AASU receives NSF grant to offer fifty scholarships in technology

Savannah, GA—In a move to boost the number of high technology workers in the region and nation, the National Science Foundation has awarded a $393,200 grant to Armstrong Atlantic State University for fifty scholarships in technology. The scholarships will be awarded over four years to students with high academic standing and a need for financial assistance.

Ten, four-year scholarships will be awarded to students studying for the Bachelor of Information Technology; twelve, two-year scholarships will be awarded to students studying for the Master of Science in Computer Science; and twenty-eight, two-year scholarships will be awarded to students studying for the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. A large percentage of the recipients are expected to be female and/or minority students. This expectation is based on Armstrong Atlantic's student population, which is thirty percent minority and seventy percent female.

"A scholarship program such as this is essential to many of these students who otherwise would not be able to attend school full time, nor complete a degree," said Raymond Greenlaw, dean of AASU's School of Computing and regional coordinator of Yamacraw. Greenlaw is serving as principal investigator (PI) of the project and will work closely with co-PI Mark Burge, one of the country's leading experts in computer vision and handheld computing.

The average annual scholarship will be in the amount of $3,000. This amount covers full tuition and a book allowance for an in-state undergraduate, and covers about fifty percent of costs for an out-of-state student. Scholarships will be renewed automatically as long as the recipient continues to meet the award criteria.

This project is particularly important to the region as Georgia is experiencing a huge shortage of technology workers," said Greenlaw. "Since many of our graduates remain in the Savannah area, the students who benefit from this program will likely have a large impact on the community and local industry for many years to come."

Support services, such as tutoring, internship programs, and career counseling, will be available for those who are awarded scholarships. AASU's School of Computing has successfully placed interns at local companies, such as Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, VeriSign, Gulfstream Aerospace, Hewlitt Packard, and IBM. Scholars will attend regular meetings of the Business and Educational Technical Alliance (BETA), providing many connections with local industry.

Computer science students have the option to take Yamacraw courses and to receive Yamacraw certificates. Yamacraw is the state's economic development initiative to make Georgia a world leader in the design of broadband communication systems, devices, and chips. Armstrong Atlantic participates in Yamacraw's statewide initiatives to attract high technology companies to Georgia.

"In the community there is a great respect for the quality of Armstrong Atlantic's computer science program," said Hart Williford, president of VeriSign/Savannah and president of BETA. "The Yamacraw Project has helped to build good relationships between industry and University System of Georgia schools such as AASU."

For more information about National Science Foundation scholarships at AASU, contact the School of Computing at 921.5600 and visit www.computing.armstrong.edu.