None

<ul><li>AiC Community Member Angelik Laboy Torres wanted to help members of her family who were struggling with diabetes, so she “created a non-intrusive, wearable technology that helps diabetics painlessly monitor their glucose levels.” Learn more about her tech journey in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbeseq/2021/01/06/drawing-her-own-doors-to-opportunities-in-tech/?sh=56609a816346" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this Forbes profile</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>“It’s exciting to see young students eager to learn about how to secure their online presence at school, home, and in their community.” // AiC Community Member Samina Mondal started a cybersecurity curriculum for K-12 students that now reaches students across the country. Find out more <a href="https://www.dvidshub.net/news/386450/nrl-cyberweek-students-catching-fire-nationwide" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>“Being a girl in STEM and different biases that I’ve had to deal with… I think that has definitely influenced what I do and why I want to do it so that I can set up a better pathway for future generations after me.” // AiC Community Member and GeekWire Junior Geek of the Month Merrill Keating loves finding ways to use technology to give back to her community. Learn about her many initiatives <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2021/junior-geek-month-uw-student-16-merrill-keating-leads-girls-along-stem-path/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>What factors determine how well a plant will grow… in space? That’s what AiC Community Member Melika Osareh is trying to find out! She and her research colleagues are testing seedlings to determine which varieties are most resistant to changes in gravity. Learn more about her experiments <a href="https://utlc.uncg.edu/blog-post/growing-plants-in-space/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li></ul>January ShoutoutsThe results are in! The recipients of the 2021 NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing were announced this January, and local news outlets are ready to celebrate winners from their districts. We spotted these names in the news: <a href="https://www.thesheridanpress.com/moran-semifinalist-for-national-merit-scholarship-program-boasts-high-academic-achievements/article_4042c31e-6265-11eb-8d63-3fbe90556034.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kathryn Moran</a>; <a href="https://www.saintmartincleveland.org/about/news/2021/01/29/janae-cunningham-21-wins-ohios-rising-stars-ncwit-award-for-aspirations-in-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Janae Cunningham</a>; <a href="https://mcpasd.k12.wi.us/mhs/news/three-mhs-students-recognized-ncwit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shardha Godishala, Keerthi Peddinti, and Alli Smith</a>.

AiC Members In the News (January 2021)

FOUR HUNDRED U.S. HIGH SCHOOL WOMEN ARE RECOGNIZED FOR TECHNOLOGICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

<ul><li>AiC Community Member and Reinvented Magazine Founder Caeley Looney collaborated with Beauty and the Bolt to create a 2021 calendar called “<a href="https://womenyoushouldknow.net/2021-calendar-12-stem-royals-power-tools-inspire-girls/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Princesses with Power Tools</a>.” Featuring women technologists from a variety of fields, the project is about letting girls know that they don’t have to choose between interests in STEM and other hobbies; there is room in the tech world for all of who they are.&nbsp;</li><li>AiC Community Member and Harvard Medical Student Pooja Chandrashekar uses technologies such as VR, natural language processing, and machine learning to develop innovative approaches to a variety of medical challenges. This fall, she was listed as one of <a href="https://www.forbes.com/30-under-30/2021/healthcare/?fbclid=IwAR0P90Vja27MlWKog40zx_X7nuf83wA3aA1PhLE85RDSA1LD3DsdwhWiBdU&amp;profile=pooja-chandrashekar" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Forbes Magazine</a>’s 30 under 30 in Health Care.&nbsp;</li><li>“It really opened my eyes to this whole other career and opportunities, and that’s why I... want to pass the torch.” // AiC Community Member Kimi Du is using Zoom to teach coding classes for younger students during the pandemic. Along the way, she’s been mentored by another AiC Community Member, Swetha Prabakaran, who founded the nonprofit organization Everybody Code Now. Get the story <a href="https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/after-discovering-a-love-for-computers-cedar-falls-junior-is-leading-her-own-girls-coding/article_ee6ab165-f314-530a-a2bc-f890d135c330.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li></ul>November and December ShoutoutsThis winter, local news outlets are celebrating the achievements of AiC Community members! We spotted these names in the news: <a href="https://abc13.com/high-school-scholarship-citgo-success-stories/7432299/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Martha Moreno</a>; <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/schools/story/2020-11-13/poway-high-engineering-students-honored" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Madalyn Nguyen</a>; and <a href="https://luddy.indiana.edu/news/story.html?story=Luddy-students-named-finalists-for-2021-NCWIT-Collegiate-Award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Emma Cai, Maram Muhsen, and Sarah Robertson</a>. &nbsp;

AiC Members In the News (November-December 2020)

