Five RI High School Women and IT Educator Receive National Award for Computing Achievements and Aspirations

PROVIDENCE, RI – As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and its Rhode Island affiliates, Roger Williams University and Tech Collective, recognized five students and one IT educator with the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing on Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at the Roger Williams University Baypoint Inn and Conference Center, Portsmouth, RI.

The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women at the high school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. Awardees are selected for their outstanding capacity and interest in computing and technology, proven leadership ability, academic history, and plans for post-secondary education. In addition to student honorees, NCWIT recognizes educators who demonstrate passion and commitment in engaging their students in the technology fields. 

Student Award Recipients

• Paris Lopez – Smithfield High School
• Jennifer Rivera – Newport Area Career & Technical Center
• Amy Rudolph – Scituate High School
• Zoe Schwartz – Smithfield High School
• Theodora Vessella – Smithfield High School

Educator Award Recipient

• Douglas Alexander – Director of Technology, Lincoln School

“Tech Collective congratulates this year’s NCWIT RI Aspirations in Computing honorees,” said JoAnn Johnson, manager of youth and education programs for Tech Collective. “These five bright young women have demonstrated their passion and abilities in computer science and engineering. We are excited to recognize their achievements and look forward to their continued success both as students as well as future members of Rhode Island’s workforce. Congratulations also to Mr. Alexander, who is playing a critical role in engaging and educating the students at Lincoln School.

Welcoming remarks were offered by Gail Lustig, director of product management at Fidelity Investments; and Amanda Marsilli, admissions officer for Roger Williams University. Ammi Ludwick, Aspirations in Computing Program Director, provided an overview of the Award for Aspirations in Computing program.

“We eagerly look forward to the wide-ranging innovations, solutions, and creations that only these amazing young women could bring to the technology design table,” said Lucy Sanders, NCWIT CEO and Co-founder. “This encouraging award program has a profound effect on a young woman’s decision to persist in computing, consequently producing a more competitive and diverse workforce.”

This is the third year the Aspiration Awards have been presented in Rhode Island.

“Working with the support of the Roger Williams’ Provost and Tech Collective, this event allows us to take two steps towards addressing the balance of women in tech fields,” said Dr. W. Brett McKenzie, Professor of CIS at the RWU Gabelli School of Business. “First is to recognize and encourage young women with interest in the field. Second is to demonstrate to them that there is a support network in a field where they may not have many female peers. Bridging the generations by recognizing the talents of these young girls and ensuring there will be mentoring throughout a developing career is a unique mission of NCWIT that we are delighted to support.”

For more information about the NCWIT Aspirations in Computing Award, visit https://www.aspirations.org/.

About NCWIT
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of more than 450 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase women’s participation in computing and technology. NCWIT helps organizations more effectively recruit, retain, and advance girls and women in K-12 through college education, and from academic to corporate and startup careers. Find out more at http://www.ncwit.org.

About RWU
Roger Williams University, located in Bristol, R.I., is a leading independent, coeducational university with programs in the liberal arts and the professions, where students become community- and globally-minded citizens through project-based, experiential learning.

Offering 43 majors and a plethora of co-curricular activities as well as study abroad options, RWU is dedicated to the success of students, commitment to a set of core values, the pursuit of affordable excellence and to providing a relevant, world-class education above all else. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented successes including recognition as one of the best colleges in the nation by Forbes, a College of Distinction by Student Horizons, Inc. and as both a best college in the Northeast and one of the nation’s greenest universities by The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.rdu.edu.

About Tech Collective:
Tech Collective is Rhode Island’s Information Technology and Bioscience Industry Association. Uniting industry, government and academic stakeholders, our mission is to inspire, engage, educate and employ a high-skill, high-wage Knowledge Economy in Rhode Island. Since its transition from the Rhode Island Technology Council (RITEC) in 2004, Tech Collective has received more than $8M in federal, state and private grant funding to foster industry collaboration, awareness and development through events and initiatives including: the Tech10 awards, the Rhode Island Bioscience Awards, GRRL Tech, Women in Technology, Bio-Ed, and STEM-based education and training programs for K-16 students as well as incumbent and transitioning workers. Get connected to Tech Collective at http://www.tech-collective.org/, on Facebook (TechCollectiveRI), and onTwitter (@Tech_Collective).

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