Tgaja Johnson Wins Scholarships to Two Computing Conferences

Women around the world are gaining ground in STEM fields, and this includes USCB Sand Sharks.  Information Science and Technology junior Tgaja Johnson recently won scholarships to attend two prestigious computer science conferences this fall.

Johnson will participate in person at the 2022 CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference in Washington, D.C. She will attend virtually the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. Both conferences are in September.

The Tapia conference is one of the computer science industry’s premier events to promote diversity among undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, researchers, and professionals in computing. Student attendees upload their resumes to a database and conference sponsors access this to recruit them for jobs and graduate school.

The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing is the world’s largest gathering of women in computing. Both conferences strive to create communities of leaders in academia and industry and to provide professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities.

The scholarships cover registration fees at each conference and lodging and travel costs at the Tapia conference.

Johnson is a leader at USCB who is well-known in her roles as president of the Sand Shark Veterans student organization and as a student worker at the IT Help Desk on the Bluffton campus. She is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, a wife and a parent.

“Tgaja helps coordinate her peers, has helped many to develop planning and time management skills, and is a focal point for communication and information dissemination,” said Assistant Professor of Computational Science Dr. Ron Erdei, who recommended her for both scholarships.

In her application for the Grace Hopper scholarship, Johnson wrote about joining the Marine Corps at age 18, where she was often the only woman in her units.

“It was a unique challenge and I learned a lot about myself and leadership by serving for those seven years,” she wrote.

After being honorably discharged, she worked at a trucking company and a manufacturing plant – both settings with low female participation — before starting her computer science degree at USCB. The U.S.  Bureau of Labor Statistics projects computer science research jobs will grow 19% by 2026. However, women earned only 18 percent of computer science bachelor's degrees in the United States in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

 “Going into another male-dominated industry, I would love to have a stronger support system —as well as give support to women who are not accustomed to the lack of female companionship,” Johnson wrote in her application. “I believe that in helping each other, we can overcome the many challenges present in the computing culture.”

Learn more about the Tapia conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration

USCB junior Tgaja Johnson, who is majoring in  Information Science and Technology, won scholarships to attend the CMD-IT/ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.