<img alt="NCWIT Collegiate Award Logo" src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ncwit_aic_collegiateaward_logo_fullcolor_web_0.png" style="width: 250px; height: 110px; float: right;" />NCWIT is pleased to announce finalists for the 2021 <a href="/award-programs/aic-collegiate-award" target="_blank">NCWIT Collegiate Award</a>, celebrating 82 undergraduate and graduate students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary from 57 academic institutions nationwide.Conferred annually, the NCWIT Collegiate Award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of innovation and potential impact. The 82 finalists were selected based on their achievements and technical abilities exhibited through their projects submitted in their Preliminary Round applications.View a complete list of the 2021 finalists below.Final Round application reviews are open February 1 through February 26. Find out how to volunteer at <a href="/get-involved/volunteer-reviewers" target="_blank">www.aspirations.org/VolunteerReviewer</a>.The entire NCWIT AiC program platform is supported generously by Apple. AiC also receives support for specific national program elements; the NCWIT Collegiate Award is sponsored by Qualcomm and Amazon with additional support from Palo Alto Networks.<h3 style="color:#195995">Finalists</h3><table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td>&bull; Isabel Abonitalla, Hunter College City University of New York (CUNY), Applying Frontal Cortex Metabolites Quantified by 7-Tesla 1H-MRS to Predict Multiple Sclerosis Subtype Through Recursive Partitioning and Conditional Inference Trees</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Fatima Ali, University of California - Irvine, Logistics Platform for the Farmlink Project</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Fatma Arslan, University of Texas - Arlington, Semantically-Informed Data-Driven Factual Claim Verification</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Hannaneh Barahouei Pasandi, Virginia Commonwealth University, A Learning-Based Framework for Self-Driving Design of Networking Protocols</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Sarah Bloom, Stanford University, Suryodaya Web App to Remote Control Configurations and Visualize Data from Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient Greenhouse in Rural India</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Amanda Bolden, University of Dayton, Smart Cane</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Alicia Boyd, DePaul University, Intersectional Quantitative Analysis of the #MeToo Movement</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Jacqueline Brown, Marshall University, A Theil Index-Based Countermeasure Against Advanced Vampire Attack in the Internet of Things</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Isabel Cachola, Johns Hopkins University, TLDR: Extreme Summarization of Scientific Documents</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Leqian (Emma) Cai,&nbsp;Indiana University - Bloomington, Deicing Robot on High Voltage Wire</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Isha Chakraborty, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), A Novel Application of Polygenic Risk Scores To Transcription Phenotypes</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Hope Chambers, University of Oklahoma, Cerebral Palsy Symbiotic Robot</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Hanjie Chen, University of Virginia, Learning Variational Word Masks to Improve the Interpretability of Neural Text Classifiers</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Hannah Chen California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Evaluating Operational Implementation of the Deep Space Network&#39;s Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN)</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Alexandra Chin, Wellesley College, Olfactory Communications System</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Anoushka Chintada, University of California - Los Angeles, Confirming the Existence of K2 Candidate Exoplanets Using the Transit Method</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Shivali Choudhary, California State University - East Bay, IRFIS</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Tara Chugh, University of Chicago, COVID-19 Policy and Mobility Data Science Project</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Kira Corbett, Oregon State University, Synthesis: A Robotics Simulation Tool to Combine CAD and Code</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Audrey Cui, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), From Pixel to Paragraph: A Deep Artwork Analysis Paragraph Generator</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Meenakshi Das, Auburn University, Accessible Block-Based Programming for K-12 Students with Visual and Hearing Disabilities</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Ukamaka Ezimora, University of California - Merced, Sepia Sisters&#39;s Voting Game / Python Voting System</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Erica Fagnan, University of California - Santa Barbara, Graph Theoretic Treatment of Nanocarbon Structures</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Katelyn France, University of Minnesota - Duluth, &quot;Anaphylactic Shocker!&quot; Creating Novel Medtech Devices and Supporting the Next Generation of Womxn in STEAM</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Kyla Gabriel, University of Alabama - Birmingham, COVID-19 Environmental Screening</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Vinitha Gadiraju, University of Colorado - Boulder, BrailleBlocks: Braille Toys for Collaborative Literacy Learning</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Patricia Garcia, Florida International University, College Thrifts</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Brianna Garland, Stevens Institute of Technology, Design of Grail Automated Healthcare Records</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Megan Goulet, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Health Empowerment by Analytics, Learning, and Semantics (HEALS) Project</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Jennifer Guerrero, City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College, PlanIt</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Rachel Guo, Harvard University, Enhancing Poaching Predictions for Under-Resourced Wildlife Conservation Parks Using Remote Sensing Imagery</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Erin Howard, Western Washington University, Leveraging Statistical Analysis to Develop Labels for Astronomical Time Series Data</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Emma Hubbell, Quinnipiac University, Figure it Out: a Game to Increase Data Driven Decision Making in Public Health</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Sneha Iyer, University of Virginia, An AI application to Diagnose Melanoma by Analyzing Image Files</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Israa Jaradat, University of Texas - Arlington, Automatic Cherry-Picking Detection and Correction in Textual Data</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Dana Joseph, Yale University, Understanding Cardiac Hypertrophy Through Computational Models of Eccentric Heart Contractions</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Johanna Karras, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Comparing Regularized Maximum Likelihood and Deep Neural Network Methods for Black Hole Imaging</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Lauren Klein University of Southern California, Automated Analysis of Infant-Mother Coordination</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Aparna Kumar, Columbia University, Natya*ML</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Kirthi Kumar, University of California - Berkeley, Developing Novel Computational Models for Prescription and Illicit Drug Addiction Dynamics in the COVID-19-Amplified Opioid Epidemic</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Caitlin Lau, Cornell University, Drag Augmented Reality Toolkit</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Laura Lewis, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Implementing Remote-State Preparation on a Noisy Intermediate-Size Quantum Device</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Kaitlyn Ludlam, University of Florida, AstroBot STEM NonProfit Corp./astrobotstem.org</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Suchita Lulla, University of Colorado - Boulder, Understanding PCR Primer Bias and its Impact on the Study of Var Genes in P. Falciparum</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Cassandra Marcussen, Columbia University, Parallelized Parsing for Fast Machine Learning Systems</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Adriana Martinez, Carnegie Mellon University, Autolab</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Nicole Meister, Princeton University, Bringing Technology to Conservation Groups by Creating Accessible Mangrove Monitoring and Classification Tools</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Maram Muhsen, Indiana University - Bloomington, Folic Acid Supplementation Rescues Valproic Acid-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity and Behavioral Alterations in Zebrafish Embryos</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Divya Nagaraj, Stanford University, Weak Labeling Pipeline for Clinical Information Extraction from Unstructured MRI Notes</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Chariane Nkengfack, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Toute</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Obianuju Okafor, University of North Texas, Helping Students with Cerebral Palsy Program via Voice-Enabled Block-based Programming</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Melika Osareh, University of North Carolina - Greensboro, 2D-Clinostat Testing for Gravity Randomizing Effect on Arabidopsis Thaliana Plants</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Abigayle Peterson, Western Washington University, Magnify Wellness</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Yao Hodalo Poudima, University of Maryland - College Park, CerSmart</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Anika Pruthi, College of New Jersey, SMILE: A Novel Diagnostic and Monitoring Tool For Facial Paralysis</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Isha Puri, Harvard University, A Scalable and Freely Accessible Machine Learning Based Web Application for the Early Detection of Dyslexia</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Evani Radiya-Dixit, Stanford University, Learning Efficient Natural Language Processing Models</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Kimari Rennis, New York University, I Forgot How to Cry</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Alexandra Rindone, Johns Hopkins University, High-Resolution Quantitative 3D Imaging of Blood Vessels and Bone Cells in the Skull</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Sarah Robertson, Indiana University - Bloomington, Construction of Cancer-Associated circRNA-miRNA Networks</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Devika Shanbhag, Carnegie Mellon University, Power Plane Design Using Reinforcement Learning</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Nikita Sietsema, Calvin College, Train Go Sorry</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Anika Singh, University of Texas - Austin, Object Classification Using Segments of Point Cloud Data for Tactile Sensing</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Mabel Smith, University of Virginia, Zon Loopt Running Routes</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Jenna Sorsen, Bethel University - Saint Paul, Lights for Lives</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Ashley Suh, Tufts University, CAVA++: An Automatic Visualization Recommendation System via Knowledge Graphs for Data-Enriched Exploration</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Marissa Sumathipala, Harvard University, Network Medicine Platform for Predicting Noncoding RNA Drug Targets</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Alexandra Szewc, Johns Hopkins University, Cytoscope: CD4 Count Estimator</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Farita Tasnim, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Real-Time Decoding of Facial Strains via Conformable Piezoelectric Interfaces</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Angelique Taylor, University of California - San Diego, Robot Social Navigation in the Emergency Department</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Maya Venkatraman, Columbia University, Adding YouTube HLS Output to OBS (Open Broadcaster Software)</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Sherrie Wang, Stanford University, Mapping Crop Types in India with Smartphone Crowdsourcing and Deep Learning</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Yaxuan Wang, Rice University, Speedup of Bayesian Inference of Species Phylogenies</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Zhixue Wang, Duke University, Big Data for Reproductive Health (bd4rh)</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Chrysm Watson Ross, University of New Mexico, COVID-19 Misinformation Analysis</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Linda Weng, University of Michigan, Vitam</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Arissa Wongpanich, University of California - Berkeley, Asynchronous Methods for Scaling Up Distributed Deep Learning on High Performance Computing Clusters</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Sirinda Wongpanich, University of California - Berkeley, Natural Language Processing and Deep Learning for Precision Healthcare</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Victoria Xin Stanford University, Predicting Antihypertensive Medication Efficacy through Machine Learning Survival Analyses in a Revascularized Patient Population</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Alice Yeh, University of California - Berkeley, GEM: Leveraging Wearable Technology for Personal Safety</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Maya Zeng, El Camino College, Portable Wireless Signal Booster Concept Paper</td></tr><tr><td>&bull; Victoria Zhang, Harvard University, Patterns and Symmetries in Spiking Neural Networks</td></tr></tbody></table>&nbsp;

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Selects Finalists for the 2021 NCWIT Collegiate Award

<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/languageaic_blog_graphic_webpage.jpg" alt="Language Matters Banner"> The NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) program was founded on the premise that recognizing talented technical girls would be powerful. That was in 2007, and the program has grown from 8 students in the first award ceremony to more than 4,000 in 2020. During the past 13 years, we added Aspirations Affiliates to build a network of dedicated local committees who helped us scale this program, and who shared in the joy of encouraging young women to succeed in their tech and computing studies. AiC Award recipients were gathered together into what we now call the AiC Community, and in 2015 we added additional pathways for those in post-secondary studies to join this community.&nbsp;Today, nearly 20,000 strong, the AiC Community is a diverse place, and it provides a unique network for helping members find others who share their technology interests. Still, we continue to hear that AiC Community members are the “only one in their class.” Because&nbsp;gender inequities in the tech field persist, and those are where NCWIT focuses, often the “only one” refers to gender, but it can also refer to racial/ethnic identity, to disability status, or to a lack of prior experience in computing. Some students are the first in their family to take an interest in tech or come from schools with inadequate technology curriculum. The AiC Community helps mitigate the feelings of aloneness for many and routinely provides needed door-openings to opportunities. The AiC Community is always, we hope, a safe space for members to ask questions, seek and give advice, and feel welcomed no matter what their lived experience is.A few years ago, NCWIT AiC program staff started to expand our gender language to signal our intentions of being more inclusive. Last year, we defined the eligibility for our programs to include both non-binary and genderqueer people, as well as anyone who self-identifies as a woman. We’ve added pronouns to our profile data, and for the past few years, we have addressed our community with the word “womxn.” To be honest, not all of our staff was well-versed in, nor completely comfortable with, non-binary constructs of gender, but we have examined our own lack of knowledge and worked to improve our awareness of how we understand gender. Our use of expanded gender-identifying language was introduced with the knowledge that for some, it would not go far enough, and for others in our community it might be perplexing.&nbsp;We recognize that the lived experiences of women, non-binary, and genderqueer individuals are NOT equivalent. This program exists to close the gender gap, specifically as it impacts individuals who have been historically marginalized in the computing and tech experience.<h4>Creating An Inclusive Space</h4>Recently, a series of AiC Instagram ads “Calling All Womxn” was criticized for being transphobic, and it was suggested that grouping non-binary and genderqueer individuals with women implied an equivalency between the experiences of those who identify as non-binary or genderqueer and the experiences of those who identify as women. NCWIT AiC staff reviewed the comments, discussed internally, and felt that we were falling short of our goal of using language to be more inclusive. NCWIT AiC decided with immediate effect to discontinue using the term womxn, instead using “women,” “individuals who self-identify as women,” or “women, genderqueer, and non-binary.” We recognize that the latter phrasing refers to three different identities of individuals, but they all have one thing in common: all are historically marginalized genders, and our program seeks to give space and encouragement to those who have been historically marginalized. The truth is, there is not one word or phrase that encompasses all identities, and there shouldn't be; all of us, and all of you, need to take up space.The NCWIT AiC staff will continue to reflect on and update our language use; we also remain fully committed to addressing the common challenges that people of marginalized genders face in the tech industry. Our work and initiatives will still push to combat isolation, inequitable distribution of opportunities, and gender bias. These challenges may be experienced by all individuals in workforce settings, but unfortunately it is still true that women, genderqueer, and non-binary individuals in the tech industry are impacted significantly more.Language is nuanced, and oftentimes it takes more words to say what we mean, so NCWIT AiC communications may get longer! It remains our goal to be inclusive in our words and actions. We hope that you will let us know when we fall short and also when we do something that feels right. If you have any questions or comments, we encourage you to contact NCWIT AiC at <a href="mailto:aichelp@ncwit.org?subject=Language%20Matters" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">aichelp@ncwit.org</a>.~ NCWIT Aspirations in Computing

