Westmont Magazine Computer Science Scholarships Assist Promising Students

Westmont’s computer science department has awarded scholarships of up to $10,000 to five students for the 2008-2009 school year. The recipients include first-year students Erick Brownfield and Morgan Vigil, juniors Josh Carver and Toby Lounsbury, and senior Michael Gardner. In addition to financial support, the program includes study groups, research experience, parti- cipation in conferences and other activities.

A grant from the National Science Foundation funds the scholarships for Westmont students majoring in computer science who demonstrate financial need and academic promise. “The United States is facing a critical shortage of skilled graduates in computer science,” says Kim Kihlstrom, associate professor of computer science. “Despite outsourcing, this shortage will continue for the foreseeable future.”

“There is also a desperate need for women and persons of color in computer science,” says Wayne Iba, associate professor of computer science. “The scholarship program is designed to help meet the need for more computer science graduates.”

Prospective students interested in this scholarship program for the 2009-2010 academic year should apply first to Westmont, preferably for early action by Nov. 1, 2008. Then students may apply for the scholarship, which has a deadline of Jan. 24, 2009. Westmont will invite 24 finalists to the Computer Science Connection Feb. 20-21, 2009, to meet computer science faculty, who will evaluate the candidates. The event involves meals together, community- building exercises, individual and group problem- solving exams, interviews and games.