BOONE—Bryce Cloniger of Davidson County and Evangeline Luciano of Dare County are the first recipients of the ECRS Computer Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship scholarships in Appalachian State University’s Department of Computer Science. They will receive a $4,000 a year scholarship plus $500 a year for educational and research materials. The scholarship is renewable based on the students’ satisfactory academic performance.

Both are first year computer science students at Appalachian.

“The ECRS Scholarship Program presents a great educational and experiential learning opportunity for our students and an opportunity for the Department of Computer Science and ECRS to partner in a tangible way to address the high demand for skilled computing professionals,” said Dr. James Wilkes, department chair. “These inaugural recipients benefit not only from the financial assistance of the scholarship, but even more importantly from the experiences and skills and maturity gained through the activities of the program including innovative research projects with students and faculty and internships at ECRS.”

The program provides mentoring opportunities to academically talented undergraduate and graduate students in computer science. Highlights include weekly seminars, study groups for core classes, mentoring and tutoring, a leadership workshop series, peer mentoring, a resume writing and internship/job search workshop, an internship opportunity at ECRS and community building.

“The ECRS program not only will assist with my financial needs, it also exposes me to a community that can greatly improve my academic experience,” Cloniger said. “I am eager to learn, work and become a better person than I am today through Appalachian State University,” he said. Cloniger is a graduate of Ledford Senior High School.

Luciano said, “This scholarship is a wonderful opportunity that will help me, not just financially, but also academically. This program offers me the opportunity to collaborate with others while strengthening my computer science skills. I will definitely take advantage of these wonderful opportunities.” Luciano is a graduate of First Flight High School.

Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, director of the department’s scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program, said, “The ECRS scholarship is an exceptional opportunity aimed at students interested in pursuing degrees in computer science and who express an interest in development of innovative, and/or entrepreneurial ideas. We are very grateful for this support provided by one of the IT leaders in our community. These ECRS scholars will be part of mentoring efforts that have provided role-models to all students.”

To learn more about the scholarship program, visit http://cs.appstate.edu/ecrs.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

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