Women in HPC sponsors student attendance at Game Developers Conference
Purdue’s Women in High-Performance Computing (WHPC) group recently sponsored an undergraduate student’s attendance at the 2024 Game Developers Conference (GDC), part of a new scholarship program that has also seen students attend the Grace Hopper Celebration, Society of Women Engineers and Supercomputing conferences this academic year.
“Attending GDC was amazing and inspiring” says Uma Claire Teelock, a junior in game development and design and animation and visual effects who also works as a student artist at the Envision Center, of her conference experience at GDC, the game industry’s premier event that included nearly 30,000 attendees.
“I had the opportunity to meet like-minded people and hear the lessons others have learned.”
At GDC, Teelock was able to listen to talks, contribute to roundtable discussions, meet new people and watch award shows that demonstrated what students like her are capable of.
She says that her biggest takeaway from the conference is all the new connections made.
“Not only have I met with recruiters and other people in my field, I’ve also been invited to apply to other programs that would match me with mentors. It was very fulfilling to meet other people who do the same job I do, and learn about the studios they work for,” says Teelock.
Teelock wholeheartedly recommends the WHPC scholarship program to other students.
“The WHPC scholarship opens doors to go to conferences that are key for professional development,” says Teelock. “I’ve learned so many things about my industry that could not be taught in class. Being able to go to GDC has made me a better candidate for the jobs I’ll apply to. I couldn’t have attended GDC without the help of WHPC and I’m very grateful for the scholarship.”
Purdue WHPC is part of a broader engagement initiative by the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC), and is led by women staffers affiliated with RCAC. WHPC is a diverse community encompassing undergraduate, graduate, staff and faculty men and women who are interested in exposing women to high-performance computing and encouraging their pursuit of research and careers in HPC and other technology fields.
Within the WHPC initiative, RCAC extends partial travel assistance to undergraduate and graduate students, empowering their participating in various national conferences aligning with WHPC’s objectives. Applicants are assessed on their demonstrated experience with advanced computation and must explain what they hope to gain from participating in the conference. To be eligible, an applicant must identify as a woman and be an undergrad or grad student maintaining good academic standing.
For full eligibility requirements, and to apply for this scholarship, please visit the WHPC Scholarship page.
In addition to the scholarship program, Purdue WHPC organizes a range of activities including regular meetings to discuss technical HPC-related issues of interest, opportunities to network with the WHPC community, a mentorship program, workshops, and exposure to external resources and opportunities.
To learn more about Purdue Women in HPC or be added to the mailing list, contact whpcinfo@lists.purdue.edu.