elisabeth Adams - University of Oxford, UK
• Seda Gürses - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
• Silvia Breu - University of Cambridge, UK
• Siska Fitrianie - Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
• Stefanie Jegelka - Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tuebingen, Germany
• Svetlana Obraztsova - Steklov Institute of Mathematics, Russia
• Sylvia Rueda - University of Nottingham, UK
• Ulyana Tikhonova - Saint Petersburg State Polytechnical University, Russia

Update: Added photo.

Posted by Jordan Bookey, Diversity Programs Manager

In 2003 we established the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship to honor the work of Dr. Anita Borg, a computer scientist who dedicated her professional career to increasing the participation of women and other under-represented minorities in the field of technology. In her memory, we're pleased to announce the fifth class of Anita Borg Scholars in the U.S., and our first class of scholars in Canada.

The U.S. program awards $10,000 academic scholarships to 23 outstanding female leaders in technology, and $1,000 scholarships to 32 finalists. In Canada, 4 women will receive $5,000 scholarship awards, and 13 finalists will receive $1,000 scholarships. These undergraduate and graduate women are completing degrees in computer science and related fields. Each of these award recipients has demonstrated a commitment to advancing women in technology. We congratulate these leaders on their accomplishments.

The U.S. scholars and finalists recently visited the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA as part of the annual all-expenses-paid Google Scholars' Retreat. Students attended technical workshops and discussions with Google engineers and executives, and heard first-hand about the life and work of Anita Borg from Telle Whitney, President of the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology. The retreat enables these scholars to meet each other and create a network of future leaders in computer science. The 2008 recipients of the Google United Negro College Fund Scholarship and Hispanic College Fund Scholarship also attended.

The 17 Canada Anita Borg Scholars and Finalists will attend a Scholars' Retreat for their inaugural class this Thursday and Friday at our engineering office in New York.

Visit our scholarships page to learn more about our programs. The Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is also available to female computer science students in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

The 2008 U.S. Anita Borg Scholars ($10,000 winners)

• Allison Park Heath - Rice University, PhD Computer Science
• Amy Hurst - Carnegie Mellon University, Ph Human Computer Interaction
• Betsy Nora DiSalvo - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Diane Marie Budzik - University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Electrical Engineering
• Elizabeth Arrowsmith Bales - University of California, San Diego, PhD Computer Science
• Emily Anne Fortuna -Rice University, B.S. Computer Science
• Erika Shehan Poole - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Gabriela Marcu - University of California, Irvine, B.S. Informatics
• Ghinwa Fakhri Choueiter - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
• Gina-Maria Pomann - The College of New Jersey, B.A. Math
• Jennifer C. Stoll - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Jennifer Denise Tam - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Computer Science
• Jill Patrice Dimond - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Julie Maureen Letchner - University of Washington, PhD Computer Science
• Katherine Mary Everitt - University of Washington, PhD Computer Science
• Nancy Dougherty - Stanford University, B.S. Electrical Engineering Raluca Ada Popa - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S. Computer Science
• Sally Kadry Wahba - Clemson University, PhD Computer Science
• Sarita Ann Yardi - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Silvia Lindtner - University of California, Irvine, PhD Information & Computer Science
• Svetlana Yarosh - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Tammara Massey - University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Computer Science
• Yvon Hall Feaster - Clemson University, B.S. Computer Information Systems

The 2008 U.S. Anita Borg Finalists ($1,000 winners)

