Strengthening the study of computer science

The study of Computer Science can be challenging and fun, and Google wants to inspire students to become active participants and leaders in creating technology. With this in mind, our educational outreach group, University Programs, and Diversity and Talent Inclusion teams joined forces to create the Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI). This special institute included an interactive and collaborative CS curriculum, as well as a living-learning residential experience for student networking. We chose 17 college sophomores, all aspiring computer scientists, to attend the all-expenses-paid CSSI in Mountain View from August 3�15.

Our goals for the institute:

• To enrich the skills of students early in their CS studies (and at risk of leaving the major) in an effort to increase the pipeline into the CS major and boost retention


• To provide a social and professional network for underrepresented (women, Hispanic, African-American, and/or Native-American) technology students


• To empower students, giving them the tools, motivation and confidence to continue with CS studies


• To show students daily life at Google and the amazing applications of CS that occur here

Students heard from professionals from across the technology industry and academia about the many things they can do with a CS degree. They also worked in teams to build a completely interactive Web 2.0 website, keeping in mind both practical programming skills and the theory behind it.

We will keep in touch with these students across their college careers, and encourage future participants to complete their CS work and join the community of computer scientists. Stay tuned for more information on future iterations of this program!


Congratulations to the CSSI Class of 2008:

• Amaka Achukwu, University of Maryland


• Anthony Scales, Michigan State University


• Brett Harris, Carnegie Mellon University


• Dianna Kay, Michigan State University


• Eric Kuto, Princeton University


• Jerrica Jones, University of Arizona


• Jonathan Newmuis, University of Maryland


• Joshua Benbenek, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign


• Keesha Joseph, Howard University


• Kenechi Ufondu, Carnegie Mellon University


• LaShell Reed, Arizona State University


• Melody Tse, University of California, Irvine


• Meryl Mabin, Michigan State University


• Nikea Davis, Georgia Tech


• Ricky Grant, University of California, Santa Cruz


• Thomas Markes, University of California, Los Angeles


• Vincent Fulton, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Posted by Rebecca Selvenis, University Programs Team

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