As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to encouraging students of underrepresented backgrounds in technology to pursue graduate study, we are pleased to host the first annual 2010 Google Graduate Researchers in Academia of Diverse backgrounds (GRAD) CS Forum. This forum will bring together students who are historically underrepresented in the field to connect with one another and with Google.

Up to 75 computer scientists will be invited to an all-expenses paid forum that will run Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon on January 21–23 at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

The Google GRAD CS Forum will include technical talks from established researchers – both from Google and universities – and a unique occasion to build and strengthen networks with other emerging researchers. Students will also enjoy tours of the Googleplex, have the opportunity to meet with Google engineers in their focus areas, and have fun exploring the San Francisco Bay Area.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• be a computer science (or related technical discipline) graduate student currently enrolled in a Masters or PhD program at a university in North America
• demonstrate academic excellence and leadership in the computing field
• maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.3 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in their current program

The forum is open to all qualified graduate students, and is committed to addressing diversity in our company and in the technology industry. Students who are a member of a group that is historically under-represented in the technology industry are encouraged to apply, including female, Native American, African American and Hispanic students as well as students with disabilities.

Selection Process

Google engineers will select up to 75 attendees based on each applicant’s academic and technical achievements. Evidence of academic achievement and leadership experience should be evident from the resume.

How to Apply

Complete the online application and submit all required documents online. First-time users will be required to register and create an account. Please note that recommendation letters are not required.

Application Deadline: December 12, 2009

Apply now at www.google.com/jobs/students/gradforum.

Posted by Hanah Kim, University Programs

We are pleased to announce the 2nd year of the Google RISE Awards!

Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Awards are designed to promote and support science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer science (CS) education initiatives. We provide awards to organizations working with university and pre-university students to provide enrichment programs in these fields. Support may include a combination of monetary awards ranging from $500 - $10,000, volunteer resources and in-kind donations.

Google believes that technology will continue to play an important role in shaping our future and knows that the youth of today will help innovate and drive these technologies for years to come. Through the Google RISE Awards Program, we aspire to help students take one step closer to achieving their potential by offering growth and development opportunities.

Please visit the RISE Awards website for additional details regarding eligibility, the application process and past award recipients. The deadline to submit your application is Sunday, November 22, 2009.

Posted by Holly Benson & Sun-Hee Yeo, Talent and Outreach Programs

We're excited to announce the launch of Google Sites site templates. Site templates are pre-packaged sites that anyone can use to make creating your own website even easier. This is especially valuable for students so that when you're making your site you can now skip a few steps, and instead of making a site from scratch, start with a template.

You can use site templates to organize, publish and share information about your school, class, projects, fraternity or sorority, school club, intramural teams, or any other organization or event.

Additionally if you create a site that you think others might like or use, you can create a template and add it to the gallery!

To browse site templates click the Create new site button. You can choose one of the popular templates highlighted on the site creation page, or you can click Browse the gallery for more to see more options.

Visit www.sites.google.com to start using site templates today!

Posted by Ashley Chandler, Google Sites Team

Google is pleased to partner with the Hispanic College Fund to offer scholarships for computer science students!

Google HCF scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic background, leadership and passion for computer science. Recipients will each receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year. Selected students will also be invited to attend the all-expenses-paid Annual Google Scholars’ Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California in the Spring of 2010.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Must be of Hispanic background
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident residing in the United States or Puerto Rico
• Studying at an accredited university in the U.S. or Puerto Rico for the upcoming academic year
• Enrolled (or plan to be) full-time for the upcoming academic year
• Have a minimum GPA of a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Demonstrate financial need
• junior or senior undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in computer science or computer engineering for the 2010-2011 academic year

Application Deadline: February 16, 2010

For complete details, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Our next entry for the Google Beta Series features an interview with intern Alex Sydell. Alex interned last summer at our Mountain View campus as a Software Engineer in Search Quality. Follow below as Alex details his unique experience at our global headquarters.

Interested in being a summer intern at Google? Visit www.google.com/students to apply today.

Name: Alex Sydell

School: UC Berkeley

Internship Focus: Search Quality Evaluation Tools

Hobbies: Creating websites and iPhone applications; Rock Climbing; Movies and Volleyball

Q: Hi Alex, thank you for joining us today. Could you briefly explain your summer internship project with Google this summer?

A: Sure. My team creates and maintains tools that are used to evaluate the quality of Google's search results. I worked on a new web-based user interface (UI) that automates part of the evaluation process. My project allows engineers to more intuitively configure some of our tools and quickly get the new configurations into our codebase.

Q: What would you say is for your favorite part of working here at Google?

A: Being surrounded by Googlers! I have never been in a place with so many smart, talented, friendly, and open people. Everyone is easy to approach with a question, whether just asking for directions or having a detailed discussion about a project. And someone always offers a helping hand. It is incredibly easy to make friends at Google because there is a very little sense of superiority and no reservations between Googlers. The atmosphere at Google is second to none.

Q: Could you describe a moment during your summer that will be difficult for you to forget?

A: BBQ week before the 4th of July holiday. Three days of BBQ: Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas-style! We ate what seemed like pounds of delicious BBQ meat and seafood each day, completely full but wanting more. I must admit, it was a bit hard to work after eating so much good food, but we all survived. There was even a mechanical bull and a mini petting zoo, giving us plenty of opportunity to make complete fools of ourselves falling off of the bull or chasing rabbits and goats around a little cage. Without distractions like these, work would be mundane and unmotivating. There so many exciting events constantly taking place around us, and Googlers have proven that it is possible to be incredibly productive while still having a lot of fun.

[Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog]

Today we're excited to announce the most recent addition to our scholarship programs in Europe, the Google Europe Scholarship for Students with Disabilities. This scholarship is designed for students with disabilities who are pursuing degrees in the field of computer science anywhere in the European Union, plus Switzerland and Israel. Multiple scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates' academic performance and demonstrated passion for computer science.

Scholarships will be granted for the 2010/2011 academic year, and recipients will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid retreat at Google's Engineering Center in Zurich in 2010.

Here's what Nelson Mattos, our VP for Product and Engineering in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has to say about this scholarship: "We're committed to diversifying the long-term engineering talent pool for the industry as a whole. We hope that this scholarship will increase opportunities for students with disabilities and encourage them to pursue careers in computer science. The retreat fosters relationships so that scholars can form a supportive network lasting the full length of their academic studies and beyond."

We know that a diverse group of people use our tools and services and only an equally diverse workforce can anticipate our users' needs. We've found that the diversity of perspectives, ideas and cultures leads to the creation of better products to the benefit of all users of the Internet. We hope that this scholarship works towards that end.

The deadline to apply is March 15th 2010. For more details, visit www.google.com/studentswithdisabilities-europe.

Posted by Beate List, EMEA University Programmes and Eleanor Mulligan, EMEA Diversity and Inclusion

Yesterday we announced an expansion of our Virgin America WiFi sponsorship to also include 47 airports. Both programs will offer free WiFi through January 15, 2010 and will cover more than 10 million passengers traveling this holiday season. There's no Google account or credit card required to log on, but we'll be offering the option to try out a Google product and also offer the chance to donate to one of three charities; we'll be matching donations up to $250,000.

We hope that this makes travel to be with friends and family that much better this holiday season.

You can learn more about the program at http://www.freeholidaywifi.com

Posted by Jeff Aguero, Product Marketing Manager