Last week, the Google Sydney office played host to 36 Anita Borg Memorial scholars and finalists from across Asia Pacific. These young computer science stars from Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore and India, as well as Australia and New Zealand, spent the week listening to tech talks, building autonomous fighter robots and attending a series of networking and social events.
Killer robots in action
After spending the last few days with these women and seeing their enthusiasm and talent for computer science, we’re looking forward to seeing where their careers take them. Our three Australian winners, Vinita Nahar from Brisbane, Georgina Wilcox and Julia Wong from Sydney, are already well on their way.
2013 Anita Borg scholarship winners Julia Wong, Vinita Naha and Georgina Wilcox
Vinita, a PHD student at Queensland University, is creating software that can detect cyber bullies from their online communication patterns. Georgina, a PHD student at Sydney University, is developing programs to help ecologists better understand the migratory patterns of birds. And Julia, a first year student at the University of Technology Sydney, is already a seasoned public speaker, going out to schools around NSW to let students know just how many career opportunities there are for computer science graduates.
2013 Anita Borg finalists and winners at the Sydney retreat
The Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is an award designed to encourage women to excel in computing and technology and become active role models and leaders. It was established to honour the legacy of Anita Borg, an American computer scientist who worked to dismantle the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields. Since the program began in 2004, more than $2.5 million has been awarded to more than 800 students in Australia, New Zealand, The United States, Canada and Europe.
Congratulations and good luck to all the winners and finalists. You’ve got exciting careers ahead of you. For more information on all our scholarships, visit the Google Scholarships site.
Posted by Valley Mein, Tech Staffing Programs Specialist, Australia & New Zealand
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