Google Data » Jessica Bagley

About Google Code Jam 2010

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 20:03:00 +0000

Do you enjoy solving tough problems and grappling with technical challenges? Then enter Google Code Jam!

Google Code Jam is a programming competition in which professional and student programmers are asked to solve complex algorithmic challenges in a limited amount of time. The contest is all-inclusive: Google Code Jam lets you compete in the programming language and development environment of your choice.

And, this year, for the very first time, the final competition will take place in Google’s Dublin office.

Visit http://code.google.com/codejam to register now (you can register any time until the end of the 24-hour Qualification Round - Saturday, May 8, at 23:00 UTC) and get up to speed on the rules. You can also practice on problems from previous contests. It’s a good idea to check out the competition arena and get comfortable with the interface, competition format and types of problems that you’ll encounter in the contest (http://code.google.com/codejam/archive.html).

You can also learn more about Code Jam by following the team on Twitter or Facebook and by joining codejam-announce@googlegroups.com to receive announcements about the competition or google-code@googlegroups.com to discuss Google Code Jam with other contestants.

Caitlin Talks to an Engineer – Episode 4

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Hi again. It's me, Caitlin. Back for another episode of "Caitlin Talks to an Engineer." This time I interviewed Stefan, a Software Engineer in Test in our London office. Remember - if your'e interested in becoming an engineer at Google, visit www.google.com/students. We're still looking for talented students to fill positions around the globe!

Caitlin: So, Stefan--how long have you been at Google?
Stefan: Two and a half years.

C: What are you working on currently?
S: I'm a Software Engineer in Test with London's engineering productivity team. Our goal is to make development and testing easier and faster for mobile applications. We adapt and set up tools, frameworks and test result reporting for applications including YouTube, Google Maps for Mobile and various Android features. In fact, I'm getting ready to do some testing on the Google Voice for Android app. Previously, my job focused on converting Google's build system to run on Windows and mobile platforms so developers could build things faster and more reliably. I really enjoy writing code, and build tools are quite interesting. Plus, the developers are great to work with!

C: Do you find lots of bugs?
S: We find bugs occasionally, but since we aren't a manual test team it's not our main job. We're there to write better testing tools that actually preempt bugs, reducing the need for time-consuming manual testing later on. We want to have a shorter feedback loop.

C: What is a great gadget or application that you would recommend to us non-techies?
S: Well, this isn't exactly a gadget, but a good mobile internet connection really makes life a lot easier. 3G and WiFi are big growth markets--services are improving and technology is getting cheaper all the time.

C: And you can now get a signal underground in some cities. That's really cool.
S: Yeah, but I wouldn't want that capability in London. Can you imagine what the Tube would be like with people chatting on their phones all the time? Personally, I think Londoners should have data connections, but no voice :). Think of the commute!

C: That's a very good point! So, what do you do when you're not being a software engineer in test?
S: I love sports: swimming, running and cycling--I cycle around the parks with a bunch of other London Googlers. Recently, I’ve felt the need for even more speed, so I'm also trying to get my driver’s license! I haven't actually started practical lessons yet...I'm just getting ready to open the theory books, so we’ll see how this goes.

C: Good luck! Finally, please put on your philosophy hat for this next question: What would you do if you didn't have to work?
S: I'd probably still do my job for much of the time -- I really like it! I'd also spend a bunch of time doing more sports and coming up with new ideas and topics to read up on. I'm sure I'd find lots of interesting things to learn about.

C: You'd be a student of life.
S: Now who's being philosophical!

C: Fair enough. Thanks for talking with me, Stefan!
S: Anytime, Caitlin!

Google is still hiring! European student opportunities

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:14:00 +0000

We had a bit of delay, but we're back to talk about global student job opportunities. Today we bring you our opportunities in Europe and the Middle East.

Technical:

Google’s European engineering teams are growing! We’re looking for bright, talented new or recent graduates who are passionate about technology and ready to take on the world’s biggest engineering challenges.

Are you a ‘new grad’ with a BSc, MSc or PhD in Computer Science or a related subject? Want to work in a team environment at the forefront of the engineering industry? Learn more about Google’s European engineering locations and available positions below!

Aarhus, Denmark

Aarhus engineers are part of a specialist team which:

Works on programming language implementation and ‘garbage collection.’
Designs, develops and implements virtual machines.

