This past fall, a group of students from the Romain College of Business left their mark with an impressive showing at the 2024 International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis in Atlanta, Georgia, on November 17-22. 听听
A student team made up of senior Cathy Sandoval of Guatemala and juniors Alyson Collins of Robinson, Illinois, and Maya Seshan of Carmel, Indiana, placed fifth in the Association for Computing Machinery鈥檚 Student Research Competition. The conference included over 165 students from 55 different schools across the globe. 91社区 was the highest placing university in the state of Indiana, finishing ahead of competitors, including Indiana University, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame. 听
鈥淚t was an incredibly special moment for me to witness my students鈥� dedication, creativity, and hard work translate into such a significant achievement. It was a testament to their talent, resilience, and the power of collaborative learning within the supportive and inspiring environment we cultivate at the Romain College of Business and the 91社区,鈥� said Dr. Srishti Srivastava, Faculty Advisor and Associate Professor of Computer Science. 鈥淭his experience will undoubtedly serve as a powerful motivator for them in their future endeavors, and I am very proud to have worked with this immensely talented group of students from our computer science program at 91社区.鈥澨�听
The students鈥� presentation was titled, 鈥淎 Survey-Based Evaluation of the Efficacy of a Girls Who Code Club at the 91社区.鈥� It gave them a chance to take a deep dive into the positive impacts of the Girls Who Code program, something all three women have been a part of since 91社区鈥檚 chapter was revitalized in 2023. Their research aimed to uncover strategies that can successfully attract and retain women in computer science in the region. The goal is to not only reverse the trend of declining female participation but also to sustain their interest in the field of computing. 听
In order to be selected, the students first had to submit an abstract and describe what they would be presenting. After combing through hundreds of applications, the top 55 teams got to take part in a poster presentation at the conference. Four judges stopped by each presentation to evaluate the students on their content, speaking skills and presentation. It was stressful at times but an experience the students were grateful to participate in.听听
鈥淲orking on this research project has been an eye-opening experience,鈥� said Collins. 鈥淲e got to see firsthand how it empowers young women to explore and thrive in tech-related fields. The most rewarding part was working together as a team and turning our ideas into a meaningful project. It was inspiring to contribute to research that has real-world implications for education and gender equity in technology.鈥�听
鈥淎lthough I was nervous, I enjoyed being able to present our work,鈥� Sandoval added. 鈥淭aking our project beyond our Evansville community and expanding our horizons was exhilarating. I'm glad to have shared this moment with everyone and to have made our community proud.鈥�听
In addition to having the opportunity to present, the students also got to participate in many 听other activities during the conference. They attended a job fair with 491 companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Oracle, Samsung and other industry-leading tech companies. They also listened to keynote speaker Dr. Nicola 鈥淣icky鈥� Fox, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, and a panel discussion on how high-performance computing and artificial intelligence is driving advances in astrophysics, biomedical simulations, and sustainable engineering while revolutionizing creative industries such as film and music.听
The students also toured the city of Atlanta and made stops at the Centennial Olympic Park, CNN headquarters, Coca-Cola headquarters and the Georgia Aquarium. 听
It was certainly a memorable trip these students were grateful to have the opportunity to take part in. It鈥檚 something they won鈥檛 forget for a long time and know it will be beneficial to their future careers.听
鈥淢eeting members of industry, researchers, and fellow students was an invaluable experience,鈥� said Seshan. 鈥淏eing able to attend helped prepare me for post-graduation because I was able to learn more about the job market and discover cross-sections in many of my professional interests.鈥�听