Scholarships Support Diversity and Inclusion in Information Technology at 2019 Internet2 Global Summit

The scholarship recipients are:

• Rachael Collard, publicity and marketing coordinator, Connecticut Education Network
• Kaitlin Helfter, emerging IT professional in ITaP Research Computing, Purdue University
• Rajan Parajuli, director, Nepal Research and Education Network
• Erin Plese, information security analyst – intermediate, Northern Arizona University
• Katelyn Russell, systems administrator II, University of Texas at Austin
• Khamphanh Sithavong, deputy director of information technology center, National University of Laos
• Nuyun Zhang, research scientist, Georgia Institute of Technology

Scholarship recipients will be recognized during the Internet2 Inclusivity Initiative session on March 6. Funding for the scholarships is made possible by Duo, Internet2, Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC), and Palo Alto Networks. Northern Arizona University, Purdue University, and Georgia Institute of Technology are providing financial travel support for their respective scholarship winner.

“There is a collective sense of responsibility for recruiting, training, and retaining a diverse and inclusive IT workforce across the broad research and higher education community,” said Ana Hunsinger, VP of community engagement at Internet2. “The scholarships are one effort among many by our community to ensure the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in timely discussions around applied innovation and best-practices in their profession. I’m proud to share that over the past few years, these scholarships have supported more than forty women and underrepresented minorities from the U.S., Colombia, Laos, Nepal, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia.”

“We look forward to seeing the leaders of the Nepali and Laotian NRENs at the Internet2 Global Summit for the first time, representing their communities,” said Steven Huter, NSRC director. “The Nepali NREN is actively expanding their national footprint and connecting more new locations, while also seeking deeper collaborations between Nepali institutions and U.S. universities. Likewise, LERNET seeks to enhance its services and applications for Laotian universities, and I hope an enriching experience at the Global Summit will establish new working relationships that Rajan and Khamphanh can take back home with them.”

For more information, visit www.internet2.edu/news/detail/17050.

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