July 2008 - Gabriela Marcu

Gabriela Marcu is member and ambassador of the AWT organization and also the recipient of the 2007 AWT Scholarship Award!

She has is currently a senior student in the Informatics program at UCI, and she formed the Informatics Student Association, (INSA). The idea had been floating around in her head for a while but only after one of her Informatics professor's encouraged the class to be involved on campus did Marcu decide to make it happen.

INSA's mission is to help Informatics majors succeed academically and professionally, and to help build a strong Informatics community by helping all Informatics majors in different classes get to know each other and get to know their professors.

Gabriela is also the Vice President of the Women in Computer Science (WICS) group on campus, and she says 'We have outreach activities which target young girls and expose them to computer science,' This is leadership in action, and is wonderfully aligned to the mission and vision of AWT.

June 2008 - Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth is a firm that believes in building relationships and contributing to the community in a variety of ways, through volunteerism, in educational, business, cultural, charitable and civic organizations that benefit individuals and the communities around the community.

Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth generously donated their beautiful conference facility in support of the AWT Mentorship Program for our 2007 & 2008 seasons. This program included monthly speaker series, offered AWT Members and the community in interpersonal and professional development classes for assisting in accomplishing business or personal goals.

AWT's Mentorship Program

Mentoring is widely regarded as an important way of developing leadership skills, both in oneself and in others. The power of positive connections and helping others to establish and meet their career goals, and developing the necessary tactical skills and personal self-mastery to reach their goals is empowering. The AWT mentorship program has several ways in which you may be involved as a mentor or protégé (mentee):

• Leverage the power of career development and professional growth
• Develop goals congruent with your career path
• Participate in roundtable discussions
• Be empowered with Special Speaker engagements
• Enlarge your vision and network
• Engage in mutually rewarding professional relationships

The AWT Mentorship Programs and Speaker Series provided our members and the community of IT professionals in the resources and development tools to take their careers to the next level and to help them become more effective leaders, make good technology decisions, align IT and business goals, and better manage.

AWT is empowered by the cooperative partnership with Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth where we may join forces to promote awareness and educational opportunities in advancing women and girls in the field technology preparing for tomorrow's technology leaders!

Stradling's continued dedication and commitment to AWT is a wonderful example of the community in which we serve.

May 2008 - Debra Richardson

Debra Richardson received this award for her dedication and commitment to the AWT advisory board, AWT Scholarship Program, AWT Girls programs, AWT events and the community in which we serve.

Debra is a Professor of Informatics and Dean of the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. She is dedicated to ensuring this program is top-tier, encompassing a broad and interdisciplinary curriculum, and attracting the best and brightest students and faculty.

In addition, she is dedicated to building an infrastructure to support a dynamic research and educational environment that meets the demands of regional industry and community and contributes to the global economy.

Committed to increasing the participation of women and other underrepresented populations in computing and information technology, Debra serves as director of the Ada Byron Research Center for Diversity in Computing and Information Technology (ABRC), whose mission is to study and promote diverse perspectives in computer science, engineering, digital media and related information technology fields through a variety of research, mentoring and outreach activities, aligned to the mission and vision of AWT.

Debra is a member of the leadership team of the National Center for Women and Information Technology, whose overarching goal is parity in the professional IT workforce through education, dissemination, advocacy, and a national, multi-year implementation plan that generates tangible progress within 20 years.

Debra also sits on the board of trustees for Girls, Inc., Orange County, a non-profit association devoted to advancing women and girls in computing and technology; the executive advisory board of the Association for Women in Technology, a non-profit organization of women devoted to the advancement of women working in computing and technology, a program for which AWT shares a passion for.

Debra's commitment is commended for promoting education in areas of science, math, engineering and advancing women and girls in the field technology preparing for tomorrow's technology leaders! Debra's dedication and commitment is an inspiration to AWT' and the community in which we serve.

April 2008 - Julie Evans

Julie Evans received the AWT Woman of the Month award in April for her continued dedication and commitment to AWT, as a panel speaker, advisory board member and in promoting technology within the community. Julie continues to take an active role in community with promoting young students in the field of technology and innovation. Her nonprofit organization, Project Tomorrow, is very active in Orange County and throughout the United States, supporting educators and innovators.

Most recently Project Tomorrow and AeA collaborated on the 15th Annual High-Tech Innovation Awards, and she played a key role in announcement of the winners at the awards ceremony of nearly 500 technology professionals attending from local high-tech companies, financial and government institutions, as well as academic leaders, educators, students, investors and media affiliates. For the second year, Project Tomorrow awarded a college scholarship to the winner of the Emerging Student Innovator Award.

In addition, Julie heads up an annual national research project facilitated to:

• Collect and report the unfiltered feedback from students, parents and teachers on key educational issues.
• Use the data to stimulate local conversations.
• Raise national awareness about the importance of including the viewpoints of students, parents, and teachers in the education dialogue.

Julie's dedication and commitment aligns to AWT's mission, and her efforts are commended for promoting technology programs in support of youth, and shaping tomorrow's technology leaders! AWT President, Brenda Breen recognized Julie with this distinguished award at the AWT 2nd Quarterly Women in Technology Leadership Forum event on 5/22 at the University of California, Irvine.

March 2008 - Pamela Klemm

Congratulations to Pamela Klemm, as AWT's winner of Woman of the Month award in March 2008! Pam received this award for her contribution, dedication and commitment to the AWT Mentorship program. She has worked many hours assisting AWT's chair and Director of Programs, in collaborating with our mentors and proteges, and she has done an outstanding job. Pam has been a member just under a year, and she immediately jumped into a volunteer co-chair position with the AWT Mentorship program without hesitation! Pam is an experienced Program Manager within the Aerospace Industry, currently consulting with Boeing, Inc., is an active member and Co-Instructor with our affiliate organization PMI-OC, and she also finds time to volunteer for Duke University as an Admissions Evaluator/Interviewer. AWT appreciates Pam's contributions and congratulates her in this outstanding achievement! AWT President, Brenda Breen recognized Pamela with this distinguished award at the AWT 2nd Quarterly Women in Technology Leadership Forum event on 5/22 at University of California, Irvine

February 2008 - Kristin Huerth

Kristin Huerth was nominated and won the AWT Woman of the Month award for February 2008, for her outstanding dedication and commitment to AWT Scholarship Program, supporting UCI women in computer science. AWT President, Brenda Breen recognized Kristen with this distinguished award at the AWT 1st Quarterly Women in Technology Leadership Forum event on 2/28. Kristen was unable to attend this event in person, and Sandy Irani, AWT speaker, UCI professor and Dean accepted on behalf of Kristen.

January 2008 - Quynh Nguyen

Quynh Nguyen was nominated and won the AWT Woman of the Month award for January 2008, for her leadership and commitment to the AWT Mentorship Program. AWT President, Brenda Breen recognized and presented Quynh with this distinguished award at the AWT 1st Quarterly Women in Technology Leadership Forum event on 2/28.