Richard E. Merwin Scholarship Recipients Selected for the Spring Cycle

POSTED BY on 07.19.2018

The number of highly qualified applicants for the Richard E. Merwin scholarship’s spring cycle reached 75. From that group, the selection committee chose those with the highest scores based on IEEE branch/chapter activities, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, letter of recommendation, and student ambassador vision statement.

Hamna Akram

Bahria University

Computer Engineering

Hamna Akram’s goal of achieving her bachelor of science in computer engineering has brought her to Bahria University in Islamabad, Pakistan, where she also serves as IEEE Computer Society chapter chair. In her role, she has created seminars and organized an e-gaming tournament. Outside of her work with IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society, Akram volunteers to teach math, language and science at a school for underprivileged children.

In her role as student ambassador, she will work to create a larger community, and support networking and increased technical understanding.

 

Qhansa Bayu

Telkom University

Informatics Engineering

Qhansa Bayu is in pursuit of a bachelor of science in informatics engineering. She was the chair of the  IEEE Computer Society student branch chapter at Telkom University. She was an Indonesian delegate at the IEEE Region 10 Student/YP/WIE Congress 2015. And she won the Beasiswa Kopertis Scholarship in 2016 from Telkom University. As a student ambassador, Bayu will connect volunteers and members more closely to increase activities.

 

 

 

Meghana Reddy Chinthala

Vaagdevi College of Engineering

Meghana Reddy Chinthala is studying for a bachelor of technology at the Vaagdevi College of Engineering. She is the secretary at her college’s student branch and outreach ambassador for the CS Compute newsletter. In her free time, Chinthala dances, and plays badminton and carom, a tabletop game in which players attempt to shoot disks into one of four corner pockets.

Chinthala’s vision for 2018 and 2019 is to make the Computer Society chapter on her campus active and sustainable. She wants to continue to conduct events on the campus, so student benefits increase over time.

 

 

Nagaraju Durshanapu

Vaagdevi College of Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Nagaraju Durshanapu, a bachelor of science student in mechanical engineering at Vaagdevi College of Engineering in India, has served as lead on the Scholarship Outreach Initiative conducted by the IEEE India Council Student Affairs Committee and the organizing team member of the IEEE All Hyderabad Computer Society Student Congress 2018.

Durshanapu took first place for his paper presentation at the national level technical fest. He was nominated as the best GO KART prototype designer in 2018. As a student ambassador, Durshanapu would like to broadcast technical sessions at conferences and create a “Computer Society Mentorship Programme” with the help of young professional members.

 

Soheila Ghane Ezabadi

University of Melbourne

Computer Science

Soheila Ghane Ezabadi is a PhD student in the computer science department at the University of Melbourne. She is the president of IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) and Secretary of the IEEE student branch at her university. Among her many awards, she received a research grant from Ludwig Maximilian University in 2017 and the Grace Hopper scholarship awarded for active women in technical fields, which provides recipients the opportunity to meet successful women at an event organized by the AnitaBorg institute in United States.

Ghane is a volunteer in the “Choose Math” mentoring program organized by AMSI, where she conducts workshops to engage girls and women in math. As a student ambassador, she will focus on improving local and global collaborations and enhancing the technical activities of the IEEE student branch in the University of Melbourne.

 

Daphne Jenson

Panimalar Institute of Technology

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Daphne Jenson studies at the Panimalar Institute of Technology in pursuit of a bachelor of science in electronics and communication engineering. She is the student branch chair of the IEEE Panimalar Institute of Technology, Chennai and a content writer for IEEE CS Compute, produced by the India Council. Jenson won first and second prizes in inter-departmental paper presentations for papers titled “Artificial Hand Using Embedded System” and “Smart Agriculture Using IoT.”

Jenson looks forward to her time as student ambassador, when she plans to host a section level congress to motivate student branches and to increase awareness about the golden opportunities and benefits provided by the IEEE Computer Society.

 

 

Rajit Karmakar

Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Computer Science and VLSI

Rajit Karmakar is a PhD student in computer science and VLSI at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. Among his many roles in the school’s student branch, Karmakar serves as chair and university partnership program liaison.