Language Matters: Expressing Inclusivity Through Terminology

<ul><li>AiC Community Member Ria Doshi wrote the book series The Code Detectives, featuring young women who use technology to solve mysteries in their community, as a way to help girls from diverse backgrounds see themselves in computing. Ria was recently named one of The Mars Generation’s 24 Under 24 Global Leaders in STEM. Find out what inspires Ria in <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/bay-area-teen-author-honored-for-stem-work/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this KRON-4 interview</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>“She just decided at some point she was going to go forward and figure this out and be a computer programmer.” // In <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-oak-lawn-computing-award-st-1023-20201024-ee26mll3anedrfd4ujxmva7h74-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this Chicago Tribune profile</a>, meet AiC Community Member Loreen Tumeh, and find out how her passion and persistence helped her overcome obstacles and succeed at coding.&nbsp;</li><li>As part of a Girl Scouts Gold Award project focused on increasing access to STEM opportunities for girls, AiC Community Member Madalyn Nguyen started a FIRST Robotics program at a middle school in a low-income neighborhood, founded the Society of Women Engineers Club for high school students, organized a Girls in STEM Inspiration Day… and more! Get the full story <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/story/2020-10-23/girl-scout-shares-her-love-of-stem-while-earning-gold-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>“Her face lights up as the code she had been struggling with for seemingly so long finally worked.” // In <a href="https://ucsdcreate.wordpress.com/2020/10/27/girls-dont-give-up/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this blog post</a>, AiC Community Member Joyce Garofalo reflects on the lessons she learned through leading an AspireIT program that offered free coding courses to underrepresented low-income students between the ages of 8 and 11.</li></ul>

AiC Members in the News (October 2020)

<ul><li>“The more of us who find our confidence and our voice, the more powerful we become, and the bigger the waves we make.” // In <a href="https://sheisrare.org/2020/09/03/caeley-looney-l3harris-technologies-passion-for-space/?fbclid=IwAR3vG9Ih2EUUwAZLWndIi4CNEizle_uXvqywpH3CEJmbwFfq1baP_cW3YkY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this interview</a> for the She is Rare STEM Stories series, AiC Community Member Caeley Looney talks frankly about some of the challenges she has overcome, and why her job really is rocket science.&nbsp;</li><li>AiC Community Member Skyler Wharton believes that “machine learning developers have a responsibility to recognize the harm that systems we build cause and the power imbalance that exists between us and the people who participate in our systems, and then work to reduce harm.” They published <a href="https://medium.com/@skylerwharton/machine-learning-systems-as-tools-of-oppression-d83c23d57136" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a> to help equip developers with the tools necessary to create more equitable systems.&nbsp;</li><li>“Year after year, I witnessed the girls at camp grow in confidence and glow with excitement at the STEM activities we were doing.” // In <a href="https://www.csteachers.org/Stories/encouraging-young-women%E2%80%99s-interests-in-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this CSTA blog post</a>, 2020 National Educator Award Winner Catherine Tabor and AiC Community Member Aya Abdelgawad talk about the impact that the Aspirations in Computing and AspireIT programs have had on their own lives and on their entire community.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Connecticut AiC Affiliate Educator Award Recipient Christopher Kerr’s goal is to help his students become “mindful young adults who will choose love over hate and happiness above all else.” In <a href="https://connecticut.csteachers.org/Stories/congratulations-christopher-kerr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, learn how he started a peer mentoring program that led to a dramatic increase in the number of women students in his computing classes.</li></ul>September ShoutoutsWhen high school and college womxn get recognized for their achievements in STEM, it can help younger students envision themselves following a similar path. That’s just one reason why we love seeing AiC Community members in the news! This month, we saw&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eset-announces-winners-of-2020-women-in-cybersecurity-scholarship-awards-301121809.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Annabelle Klosterman</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/daily-southtown/ct-sta-southtowners-st-0924-20200922-rvpdh3hx6bbjnb4o6jnzyrw3hy-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Loreen Tumeh</a>, <a href="https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/four-innovative-indian-american-youths-named-winners-of-barron-prize-for-young-heroes/article_0e11600c-ff06-11ea-ad40-2fe76365d068.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kavi Dolasia</a>, <a href="https://www.sandyjournal.com/2020/09/09/327440/five-local-students-top-technology-awards-in-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">five students from the Sandy, Utah area</a> and <a href="https://www.rivertonjournal.com/2020/09/14/327741/four-students-top-technology-awards-in-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four students from Riverton, Utah</a> making headlines in their local news.

AiC Members in the News (September 2020)

<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/earlydeadline_eventpagebanner.jpg" alt="Banner">
	
	<div align="center">
	<h2 class="ql-align-center">Thursday, October 22, 2020 
	4:00PM PT / 5:00PM MT / 6:00PM CT / 7:00PM ET</h2>
	
	Looking to connect further with your womxn in tech peers? Submit your application by 11:59 p.m. EDT on October 15, 2020 to receive an invitation to this exclusive event to connect with like-minded individuals and hear from inspiring members of the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Community.</div>
	
	<h4>Featured Speaker:</h4>
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/gemmabusoni_photocircle.png" style="width: 200px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; float: right;" alt="Gemma Busoni">
	
	 Gemma Busoni, Director of Education, BuildBox
	
	Gemma currently serves as the head of Global Education at Buildbox. Prior to stepping into her current role, Gemma gained extensive experience in education and gaming and has been recognized as an Award for AiC National Winner, a Thiel Fellowship winner, graced the cover of Seventeen magazine alongside Michelle Obama, and co-founded Discovr Labs. Gemma's achievements earned her a spot on the list of Forbes 30 Under 30.
	
	<h3>Additional Speakers:</h3>
	
	<ul>
		
		<li> Caeley Looney,&nbsp;Mission Analyst, L3Harris Technologies; Founder and Editor in Chief, Reinvented Magazine</li>
		
		<li><a href="https://medium.com/@helenamerk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Helena Merk</a>,&nbsp;CEO and Co-Founder, Glimpse</li>
	
	</ul>
	
	This an exclusive event for 2021 Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) and NCWIT Collegiate Award applicants. Invitations will be sent to all Award for AiC applicants and NCWIT Collegiate Award applicants who submit their applications by October 15.*
	
	*Note: Award for AiC applicants only have to submit an application by October 15 to receive an invite to the event. (You do not have to have an educator endorsement or parental approval completed by that date. Likewise, NCWIT Collegiate Award applicants do not have to have their application endorsed by October 15 to be invited to the event.)
	
	&nbsp;

AiC Tech-Blazers VIP Event

<ul><li>“I wanted to find a way to help aid organizations monitor crop conditions as droughts evolve, to help them respond to food crises.” // With her innovative tool that uses data from satellite imagery to accurately predict crop yields, AiC Community Member Lillian Kay Petersen won First Place in the prestigious Regeneron Science Talent Search. Get all the details in <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/30/897076414/high-school-senior-created-model-to-end-food-insecurity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this NPR feature</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>“Creating art gets the conversation going in a way that might not be achieved with an hour-long talk or a research paper.” // <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/90525023/most-creative-people-2020-joy-buolamwini" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">This Fast Company profile</a> explores how AiC Community Member Joy Buolamwini’s approach as a “poet of code” has helped her work on algorithmic bias resonate with audiences across the political spectrum.</li><li>In <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qTS489egaTTZ4Vj0CvxAa?si=oN6_C2wBQPqMIlbQM_auFw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this podcast</a>, AiC Community Member Divya Nagaraj shares about her experiences as a Facebook intern working remotely during the pandemic, and how she’s using her background in natural language processing (NLP) to help develop new projects.</li><li>AiC Community Member Cindy Yeh worked with fellow graduate students at the University of Washington to develop the weeklong Genome Hackers camp, which introduces women students in the life sciences to computer programming. The camp, now in its fourth year, went virtual this summer. Go <a href="https://newsroom.uw.edu/news/genome-hacker-camp-adapts-pandemic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a> to read about the inspiration behind the program.</li><li>AiC Community Members Gianna Yan, Shannon Yan, and Amanda Southworth were among the developers featured in <a href="https://www.instyle.com/celebrity/students-building-apps-changing-lives-bad-ass" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this InStyle article</a> about young innovators who have created technical solutions to challenges associated with Covid-19.&nbsp;</li></ul>August ShoutoutsWe love seeing AiC Community members being recognized for their academic, technical, and creative accomplishments. This month, we spotted <a href="https://patch.com/california/palosverdes/calendar/event/20200803/866860/coding-camp-for-girls" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hannah Bauer</a>, <a href="https://patch.com/alabama/birmingham-al/bpl-partnering-girls-inc-offer-girls-coding-camp-aug-3-7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zena Banker, and Katelyn Miller</a> in the news.