Opportunities in Aarhus include:

Software Engineer - Aarhus

Haifa and Tel Aviv, Israel

Googlers at our Haifa and Tel Aviv offices:

Design and implement advanced algorithms that improve Google's search technology on the web and on other platforms.
Optimize Google's technologies based on real data using statistical experiments and data mining techniques.
Experiment with exciting and innovative search interfaces, and improve Google's user search experience.
Build Web front-end systems and new cool features for Google's products (like Gmail and Google Trends) using cutting edge technologies and infrastructure. Web UI development with Javascript/AJAX , Work with Google's renowned distributed infrastructure technologies (MapReduce, BigTable, GFS) to build new pieces of infrastructure for Google's search engine and applications.
Expand the networking infrastructure that interconnects Google's data centers around the world. Build internal systems that are used by thousands of Googlers.

Opportunities in Israel include:

Krakow, Poland

At Google’s Krakow office, engineers:

Build and expand Google’s platforms, systems and networking infrastructure--the global framework on which all our applications are based.
Keep Googlers productive by developing new tools and internal systems.

Opportunities in Krakow include:

Munich, Germany

At Google Munich, our engineering teams:

Design the latest developer tools that increase Google's global engineering productivity.
Create new features that make the web safer, more secure and protect users’ privacy.
Pioneer innovative projects in conjunction with the automotive industry.
Help develop Google’s Chrome browser - known for its simplicity, security and speed!

Opportunities in Munich include:

Zurich, Switzerland

‘Zoogler’ engineers:

Make Google’s ad-related products better, easier to use and more profitable.
Lead test efforts and develop new test automation techniques.
Build platforms, systems and networking infrastructure.
Create new features and functionality for user-facing applications including Maps, Gmail and Calendar.
Ensure Search continues to deliver clear, accurate and relevant results.
Research and build new applications for users in Africa, the Middle East and countless other regions.
Keep Google’s applications safe, secure and protect users’ privacy.
Create a bigger and better YouTube for users and content owners.
Ensure Google applications are scalable, reliable and available to millions of global users.

Opportunities in Zurich include:

Explore our other offices! Click here for a complete overview of available roles in all our international locations.

Have a question you want answered by a Google Engineer? You can submit or vote on questions for our engineers about what it's like to work at Google by visiting this website. Your questions could be answered in one of our “Ask an Engineer” video series (see the first video here!).

Business and General:

Online Media Associate Programme

As part of our commitment to hire and develop top talent, Google has created the Online Media Associate Programme for recent and experienced university graduates. Based at our European Headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, this 3 year programme offers international graduates from all academic disciplines an immersion into online business, advertising, and new technologies.

To learn more about Google, visit www.google.com/students. You can check out our student YouTube channel, see details about all of our openings, and read about our hiring process.

Dreaming of your next vacation? Around the world in 25 iGoogle themes…

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 21:27:00 +0000

Now that spring break is over, what better way to escape from studying blues than thinking about summer vacation! Have you thought about where your summer might take you?

To help get you excited and your ideas flowing, we are pleased to introduce a new collection of iGoogle themes - featuring destinations all across the world. With these new themes, you can experience breathtaking scenes from all over the world - from the convenience of your computer.

We have teamed up with National Geographic Society, LIFE, Lonely Planet, visiteurope.com and Google Earth who have all captured different facets and beauty of the world through photography and are now sharing them with iGoogle users. Here’s a quick preview of some of what you’ll find:

The World Passport Sampler theme, which brings together many of the great destinations.
Peru’s Machu Picchu, the Greek island of Santorini, and the Taj Mahal of India
Experiences not to be missed inThailand, Spain, and Australia
And, the gorgeous beaches of Europe and mountains of Argentina

In addition to these stunning themes, we’ve also partnered with a few travel organizations to create a suite of gadgets that can inspire you with new vacation ideas and help you plan your next adventure. The National Geographic gadget brings beautiful photos of the day to your homepage, and Concierge.com gives you great travel suggestions. We’ve also got you covered with Tripit’s trip planning tool and Kayak’s gadget to help you find the best deals for your next trip.

We hope these new themes and gadgets allow you to quickly escape from your studies and travel around the world right on your iGoogle homepage.

Posted by Laura Delaney, Product Marketing Manager

Student Applications Open for Google Summer of Code 2010

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 23:29:00 +0000

Interested in learning more about open source development? Looking for a great way to sharpen your programming skills? Look no further - student applications are now open for Google Summer of CodeTM 2010.

Since its inception in 2005, the program has brought together nearly 3,400 students and more than more than 3,000 mentors & co-mentors from nearly 100 countries worldwide, all for the love of code. Through Google Summer of Code, accepted student applicants are paired with a mentor or mentors from the participating projects, thus gaining exposure to real-world software development scenarios and the opportunity for employment in areas related to their academic pursuits. Best of all, more source code is created and released for the use and benefit of all.