Karmakar has won several research and travel grants over the years. Among those are the international travel grant and research grant from Synopsys Inc. USA, and a research grant from the government of India. As a student ambassador, Karmakar plans to focus on increasing the visibility of the IEEE Computer Society through strategic alliances and effective communication with the large student community inside and outside the campus of IIT Kharagpur. He would also focus on engagement with the student communities in technological development toward the realization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) by organizing workshops on those subjects.

Emerson Keenan

University of Melbourne

PhD in Electrical Engineering

Emerson Keenan is pursuing his PhD in electrical engineering at the University of Melbourne.

Last year he served as chair in the IEEE University of Melbourne student branch, and is currently the event assistant for the IEEE Victorian Section Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

He was awarded the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship for 2017–2020, and received the Peter McPhee Student Award from the University of Melbourne in 2017. Keenan plans to act as a leading ambassador for the IEEE Computer Society and continue teaching students practical engineering skills and encouraging them to follow the IEEE motto “Advancing Technology for Humanity.”

 

 

Md Saidur Rahman Kohinoor

Daffodil International University

Computer Science and Engineering

Md Saidur Rahman Kohinoor is working toward his bachelor of science in engineering at Daffodil International University. He is the chair of the student branch and the editor of the IEEE Bangladesh Section’s newsletter. Kohinoor founded the IEEE Computer Society student branch chapter at his university.

He has won scholarships and awards from his university, the Ministry of Finance of the government of Bangladesh, the Samsung Research and Development Institute of Bangladesh and the Bangladesh Computer Council. In 2015 and 2016, he placed in the top 50 in the National Undergraduate Olympiad, a competition in which participants progress from regional to national competitions, and which, at the finals, brought together the top 200 undergraduate mathematical thinkers in the country. As a student ambassador, Kohinoor plans to arrange a Techno-Management Platform where students are benefited by technological innovation, professional development, social networking and developing the society.

Akshita Mahajan

Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women

Electronics and Communication

Akshita Mahajan is working toward her bachelor of technology in electronics and communication at the Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women. Among her roles in the IEEE, Mahajan has served as social media coordinator in the IEEE Delhi Section Student Network and the vice chair of the IEEE student branch at her school. Mahajan plans not only to use her extensive network to promote the IEEE Computer Society when she becomes student ambassador, but also to work for the empowerment of women.

 

 

Niharika Mittal

Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Niharika Mittal is a student of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, where she is pursuing a bachelor of technology in electronics and communication engineering with a minor in computer science engineering. She is the Chandigarh subsection coordinator of the IEEE Delhi Section and the vice chair of the women in engineering, IEEE Punjab Engineering College student branch. She took third in the “Maze Runner” competition organized by Chandigarh College Of Engineering and Technology during their Techfest 2016. As an outlet for her artistic side, Mittal has been a member of the art and photography club at Punjab Engineering College.

In her role as student ambassador, Mittal plans to initiate special interest groups in and across the Computer Society chapters in the region on topics, such as web development, cloud computing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, robotics, nanotechnology, data structures, advanced algorithms, and cyber security & forensics.

Hassam Mughal

Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea

Information and Communication Engineering

Hassam Mughal is a student in the information and communication engineering department of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea who is pursuing a master of science. Some of the roles in IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society Mughal has played over the years are Treasurer of IEEE Computer Society Karachi Chapter and chair of the IEEE Computer Society student branch chapter Mehran UET, Jamshoro, Pakistan. He has received a number of awards including the MS Research Project-Based Scholarship at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, South Korea, Most Valuable Young Professional Award at IEEE PSYWC’16 and the Best Project Award at the Open Day Project Exhibition at Mehran UET, Jamshoro.

Mughal is looking forward to his role as student ambassador, hoping to collaborate in achieving sustainable development by providing technical information, community services, and personalized services to the region’s computing students, professionals, and researchers.

