Congratulations to our U.S. and Canadian Anita Borg Scholars

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