Full details, including pointers on how to apply, are available on the Google Open Source Blog.

Post by Leslie Hawthorn, Open Source Team

Caitlin Talks to an Engineer – Episode 3

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Hi there! It's Caitlin again. I'm back for another episode of "Caitlin Talks to an Engineer." I tracked down Software Engineer Alice during a recent visit to the NYC office!

Remember - if your'e interested in becoming an engineer at Google, visit www.google.com/students. We're still looking for talented students to fill positions around the globe!

Caitlin: How long have you been at Google?
Alice: Five years. I started in February 2005 and transitioned to Google Maps in 2007.

C: What's your role within Google Maps?
A: I work on Local Search quality. Basically, my team ensures that the results you get via Local Search are relevant. The coolest part is that we work across many different countries, so we need to take a lot of cultural and geographical information into account--like addresses, for instance. In Germany, people use concatenated street names ('Widestrasse' with no space between the name and the street). Sometimes the number is at the front, sometimes it's at the back. We have to think about all the possibilities. Our work is linked to real life--the way people think and deal with situations and problems.

C: What's the weirdest thing you've discovered about another country or had to work into your plan?
A: Well, we were about to launch a new version when we suddenly realized that we were turning up bad results for the query "pub” in the UK.

C: That would not have gone over too well! 'Pub' is probably the number one thing people use UK Local Search to find!
A: Exactly, well, in other countries it might not have been so bad--but this is the UK we're talking about! My team doesn't normally encounter crazy emergencies like this because we don't implement new features--we just ensure that results are better. We spend a lot of time looking at and trying to understand data. For example, one of the big problems with the 'pub' query was that we didn't understand that in the UK 'inn' and 'pub' can actually mean the same thing. So, when people search for 'pub' we may want to return results with the word 'inn.' Of course, anyone without this insight wouldn’t understand why we return 'inn' when the search is for a 'pub'--but in the UK you have to. So, you need some local knowledge to help you understand.

C: And once you realized this, you were able to make the right adjustments to Local Search?
A: Yes--we found an optimal solution that worked for the UK and as many other locations as possible. When we think about quality we talk in terms of wins and losses. You can change something to work better for lots of queries but you may negatively affect a small percentage. There's always a trade off. In summary: while it's impossible to be perfect, we still need to strive for universal applicability. My job is to help ensure that we're providing the best results for every local query, no matter where the person is searching from or what he’s searching for.

C: What do you do when you're not being a Google software engineer?
A: Haiti is a big passion for me. I’ve done volunteer work with Haitian schools for the past several years--helping them install new technology, writing educational documents, etc. When the earthquake happened I joined with a bunch of Googlers from all over the world to work on our Person Finder tool. This application has allowed people in Haiti and Chile to find information about missing friends and family. Technology has had a massive impact on the disaster response. One of my friends was able to use his Android phone to relay SOS messages to local rescue teams, via the US Department of State (read about his story here). So, mobile phones and other technology have actually saved people’s lives. I think this is great--and there’s so much more we can do in this area.

C: Finally, I really need to know: pirates versus ninjas--who wins?
A: Ummm...it's hard to picture them together...maybe they'd meet and it would be like a love story. They would become best friends and take over the world--a combined force of pirates and ninjas.

C: They'd have to beat the cowboys first. Thanks for talking with me, Alice!
A: You're welcome, Caitlin!

Google is still hiring! North America student opportunities

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:31:00 +0000

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. It's an enormous goal to accomplish and we need great people to help us achieve it. At Google, we do more. A lot more.

We still have full-time and internship positions available for students around the globe so over the next week we'll be posting our available roles by region. First up - North America!

Technical:

Software Engineer (full-time and intern)
Software Engineer, Security (full-time only) *NEW*
Associate Product Manager (full-time and intern)
Internal Technology Residency Program (full-time only)
Partner Solutions Organization, Associate Technology Manager (full-time and intern)
Partner Solutions Organization, Technical Solutions Engineer (full-time only)
User Experience Designer (full-time and intern)
User Experience Researcher (intern only)
Corporate Operations Engineer (intern only)
Decision Support Engineering Analyst (intern only)
Platforms Engineer (intern only)

Have a question you want answered by a Google Engineer? You can submit or vote on questions for our engineers about what it's like to work at Google by visiting this website. Your questions could be answered in one of our “Ask an Engineer” video series (see the first video here!).

