2019 Participants
SIGHPC announces students to take part in computing experience during SC19
ACM's Special Interest Group on High Performance Computing (SIGHPC) has announced the 25 undergraduates chosen to take part in the second annual Computing4Change event. Co-located with the SC19 conference in Denver, CO, Computing4Change introduces students to the potential of computing to create positive change in our society. Students learn to work as part of a team, applying data analysis and computational thinking to a social challenge while experiencing the latest tools and techniques from computing and data science.
SIGHPC received applications from institutions around the world. 56% of applicants were female or non-binary gender and, of applicants from the US, over half are from groups underrepresented in computing. Applicants included students in a wide range of majors, from biology and graphic design to engineering and public health.
The applications were reviewed and evaluated by a panel of experts from diverse backgrounds across race, gender, discipline, and nationality. Selections were based on applicant’s vision for using technology to affect positive change in an issue relevant to them; overall potential for impact in their chosen fields and home institutions; and the extent to which they can serve as ambassadors to increase diversity in the workplace.
68% of the 25 awardees identify as female, and 48% of awardees are first generation college students. Among awardees from the US, 32% are Latino/Hispanic, 12% are Black or African American, 8% are from the Pacific region including Hawai`i and Guam, and those remaining are White or Asian descent. SIGHPC congratulates the students accepted to this highly competitive activity:
Maia Alviar, University of California at Berkeley
Faith Bautista, University of Guam
Erin Burba, Northeastern University
Joshua Cartagena, Delaware County Community College
Regina-Mae Dominguez, University of Guam
Lillianna Flynn, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Judith Garcia, University of Texas at El Paso
Alejandra Garcia Orosco, California State University, Los Angeles
Jamie George, University of Colorado Boulder
Javier Gonzalez, Universidad de Puerto Rico
Jose Gonzalez, University of Texas at Austin
Maxx Kozec, OSU Cascades
Breana Moreno, Texas State University
Pragyee Nepal, Simmons University
Jeanie Nguyen, University of Guam
Samuel Ofori, Fort Valley State University
Angella Osinde, Mississippi State University
Michaud Reyna, Morehouse Collge
Patrick Santos, University of Guam
Catherine Stevens, Linn-Benton Community College
Monet Stevenson, Brooklyn College
Casandra Tanare, Chaminade University of Honolulu
Yesenia Trujillo, California State University, Los Angeles
Autumn Wilomovsky, Interamericana de Puerto Rico
David Wollensak, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
We also want to give a special thanks to the mentors who are graciously volunteering their time and expertise to help make this event a success. These volunteers will each be working with one of the teams of four, guiding them through their process of data analysis and discovery.
Lou Brand, Colorado School of Mines
Nilo Espinoza, University of Guam
Claire Fiorino, San Diego State University
Jack Gaither, University of Arkansas
Pam Qian, Rice University
All Computing4Change participants receive travel support to attend SC19 in Denver, CO (USA).