Week 9

July 7- July 11

This week, STARS Alliance Conference was scheduled for us. Paige, Alex, Evie, Dr. Barnes & I from our Game2Learn gangs went to Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. There were about 150 participants including the professors and the students from many different universities.

STARS Alliance stands for Students & Technology in Academia Research and Service Alliance Student Leadership Corp. Our objective is to making sure that the United States continues to produce the world's best computing and IT researchers, developers and practitionars. (Dr. Dahlberg, Project Director) We are trying to increase the participations of all citizens-men, women, blacks, whites, and persons with disabilities.

I will list some of the workshops that we've participated in:

True Colors: not only gives you insight into your own personal style but how to more effectively interact with people of different styles or "colors".

Diversity in IT/Computing Environments: Exploring stereotypes through Traditional American Values.

Realities and Myths of Women and Minorities in Leadership

There were also SLC Concurrent Sessions which "teaches" you more indept about computing and gradschools.
Here are the ones that I've participated in:
Very Cool Computing Project: This session was organized by a profession from GT, and he showed us about the different kinds of "really cool" research projects. One that comes to my mind was the research on the movements of ants and bees. There were also the "soccer playing dogs" and its enhancement. The most facinating part was the "walking and understanding ROBOT who can climb up the stairs".

AF Facade and Virgual Rear Projection
The Whys and Hows of Grad School This was organized by Dr. Mary Jean Harrold at Georgia Tech. Dr. Harrold and her two graduate students explained us about the process of preparing for gradschool and why we should go.

During the conference, we've also formed in a multiple different groups by their region. Each group has a "mission" to get people involved in computer science and make it well known. My "mission", plan is to visit my old middle and high school to talk to the students about how wonderful and fun it is to study computer science. I am also planning to talk to them about they should think about going to college to get higher education. I am not exactly sure how exactly I am going to do that, but I must decide very soon.

I feel very blessed to have an opportunity to attent a conference such as STARS Alliance Leadership Conference. I feel more determined to go to grad school and study even harder to become a successful female scientist.

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