Business and General (full-time only):

Want to know more about the START program? Visit this website to submit your questions for our START Associate video series (see our conversation with associate Jackie here!).

To learn more about Google, visit www.google.com/students. You can check out our student YouTube channel, see details about full-time and internship opportunities, and read about our hiring process.

Announcing Google FUSE 2010

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000

We're excited to announce the launch of Google FUSE! For the second summer in a row, FUSE will provide an opportunity for successful and invested 1st year computer science students who are historically underrepresented in the field to connect with one another and with Google. Up to 50 aspiring computer scientists will be invited to an all-expenses paid retreat that will run for three days on July 14-16, 2010 in New York, NY and July 20-22, 2010 in Seattle, WA.

Fuse 2009 attendees in NYC

The Google FUSE program aims to:

Form a network among top young students from underrepresented backgrounds in computer science that will allow them to learn about research, academic, and industry opportunities in the years to come.
Make connections between students and Googlers that will allow students to discover career paths, create meaningful academic experiences, and take advantage of the college years in computer science.
Give students an insight into careers in computer science and show how rewarding, challenging, and fun they can be.

Students must:

Be current full-time first year college students at a four year college in the US or Canada who will be full-time second year students in the 2010–2011 academic year.
Have declared or plan on declaring a major in Computer Science, Math, or a related field.
Demonstrate academic excellence in science and math coursework at the high school and or college level and have taken at least one college level computer science course.

The program is open to all qualified college students, and is committed to addressing diversity in our company and in the technology industry. Students who are a member of a group that is historically under-represented in the technology industry are encouraged to apply, including female, Native American, African American and Hispanic students as well as students with disabilities.

To learn more about the program, please visit the Google FUSE site and apply online. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 30, 2010.

Google Lime Scholarship: Results Announced

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Google and Lime Connect are proud to announce the results of our 2nd Annual Google Lime Scholarship!

Please join us in congratulating the 11 students who we are recognizing for their outstanding leadership, passion and achievement in Computer Science.

Aaron Goldman - Georgia Institute of Technology
Alicia Grubb - University Of Toronto
Alyssa Rosenzweig - University Of Toronto
Casey Burkhardt - Villanova University
Joseph Shanahan - Auburn University
Micah Brodsky - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Michael Jolley - University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Nektarios Paisios - New York University
Roy Martinez - Arizona State University Main
Shaun Kane - University of Washington
Shiri Azenkot - University of Washington

Google Lime scholars will each receive an academic scholarship and are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California this summer.

To learn more about Google's Scholarship Programs, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships. To learn more about Lime, and their partnership with Google, check out http://limeconnect.com/.

Caitlin Talks to an Engineer – Episode 2

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Hi there! It's Caitlin again. I'm back for another episode of "Caitlin Talks to an Engineer." A few colleagues recommended that I interview Software Engineer Sam M. and, luckily, he had no major objections. Here's how it went down.

Remember - if your'e interested in becoming an engineer at Google, visit www.google.com/students. We're still looking for talented students to fill positions around the globe!

Caitlin: Hey Sam! How long have you been with Google?

Sam: I've been at Google a little over 4 years. I started in August 2005 as a new grad right out of college. I was in Mountain View for a year, then I moved to Santa Monica. Then, this London gig came up, and I decided I wanted to go explore the world. I've been here over a year now.

C: What projects have you worked on?

S: I've predominantly worked on Google AdSense. AdSense is a program for online content providers or online publishers who want to make money from their online content-- social networks, mobile applications, media and news sites, blogs, e-commerce sites, and web portals --by placing ads against their content without requiring direct advertiser relationships through their own sales force. For example, a publisher who runs a site about pets can monetize the site by serving ads for pet supplies.

I work with the AdSense front-end team. We handle the product's user interface and web development--what customers see when they log on, sign up or when they check how much money they've made.

C: Have you made any changes to AdSense that someone like me would notice?

S: The very first change I made had to do with the way Google handles postal codes. When you go to a website to register or buy something, you generally have to enter your postal code in a specific format--but postal code formatting varies widely depending on your country. Our formatting was very strict and made it difficult for international customers to use the AdSense product. I went in and fixed this--not just for AdSense, but for all other Google products using common code. It's not something I'm going to go into a bar and brag about, but it's great to initiate improvements that affect a lot of users.

C: What technological developments outside Google do you find most interesting?

