{"id":302486,"date":"2012-10-05T06:00:21","date_gmt":"2012-10-05T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/?p=302486"},"modified":"2024-07-29T09:50:15","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T16:50:15","slug":"hopper-event-inspiring-interest-cs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/en-us\/research\/blog\/hopper-event-inspiring-interest-cs\/","title":{"rendered":"Hopper Event: Inspiring Interest in CS"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rob Knies, Managing Editor, Microsoft Research<\/em><\/p>\n

Rane Johnson-Stempson (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> recalls vividly the moment last spring when she first encountered Katie Doran.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the opportunity to meet Katie in Seattle during the Graduate Cohort Program of the Computing Research Association\u2019s Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> [CRA-W],\u201d recounts Johnson-Stempson, principal research director of Education and Scholarly Communication for Microsoft Research Connections (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>. \u201cShe was presenting a poster on her research on educational technology and serious games.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was discussing her research on how emerging game technologies, specifically ubiquitous and augmented-reality gaming, can be used to facilitate new interaction that promotes learning and skill adoption for players more effectively. I realized that she was the young lady I would like to do research with and have her help us with our education research and gender research.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"2012

Katie Doran (left) joins Rane Johnson-Stempson during the 2012 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.<\/p><\/div>\n

Doran, a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University, was invited to intern alongside Johnson-Stempson, and, from all appearances, it has been the start of a longtime collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with Rane has been fantastic,\u201d Doran says. \u201cShe is truly passionate about the work she does to encourage more women to join computer science. Rane has been the perfect mentor: She\u2019s supportive, welcoming of new perspectives, and eager to see me succeed. She\u2019s so much more than my boss during my internship. She\u2019ll be a lifelong friend and mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Passion, support for women in computer science, mentorship\u2014these are precisely the attributes shared by the more than 3,000 attendees of the 12th annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, being held Oct. 3-6 at the Baltimore Convention Center. The event, named after computing pioneer Grace Hopper, is the largest technical conference that showcases the work of technical women around the world.<\/p>\n

Naturally, Microsoft\u2019s support for such a conference is robust. Johnson-Stempson, who is leading the company\u2019s efforts to support women in technology and to inspire young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, worked with members of the sponsoring organization, the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, to bring 165 women leaders from Microsoft to the event. Fourteen of the Grace Hopper Celebration speakers are representing Microsoft, and the company is participating in a number of high-profile events aligning with the conference.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s all a measure of Microsoft\u2019s commitment to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest women in technology and helping to mentor the future generation of women leaders in computer science. For example, Microsoft Research has announced its support of the NetHope Academy\u2019s Women\u2019s TechConnect (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> program and of a celebration for winners of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> (NCWIT) Award for Aspirations in Computing (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The latter event, held Oct. 4 and sponsored by Microsoft Research, celebrated the achievements of 50 past and current winners of the Aspirations in Computing award from around the country. Peter Lee (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, corporate vice president of Microsoft Research Redmond (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, was on hand to speak and celebrate the winners, along with Johnson-Stempson, Doran, and Lindsay Lindstrom, a technical evangelist for Microsoft\u2019s Developer and Platform Evangelism (DPE) group.<\/p>\n

Microsoft Research sponsored an NCWIT Academic Alliance reception and spoke on the importance of the work done by the alliance to recruit and retain more women in computer science across the nation.<\/p>\n

Ruthe A. Farmer (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, NCWIT director of Strategic Initiatives, appreciates the Microsoft support.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the national affiliate sponsor, Microsoft support has made it possible for us to bring the NCWIT Award for Aspiration in Computing to aspiring technical young women across the entire United States,\u201d Farmer says. \u201cIn 2012-\u201913, we expect to recognize a thousand girls through 55 events nationwide.<\/p>\n

\u201cHaving Microsoft as a partner adds clout to the program and helps garner community support. Other stakeholders see this and think, \u2018If one of the biggest software companies in the world cares about this, maybe we should, too.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AJ

A.J. Bernheim Brush (right) of Microsoft Research Redmond chats with an acquaintance during the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.<\/p><\/div>\n

In fact, it\u2019s difficult to scan the Hopper Celebration agenda and not be struck by the depth of the Microsoft involvement. On Oct. 4, an executive panel discussion was moderated by Jennifer Chayes (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, managing director of Microsoft Research New England (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a> and Microsoft Research New York City (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, with Lee sitting on the panel. Henrique Malvar (opens in new tab)<\/span><\/a>, Microsoft Research chief scientist, also is an active participant during the conference.<\/p>\n

Microsoft speakers during the event include:<\/p>\n