STEM-Trek Nonprofit announced today that Google, Inc. is a STEM-Trek Platinum supporter of the PEARC17 Student Program. The donation will increase the number of students who can participate in the Practice & Experience in Advanced Research Computing conference in New Orleans, July 9-13. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had a vision for their new search engine in 1995: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Their early objective explains Google’s current affinity with STEM-Trek, a global, grassroots public charity that supports travel and workforce development for “HPC-curious” scholars from underrepresented groups and underserved regions.
“Google doesn’t just accept difference; we celebrate it, support it and thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, products and community,” said Vint Cerf, Google Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist. “PEARC17 presents a rare opportunity to expose undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral scholars to the latest resources, road maps and experts who will guide them toward academic and career success. As a leading employer of the world’s software developers, engineers and data scientists, we’re beneficiaries of a well-prepared workforce—supporting STEM-Trek and PEARC17 is a win-win for Google,” he added.
“Our planning committee includes expert education and outreach specialists from national laboratories and research institutions who have been involved in XSEDE and SC committees for years,” said STEM-Trek Adviser and PEARC Student Program Chair Alana Romanella (Virginia Tech). “We’re grateful to Dr. Cerf and Google for their contribution, and hope their generosity will attract additional supporters so that more students can participate,” she added.