"The AWC addresses the critical need for more students to enter what is known as STEM science, technology, engineering and mathematics career fields," said William Fitzgibbon, dean of the College of Technology. "It is gratifying to see our students receive awards of this caliber that nurture and encourage the development of critical STEM skills that play a vital role in technology today."

Brooks' most recent project consisted of determining a way to create an image of a hard drive and distribute it across a variety of hardware, known as a hardware independent image. This can become a tedious task because a separate image must be created for each type of platform, even if the same operating system and applications will be used on all systems. By discovering a way to make one image usable on all types of computers, she was able to save the IT department hours of tedious image building.

"Every day a new technology is unveiled, bringing about new opportunities for wisdom," Brooks said. "With the ever-changing world of IT, and my appetite to learn, I know that I will fit in nicely. This scholarship is truly a blessing."

Last summer, Cole participated in a research internship with the computer science department of Oregon State University. There, she worked with a team of graduate students and professors, all cooperating on various portions of a larger project spanning several universities. The project allowed her to apply abstract mathematics skill to the task of analyzing patterns in spreadsheet layouts. She also was able to gain experience with research and testing methods, as well as contribute to a research paper that was presented at the International Conference on Software Engineering this May.

"The excitement of new technology, a love of programming and the ability to creatively express myself
'"/>

Contact: Lisa Merkl
lkmerkl@uh.edu
713-743-8192
University of Houston
22-Jun-2005