AiC Members in the News (August 2020)

<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aic_educatorawardevent_banner.png" alt="Educator Award Virtual Event Banner">&nbsp;
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aic_educatorawardevent_circlethumb.png" alt="Award Circle thumb" style="float: right;" >Join the National Center for Women &amp; Information Technology (NCWIT) in celebrating the 2021 NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Educator Award recipients on August 25! NCWIT is thrilled to bring together&nbsp;ALL&nbsp;2021&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aspirations.org/award-programs/aic-educator-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NCWIT AiC Educator Award</a> recipients and student endorsers to celebrate the phenomenal work of informal and formal educators who encourage aspiring technologists in tech and computing. In addition to the celebration, we will engage in insightful discussion as we hear from leaders in Computer Science education and delve deeper into racial and gender justice, so we can all reflect and improve upon our inclusive practices.
	
	<h2>Wednesday, August 25, 2021 for 60 minutes, starting at 
5 p.m. PST // 6 p.m. MST // 7 p.m. CST // 8 p.m. EST</h2>
	
	<h4>Register</h4>
	
	To attend, <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9jaaQ3RtTcKJv6mb34OWzw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">register on Zoom</a>.
	
	<h4>Speakers</h4>
	
	<ul>
		<li>Keynote Speaker: <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/sociology/jax-j-gonzalez" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >Jax Gonzalez</a></li>
		
		<li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamcy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >Miriam Ynocencio</a>, Director, Design Thinking Practice Lead, AT&amp;T</li>
		
		<li><a href="https://ncwit.org/profile/terry-hogan-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >Terry Hogan</a>, President and CTO, NCWIT</li>
		
		<li>Featuring <a href="/announcing-the-2021-ncwit-national-aic-educator-award-recipients" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >2021 NCWIT National AiC Educator Award Recipients</a>: Angela DeHart, Melody Hagaman, and Philip Peavy</li>
	
	</ul>
	
	<h4>AiC Educator Resources</h4>
	
	<ul>
		
		<li>Explore <a href="/affiliate-toolkit/aic-educator-resources" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this list of NCWIT resources</a> for ways to engage underrepresented students, to enrich computing education by integrating computing skills into existing curricula, and more: <a href="/affiliate-toolkit/aic-educator-resources" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >www.aspirations.org/aic-educator-resources</a>.</li>
	
	</ul>
	
	<h4>Psst. Did you know that applications for the 2022 Award for Aspirations in Computing open on September 1, 2021? We hope you will consider encouraging a <a href="https://forms.gle/eE6ZKUiRTFKLQxfE9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >student</a> or <a href="https://forms.gle/eE6ZKUiRTFKLQxfE9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" >educator</a> to apply now!</h4>
	
	&nbsp;
	
	The AiC Educator Award is sponsored by AT&amp;T.

2021 Aspirations in Computing Educator Award Virtual Event

<ul><li>In this <a href="https://cyberweek.org/stories-from-the-class-of-2020" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cyberweek.org feature</a>, five AiC Community members who graduated from high school, college, or graduate school this spring talk about how COVID-19 impacted their last months of school, and they share what the experience has taught them about staying focused on your dreams — no matter what.&nbsp;</li><li>“I just try to go for it, and I try to make a connection.” // AiC Community Member Gia Mar Ramos was featured as Shine Global’s Activist of the Week. In <a href="https://www.shineglobal.org/2020/07/20/innovating-the-future-of-tech-girls-in-stem-gia-mar-ramos/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this video interview</a>, learn how Gia first got into robotics and how her experiences in AiC inspired her to start her own tech program for Puerto Rican girls, Girl Innovation.</li><li>AiC Community Member Jessica Young started the organization STEMpower as a way to introduce preschool and elementary students to STEM topics through workshops with hands-on activities and discussion. In <a href="https://www.losaltosonline.com/news/sections/schools/210-school-features/62815-los-altos-high-school-student-promotes-power-of-stem" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, find out how the COVID pandemic led her to explore new ways to reach even more kids.</li></ul>July ShoutoutsAs school districts move to online celebrations for graduations, honor rolls, and even sports seasons, AiC Community members have been recognized by their local communities for their achievements in technology. This month, we spotted <a href="http://bethpagecommunity.com/news/story.aspx?id=118508" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Maya Maciel-Seidman</a>, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/high-school/ac-cs-anne-arundel-senior-spotlights-softball-20200716-xewgfhsi3bclnmloh7zr75brpy-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Allie Smith</a>, and <a href="https://norfolkdailynews.com/youth/norfolk-high-list-of-scholarships-and-awards/article_921341c0-cc45-11ea-8a68-cb685de38cd1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Courtney Flohr</a>. Congratulations!

AiC Members in the News (July 2020)

<ul><li>“Learning how to tell fact from fiction is very important since so many students get their news from social media and the internet.” // In <a href="https://portwashington-news.com/coding-and-fake-news-program-offered-at-port-library/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, learn what inspired AiC Community Member Alexandra (Allie) Salzman to help girls learn to identify fake pandemic news.&nbsp;</li><li>“We are focusing on the tougher social problems of the world and addressing them with technology.” // In <a href="https://www-instyle-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.instyle.com/celebrity/teen-stem-students-use-technology-to-fight-for-change?amp=true" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this InStyle article</a>, AiC Community Members Sofia Ongele and Ari Sokolov share how they’re using code to connect people with important resources for mental health and sexual assault recovery, and how Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference (WWDC) has helped them to achieve their goals.</li><li>“I wanted to see what it was like to give it my all.” // In <a href="https://clture.org/khalia-braswell-intech/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this CLTure profile</a>, AiC Community Member Khalia Braswell reflects on the experiences that led her to establish her nonprofit organization, INTech, which hosts technology programs for girls from underserved communities in North Carolina.</li><li>“I remember thinking that being a dancer or an astrophysicist were two separate options; I never thought that I could be both.” // In <a href="https://medium.com/@ReigningIt/women-who-reign-anshita-saini-886204405b85" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this interview</a>, AiC Community Member Anshita Saini shares how she discovered the elements of creativity that unite her passions for STEM and the arts.&nbsp;</li><li>AiC Community Member Afiya Ward talks about the experience of shifting the Minnesota Affiliate awards event to an online forum, and why she wants to encourage people to think about technology differently, in <a href="https://www.fox9.com/video/699253" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this Fox 9 Morning Buzz interview</a>.</li></ul>ShoutoutsThough many traditional summertime activities are on pause this year, AiC Community members are still finding ways to stay engaged in their tech interests. Local news outlets are talking about their accomplishments, too. We noticed <a href="https://www.gazettextra.com/news/education/graduation_2020/craig-high-school-lists-top-21-academic-performers/article_313f1b09-7c86-52db-a432-8926f3f0a77d.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Phoebe Werner</a>; <a href="https://www.hometownsource.com/press_and_news/free/mgsh-senior-once-again-receives-national-honorable-mention/article_19ef2858-a69d-11ea-8a38-5f0c3c88e2a0.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sahana Vandayar</a>; <a href="https://duboiscountyherald.com/b/blazey-receives-award-scholarship" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Isabelle Blazey</a>; <a href="https://merrillfotonews.com/2020/06/02/skylar-herdt-receives-wisconsin-ncwit-award-for-aspirations-in-computing-and-kiana-jahnke-awarded-wisconsin-rising-star/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">two students from Merrill, Wisconsin</a>; <a href="https://www.fcps.edu/news/south-lakes-hs-students-honored-virginia-ncwit-award-aspirations-computing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three students from Falls Church, Virginia</a>; <a href="https://www.lmsd.org/lower-merion/about/newsroom/article/~post/four-aces-honored-in-ncwits-awards-for-aspirations-in-computing-20200604" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four students from Ardmore, Pennsylvania</a>; <a href="https://www.seacoastonline.com/news/20200608/sst-students-win-2020-aspirations-in-computing-awards" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three students from Portsmouth, New Hampshire</a>; <a href="https://paduafranciscan.com/news/four-seniors-receive-ncwit-award-for-aspirations-in-computing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four students from Parma, Ohio</a>; and <a href="https://we-ha.com/conard-high-school-announces-2019-2020-academic-award-winners/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">eight students from West Hartford, Connecticut</a>. Bonus shoutout: AiC Community Member Joy Buolamwini was spotted adding her insights in this episode of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZjmlJPJgug" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Last Week Tonight with John Oliver</a>!

