Junior, Diana Martinez of Rose Hill and sophomore, Joshua Jackson of Rocky Point, have been selected as recipients of the ECRS Computer Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship scholarship. Both are majors in Computer Science, in the College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University and will receive $4,000 a year plus an additional $500 for educational and research materials.
The ECRS Computer Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship scholarship program provides mentoring opportunities to academically talented undergraduate students in computer science. Highlights of this opportunity include weekly seminars, study groups for core classes, mentoring and tutoring, a leadership workshop series, peer mentoring, a resume writing and internship/job search workshop, community building and an internship opportunity at ECRS.
“The ECRS scholarship is an exceptional opportunity aimed at students interested in pursuing a degree in computer science who have also expressed an interest in development of innovative, and/or entrepreneurial ideas, said Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, department chair and director of the program. “We are very grateful for the support provided by one of the IT leaders in our community. The ECRS scholars will be part of mentoring efforts that have provided role-models to our students.”
ECRS is an award-winning, innovative company bringing together retail software, hardware and services to create solutions in retail automation. Their headquarters are located in Boone, N.C. and many of their employees are alums of the Appalachian computer science department.
Martinez, a graduate of Duplin Early College High School anticipates the assistance with not only tuition, but also educational materials will allow broader opportunities for her studies.
“I truly enjoy learning, having always been curious about how things work and why they work the way they do, hence majoring in computer science. I am very excited at the prospect of working with others on projects and studying together in hopes of building connections and increasing my academic skills,” said Martinez.
Jackson, a graduate of Heide Trask High School, was most proud of this accomplishment for its connections to others with similar academic goals and interests, as well as networking potential in the department and in the tech community.
Martinez and Jackson join previous ECRS scholars: Evangeline Luciano (2015), Bryce Cloniger (2015), Mikayla Sage (2016), and Cameron Small (2016).
To learn more about the scholarship program, visit http://cs.appstate.edu/ecrs.
###
About the Department of Computer Science
Appalachian’s Department of Computer Science provides a rigorous, high-quality education that prepares students for the computing industry or graduate education. It offers a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science, which is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, and a Master of Science degree in computer science.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is home to 16 academic departments, two stand-alone academic programs, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and unique location. Our values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of our students as global citizens. There are approximately 5,850 student majors in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing Appalachian's general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
Appalachian State University, in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The transformational Appalachian experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and embrace diversity and difference. As one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina system, Appalachian enrolls about 18,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.
Oct. 10, 2017
By Ellen Gwin Burnette
BOONE, N.C.
Jackson and Martinez, Computer Science Students, Appalachian State
Jackson and Martinez, Computer Science Students, Appalachian State