S: Cellphones! Mobile! I think it's just fascinating--ten years ago, I didn't have a phone. It's amazing how naked I feel without one now. Some of the things I've heard about the future of mobile technology are sort of sci-fi-ey. For instance, people will have super computers in their mobiles or watches. No one will need computers, you just go up to a monitor and log-in via your Rolex. I think these types of technologies present a double-edged sword, though. They'll help people stay more closely knit with the people they know--but will keep us further apart from the people we don't know. In the past, if I was on the street looking for a Sainsbury's, I'd just ask someone: 'Excuse me, where's the Sainsbury's?' Now, I just pull out my cellphone, punch in my location and there you go--I don't actually talk to anyone.

C: What do you do when you're not being a Google engineer?

S: I play drums--I love drumming because it's a great way to relieve stress and a good outlet for my desire to make noise. I also do yoga and have recently taken up swing dancing. There's a cool place in Marble Arch called Jitterbugs. You show up, take a few lessons and do some social dancing afterwards. Exploring is another hobby. London is a great city to explore. I've found a lot of cool restaurants and hang out places just by jumping on the Tube and heading somewhere random. I've also taken a bunch of weekend trips to Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, Florence...and even with all that I still feel like I need to be more active!

C: In conclusion, I have one final question for you. Why?

S: Why not?

C: Can you elaborate?

S: Well, that 'why not' is what helped me make the jump to London. People have this fear of change. They think they might as well keep doing it. If you think that way you're never going to grow, expand or experience. So, when people ask me why I moved to London I said, 'why not?'

C: Good answer to a tough question. Thanks for talking with me today!

S: No problem!

Google Summer of Code 2010 is on!

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Interested in learning more about open source software development and methodologies? Looking for a way to get that experience while getting paid? Look no further!

Through the Google Summer of Code™ program, we match college and university students with mentors from academia and industry to work on a three month coding project. You're welcome to propose a project that suits your specialized interests or to apply to work on a project proposed by one of our mentoring organizations. Successful student participants receive a $5000 stipend, an awesome t-shirt and valuable exposure to real world software development scenarios. You won't even need to leave home to work with this global community, with our members hailing from more than 100 countries. Best of all, no previous experience with open source development is required, and there will be projects available across a wide variety of technical areas and skill levels.

We're currently accepting applications from open source projects who wish to act as mentoring organizations. We'll publish the list of accepted open source projects, along with their suggested project ideas, on Thursday, March 18th. You'll have a few days to get to know your would-be mentors before student applications open on Monday, March 29th. However, there's no reason to wait to get involved with the Google Summer of Code community; check out the webpages from past instances of the program, review what other students have done and decide what open source projects look interesting to you. While there are no guarantees, if an organization has participated in the past, chances are they'll return again this year provided they choose to apply.

Looking for more background? We have a wide variety of resources to help you get started. First, read our program Frequently Asked Questions for an overview of Google Summer of Code. We also have a community wiki that has some great advice for student applicants and more information to give you an idea of the mentor's perspective. You can also check out a variety of videos, including information about the program and screencasts made by past students, in our program's community YouTube channel. If you still have questions or want to jump in after taking a look at the documentation, you can always find us in the Google Summer of Code Discussion group, in #gsoc on Freenode and on various social networking sites. You may also consider subscribing to the Google Open Source Blog for regular updates on the program.

Best of luck to all of our applicants, and here's to our sixth Google Summer of Code!

Post by Leslie Hawthorn, Program Manager - Open Source

Announcing Juicy Ideas 2010

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:48:00 +0000

We're thrilled to spread the word about the second annual Juicy Ideas Competition, sponsored by AdvantageWest and DigitalChalk!

Google is excited to support the Juicy Ideas competition again this year by hosting the winning team at company headquarters in Mountain View California in Summer 2010, where winners will also each receive an Android-powered phone.

Juicy Ideas 2010 is asking you: "What can you do with data?"

Useful data streams are published by governments, private companies, NGOs, and other services and we want to see how you can harness this data to benefit your community in the form of a software application. Submissions will be judged on their ability to disseminate data and benefit the community, on the usability of the application, and on the business potential of the idea.

This year's contest is open to communities where Google operates offices or datacenters in the US, and universities within 50 km of offices are invited to participate. We've also invited school from last year's Juicy Ideas to join again.

Ready? Form a team of 3-5 students at an eligible college or university.

Set? Research publicly available data, come up with a business plan for that data.

Juice! Create a software application that uses the data to benefit your community, and upload a demo video to Youtube. You'll be judged on the app and the video.

The contest period runs from today through April 11 2010, so get started at www.juicyideas.com!