AiC Members in the News (June 2020)

<ul><li>AiC Community Member Angel Wang’s determination to overcome challenges has given her the skills and strength to achieve both academic and personal success. Read her inspiring story in <a href="https://gazette.com/best-and-brightest/best-and-brightest-amazing-abilities-emerged-from-isolation/article_3aa6055e-8720-11ea-9bed-5383cc8dd24c.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>.</li><li>“Those are the experiences that mold you and help you to become a better, more resilient person.” // In <a href="https://news.fiu.edu/2020/patricia-garcia-displays-power-and-perseverance-of-women-in-stem" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>, AiC Community Member and TECHNOLOchica Patricia Garcia shares about the key moments that have shaped her tech journey.</li><li>“She didn’t let anyone hold her back and didn’t ever stop doing what she loved, no matter what she gained or lost from it.” // In <a href="https://www.insightnews.com/news/metro/these-six-young-women-are-making-local-history-and-impact-as-shining-tech-stars/article_23dbe398-9a30-11ea-9e26-4b28ac03ce24.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, six AiC Community members from Minnesota share about the Black history-makers who have inspired them to pursue their dreams.&nbsp;</li><li>AiC Community Members Molly Cantillon and Melanie Herbert started the nonprofit organization GirlTechBoss to empower girls to pursue STEM and entrepreneurship. Now, they’re reaching hundreds of people through their online content and in-person events. Learn more <a href="https://www.tapinto.net/towns/livingston/sections/business-and-finance/articles/livingston-teen-s-organization-empowers-girls-to-pursue-careers-in-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>“Students at Northwest have been gaining recognition in computer science locally and nationally the last few years, and it’s evident why when you look at the inspiring teachers we have.” // Get to know 2020 National NCWIT AiC Educator Award Recipient Catherine Tabor in <a href="https://www.ktsm.com/news/canutillo-isd-teacher-receives-national-recognition/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>!&nbsp;</li><li>In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4y5nQWCiT4&amp;fbclid=IwAR3ljD42VnqZaEvgM54qRNhOIRRy3rG15vLKJr1O4HU1rhAU0LKWPPqB6HQ" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this video</a>, AiC Community Member Leah Marville talks about her AspireIT program, AppDevelopHer, and explains how others can apply for an AspireIT grant, as well as other opportunities available through NCWIT and Aspirations in Computing.</li></ul>Shoutouts:As the school year comes to a close under extraordinary circumstances, our AiC Community members are still out there, finding creative ways to use their tech skills for good. We spotted these mentions in local news outlets across the nations: <a href="https://patch.com/georgia/woodstock/river-ridge-high-senior-wins-national-merit-scholarship" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sathvika Narasimhan</a>; <a href="https://www.montgomerynews.com/amblergazette/upper-dublin-medals-winners-to-be-honored-june-14/article_840bf006-990d-11ea-9671-3fdd545e2502.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amy Gong</a>; <a href="https://mansfield.wickedlocal.com/news/20200526/mansfield-high-school-names-class-of-2020s-top-10-graduates" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Avantika Naik</a>; <a href="https://helenair.com/news/local/community-briefs-published-friday-may-1-2020/article_27f9ab53-df44-5685-9606-348e18e4233d.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seven students from Helena, Montana</a>; <a href="https://www.mntc.edu/about/news-publications/news-success/~board/news/post/five-students-two-staff-earn-ncwit-aspirations-in-computing-awards" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">five students and two educators from Moore Norman Technology Center in Norman, Oklahoma</a>; <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/north-county-community-news/story/2020-05-14/north-county-school-news-may-14" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three students and one educator from Escondido, California</a>; and <a href="https://www.phacs.org/apps/news/article/1237978" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seven students from Cambridge, Massachusetts</a>.

AiC Members in the News (May 2020)

<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/catherine-tabor-headshot_250.jpg" alt="Catherine Tabor Photo" style="height: 215px; float: right; width: 200px; margin: 10px 20px;" >NCWIT Aspirations in Computing is pleased to announce that Catherine Tabor has been named the recipient of the 2020 National NCWIT Aspirations in Computing (AiC) Educator Award!
	Each year, the <a href="/award-programs/aic-educator-award" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NCWIT AiC Educator Award</a> publicly celebrates formal and informal educators who encourage 9th-12th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary to explore their interest in computing and technology. To date, more than 500 educators have been honored for demonstrating an exceptionally strong, consistent, and positive involvement in promoting gender equity in computing. In its third year running, the National AiC Educator Award, sponsored by AT&amp;T, publicly celebrates one outstanding educator whose work exemplifies the best of the Award, through their continued efforts to encourage high school womxn’s interest and participation in technology pursuits.&nbsp;
	Catherine Tabor is a Math, Science, and Computer Science teacher in Canutillo Independent School District in El Paso, Texas. Over her five years of teaching there, Computer Science education has expanded from zero classes to multiple courses, two clubs and an Honor Society. Since receiving her dual credit certification, she also teaches college level, credit bearing CS courses to her majority non-white and predominantly Latinx high school students.
	Catherine’s interest in teaching Computer Science stemmed from a mentor’s influence. During a career pivot, she spent some time working in an IT shop, where she realized that even though her organization offered internships and scholarships for students pursuing CS degrees at the local university, they often had a hard time finding people who wanted to take advantage of these opportunities. When she returned to teaching, Catherine was determined to bring Computer Science to each school where she taught. Currently, Catherine says, “I am lucky that my school has decided to dedicate an entire position to Computer Science. While I used to be torn between three disciplines, I am now able to teach all Computer Science.”&nbsp;
	Keenly aware of the barriers that prevent womxn and members of other underrepresented groups from participating fully in the computing field, Catherine is dedicated to eradicating the gender gap in access and representation. One way she does this is by providing extracurricular opportunities for womxn, such as hosting a Girls Who Code club, supporting a GirlsGoCyber team, and taking a group of students to a Google eCSR symposium. Since being selected as&nbsp;the 2018 NCWIT AiC Greater El Paso Affiliate Educator Award Winner, she has engaged her school as an NCWIT AspireIT partner and hosted an AspireIT program run by AiC Community members for two years in a row.&nbsp;
	Notably, Catherine is also pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, where she is studying the prevalence of linguistic bias in the instruments of Computer Science assessment. She hopes that this research will help with the retention of women and other underrepresented populations in computing. Additionally, she plans to work with the University of Texas - El Paso to build a Computer Science certification pathway for teachers in order to expand Computer Science offerings throughout the city’s schools.
	“As to what keeps me excited about Computer Science,” Catherine reflects, “it is that it is constantly evolving. There is never a boring moment and there are more and more materials and ancillaries that are being developed for the teaching of CS concepts. People are finally interested in what we do and teach, and everyone wants to be a part of it. It is an exciting time in CS education. And, who wouldn’t want to be a computer scientist? I get to solve puzzles all day long.”

2020 NCWIT National AiC Educator Award Winner Catherine Tabor

<ul><li>AiC Community Member Karina Popovich founded Makers for COVID-19 to help connect individuals with 3D printers to those in need of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other items, while sharing plans, ideas, and resources with each other. She talks about the organization and gives viewers a peek into her own workshop in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5dJ2TNBDjc&amp;feature=youtu.be" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this episode of Girls Talk tech</a>.</li><li>2019 National AiC Educator Award Recipient Buffy Smith and her students are part of the growing movement of makers using 3D printing technology to provide masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) items to health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read about it <a href="https://helenair.com/news/local/helena-teachers-3d-print-face-masks-to-help-meet-demand/article_cf987906-1a52-509f-824e-8db86e23a036.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>“I often hear the expression that life is short; that phrase alone encourages me to give my absolute best in everything I do.” // In <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/fl-cn-koc-berline-civil-0429-20200422-abimscdi2rgybjfwzquz2gmvpm-story.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this “Kids of Character” interview</a>, AiC Community Member Berline Civil talks about how her drive to help others and make the world better shapes her academic and extracurricular interests.&nbsp;</li><li>AiC Community Member Joy Njuguna was nominated by Nobel Laureate Dr. Mario Capecchi to represent Texas at this summer’s Congress of Future Medical Leaders. The nomination is based on a student’s “academic achievement, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.” Get the full story <a href="https://elpasoheraldpost.com/el-paso-honor-student-joy-njuguna-nominated-for-congress-of-future-medical-leaders-in-boston/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>AiC Community Member Vaneeza Rupani has the honor of naming the NASA helicopter that will be the first craft to attempt powered flight on another planet. Learn the significance behind the name she submitted <a href="https://www.al.com/news/2020/04/alabama-student-names-nasas-first-mars-helicopter.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul>April ShoutoutsWe love seeing both students and educators from the Aspirations in Computing Community getting recognition in their local communities! Spotted in the news this month: <a href="http://eng.auburn.edu/news/2020/04/hairuo-xu-ncwit-collegiate-award.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Hairuo Xu</a>; <a href="https://www.sewickley.org/news-detail?pk=1098472&amp;fromId=175693" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ace Song</a>; <a href="https://www.am1100theflag.com/news/17112-north-dakota-students-receive-national-awards-compete-online-cybersecurity-competition" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">ten community members from North Dakota</a>; and <a href="https://www.fairfieldsuntimes.com/news/state/montana-recognizes-eighteen-high-school-women-for-computing-achievements/article_5841b000-83fa-11ea-b897-cb48d6fc2ee6.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">18 community members from Montana</a>.

