May 10, 2013UCI Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences to recognize 27 high school women for computing achievements
Irvine, Calif., May 10, 2013 — As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine will recognize 27 high school students for their accomplishments and aspirations in computing and technology. The award event will be held at UCI’s Donald Bren Hall, Room 6011, on Saturday, May 11, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
“The Southern California Aspirations in Computing Awards is a wonderful opportunity for us to recognize the promising computing talent of the young women in our community,” said Bren School professor and founding dean Debra Richardson, a member of the NCWIT leadership team. “Our goal is to inspire them to continue their pursuits in this exciting field — and potentially go on to create the next great technological innovation.”
The May 11 event will feature an address by Kimberly Murphy, infrastructure consultant for Microsoft Corporation’s Navy Marine Corps Services Team, and the video “This is Laura.” Created by Harvard-Westlake School student Molly Cinnamon, one of this year’s honorees, “This is Laura” dispels the stereotypes of women in technology and will be used as a national public service announcement by the Entertainment Industries Council.
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing is a program of NCWIT, a coalition of nearly 200 universities, corporations and organizations dedicated to increasing the meaningful participation of women in computing. The award program was created to acknowledge the computing aspirations of young women, introduce them to leadership opportunities in the field, and generate visibility for women’s participation in computing-related pursuits. Award winners have been selected for their outstanding aptitude and interest in computing and desire to pursue computing-related studies or occupations.
The Southern California area 2013 winners are:
Cheryl Chang, Northwood High, Irvine
Molly Cinnamon, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood
Theodora Davis, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood
Rachel Frodsham, Da Vinci Science, Hawthorne
Jessica Gable, Troy High, Fullerton
Perla Garfiaz, Millikan Senior High, Long Beach
Katie Gundlach, La Quinta High, La Quinta
Laura Harker, Northwood High, Irvine
Karen Her, Brea-Olinda High, Brea
Anastassia Hill, Pete Knight High School, Palmdale
Crystal Hsieh, Northwood High, Irvine
Zhao Zheng (Alice) Jin, Diamond Bar High, Diamond Bar
Melanie Krassel, Harvard Westlake School, Los Angeles
Katherine Leyba, St. Paul High School, Santa Fe Springs
Kimberly Ly, Granada Hills Charter High, Granada Hills
Saatchi Patell, Whitney (Gretchen) High, Cerritos
Megan Reddy, Fairmont Preparatory Academy, Anaheim
Anna Resnick, Whitney (Gretchen) High, Cerritos
Jessica Shahad, California Academy Of Math & Science, Carson
Shivani Shikha, Oak Park High, Oak Park
Divya Siddarth, Harvard-Westlake School, North Hollywood
Megha Srivastava, Harvard-Westlake, Studio City
Ariel Tam, Gabrielino High, San Gabriel
Amy Tat, Troy High, Fullerton
Michelle Tjoa, Brea-Olinda High, Brea
Miriam Valencia, Millikan Senior High, Long Beach
Jessica Vu, Troy High, Fullerton
The award event was made possibly by generous support from the Bren School, Calit2 and Microsoft, and by contributions from Blizzard, Facebook, Google and Northrop Grumman.
About the UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
As the only computing-focused school in the University of California system, the Bren School is establishing a new vision for information and computer sciences in the 21st century. The school emphasizes a broad and diverse view of the field that includes the what, why and how of information and computer sciences; advances interdisciplinary collaborations at UC Irvine and beyond; and produces relevant, cutting-edge research that addresses key challenges facing our nation and the world. More info at www.ics.uci.edu.About the National Center for Women & Information Technology
NCWIT’s work leverages programs from organizations across the country, and connects efforts to increase women's participation in information technology along the entire pipeline, from K-12 and higher education through industry and academic careers. Find out more at www.ncwit.org.Contact:
Rizza Barnes
Director of Communications
Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences
University of California, Irvine
949-824-1562
rizza.barnes@uci.edu