Caitlin Talks to an Engineer – Episode 1

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:00:00 +0000

I'm Caitlin--a University Programs Specialist based out of our London office. As part of Google's Engineering Staffing Team, I've spent the past three years finding, recruiting and hiring engineers and interns all across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. You might think I know a thing or two about software engineering--but when I joined Google my technical experience was actually very limited. Not every Googler is a technical whizz! Shocking!

Mea culpa :). A humanities-oriented English/fine arts major at heart, I've had to work hard to improve my understanding of Google's technology and of computer science in general--and I think I've actually made some progress! In my experience, the easiest and best way to learn about engineering is to ask the guys and girls who do it for a living. Our Google engineers love talking about what they do (even with amateurs like me) so, I thought, why not take it to the next level?

Why not convince some engineers to actually sit down for an interview? Why not document the experience with a lame snapshot? Why not share the whole thing on our Student Blog, so readers can learn a bit more about what we do all day long?

Join me as I learn more about computers, find out what's great about technology at Google...and get to know a few of our engineers! They're just like you and me, only way better at science. And math. And C++...

Interested in becoming a Google Engineer? Visit www.google.com/students to apply today!

Episode 1: Baran, Test Engineer

Caitlin: How long have you been at Google?
Baran: Three and a half years.

C: What are you currently working on?
B: Well, as test engineer with our mobile product team, I test our mobile applications for bugs. My team ensures that an application looks good on any given mobile device, functions correctly, is secure, etc. Part of this involves creating new build systems for engineers. I'm currently working on a set of tools that will allow Google’s mobile developers to create applications more quickly and easily. This isn’t the only thing we do, though--we also spend lots of time actually testing applications and products. For example, I previously worked on testing the Picasa Mobile web application to find bugs.

C: How do you find bugs?
B: We have special tools and processes. For instance, when we start work on a new application, we sync up with the software engineers in charge to think about what could go wrong. First, we cover 'positive use cases' to ensure that the application actually works if used correctly. Then, we get a bit naughtier and think up ways to abuse the application to make sure we catch problems before launching.

C: So you try to imagine an attack ahead of time to ultimately help make phones more secure?
B: Yes....We start with simple things to mess with phones first. For instance, if you're supposed to be able to type into an application, we'll enter an exaggeratedly long user input and see what happens. Or, if the application links with one of our Google servers, we'll mess with the code and see if it breaks. In mobile, we mostly rely on instinct and manual testing, but we also work on infrastructures to automate our processes. In other words, we create our own testing tools. Last year, we built a distributed testing environment which allowed London engineers to test a mobile application as if they were sitting in Google's South Africa office.

C: What happens when you find a bug?
B: We show it to the software engineers who built the application and help them fix it. The software engineers (particularly the ones I work with) do a fantastic job.

C: What one gadget, application or workaround would you recommend to us non-techies?
B: Smartphones--but I'm sure you've heard that a million times! Otherwise, I'd really recommend Google Reader, which consolidates all the news and articles I read everyday into one place. No matter what your job is, there are some pretty well-known bloggers you'll want to be following--and Reader makes that easy.

C: What do you do when you're not being a Google Test Engineer?
B: I realize this sounds boring, but I do actually code for pleasure. I'm currently writing a musical Android application called ‘chordmaster’. I watch a lot of television--Family Guy, The IT Crowd and Peep Show are my favorites. I also play guitar and recently formed a funk band called ‘Baron Funkenhausen’ with a bunch of other Googlers. We debuted last week at Google’s Friday night ‘TGIF’ party--so, stay tuned for news of our impending international success! Other than that, I tend to live very quietly and not do much for periods, then go out and travel for weeks at a time. Living in London has made it easier for me to get around Europe and I've also been to Cuba, Dubai and Australia recently.

C: Finally, how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
B: It depends on how much wood he needs to chuck--does he have a family to support? Is this his job? If so, he'll have to chuck a lot. But, he shouldn't try to the exceed the limits of his natural capabilities or burn himself out.

C: So, woodchucks should strive for good work/life balance?
B: Exactly.

C: I like it. Thanks for talking to me today, Baran!
B: Anytime!

Baran demonstrates his wood/chuck formula while Caitlin looks on

New Graduate Job Opportunity – Google’s Internal Technology Residency Program

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:05:00 +0000

At Google, we rely on an internal technical support team that keeps Google running, robust and secure. Their objective is to create solutions and provide technical support to help Googlers be more efficient and keep them up to date with technological advances. Sound like something you're passionate about? Read on!

