Technology Leaders of Tomorrow: Meet the 2022 Women in Technology Scholarship Recipients

We are delighted to spotlight the next group of Cadence’s Women in Technology Scholarship recipients by sharing their outstanding achievements and inspirational stories to celebrate the program’s fifth year with this fourth blog installment in our Diversity in Technology Scholarship series.

These highly accomplished women are pursuing technical degrees and were selected to receive a scholarship based on their impressive academic records, work in the community, leadership potential, and recommendations from professors. Get to know our spectacular awardees, the future faces of innovation, by reading more about their journeys below.

Hear directly from the students as they dive into their personal experiences, post-graduation goals, and what drives them to shape the future of technology.

Aisha B Rahman, University of New Mexico

“Aware of the rigors of conducting research, my ultimate goal is to stay involved in research via securing a position either in academia or industry after my PhD studies. My dream is to have my own research team, where I will be able to identify and define challenging research problems in the field of integrated communications and computing systems and drive young students or interns toward novel solutions. I consider the Cadence Women in Technology Scholarship as an honor, and with it, I will continue to stand as a role model for women to encourage them and show them endless opportunities in technical fields.”

Behnoosh Meskoob, Ecole de Technologie Superieur

“So far, I have been working to earn my life in Montreal, pay the tuition fee, and insurance. This scholarship will give me peace of mind and help me to save a little bit to have a more stable condition. It is a highly prestigious scholarship and will also strengthen my CV as well.”

Cassondra Brayfield, University of California, Davis

“I am in love with the scientific method, and it is a great way to work on solving the problems of the world. In my case: the global energy and climate crisis. I am so grateful to Cadence for awarding me with the Women in Technology Scholarship. I am a fourth-year PhD student, but I lost my funding four months ago and have been TA-ing 75% to make up for the lost funds. This scholarship will help me complete my degree with a little less stress and a little more confidence.”

Fatima Ahsan, Rice University

“After graduation, I want to pursue a career in academia. I aim to empower students from diverse backgrounds and be their cheerleader as they advance their careers in STEM. Research has shown that diverse teams generate more original and influential ideas than homogeneous teams. Hence, I will prioritize diversity and inclusivity so that we can together solve challenging problems and create impactful scientific discoveries.”

Katie Bishop, Georgia Tech

“I always wanted to be an engineer since I was little because I loved seeing my dreams come to life when I built stuff with my dad! When I was in high school, I thought the coolest job in the world would be to work on rockets, so I pursued engineering. As I have grown older and throughout college, I have continued and grown my passion and now am in the industry of building and launching rockets!”

Maitreyee Marathe, University of Wisconsin-Madison

“You may not find a lot of people working in your field who look like you or who share the experiences that you have had. But that should not deter you from pursuing this field, these experiences define the unique perspectives and contributions that you can make. This scholarship provides support in terms of funds and visibility for my lab's work on clean energy access in resource-constrained settings.”

Neha Vinjapuri, Stanford University

“I’ve always had an interest in science and math, but I've also always loved creative fields like art, music, and storytelling. When I found fields like virtual and augmented reality, animation, and 3D graphics, I realized that there was a huge intersection between art and technology, so I decided to pursue computer science further to combine all of my interests!”

Nibedita Karmokar, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

“The Cadence scholarship gave me the opportunity to speak up for the under-represented groups of our community, especially women who have to struggle at every phase of their life to gain the rights that they deserve. It also made me more confident about my decision to pursue my career in the STEM field and convinced me that I can be a role model to those women who want to come into the engineering field.”

Cadence is proud to support women in technology and thanks everyone who submitted applications this year. We hope to continue reaching STEM students from underrepresented groups with our upcoming scholarships. Congratulations to the talented individuals who were selected for everything they have accomplished thus far. We appreciate them sharing how these programs have impacted their studies and are excited to see where their passions take them next.

 

Learn more about the Diversity in Technology Scholarship and say hello to other recipients from 2022.