Hi! My name is Ed!

Hello there!  I'm Erin 'Ed' Donahue and I'm one of the co-chairs of the Grace Hopper Communities Committee.  Just like Gail, I'd like to introduce myself.

That's me!

I went to my first GHC in 2008 with my good friend and forever roommate Ashley.  Just before leaving for the conference, we decided we want to be video bloggers and so we created Ed & Ashley's 5 Minute Show.  Since then, we've continued to do our 5 minute show, focusing on technical women.

In May 2009, I graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN and moved to Colorado for my first job as a software engineer with Lockheed Martin.  Working a full-time job is totally different from being in school, that's for sure!  I'm learning new stuff everyday (although that did happen in school too).  Out here in Colorado, I organize the Colorado Front Range Girl Geek Dinners.  If you're ever in Colorado, please stop by!

I also love to salsa dance, play rugby, swim, and nap outside on my balcony. :)

I'm online!  Connect with me!

• Twitter: @creepyed (I also tweet as @ghc, look for my signature ^ed)
• Ed & Ashley's 5 Minute Show
• YouTube
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

We want to hear from you!  Introduce yourself in the comments or on Facebook or LinkedIn!

All Atwitter About the Grace Hopper Celebration!

Each year more and more Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) attendees are using Twitter. This year we're using the hashtag #ghc10 to identify tweets (Twitter updates) related to the GHC 2010 conference. And we're taking advantage of a new Twitter feature: lists that help you connect with other participants before, during and after the conference.

When you register for the conference, you'll be given the option to add your Twitter name to our list of GHC10 attendees and, if you're presenting, to our list of GHC10 speakers. This will make it easier for presenters and attendees to connect through Twitter. It also makes it easier for the GHC Twitter account (@ghc) to follow you and assist with questions about the conference.

Here's how to make the most of Twitter for GHC 2010:

• Follow @ghc for Grace Hopper Celebration updates on Twitter.
  
• Start your tweet with "@ghc" to address a comment (suggestion: introduce yourself!) or question to the GHC twitterer.
  
• Find out what others are saying about the conference using our hashtag #ghc10
  
• Join in by including the #ghc10 hashtag in your conference-related tweets.
  
• When you register for the conference, add your Twitter name to our list of GHC10 attendees and, if you're presenting, to our list of GHC10 speakers.
  
• Complete your Twitter profile with a picture, bio, and link to your website or blog so other participants can tell who you are.

Remember that if your profile is protected, others will not be able to view your tweets by search or through the lists unless they go through the process of getting your permission.

If you've wondered who is behind all those @ghc tweets, our primary twitterer is BJ Wishinsky, Communities Program Manager at the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI). Assisting from time to time are other ABI staff and, as we get closer to the conference, volunteers from our GHC 2010 Communities Committee. Watch for more information on the committee in an upcoming newsletter.

For those not yet familiar with Twitter, here’s a short video by Common Craft to explain the concept: Twitter in Plain English.



This was cross-posted as an article on http://gracehopper.org/

Introducing a Passionate PhD Student

Hi everyone! My name is Gail, and I'm on this year's Grace Hopper Online Communities Committee. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and hope that you, too, will find a community you can introduce yourself in.

I went to my first Grace Hopper in 2008. We had just started our Women in Science and Engineering group (known as CU-WISE) on campus, and when I heard about the conference, I knew we had to go. My fellow executive members weren't so sure we would be able to get funding, but I pushed us to try, and lo and behold we succeeded! Attending the conference made an enormous difference to CU-WISE and our ability to put on a fantastic program at Carleton University.

In 2009, I wanted to get more involved with the conference. I love blogging, and started to volunteer more and more to help BJ Wishinsky, the Communities Program Manager over at the Anita Borg Institute, set things up. I ended up becoming the Lead Blogger and organized all our bloggers and note takers, ensuring we brought you info on as many session we could!

This year, as I said, I am on the new Online Communities Committee. Our main goal is to "evangelize and promote the Grace Hopper online communities... [by] participating in the online communities, recruiting diverse community volunteers, and evangelizing the communities to all Grace Hopper participants." I'm super excited to help everyone make the most out of the conference with these communities, whether they can attend in person or not!

To wrap up, a bit about me (and why I titled my post the way I did):I finished my Masters last summer and just finished my coursework for the PhD. I am very passionate about education and learning (could it be because my mom is teacher?), and I want my research to tap into that. I am planning on working on educational games, and in particular want to use augmented reality, as I believe there are some real cognitive advantages to the technology. I am also interested in the role of games and technology in the classroom, and want to help revolutionize how we teach computer science.

If anyone is interested in reading my personal blog or connecting with me, here are some useful links - I'd love to hear from you!

• My blog, The Female Perspective of Computer Science
• Twitter, @gailcarmichael
• Linked In
• Flickr