AiC Members in the News (April 2020)

<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aic_hsawardevent_zoombanner.jpg" alt="Award for AiC Virtual Event Banner">
	
	 
	
	The National Center for Women &amp; Information Technology (NCWIT) is excited to present the first-ever award event for ALL 2020 Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) recipients. We at NCWIT recognize what a difficult and uncertain time this is for everyone, but especially for students. Together with some help from influential professionals in tech, sponsors, and former award recipients, NCWIT is thrilled to honor our award recipients’ accomplishments and engage in inspiring conversations with the AiC Community.
	
	<h2>Held Saturday, May 30 from 2:00 ⁠– 3:30 p.m. MDT</h2>
	
	We heard from guest speakers and a panel of AiC Community members as part of a celebration to recognize the 2020 award recipients.&nbsp;
	
	<div align="center">
	<iframe class="ql-video ql-align-center" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Eoq2WFzKbDA" height="315" width="560"></iframe></div>
	
	<h2>Featuring a Keynote Presentation by Adafruit Founder Limor Fried</h2>
	
	<img src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/aic_hsawardevent_limorfried_circlethumb.png" alt="Limor Fried Circle thumb" style="float: right"><a href="https://www.adafruit.com/about" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Adafruit</a>, a 100 percent woman-owned company, was founded in 2005 by MIT hacker and engineer, Limor "Ladyada" Fried. Her goal was to create the best place online for learning electronics and the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels. Adafruit has grown to more than 100 employees in the heart of NYC with a 50,000+ sq ft. factory. Adafruit has expanded offerings to include tools, equipment, and electronics that Limor personally selects, tests, and approves before going into the Adafruit store. In 2011, Limor Fried was the first female engineer to appear on <a href="https://www.wired.com/2011/03/wired-magazines-cover-features-its-first-lady-engineer/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the cover of Wired magazine</a>.
	
	<h4>Other Special Guests</h4>
	
	<ul>
		
		<li><a href="https://www.ncwit.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NCWIT</a> President and CTO <a href="https://www.ncwit.org/profile/terry-hogan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Terry Hogan</a></li>
		
		<li><a href="https://www.csforall.org/about/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CSforALL</a> Chief Evangelist <a href="https://www.csforall.org/about/team/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ruthe Farmer</a></li>
		
		<li>A panel of past Award for AiC recipients, including <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/users/courtney-23610" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Courtney Thurston, <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/users/keeania-116597" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>KeeAnia Kinkacha, <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/users/caeley-33048" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Caeley Looney, and <a href="https://www.aspirations.org/users/anna-25354" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"></a>Anna Resnick</li>
	
	</ul>
	
	<h2>How To Join</h2>
	
	If you are a 2020 Award for AiC recipient, check your email⁠ – you received an invitation to register there. If you cannot find the email, reach out to <a href="mailto:aichelp@ncwit.org?subject=Inquiry%20re%3A%202020%20AiC%20Virtual%20Award%20Event" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">aichelp@ncwit.org</a>. Other guests (parents, educators, supporters, etc.) can watch via YouTube, starting at 2:00 p.m. MDT.
	
	Follow @NCWITAIC on <a href="https://twitter.com/ncwitaic" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/aspirationsaward/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ncwitaic/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> for event updates and highlights. Please submit any questions to: <a href="mailto:aichelp@ncwit.org?subject=Inquiry%20re%3A%20the%202020%20Aspirations%20in%20Computing%20Virtual%20Award%20Event" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">aichelp@ncwit.org</a>.
	
	<h2>Connect with 2020 Award Recipients on Social Media</h2>
	
	<ul>
		
		<li>Download a custom Facebook Profile Badge <a href="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/document/aicawardevent_fb_profilebadge_0.png" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online</a>.</li>
		
		<li>Download a custom Instagram Story Frame <a href="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/document/aicawardevent_instagramstoryframe_v2.png" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">online</a>.</li>
		
		<li>Share a photo and your excitement on social media by tagging: #NCWITAiC20 and #womxnintech; @ncwitaic on Twitter or Instagram.</li>
	
	</ul>
	
	&nbsp;

