Roya Edalatpour, a senior in electrical engineering at The University of Texas at El Paso, received the NCWIT Collegiate Award Honorable Mention on May 19, 2015. The award was sponsored by the National Center for Women and Information Technology and Hewlett Packard.
“Roya Edalatpour is a genuine spokesperson for the plight of minorities in STEM,” said Edalatpour’s mentor Homer Nazeran, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at UTEP. “At a recent White House Initiative gathering, Roya articulated eloquently on the lack of facilities that are normally necessary for student advancement in the El Paso School District in front of top officials and an audience of over 200 people. This is nothing short of a testimonial to her fearlessness and empathy for the community. She is a model undergraduate student and a role model for women in engineering.”
In a global economy, gender diversity in information technology means a larger and more competitive workforce; in a world dependent on innovation, it means the ability to design technology that is as broad and creative as the people it serves. Diversity in innovation benefits all and The University of Texas at EL Paso’s College of Engineering encourages women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields.
The National Center for Women and Information Technology’s Collegiate Award encourages women’s continued interest in computing, attracts the attention and support of educational and corporate institutions, and emphasizes at a personal level the importance of women’s participation in computing sciences.
Each honorable mention received a $500 cash gift, an HP backpack and gift, and recognition at an awards ceremony at the NCWIT 2015 Summit in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
For more information on the award Edalatpour received, please visit https://www.ncwit.org/news/ncwit-and-hp-honor-distinguished-technical-accomplishments-college-women.