Jenifer Mercy Carolina P

Panimalar Institute of Technology

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Jenifer Mercy Carolina P is a bachelor of engineering student in the electronics and communication engineering department at the Panimalar Institute of Technology. She is the secretary of the IEEE student branch and the vice chair of the Computer Society student branch chapter at the school. She is also the content lead for the India Council Student Activities Committee.

She has successfully completed an internship on telecommunications at Rttc-bsnl, meenampakkam, Chennai.  As student ambassador, Jenifer plans to keep the members updated with the activities happening in and around the region, and promoting digital magazines like CS Compute and Computing Edge.

Muhammad Saeed Ul Hassan Raza

COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad

Electrical Computer Engineering

Muhammad Saeed Ul Hassan Raza is working toward his bachelor of science in electrical computer engineering. He is the chair of the IEEE student branch at COMSATS Institute of Technology in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

In 2018, Muhammad Saeed received the Best Young Engineer Award at the 16th Young Leaders Summit, hosted by Positive Pakistan. He also received the Upsilon Pi Epsilon award in 2016. In 2017, he participated  in the AIESEC foreign exchange as a part of the Quality Education Project SDG, where he visited AIESEC in University of Nottingham Malaysia. As a student ambassador, Raza will encourage students to create chapters by visiting non-IEEE or new universities to spread information about IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society.

Swapnil Sayan Saha

University of Dhaka

Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Swapnil Sayan Saha is in his fourth year of a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering. He is the social media coordinator for the IEEE Bangladesh Section Humanitarian Activities Committee, vice chair of the IEEE student branch at the University of Dhaka, and the chief technology officer, digital marketing manager and co-founder at Orion Avionics and Electronics. Saha also has a musical side—playing guitar, bass, and drums, writing lyrics, and composing.

As a student ambassador, he plans to conduct awareness sessions, arrange technical competitions, host “meet the expert” sessions, create hands-on workshops, publish a bi-monthly e-magazine, and conduct a “get together” that will include non-technical, cultural and ice-breaking sessions.

 

Atif Abdus Samad

Jamia Hamdard University

Computer Science and Engineering

Atif Abdus Samad is a bachelor of science student in computer science engineering. He is the chair of the student branch at his university and is the IEEE WIE Affinity Group organizer. He was a core team member of the TEDX Jamia Hamdard in 2017 where he developed an android application for the event as a medium to share information about the event with the general community.

As a student ambassador, Abdus Samad plans to take the concept of special interest groups to remote areas to educate interested young minds about computer applications and provide them with mentors from among computer science and engineering students.

 

 

 

Ankur Sarode

Vellore Institute of Technology

Computer Science

Ankur Sarode is studying for his bachelor of science at Vellore Institute of Technology in India. He is the chair of the VIT Vellore student branch chapter. He organized the ARCS ’18, a technical conference with the aim of improving the technical knowledge of young enthusiastic minds. Ankur won the JIVOX Hackathon and the Mozilla Web Development Hackathon, and was a member of the website team for RoverX 2017 and 2018.

As an IEEE Computer Society student ambassador, Sarode plans to convince students to take advantage of IEEE’s benefits and networks.

 

 

Srishti

Ghandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology

Computer Science and Engineering

Srishti is pursuing her bachelor of technology in computer science and engineering at the Ghandi Institute of Engineering and Technology. Among her many roles, she has been coordinator for the Technology Awareness Programme (TAP) in Kolkata, the coordinator for Technergize: Innovate, Collaborate, Build (an IEEE CS India SAC initiative) and one of the three event coordinators of IEEE Computer Society India Symposium 2018. Srishti also loves debating, writing and dancing.

As student ambassador, Srishti will work to ensure continued knowledge transfer through conferences and workshops, as well as through a connection between industry and academia, and young professionals and students.

 

These students are now part of the select group of Richard E. Merwin Scholarship recipients. You too can join them. There will be another opportunity in 2018 for you to be one of 36 recipients in 2018. If you are eligible, plan to apply by the 30 September deadline at www.computer.org/web/students/merwin.

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One response to “Richard E. Merwin Scholarship Recipients Selected for the Spring Cycle”

  1. Congratulations!!! You are the young leaders to build the future. All the best. Never give up your committed efforts.

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