Amna Al Zeyara (second right), winner of the undergraduate research competition, at the 2013 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference in Minneapolis, in the US.
DOHA: Amna Al Zeyara, a Computer Science student at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), has won first place in the undergraduate research competition at the 2013 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference in Minneapolis, USA.
Organised by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery, the Grace Hopper Conference is one of the most prestigious technical conventions for women in computing, bringing both their research achievements and career interests to the forefront.
“This is the second time I’ve attended this conference, and each time it has been an amazing opportunity to meet other women and learn from leaders in the field.
I am very excited to be selected as one of the student winners, and it has inspired me to continue my hard work toward becoming a computer scientist,” said Al Zeyara
Al Zeyara, a senior, was recognised for her work on Hala, a 3-D animated robot with Arabic facial features that interacts with visitor to Carnegie Mellon Qatar. Her project involved identifying and developing a series of facial expressions, which help engage users by enhancing the non-verbal aspects of human-robot communication.
“Amna has taken on increasingly challenging research projects during her time at CMU-Q. We have all witnessed her remarkable development into a serious researcher and she is the first CMU-Q student who has been honored twice for her research accomplishments,” said Kemal Oflazer, director of the Computer Science Programme at CMU-Q.
“We are very proud of Amna, who has shown us with this award that she is among the best and brightest computer science students—not only in Qatar and the region, but across globe. I also congratulate our faculty, who are preparing the next generation of technology innovators that will be at the forefront of Qatar’s future development,” said CMU-Q Dean, Ilker Baybars.
The Peninsula