As part of our commitment to hire and develop top talent, Google has created the Internal Technology Residency Program for recent and experienced university graduates. Residents will learn what it takes to support and scale Google’s internal technology from our infrastructure to the end user. Combining classroom style training and mentorship, hands-on support and travel to awesome Google offices across the world, this program has it all.

Interested in learning more about what it's like to be a part of Google's Internal Technology Residency Program? Google for Students sat down with Nimit and Ayka, Corporate Operations Engineers, to find out what it's all about.

First, let's get some stats. Office:

Nimit: Mountain View, California
Ayka: Irvine, California
Education:
Nimit: BS in Business Administration with a focus in Management Information Systems from San Jose State University
Ayka: BS in Information Systems and Computer Science from University of Texas in Arlington
Time at Google:
Nimit: 4 1/2 years
Ayka: It will be 2 awesome years in March since I started at Google.

What team/project do you work on?

Nimit: I am one the managers of our font-line IT support team. This team assists Googlers with issues ranging from basic troubleshooting to developing applications that both scale and improve efficiencies within IT support. I have also worked on several operations projects such as our remote access infrastructure, developing several tools for our transportation teams, building out new Google offices and helping to integrate IT systems from Mergers and Acquisitions.
Ayka: Besides working with Googlers on their support issues as a field tech, I'm also involved in several projects with teams inside and outside of our organization. Some of the projects I've been working on with other members of our organization: coordinating security rollouts at Google, tech support tool based on Google chat, IT related policy reviews and rollouts, helping with improvements to our internal ticketing system, local office server room improvements and maintenance.

What is your favorite part about your job?

Nimit: I would say working with the people at Google is what I love the most. Working with some of the smartest people and teams from around the world across all departments and solving complex and challenging problems that have not been seen before is truly an exciting experience. We have a direct impact on Google by making Googlers more efficient and by keeping our internal systems running and operating. 4 1/2 years later I am still learning something new every day.
Ayka: Interfacing with a lot of very smart people and learning something new every day. Being in Corporate Engineering also puts us in a unique situation to work with teams outside of our organization. It's not uncommon for us to find out about something cool or new coming down the pipelines before anyone else in the company does.

What is the day to day like as someone in your role?

Nimit: There is never a dull moment. We are constantly innovating as a company and one of the great things is we get to try out new products first and help give feedback to the Engineers to make the product better. I could be working on fixing a network problem in Mountain View one day and then flying out to support an office build out or Enterprise Deployment in Europe the next. Being on the front lines of support you get to interact with a diverse cross-section of the company. Throughout the course of a day I might help people solve problems from our Sales department, our finance teams, or one of our many engineering teams (mobile, maps, search). We hire some of the most talented engineers, so we make sure to support them with an equally talented IT support organization.
Ayka: The primary function is to handle our users' support issues, which can range from something very simple to something complex that takes up most of the day. In between support tasks, I also try to find the time to improve our local IT infrastructure (proactive support work for the local office, server room improvements, TechStop re-design/improvements, etc), and work on various projects that I've picked up.

Any other information you'd like to share with the student audience about the ITRP job :)?

Nimit: If you love IT and being on the cutting edge of technology while connecting the world together and meeting new people, this is the job for you! It's a great opportunity to grow professionally within general IT support, IT management or even as a springboard into other groups across the company like networking, telephony, enterprise or mobile operations. I absolutely love being here. It's like the tech version of Disneyland.
Ayka: IT support at Google is very different from what you would find at other companies. You can sometimes spend a day doing something fairly simple but overall you'll get to work on issues that are not very common. An average Googler is going to be more tech savvy than your usual user so the problems you encounter will be a little more exciting. Having a very diverse platform base also adds to the non-conventional IT support environment - you're guaranteed to work on Macs, Windows, Linux, Chrome OS, and mobile platforms.

U.S. Doodle 4 Google Competition Kick-Off

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:26:00 +0000

The Doodle 4 Google competition is back for its third year! Last year's competition made it possible to discover a talented doodler named Christin Engelberth. This year we want teachers and students to get involved and make sure every child with a creative talent, such as drawing, gets a chance to become the 2010 champion doodler and win a college scholarship! The Doodle 4 Google competition is open to K-12 students in U.S. schools who are invited to create their own Google doodle inspired by the theme, "If I Could Do Anything, I Would . . . " Teachers should go to www.google.com/doodle4google to register their school by 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) on March 17, 2010. Parents and children interested in participating should pass this link on to their teachers. Teachers must sign up on behalf of their students and submit their doodles and entry forms by March 31, 2010 11:59:59 P.M. Pacific Time (PT) after they register their school.

