Three incoming female doctoral candidates in Computer Science at Cornell will benefit from the support of Booking.com, which will underwrite their studies. Well-known actress Laura Dern made the announcement in San Francisco at the brand's inaugural Women in Tech Code-a-thon, where she said, "I'm proud to work with Booking.com on the inspiring initiatives they are doing to uplift and empower women in technology."
Gillian Tans, Chief Executive Officer of Booking.com, remarked, "Technology is one of the key drivers of social change and economic growth today, and the strong under-representation of women studying STEM subjects and participating in the tech workforce threatens to deepen the current social divide and further accentuate gender stereotypes. This is why I believe it is so important to encourage and empower more young women to pursue and advance their tech education and start a tech career. The more women we have engaging with STEM, the greater chance we will have to turn these stereotypes in tech around and make the industry a more welcoming place for people of all backgrounds to thrive."
Kavita Bala, Professor and Chair of Computer Science at Cornell, said, "We are delighted that Booking.com has selected Cornell CS as a recipient of scholarships for three of our female postgraduate students. Encouraging and supporting more young women to study STEM subjects such as Computer Science is a key priority for Cornell CS, and the Women in Tech Scholarships will play a crucial role in helping us achieve this ambition. We look forward to building a lasting, successful partnership with Booking.com."
Booking.com is one of the world's largest digital travel e-commerce companies.