New Mexico Women Honored at Technology Event

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Nov. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The New Mexico Technology Council is pleased to announce the 2009 Women in Technology leadership and scholarship winners. Eight (8) women were recognized as leaders in technology at an event held on Thursday, November 5, 2009 at the Marriott Pyramid Hotel in Albuquerque.

• Janeen Anderson, CEO - Game Production Services
• Cheryl DeVaul, Director of Human Resources - Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute
• Dr. Stephanie Forrest, Chairman, Department of Computer Science - UNM School of Engineering
• Lt. Col Christine Gramlich, Director of Communications and Information - AFOTEC
• Marianne Granoff, Vice President - Supercomputing Challenge
• Tracy Hogg, Founder - SantaFeDontations.com/AlbuquerqueDonations.com
• Barbara Lopez, IT Director - PNM Resources
• Nerissa Whittington, Principal - bigbyte.cc Corp
  

Thirty-two (32) nominations for recognition based on the following criteria were reviewed by a panel of illustrious judges: Jamai Blivin - Innovate-Educate and NM Learning Network, Dr. Jill Brown - Albuquerque Academy, Caroline Dennis - Wired Nation, Irene Lee - Project GUTS and Santa Fe Institute, and Randy Toups - Dell, Inc. Find a list of nominees and judges at the NMTC website.

• Women in a technology field who exemplify volunteer service in the community as measured by service to community organizations, leadership in community efforts and/or financial support of community programs.
• Women in a technology field who have had a sustained career commitment to mentoring, a significant positive impact on their mentees' careers, and through their mentees have advanced research and development, entrepreneurship and/or growth of young women in a field of technology.
• Women in a technology field who exemplify an entrepreneurial spirit as measured by innovative business practices, superior use of technology and sustainability in a field of technology.
• Women in a technology field whose efforts have blazed a trail in a technology profession, and whose pioneering contributions have been outstanding and unique.
  

In addition to leadership awards, the Council awarded fourteen (14) educational scholarships and mentorships to deserving women who are pursuing a career in a technology field. The winners were selected from over 90 nominations by a panel of distinguished judges: Peter C. Anselmo Ph.D. - NM Institute of Mining and Technology; Len Malry - NM Higher Education Department; Brian Ormand Ed.D. - NMSU, and Laurie Schatzberg Ph.D. UNM Anderson School of Management.

The 2009 Women in Technology Scholarship Winners are:

• Jennifer Alexander, NM Highlands University - Masters Degree in Media Arts and Computer Science
• Rebecca Astorga, Dona Ana Community College - Associates Degree of Applied Science in Computer Technology
• Raelene Danny, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Associates Degree in Computer Information Technology
• Patricia Gomez, El Dorado High School, Interest in Chemical Engineering
• Therese Johnson, University of New Mexico - Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Kori Keyes, New Mexico State University - Bachelor in Creative Media
• Whitney Land, University of New Mexico - Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
• Monica Lovato, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute - Interest in Robotics
• Felicia Lujan, University of Phoenix - MBA Program
• Virginia Marrujo, New Mexico Highlands university - Master's Degree in Media Arts/Computer Science
• Christina Montoya, ITT Technical Institute - Bachelor of Science in Information Technology
• Rebecca Neusser, Portales High School - Interest in Graphic Design
• Stephany Southward, Texico High School - Information Systems and Network Security
• Deborah Vigil, Santa Fe Community College - Associate of Applied Science in Computer Information Technology
  

Scholarships were funded through sponsorship by ABBA Technologies, Innovate Educate-New Mexico, ITT Technical Institute, Qwest, Technical Integration Group, TekSystems, and University of New Mexico - Anderson School of Management.

The awards ceremony featured NM Secretary of Public Education Veronica Garcia and a special panel of women technology leaders: Jennifer E. Smith, Sr. VP SAIC; Diane Bauer, Director, Field Operations at Cisco; and Caroline Dennis, President of Wired Nation. These panel members, led by emcee Augusta Meyers, engaged in a lively discussion and Q&A of the future opportunities and challenges in IT.

About the New Mexico Technology Council - NMTC is a member driven association of business and organization executive leaders, working together to promote the growth and success of New Mexico's technology sector. We believe that inspiring more women to choose technology careers is critical to ensuring that our country can compete in the global economy, that we maximize opportunities for innovation, and that the technology industries are as diverse and creative as the people it serves. Statistics reveal the need for women in technology:

• Women hold more than 50% of all professional occupations but makeup less than 25% of all information technology positions and only 22% of all science jobs.
• Only 13 percent of Fortune 500 technology companies are led by women corporate officers.
• The number of women pursuing science and technology-related careers is decreasing, at least partially due to a lack of female role models.
  

The New Mexico Business Weekly is the exclusive media sponsor for the Women in Technology awards.

New Mexico Technology Council website: http://www.nmtechcouncil.org/