Google awarded two University computer science graduate students its 2007 Anita Borg Scholarship earlier this month -- a $10,000 award for females in the field of computer science to be used for academic purposes.
According to Google spokesperson Sunny Gettinger, more than 250 applications were sent from over 150 schools.
"The selection committee looked for [females] who are majoring in computer science or another technical field and are leaders in their schools and fields," Gettinger said.
The goal of the program is to continue the legacy of Anita Borg, who "was committed to encouraging women to enter the field of computer science," Gettinger said.
University Engineering graduate students Wei Le and Isabelle Stanton were among 20 female recipients of the award.
With a family background in technical science and a master's in mathematics from the University, Stanton said she heard about the scholarship from another computer science graduate student.
"One of our other graduate students ... won it last year, so she encouraged me to apply," Stanton said.
The application process requires candidates to discuss everything from their technical achievements to their personal hobbies, she said.
According to Stanton, the application required four essays. The first asked applicants about their personal history. Another asked students to devise a research proposal. The third was an essay about leadership positions within the technical community;finally, applicants were asked what they would do within the computer science field if given $1,000.
In response, Stanton proposed a communications workshop and, according to Stanton, Wei, who is currently in China, proposed an alternative to the Grace Hopper conference, a national conference for women in science, for Chinese women.
Stanton said she plans to use her scholarship money to travel to conferences that she would not have been able to attend otherwise, as well as to purchase updated equipment.
"The recipients of the award are all exceptional candidates," Gettinger said. "It is really important that women have opportunities to join the science fields."
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