2020 Aspirations in Computing Virtual Award Event

<img alt="NCWIT Collegiate Award Logo" src="https://ncwit-aspirations-service-stage-public.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/ncwit_aic_collegiateaward_logo_fullcolor_web_0.png" style="width: 250px; height: 110px; float: right;" />NCWIT is pleased to announce winners and honorable mentions of the 2020 <a href="/award-programs/aic-collegiate-award" target="_blank">NCWIT Collegiate Award</a>, celebrating undergraduate and graduate students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary from academic institutions nationwide. Conferred annually, the NCWIT Collegiate Award recognizes technical contributions to projects that demonstrate a high level of innovation and potential impact.&nbsp;View a complete list of the 2020 recipients below.The entire NCWIT AiC program platform is supported generously by Apple. AiC also receives support for specific national program elements; the NCWIT Collegiate Award is sponsored by Qualcomm and Amazon with additional support from Palo Alto Networks.<h3 style="color:#195995">Winners</h3><ul><li>Tiffanie Edwards, Southern Connecticut State University, Deep Learning for Score-based Serial Fusion for User Verification This research study proposes to determine how well a deep learning model performs with serial fusion at the score level in biometric user verification. This multimodal classification analyzes finger, facial, and palm images drawn from a publicly available dataset. User verification scores are generated from each biometric trait sequentially and also fused sequentially. Biometric fusion can be used to enhance incomplete data, improve the ability to handle large databases, or improve user protection. (<a href="https://youtu.be/v-kHxl_Nxb0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Fatemehsadat Mireshghallah, University of California - San Diego, Shredder: Learning Noise Distributions to Protect Inference Privacy The Shredder project uses a self-supervised learning approach to tackle the problem of privacy during inference for classification tasks, especially for edge devices that execute part of the task on the device and part of it on the cloud. To prevent attackers from extracting private information from raw data that is used to perform a task, Shredder learns the noise distribution patterns that are tolerated by the network and do not harm the accuracy of the task completion, but do decrease the availability of private information in the input. (<a href="https://youtu.be/UfJmZp0mQi0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Kelley Paskov, Stanford University, Inherited Deletions Contribute to Autism Risk This project uses genomic data from children with autism and their families to detect DNA deletions and to examine their relationship with autism. While small deletions are difficult to detect via genome sequencing, this project uses a hidden Markov model to detect deletions that other methods would have missed. Formulating biological knowledge as mathematical constraints on the model was a key innovation that made it computationally feasible to scale the model to the required scope. (<a href="https://youtu.be/gdDpPjbWRxY" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Naba Rizvi, University of Toledo, Hera According to the American Heart Association, women are seven times more likely than men to have their heart disease misdiagnosed. To address this gender inequality in access to healthcare, this project created an application that uses deep learning to help women advocate for themselves to get fairer and faster heart disease diagnosis by helping them understand what an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) result looks like. The user uploads a photo of their ECG results, and the application provides a preliminary classification. (<a href="https://youtu.be/3TALqb9PoS4" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Eshika Saxena, Harvard University, HemaCam: A Computer Vision-Enhanced Mobile Phone Imaging System for Automated Screening of Hematological Diseases with Convolutional Neural Networks Early diagnosis is key to treating many diseases that affect the shape, size, and/or appearance of red blood cells. This research focused on making hematological disease screening fast, affordable, and automated by designing a low-cost, smartphone-based microscope to capture blood cell images; developing computer vision algorithms to enhance, segment, and characterize the blood cell images; and creating and training deep learning models to provide instant disease diagnosis. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ikvtc20wc0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Ariana Isabel Sokolov, University of Southern California, Trill Project Trill Project is an anonymous social network where individuals can freely express themselves in order to feel a sense of belonging. Inspired by a desire to address mental health challenges faced by LGBTQ+ teens, Trill Project has also become a refuge for users suffering from trauma, abuse, and other mental illnesses. The platform uses a combination of machine learning, human moderation, and other features to deter trolls and ensure that the community remains safe, positive, and supportive. (<a href="https://youtu.be/MSv0CUCNLDY" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><h3 style="color:#195995">Honorable Mentions</h3><ul><li>Michelle Bao, Stanford University, Enhancing Real-Time Driver Identification Checks Using Liveness Detection for the Uber Driver App This project addresses the problem of malicious individuals impersonating legitimate Uber drivers by bypassing the selfie-based driver authentication methods that allow access to the driver app. By combining the capabilities of two native Apple frameworks that are built in with all iOS apps, the researcher was able to develop a &ldquo;liveness detection&rdquo; feature that requires drivers to perform a series of randomized requests to move their face in order to verify their identity. (<a href="https://youtu.be/hWc7SC53A5o" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Kelly Finke, Swarthmore College, Ancestral Haplotype Reconstruction for Identifying Recessive Risk Factors This project created a tool called thread (Timely Haplotype REconstruction of Ancestors based on Descendants), which expands the generational scope of genetic data available for studies of endogamous populations and thus supports medical research on genetic diseases. Given existing sequence data and a pedigree, thread is able to reconstruct estimates of ancestral chromosomal sequences, called haplotypes, for up to six generations prior to the living generation, enabling researchers to gain insight into long-term inheritance patterns of human diseases. (<a href="https://youtu.be/w3pvh36ODWg" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Grace Guan, Princeton University, Predicting Sick Patient Volume in a Pediatric Outpatient Setting Using Time Series Analysis This project aimed to improve the methods used to predict patient volume in a pediatric clinic in order to help providers better allocate staff and resources to meet patient needs. After investigating several time series models, the researchers found that recurrent neural network (RNN) models were able to capture the seasonality of the data and perform substantially better than state-of-the-art models, including constant predictions. (<a href="https://youtu.be/_Hk60lrKiq0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Israa Jaradat, University of Texas - Arlington, Excavator: Truth Diggers Never Get Lost The goal of this study was to develop an automatic research tool, named Excavator, which is capable of thoroughly investigating the veracity of a news claim and providing the user with a summary of the most important findings, in a way that mimics the manual fact-checking process currently used by professional media outlets. Excavator&rsquo;s comprehensive approach includes such functions as veracity analysis, evidence extraction, source detection, summary generation and presentation, and pattern discovery. (<a href="https://youtu.be/rQaQhizEBn8" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Mackenzie Jorgensen, Villanova University, Automated Machine Learning for Multi-Class Classification of Hate Speech on Twitter Due to a lack of computing resources, small online media platforms often rely on manual systems to combat hate speech on their sites. This project aimed to create a semi-automated hate speech detection system which is easy to use for non-machine learning experts. Auto-ML, which completes the machine learning algorithm selection and hyperparameter optimization processes for the researcher, provides a solution that is more accessible for small media outlets. (<a href="https://youtu.be/nLyn8fSp6aA" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Edden Kashi, Hofstra University, Investigating Techniques of User Tracking Through Mobile- and Web-Applications This project explored a popular technology for online user tracking, the web- and Bluetooth- beacons, in order to understand how much information about users can be gathered without their knowledge. It also investigated whether and how this tracking can be limited. A secondary focus of this project was to investigate the information that is being sent out by mobile devices while they are not being used. (<a href="https://youtu.be/8ijsPU8NDg0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Ruby Martinez Gomez, University of Colorado - Boulder, D.O.T.T.S. (Debris Orbital Tumbler and Thermal Sensor) The research team for this project worked with the national RockSat-X program to design a set of experiments dealing with problems related to &ldquo;space junk.&rdquo; The primary experiment tested the feasibility of using a static electric field to meaningfully impact the trajectory of simulated space debris fragments, which currently pose a danger to both astronauts and equipment. The secondary experiment gathered data on the viability of 3D-printed materials for use in space. (<a href="https://youtu.be/FN2FujJwExM" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Ruth Okoilu Akintunde, North Carolina State University, Let&#39;s Watch Math Game Become Easier By ReOrdering Curriculum Sequence This project conducted a novel predictive analysis of a curriculum-integrated math game, ST Math, to suggest a partial ordering for the game&rsquo;s curriculum sequence. In order to determine the best sequence of objectives within the game for maximum student success, the researchers replicated a prior study to find predictive relationships between 15 objectives played in different sequences by 3,328 students from five districts. (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&amp;v=XM6EjxSg-ZM&amp;feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Sofia Ongele, Fordham University, ReDawn ReDawn is an app that addresses the lack of resources and information available to survivors of sexual violence. This project aimed to develop a platform where users can access confidential advice in a conversational matter. The app&rsquo;s primary functionality is a chatbot named Dawn, and it also includes a tab that connects people to local resources, a tab to log past incidents of abuse, and a tab dedicated to hotlines and 911. (<a href="https://youtu.be/ZpBKMmU1GN0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Isha Puri, Harvard University, A Scalable and Freely Accessible Machine Learning Based Application for the Early Detection of Dyslexia The goal of this project was to develop a free, web-based application that uses a standard, inbuilt computer webcam to screen children for dyslexia. Several medical studies have shown that dyslexic students exhibit significantly longer and more frequent eye fixations while reading than non-dyslexic readers. By implementing a novel combination of different machine learning algorithms, this project was able to produce a highly accurate eye-tracking methodology for the standard computer webcam. (<a href="https://youtu.be/ZzRgkgEg4M0" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Faith Williams, Columbia University, Quantum Entanglement in Medical Diagnosis This project studied the application of physical optics and quantum entanglement in medical diagnosis to better understand diseases and improve disease detection. The research aimed to discover whether one could distinguish human brain tissue from subjects with and without Alzheimer&#39;s disease using entangled photon pairs. The project used quantum topography to analyze the scattering of photons that came into contact with healthy and diseased brain tissue samples, as well as the change in entanglement between the photon pairs. (<a href="https://youtu.be/NNeJmk2kIOE" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul><ul><li>Hairuo Xu, Auburn University, Toward the Verifiability Problem in Distributed Machine Learning: Attack Models and Detection Algorithms Distributed machine learning systems have drawn a lot of attention recently; however, some security issues have been largely overlooked. This project investigates this problem from both the negative (i.e., attack) and positive (detection) standpoints. The project developed multiple threat and detection models, including the Random Noise Attack, the Gradient Ascent Attack, and the Gaussian and Cosine Similarity Detection models, to allow a system&rsquo;s users to improve their verification effectiveness under various system settings. (<a href="https://youtu.be/4drkIUESYuE" target="_blank">View the project online.</a>)</li></ul>&nbsp;

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) Selects Recipients of the 2020 NCWIT Collegiate Award

<ul><li>In <a href="https://www.sonomanews.com/news/education/10726949-181/sonomas-vsco-girl-stephanie-angulo" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>, AiC Community Member Stephanie Angulo reflects on how her career at VSCO, the company behind the popular photo-editing app, allows her to combine her interests in computer science and photography.&nbsp;</li><li>“[J]ust to have that support and know that these other women were fighting for the same things that I was, even if they weren’t always present or within sight of my support, was truly inspiring.” // AiC Community Member Jacqueline Deprey explains how being part of a larger community of women in tech has helped her to persevere in computing in this <a href="https://www.voanews.com/student-union/innovative-program-empowers-female-students-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Voice of America story</a>.</li><li>“I can really see their passion for learning being ignited through this program. We’re really sparking their inspiration and we’re actually closing the achievement gap.” // In <a href="https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/women-leading-the-way-in-tech" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this Denver 7 - ABC News feature</a>, AiC Community Member Maya Hunter talks about how her AspireIT program, Huskie Technopreneurs, is introducing younger girls to the joy of coding.</li><li>“We need diversity in computer science. You code what you know. If there are no women involved in a project, the projects tend to contain intrinsic bias.” // In <a href="https://elpasoheraldpost.com/at-northwest-early-college-high-school-girls-run-computer-science-world/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this piece from the El Paso Herald-Post</a>, AiC Community members and educators talk about what it’s like to attend a school where girls aren’t underrepresented in computing and robotics.</li><li>“It’s really interesting to think about how we understand language… How is it that computers have such a hard time understanding what we find so easy?” During her time at MIT, AiC Community Member Christine Soh combined her interests in linguistics and computer science to develop tools to help diagnose childhood speech impairments. Learn more about her projects in <a href="http://news.mit.edu/2020/mit-christine-soh-integrates-computer-science-and-linguistics-0305" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>.</li></ul>March ShoutoutsWith many schools transitioning to at-home learning, online communities are more important than ever. This month, several Award for AiC recipients were celebrated for their accomplishments in local media outlets. We spotted <a href="https://www.shadysideacademy.org/about/news/news-post/~post/junior-wins-ncwit-aspirations-in-computing-award-20200309" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Qingqing Zhao</a>; <a href="https://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/schools/kirtland-schools/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Leah LaVerde</a>; <a href="https://thesheridanpress.com/121520/thoney-described-as-a-dream-student/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Alicia Thoney</a>; <a href="http://www.nottinghammd.com/2020/03/18/eastern-tech-mathematics-chair-named-2020-maryland-outstanding-educator/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Educator Kimberly Burton-Regulski</a>; <a href="https://mcpasd.k12.wi.us/mhs/news/four-mhs-students-recognized-nwcit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four students from Middleton, WI</a>; and <a href="https://www.hometownsource.com/sun_current/free/edina-high-school-computer-whizzes-recognized/article_7b3099be-736f-11ea-abeb-9399940fabe0.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">six students from Edina, Minnesota</a>.

