For the third year in a row, the Amateur Radio and Digital Communications (ARDC) Foundation has generously funded SWE initiatives such as global scholarships, Collegiate Leadership Institute, SWENext High School Leadership Academy, and women of color pathways research. Scholarship support makes up the majority of ARDC’s contribution. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the ARDC Foundation supported 30 new and renewed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students valued at $220,000.
The impact of receiving a SWE scholarship is tremendous. A recent survey conducted by the SWE Research Division indicated that collegiate women who received a SWE scholarship were more likely to persist in engineering and technology programs. Let’s hear from a few ARDC recipients who share how receiving this scholarship impacted their college career and success.
Neeli Tummala
Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical & Computer Engineering
UC Santa Barbara
“Throughout my Ph.D., I have been working to develop a better understanding of the biomechanical and neural processes underlying our sense of touch, with implications for neuroscience, haptics, prosthetics, and robotics. The ARDC Foundation scholarship has been critical in supporting my research. Over the past year, it enabled me to present my work at four conferences, two of which were international. These opportunities not only facilitated valuable networking and career opportunities, but also garnered recognition for my research, including a Best Talk Award and a Best Paper Award. Overall, the ARDC Foundation scholarship has been pivotal in my Ph.D. journey, allowing me to focus on my research, explore career paths, and progress toward graduation this spring.”
Leah Crespo
Electrical Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to SWE for their remarkable generosity. We have come to a point in society where the expenses associated with higher education have soared, imposing a significant concern on students and families, such as myself; the support extended by SWE is truly invaluable. Beyond the academic challenges that students encounter, the increasing costs and resultant debt associated with pursuing higher education set so many people back. I am humbled by the fact that I am able to achieve my goals of becoming an electrical engineer despite this concern. As this is the case, I am deeply appreciative of being awarded SWE’s $5,000 scholarship, as it has substantially alleviated the financial strain during my first year at Georgia Tech. This assistance has enabled me to devote my energies to acclimating to the new academic and social experiences.”
Sun A Cho
Ph.D. Candidate, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University
“Embarking on my final year of graduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, I decided to explore the realm of research. Under the mentorship of Professor Brandon Lucia and Professor Nathan Beckmann, I immersed myself in exploring dataflow architecture and CGRA (coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture). The intellectual challenges I encountered led to the desire to deepen my understanding of dataflow architecture and innovate solutions to enhance current CGRA implementations.
While weighing various job offers, I realized that the freedom and opportunity for exploration inherent in research were unparalleled. My dream is to be at the forefront of engineering design, contributing to pivotal decision-making processes. Pursuing a Ph.D. seemed natural to achieving my aspiration of becoming a computer architect.
I am profoundly grateful for the support from the ARDC Foundation. This financial support, coupled with the academic freedom the scholarship provides, has rendered my decision to pursue a Ph.D. far less daunting. Now, I find myself exulting in all the opportunities to deepen my understanding in the field of computer architecture and coming closer to becoming a computer architect.”
Pahlychai Thao
Electrical Engineering
Oregon State University
“I want to thank SWE for providing me with the ARDC Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship aided me greatly with my financial situation, and I was able to focus on my studies in college instead of having to stress about working a job and balancing classes. Going into the engineering program at Oregon State University, I’ve seen an acute lack of women in my engineering classes, which can be discouraging at times when I try to think of a future in engineering. This is why I am grateful to SWE for supporting me in my journey of becoming an electrical engineer and for believing I can go on to achieve great accomplishments in industry. With SWE’s support, I have been able to continue achieving my dreams, as well as being able to better contribute to creating a more diverse and welcoming space in engineering.”
Zoey Ballard
Electrical and Electronics Engineering
University of Houston
“Receiving the ARDC scholarship as a freshman dual majoring in electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Houston has been a tremendous blessing. Not only has it alleviated my financial concerns, but it has also ignited my passion for circuit design and embedded systems. Additionally, it has connected me with SWE at the university, providing a supportive community that has been instrumental to my academic journey. Through this scholarship, I have been able to participate in valuable research labs and mentorship programs on campus, for which I am deeply grateful. Thank you for granting me this opportunity, ARDC Foundation!”
Haben Gebrekidan
Master’s Candidate, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Syracuse University
“The SWE ARDC Foundation scholarship has truly been a lifeline throughout my master’s program in electrical engineering. Their financial assistance significantly eased the burden of tuition fees, allowing me to focus on my studies with greater dedication. As I approach the end of my academic journey, with graduation in May 2024, I am profoundly thankful for their support. Their generosity has not only helped me financially, but has also reinforced my commitment to excelling in my field. I express my sincere gratitude to the SWE ARDC Foundation for their instrumental role in my academic success.”
About ADRC
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing allocations of the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radio’s practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public ― such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it.
Learn more about ARDC at ardc.net.
