Computer scientists on Google shortlist

Copenhagen scholars went to Zürich for female computer scientist prize

by Mike Young

Two University of Copenhagen researchers have been to Zürich, Switzerland in recognition of their work as female computer scientists.

They were both shortlisted for a scholarship from Google, with one of them getting a EUR 7,000 prize.

The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship is for female scientists project and research work, and the ceremony took place earlier this week. Anita Borg was a US activist promoting women and minorities in computing and technology.

Scans X-rays

Melanie Ganz won a EUR 7000 scholarship based on her CV, her responses to essay questions and a description of her own project.

Melanie is originally from Karlsruhe in the South-west of Germany, and is now a PhD student at the Department of Computer Sciences. She has her office in a private company Nordic Bioscience where she measures the build up of calcium in arteries on X-ray photos.

»We are three PhD students working on this project, using data-analysis to find out how we can use the form and contours on the X-ray photos to measure the calcification,« she explains to the University Post.

She has not yet read the rules for what the scholarship money can be used for, but reckons on »a new computer, or maybe a conference that I otherwise would not have taken part in,« she says.

Math behind the images

Sarah Niebe, also of the Department of Computer Sciences, didn’t get a scholarship but was one of the 91 finalists from throughout the world who was shortlisted for Zürich.

Her Master’s work has been in the field of physics-based animation – a way of visually modelling the physical world.

»It is something that is used in games and in engineering tools,« she explains, adding that she is particularly interested in the mathematics behind it.

miy@adm.ku.dk

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