Westmont Magazine Scholarships Programmed to Attract Computer Science Students

Westmont’s computer science department has awarded scholarships of up to $10,000 to seven students this year. The recipients are first-year students Riley Frambes and Daniel Leong, sophomores Morgan Vigil and Aaron Panchal, junior David Daneshforooz, and seniors Josh Carver and Sarah Coburn. In addition to financial assistance, the program includes support for study groups, research experience, participation in conferences and other activities

The scholarships, funded by a $287,500 grant from the National Science Foundation, apply to the tuition of Westmont students majoring in computer science who demonstrate aptitude and interest in the field.

“The United States is facing a critical short-age 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 the scholarship program for the 2010-2011 academic year should first apply to Westmont, preferably for early action by Nov. 1, 2009. Scholarship applications and information are available online, www.westmont.edu/compscholarship/.

Semifinalists will be invited to the Computer Science Connection in February 2010. This two-day event allows prospective students to meet Westmont’s computer science faculty.