Helen Fellows

About Helen Fellows

Helen Fellows are women and gender non-binary undergraduates within Georgia Tech’s College of Computing who participate in a one-year paid fellowship in computing research and educational outreach. Fellows are particularly interested in exploring careers in computing research in academia or industry.

Helen Fellows work with Georgia Tech BridgeUP STEM faculty and their graduate student teams on real world research projects; serve as mentors to BridgeUP STEM Scholars; participate in professional development workshops; and assist in the coordination of and engage in BridgeUP STEM community activities. Fellows also have the opportunity to serve as teaching assistants for the June BridgeUP STEM Scholars coding course if the Fellows are not participating in an off-campus summer internship.

Fellows’ Opportunities that Enhance Computing Research Careers

Work with BridgeUP STEM computing Faculty Mentors and their graduate student teams on real world research projects.
Enhance their knowledge about qualitative and quantitative research methods via Research 101 orientation.
Participate in professional development workshops focused on preparing Fellows for research careers in academia or industry.
Serve as teaching assistants for the June BridgeUP STEM Scholars coding course if not participating in an off-campus summer internship.
Gain mentoring experience through interactions with small groups of high school students who are BridgeUP STEM Scholars.
Engage in fun community activities with others interested in STEM.
Interact with computing researchers in academia and industry to gain an awareness of the career opportunities and the pathways to achieve their career goals.
Join NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing Community, a network of nearly 20,000 technical women in computing and engineering.
Be recognized for their research accomplishments by applying for the NCWIT Collegiate Award.

Application Process

Complete the online application by 11:59 pm ET on Sunday, April 21, 2024.
Participate in an interview with BridgeUP STEM team members if selected for an interview.
Submit additional paperwork, as well as participate in a background check and minors on campus training if selected.

Helen Fellow Ellie Salisbury chatting with BridgeUP STEM Scholars participating in Georgia Tech Society of Women Engineers Hackathon

Time Commitments

Summer 2024 (varies depending on Fellows’ summer internship plans):

TA BridgeUP STEM Scholars coding class from June 3-28, 9am-3pm, M-F with coding instructors (if a Fellow does not have a conflicting off-campus summer internship).
Attend summer Research 101 orientation workshops (dates TBD taking into consideration Fellows’ off-campus internship schedules; virtual option possible for those interning outside of Atlanta).
Mentor BridgeUP STEM Scholars (virtual mentoring possible for Fellows with internships outside of Atlanta).

Fall 2024 – Spring 2025:

Work with BridgeUP STEM computing faculty mentors and their graduate student teams in their research labs.
Assist with the facilitation of the BridgeUP STEM Scholars research class led by BridgeUP STEM faculty mentors and their graduate student teams on Tuesdays from 5-7:30 pm and virtually on Sundays from 2-4:30 pm during the academic year.
Mentor BridgeUP STEM Scholars via both in-person and virtual activities.
Participate in and assist the program coordinator in the coordination of two community events per semester.
Attend periodic professional development workshops during the academic year.

Helen Fellows Ellie Salisbury, Cara Bennett, Shirley Shabnam, Elizabeth Mojica, Muni Bondu, Dristi Shah at BridgeUP STEM Community Brunch

Eligibility Requirements

Identify as a woman or non-binary individual.
Be a rising second or third year student pursuing a major within Georgia Tech’s College of Computing when submitting the application. (For example, if an application is submitted in the spring semester, the applicant will need to be either a second or third year student at the beginning of the next academic year.)
Have an interest in computing research and mentoring high school students who are interested in STEM.
Be available to assist with the facilitation of the BridgeUP STEM Scholars research class led by BridgeUP STEM faculty mentors and their graduate student teams on Tuesdays from 5:30-7:30 pm and virtually on Sundays from 2-4:30 pm during the academic year.
Participate in other program components including Scholar mentoring, community events, research 101 orientation, and professional development workshop series.
Considered to be a student in good standing at Georgia Tech.

Interested in Being a Helen Fellow?

Submit Interest Form

Helen Fellows with Eve Burton, Helen Gurley Brown Foundation President; Trish Jones, NCWIT Board Member and Friend of the Helen Gurley Brown Foundation; Helen Gurley Brown Foundation Staff; and NCWIT BridgeUP STEM Team

BridgeUP STEM

BridgeUP STEM provides opportunities for girls, women, and gender non-conforming individuals of all backgrounds to learn the skills of computer science and research methodology within a research university setting.

BridgeUP STEM Interest Form

In the year-long program, high school participants, called BridgeUP STEM Scholars, first enhance their coding skills through a non-credit four-week summer coding class. Then during the academic year, they gain knowledge and experience with real…

BridgeUP STEM Scholars

The BridgeUP STEM Scholars program provides girls, women, and gender non-binary students who have had minimal or limited access to coding education with an introduction to programming and research methodology.

BridgeUP STEM Scholar Nomination Form

Encourage a student to become a BridgeUP STEM Scholar. Know a high school student who should apply for the NCWIT BridgeUP STEM Scholars program at Georgia Tech? Check their eligibility and then encourage them to…

BridgeUP STEM at Georgia Tech Faculty Mentors

Faculty Mentors and their graduate student teams work closely with both the Helen Fellows and BridgeUP STEM Scholars to broaden the students’ exposure to computing research. During the BridgeUP STEM program, the faculty and their…