• Aditi Suhas Pendharkar - Carnegie Mellon University, M.S. Information Networking
• Alokika Dash - Univeristy of California, Irvine, PhD Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
• Ashley Leonora Podhradsky
• Dakota State University, PhD Information Systems
• Carla Mae Webb - Western Illinois University, B.S. Computer Science & Math
• Christina Marie Williams - Colorado State University, B.S. Computer Science
• Devorah Gurwitz - Touro College, B.S. Computer Science
• Eakta Jain - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Robotics
• Elena Jocelyn Jakubiak - Tufts University, PhD Computer Science
• Geeta Sharad Shroff - Carnegie Mellon University, B.S. Computer Science
• Jessica Lee Heier - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Industrial & Systems Engineering
• Karen Edwards Works - Worcester Polytechnic Institute, PhD Computer Science
• Kathy Tran Pham - Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S.Computer Science
• Kimber Diane Lockhart - Stanford University, B.Eng. Computer Science
• Kriti Rameshlal Puniyani - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Computer Science
• Liangrong Yi - University of Kentucky, PhD Computer Science
• Lisa Deanne Brown - Carnegie Mellon University, M.A. Entertainment Technology
• Lisa Marie White - University of Notre Dame, B.Eng. Computer Science
• Lisa Minerva Tolentino - Arizona State University, PhD Media Arts & Computer Science
• Meghan Katheleen Revelle - The College of William and Mary, PhD Computer Science
• Nahid Mahfuza Alam - Clemson University, PhD Computer Engineering
• Ramya Raghavendra - University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD Computer Science
• Rashida Zalika Davis - University of Delaware, PhD Computer & Information Sciences
• Renuka Ajay Apte - Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S. Computer Science
• Ruth Lorraine Wylie - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Human-Computer Interaction
• Sara Gatmir Motahari - New Jersey Institute of Technology, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Sofia Jeon - Drexel University, PhD Computer Science
• Sonya Stoyanova Nikolova - Princeton University, PhD Computer Science
• Stiliyana Boycheva Stamenova - Macalester College, B.A. Math & Computer Science
• Tasneem Kaochar - University of Arizona, B.S. Computer Science
• Valerie Henderson Summet - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing
• Vibha Laljani - California Institute of Technology, B.S. Computer Science
• Yi Mao - Purdue University, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering

The 2008 Canada Anita Borg Scholars ($5,000 CAD Winners)

• Angelica Lim - Simon Fraser University, BSc Computer Science
• Celina Gibbs - University of Victoria, MSc Computer Science
• Christina Boucher - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science
• Mireille Gomes - Queens University, BCompH Biomedical Computing

The 2008 Canada Anita Borg Finalists ($1,000 CAD Winners)

• Alma Juarez-Domiguez - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science
• April Khademi - University of Toronto, PhD Electrical Engineering
• Carrie Demmans - University of Saskatchewan, MSc Computer Science
• Cristina Ribeiro - University of Guelph, MSc Computer Science
• Gail Carmichael - Carleton University, MSc Computer Science
• Georgia Kastidou - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science
  
• Jocelyn Simmonds - University of Toronto, PhD Computer Science
• Katelyn Kent - University of New Brunswick, BSc Computer Engineering
  
• Ming Hua - Simon Fraser University, PhD Computer Science
  
• Pooja Viswanathan - University of British Columbia, PhD Computer Science
  
• Terri Oda - Carleton University, PhD in Computer Science
• Thuy Vu - University of Toronto, BSc Computer Science
• Viann Chan - University of British Columbia, PhD Computer Science

Posted by Marcus Mitchell, Engineering Director

We're always interested in supporting computer science education, and in encouraging top talent from diverse backgrounds. Which is why we've just sponsored the Sixth Annual Spelman College Computer Science Olympiad for the second consecutive year. In all, 16 teams from eight Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), or Association of Computer/Information Sciences and Engineering Departments at Minority Institutions (ADMI) participated.

These teams competed in five computer science-related events. One of these was a Google Gadgets competition, where the assignment was to build an interactive, creative and useful Google Gadget. Students brought their semi-completed gadgets and got troubleshooting advice and tips at a hack session, where Googlers and students worked together into the night to perfect them. The following day, each team presented their gadget to our panel of three judges (myself and 2 other Googlers).

We chose first, second and third place winners, whose gadgets will be uploaded to the iGoogle Directory soon:

• First place: Morehouse College Team 2 (Lawrence Forrester, Kevin Walton, Mark Slade, Michael Davis)
• Second place: Old Dominion University Monarchs (Duc Nguyen, Cesar Barbieri, Darrin Lee, Nicole Jackson)
• Third place: Spelman College YOMamaBoards (Jonecia Keels, Jazmine Miller, Paige McReynolds, Arielle Baine)

It was inspiring to see the energy, enthusiasm, and skill of these future computer scientists -- our congratulations to all the teams that participated.

First-place winner.