AiC Members in the News (March 2020)

<ul><li>“Addressing algorithmic bias is like hygiene,” AiC Community Member Joy Buolamwini told a reporter from The Stanford Daily. “You don’t brush once, you don’t floss once, you do it over and over again.” Learn about the work she’s doing to address bias in facial recognition technology&nbsp;in <a href="https://www.stanforddaily.com/2020/02/03/committing-to-algorithmic-hygiene/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article in The Stanford Daily</a> and <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2020/02/08/770174171/when-bias-is-coded-into-our-technology" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this NPR interview</a>.</li><li>“Since the field has so many applications and is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern world, I think that programming languages should be as common in schools as Spanish and French.” // In <a href="https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/mainlinetimes/episcopal-academy-s-molly-limaye-is-main-line-student-of/article_a71d7c0e-534e-11ea-aae6-ef69ef00030f.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this interview</a>, AiC Community Member Molly Limaye talks about her research on using AI to help patients with dementia.</li><li>In <a href="https://www.cjonline.com/news/20200221/capfed-best-news-topeka-high-senior-rising-star-in-computing-field" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, AiC Community Member DayLynn Hughes talks about how her participation in programs like Aspirations in Computing and the Topeka Center for Advanced Learning and Careers has helped give her the confidence to pursue her dreams in the field of Computer Science.&nbsp;</li><li>“You really get to interact with people that are in the field and that are more experienced, and you get to learn a lot from them.” // AiC Community Member Hannah De Luna shares about her AspireIT program and the benefits of attending the Las Vegas Affiliate Award for Aspirations in Computing event in <a href="https://www.8newsnow.com/news/las-vegas-now/ncwit-awards-for-women-with-computing-aspirations/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this CBS News interview</a>!</li><li>“[They] find out what their strengths are and then they work together as a team and collaborate together to solve puzzles.” // In <a href="https://www.sweetwaternow.com/black-butte-student-teacher-recognized-for-work-in-girls-who-code-club/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, AiC Community Member Quincy Stewart and AiC Educator Award Recipient Sharon Seaton talk about how their school’s Girls Who Code club helps high school women explore their unique passions within the field of computing.</li><li>“When I first received this award, I wasn’t aware of the vast cyber community. But now, I know I can meet phenomenal women who are experts in computing and engineering… I look to them to expand my knowledge and experience.” // AiC Community Members Annabelle Klosterman, Destiny Thunder, and others share how the CybHER Security Institute at Dakota State University has helped them pursue their passions for computing in <a href="https://www.siouxfalls.business/cybher-receives-grant-to-honor-high-school-girls-interested-in-cyber-fields/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this feature</a>.</li><li>“The award means a lot because it recognizes all of the hard work that usually goes unnoticed outside of the classroom.” // In an article on the <a href="https://www.portergaud.edu/news/~board/homepage-news/post/fourteen-students-earn-national-and-state-ncwit-honors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Porter-Gaud News website</a> (article no longer available), AiC Community members from Porter-Gaud School in Charleston, South Carolina shared about how they've been supported in pursuing their computer science goals.&nbsp;</li></ul>February ShoutoutsWhen we announced the names of the 400 National Award for AiC Winners and Honorable Mentions earlier this year, it seems the world took notice. This month, we’re thrilled to see so many 2020 Award for AiIC recipients being celebrated in their hometown news! We spotted <a href="https://patch.com/washington/lakewood-jblm/city-manager-releases-weekly-bulletin" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kathleen Julca</a>; <a href="https://www.nevadabusiness.com/2020/02/ncwit-awards-selects-7-gifted-southern-nevada-high-school-students/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seven students from the Southern Nevada region</a>; <a href="https://lakechelannow.com/chs-teacher-earns-ncwit-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shelley Charlton</a>; <a href="https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/life/people-news/2020/02/computing-awards-go-to-six-northwood-school-students/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">six students from Lake Placid, New York</a>; <a href="https://foxchapel.triblive.com/fox-chapel-junior-earns-national-stem-award-2/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amulya Garimella</a>; <a href="https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20200210/prospect-hill-academy-students-earn-national-accolades" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">four students from Prospect Hill Academy Charter School in Massachusetts</a>; <a href="https://www.ksnt.com/news/local-news/local-teacher-wins-2020-western-missouri-kansas-affiliate-aspirations-in-computing-educators-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Hageman</a>; <a href="https://www.geaugamapleleaf.com/schools/chagrin-falls-school-news-86/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anais Levi</a>; <a href="https://sta.lsr7.org/2020/02/13/sta-students-honored-as-winners-of-the-ncwit-award-for-aspirations-in-computing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">seven students from Western Missouri and Kansas</a>; <a href="http://whitewaterbanner.com/trio-recognized-by-ncwit-for-aspirations-in-computing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">three students from Whitewater, Wisconsin</a>; <a href="https://www.hometownsource.com/press_and_news/free/maple-grove-student-earns-national-computing-technology-award/article_62722594-4dd3-11ea-85c6-5f4e84265bc1.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Sahana Vandayar</a>; <a href="https://www.villagelivingonline.com/schools/mbhs/holloway-earns-national-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bebe Holloway</a>; <a href="https://www.wibw.com/content/news/USD-501-web-and-digital-teacher-recognized-568068111.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anne Hageman</a>; <a href="https://www.henricocitizen.com/articles/milestones-99/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Perisa Ashar</a>; and <a href="https://news.gulfbreezenews.com/articles/gbhs-students-teacher-earn-nc-women-in-technology-awards/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">five students and one teacher from Gulf Breeze, Florida</a>.

AiC Members in the News (February 2020)

<ul><li>AiC Community Members Sanja Kirova, Mireina Keith, and Kelly Schaffer were among the co-founders of She Can Tech, an AspireIT program designed to introduce middle school girls to computing so they could participate in more advanced STEM activities as they got older. In <a href="https://www.nwitimes.com/news/education/portage-student-led-stem-program-empowers-girls-to-pursue-careers/article_a4d4889d-69f7-575a-b6fc-a4c9f064ac1a.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, find out how the program is continuing to grow!</li><li>“I aspire to revolutionize the perceptions of females in technology by empowering females in my community as we encourage more females to pursue a career in STEM.” // In <a href="https://highschool.latimes.com/valencia-high-school/opinion-my-experience-as-a-female-stem-student/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this opinion column</a> published in the Los Angeles Times High School Insider, AiC Community Member Vivian Wang shares why she’s excited about cybersecurity and how she’s using tech to help solve an important environmental problem.</li><li>“Even now, you ask girls ‘What does a scientist look like?’ They’ll say, ‘A man.’ But 10, 20 years from now, they are the face of STEM.” // AiC Community Member MaryAnne Onianwah explains what inspired her to start Girl Powered, a program that introduces elementary school students to STEM activities, in <a href="https://www.southernmarylandchronicle.com/2020/01/09/girl-powered-connects-students-with-stem-activities/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>.&nbsp;</li><li>“There’s only two types of people in the world: those that use computers, and those that know how to program computers and teach them to do new things.” // U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte presented 2019 National Educator Award Recipient Buffy Smith with the Spirit of Montana Commendation and praised her work in expanding students’ access to computing classes. Get the full story <a href="https://www.ktvh.com/news/helena-news/gianforte-recognizes-helena-high-teacher-for-promoting-stem-skills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>In <a href="https://viterbischool.usc.edu/news/2020/01/all-star-amazon-intern-leader-and-stem-advocate/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this profile</a>, AiC Community Member Ava DeLaCruz talks about the projects she worked on as an intern at Amazon and reflects on the importance of mentorship, especially for women and members of other groups that are underrepresented in the computing field.&nbsp;</li><li>“‘Computing has revolutionized the world,’ Amulya said, and it will continue to do so. That’s why it’s important that a wide variety of people are writing code so that future developments serve all kinds of people.” // In <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2020/01/30/Student-16-stands-out-as-high-tech-researcher-Amulya-Garimella-cmu/stories/202001230158" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">this article</a>, AiC Community Member Amulya Garimella is recognized for her work to make computing programs more accessible for people of all socioeconomic backgrounds.</li></ul>January ShoutoutsIt’s Shoutout Season! AiC Community members are being recognized for their accomplishments in local news outlets across the country, and we couldn’t be happier to see them getting the visibility they deserve. Here’s who we spotted in January: <a href="https://findnyculture.org/node/99" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Anika Puri</a>, the team at <a href="https://boingboing.net/2020/01/16/reinvented-a-new-magazine-abo.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reinvented Magazine</a>, <a href="https://cbc-radio.com/local-news-blog/486741" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Elizabeth Landin</a>, <a href="https://viconsortium.com/vi-education/virgin-islands-st-thomas-teen-wins-national-computer-science-award-heads-to-bank-of-america-headquarters-in-march" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mireille Boumedine</a>, and <a href="https://mlwgs.com/mw-junior-perisa-ashar-honored-as-a-national-recipient-of-the-ncwit-award/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Perisa Ashar</a>.