Winners of 2007 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship announced
Sydney, Australia. – 30 October 2007 – Google Australia today announced the recipients of the 2007 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship. The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship was established in association with the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology to honour the legacy of Anita Borg and her efforts to encourage women to pursue careers in computer science and technology.
The award is an AUD$5,000 scholarship for outstanding female undergraduate and graduate students completing their degrees in computer science or related fields. Finalists received an award of AUD$1,000.
Alan Noble, Engineering Director at Google Australia commented: “The high-calibre applications that we received for this scholarship demonstrates that there is a groundswell of interest in the IT industry from students in our universities. Google Australia wants to help to support this interest and encourage more women to study computer science.”
“Australia is blessed with some incredibly talented innovators, particularly in IT and this year’s winners of the Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship are certain to carry on this tradition. By supporting the next generation of great technical minds we pay tribute to Anita and her vision of women in the computer sciences," continued Noble.
A networking retreat was held for all scholars and finalists in Sydney in mid-October to celebrate and share achievements, discuss technology changes and the choices facing women in IT and related fields.
The Google Anita Borg Scholarship started in the United States in 2004. Australia became the first country outside the US to offer the scholarship in 2006 and this academic year (2007) the Scholarship was extended to all students studying at Australian and New Zealand Universities. Google received 59 applications, from students at 18 different universities across Australia and New Zealand.
To be eligible, students had to have completed at least one year of undergraduate study and be enrolled in study for the 2007 – 2008 academic year at an university in Australia or New Zealand. Selection criteria included academic performance, letters of recommendation, answers to short essay questions and interviews with members of the review committee. More information about the Google Anita Borg Scholarship can be found at www.google.com/anitaborg/.
We are pleased to award two $5,000 scholarships to the following students:
$1,000 awards will go to the 14 other finalists:
Founded in 1997, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI) is a nationally recognised organization dedicated to changing the world for women and technology. ABI’s mission is two-fold: to increase the impact of women on all aspects of technology and to increase the positive impact of technology on the world’s women. ABI accomplishes its goals through collaboration with industry, academic and government organisations. www.anitaborg.org
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.
Andy Sommer, SpectrumLife, +61 2 9954 3299, andys@spectrumcomms.com.au
Rob Shilkin, Google, +61 2 9374 4000, rshilkin@google.com
Labels: Australia new announcements
