A PROPOSAL TO FUND THE MICROSOFT SCHOLARSHIP

IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

BYU COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT

By donating to the Microsoft Scholarship fund, you can leave a permanent legacy at BYU which will bless students for generations.

THE CHALLENGE

Students pursuing a degree in Computer Science at BYU face challenges unique to their major that often seem overwhelming. One substantial, yet un-avoidable, obstacle for seri-

ous computer science stu-dents is a result of the need to have a close and continual exposure to technology and theory. The rapidly growing body of knowledge in the field, cou-pled with the highly competi-tive nature of the discipline, require students to foster strong mentoring relation-ships with professors and be involved in study and lab work, usually for many hours each day. Consequently, off-campus jobs become luxuries that students cannot often

afford. Increasingly, it is becoming difficult for stu-dents to maintain the rigors of their discipline and sup-port themselves and their families by working at a job outside of that disci-pline. A scholarship or mentor-ship allows students to earn money to live while work-ing in a research lab or with a project directly re-lated to their education. For many students, this is their best chance to excel while at BYU.

BYU DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

Scholarships

THE OPPORTUNITY Scholarships for mentored students help offset the monetary cost of working on-campus in a substantive, highly beneficial mentored research project rather than working off-campus in a code shop. A student in Computer Sci-ence at BYU who receives a full-tuition scholarship—approximately $3,600 per year at the present—will have the opportunity to compete on an even basis with students who have the capacity to pay their own tuition and fees. With a scholarship, a student will be able to study, spend time in labs and still have time to participate in mentored re-search opportunities.

“I am both hopeful and expectant that from this University there will rise brilliant stars...who can lift and inspire others around the globe.”

President Spencer W. Kimball, 1975

women of faith. With the right tools, these students will become a credit to Brigham Young University and a blessing to the world.

As scholarships become available to students, the BYU Department of Com-puter Science will attract more gifted young men and

Morgan Quigley, a 2005 graduate in Computer Sci-ence from BYU, received a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship—one of 170 awards from a field of 3,700 applicants. The fellowship covers tuition and fees for three years of graduate work , with a yearly stipend of $31,000. Quigley is pursuing gradu-ate work at Stanford Univer-sity and will use the money towards his research in ae-rial and ground-based mo-bile robots—an area of in-terest to the U.S. military.

BYU students have proven themselves to be capable of competing with the best. Our students are winning competitions, receiving awards, going to acclaimed

Master’s and PhD programs—and continuing to contribute to the world.

BECOMING THE BEST

The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education and the U.S Department of Homeland Security awarded Michael Clark, a senior in computer science, a full-tuition scholarship and $46,000 stipend to research the ways in which security

breaches in the everyday user’s com-puter system can affect h o m e l a n d security.

Michael Clark

Morgan Quigley

Undergraduate student M o r i a h M c C l a n a h a n worked with Dr. Tom Sederberg on One-Page Ge-nealogy. In 2005, she was one of only five undergradu-ate students in the nation to receive the prestigious Google Anita Borg Memo-rial Scholarship. The scholarship, one of the most well-recognized awards for women in science and tech-nology, is aimed at encour-aging women in computing and technology to become role models and leaders.

Moriah McClanahan working in the One-Page Genealogy lab with Dr. Tom Sederberg

“[The] combination of the secular and the spiritual comprises the only valid path for man to traverse on his journey to true wisdom and salvation, and it is the only reason for the per-petuation and development of Brigham Young University.” -President Ernest L. Wilkinson

In June 2006, BYU students took 2nd place in in the Fourth Annual Student Un-manned Aerial Vehicle Competition. Their plane was equipped with a video camera, GPS, and the ability to fly to des-ignated areas, identify and locate targets on the ground, and then return to its start-ing point. It beat out entries from MIT, the University of California, San Diego State, and Virginia Tech.

2006 BYU UAV Team

“I LOVE working at the data mining lab! This opportunity has been the largest contributor to my education – I have never learned so much in such a short period of time as I have work-ing here...and I could think of no better mentor than Dr. Christophe Giraud-Carrier, who meets with us individually every week.

“The funds provided to the data mining lab to give me this opportunity are VERY appreci-ated. This job allows me to support my preg-nant wife and be a full-time student. It has also helped me learn skills that I know will help me for the rest of my life. I am humbled by, and thankful, for this wonderful program!”

-Steven Ivie, undergraduate mentored student, BYU Computer Science Department

It's almost a given these days that as a college student, you have to have a job. Any job. When comparing options between working at McDonald's or working with a professor in the department doing research, the latter offers many more benefits. Many traditional college jobs do nothing more than pay the bills. When the department offers grants, tuition benefits, and paid research assistantships, we can make ends meet while furthering our academic goals--the real reason we came to college. We gain valuable experience in our field that we simply wouldn't be able to fit into our sched-ules were we on the clock elsewhere. This al-lows for a much richer university experience. -Steve Hulet, undergraduate mentored student, BYU Computer Science Department

THE DIFFERENCE ONE SCHOLARSHIP MAKES

Scholarships are awarded to students on the basis of personal worthiness, academic achievement, and ability within the discipline. Recipients are selected from a pool of undergraduates who have already begun mentored research, ensuring that scholar-ships support students with demonstrated potential. To balance the immediate needs of students with the importance of creating a long-standing scholarship fund, BYU will put part of your money towards supporting cur-rent students and use the rest to create a permanent endowment that will provide a legacy for generations of students to come.

HOW THE SCHOLARSHIP WORKS

We invite you to make a permanent invest-ment in the gifted and dedicated students at BYU by helping to create an endowed schol-arship. You can donate to the fund by con-tacting Brent Hall with LDS Philanthropies at (801) 422-4501 or brenth@byu.edu. You can also sign up at http://.csaa.byu.edu/microsoftBYU. Your generosity will be cou-pled with that of Microsoft, which joins with its employees in matching donations, whether cash or gifts in kind. Again, thank you for your willingness to give back to the BYU community. We are ex-cited for you to experience the joy of bless-ing young people and the countless others they will touch throughout their lives. Your gift will leave a legacy for generations of computer science students to come.

THE PROPOSAL

BYU DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Scholarships

ENTER TO LEARN Go Forth toServe