CIS Major Sydney Robinson Awarded STEM Scholarship

GMercyU CIS major Sydney Robinson '23 was awarded the prestigious Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship in 2020.

The scholarship is the single largest private source of funding for women in science and engineering and was established to "encourage women to pursue graduate education and careers in teaching and research in disciplines having the lowest participation of women, namely physics, math, computer science, and chemistry."

In high school, Sydney's teachers encouraged her to focus her creativity on digital creation. Today, as a GMercyU CIS Major with a concentration in Web Design & Multimedia, Sydney joins the ranks of a growing number of young women choosing to pursue a field once dominated by men.

"Being a Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship recipient means being a role model for young women who think that CIS is something that they may want to pursue in the future," Sydney said. "I feel like I stand for the women who might not know or think to do something like this for their career."

CIS Program Coordinator and Instructor Cindy Casey knows the importance of leveling the playing field for women in technology, particularly when it comes to artificial intelligence and machine learning.

"Not only does a degree in CIS provide women with the skills they need to compete in today's job market, it also gives them with the tools necessary for the careers of the future," said CIS Program Coordinator and Instructor Cindy Casey. "With advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, more women in the field will aid in addressing machine bias, because AI mirrors those preparing the datasets and training the models. Encouraging women in technology will have a positive impact on computing and give younger girls role models to look up to. "

Read more about Sydney's experience as a GMercyU CIS major and scholarship recipient here.