For more information check out the Official Google Blog here and visit the Doodle 4 Google homepage, http://www.google.com/doodle4google/.

Good luck to this year's doodlers!

Google NSBE Conference Travel Scholarship

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:25:00 +0000

Deadline to apply: February 12, 2010

As part of Google's on-going commitment to diversity and education in computing and technology, we are pleased to announce the Google National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Travel Scholarship. At Google, we are enthusiastic about supporting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education for all students, particularly those who represent a broad range of cultures and backgrounds. Through this scholarship, we hope to encourage more underrepresented computer science students to attend and participate at NSBE 2010 in Toronto, Canada, on March 31 - April 4. We hope you take advantage of this opportunity and apply!

The Scholarship is open to all qualified undergraduate and graduate students. Conference details can be found at http://convention.nsbe.org/convention2010/. Each selected student will receive up to $1,500 USD for airfare, hotel, conference registration and other travel requirements.

Applicants must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

Enrolled full-time in their undergraduate or graduate study at a university in the United States, Canada or Puerto Rico
Pursuing a Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related technical field major
Maintaining a strong academic background with demonstrated leadership ability
Able to attend 2+ days of the conference

How to Apply

Please complete the online application and submit all required documents by Friday, February 12th. First-time users will be required to register and create an account.

Google United Negro College Fund Scholarship

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 02:30:00 +0000

Deadline to Apply: April 16, 2010

Google is proud to support the work of the United Negro College Fund and together, we are committed to encouraging the innovators of the future to excel in their studies and become active role models and leaders.

The Google UNCF Scholarship Program provides scholarships and networking retreats for students in computer science. Scholarship recipients will each receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year and be invited to attend the all-expenses-paid Annual Google Scholars’ Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California, in the Spring of 2011. Scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic background and demonstrated passion for computer science.

Who can apply?

Applicants must satisfy the following eligibility criteria:

Pursuing a Computer Science or Computer Engineering degree, or a degree in a closely related field (such as Software Engineering)
Maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale in their current program
Entering their senior year of undergraduate study or enrolled in a graduate program in the 2010-2011 academic year at a university in the United States

For complete details, please visit us at www.google.com/jobs/scholarships or http://www.uncf.org/forstudents/scholarDetailSGA.asp?id=438

Deadline to apply: April 16, 2010

2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:14:00 +0000

Dr. Anita Borg (1949-2003) devoted her life to revolutionizing the way we think about technology and dismantling the barriers that keep women and minorities from entering the computing and technology fields. In honor of Anita's vision, Google is proud to announce the launch of the 2010 Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years.

Google hopes to encourage aspiring female students to excel in technology and become active role models and leaders in the field by offering scholarship opportunities for students. the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years will award students entering their first year in university and pursuing their studies in computer science.

Recipients of the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for First Years will each receive a $10,000 award for the 2010-2011 academic year and be invited to attend the Google FUSE networking retreat in Summer 2011.

Who can apply?

Applicants must be high school seniors and meet the following eligibility criteria:

* Intend to be enrolled in or accepted as a full-time student at a university in the U.S. for the 2010–2011 academic year. International students are eligible to apply as long as they intend to be enrolled at a local university;

* Intend to be enrolled in or accepted for enrollment in a baccalaureate Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering or related program;

* Able to demonstrate a commitment to and passion for computer science and technology

For complete details, please visit us at www.google.com/anitaborg/first-years/

Deadline to apply: February 15, 2010

Googlers Beta – 2009 Edition – Lu Chen

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 22:39:00 +0000

We had a chance to speak with intern Lu Chen this summer for the Googler Beta Series, and she shared with us 5 reasons why interning for Google is awesome. Continue below to get Lu's unique perspective on working here at Google.

Interested in being a summer intern at Google? Visit www.google.com/students to apply today.

Name: Lu Chen

School: UPenn

Internship Focus: Google Blogger Team

Hobbies: Eating/Hanging around the kitchen; Graphics & Animation

Top 5 Reasons to Intern for Google

1) The People. Without a doubt, the Googlers are truly what makes working here awesome: every person I met was intelligent, dedicated, and just plain cool. Discuss this piece of code? Sure. Switch gears and talk about the latest episode of Top Chef? No sweat. There are smart and cool people at any job, but here at Google, finding them is a sure bet!

2) It's real. Over the course of my internship, I have gotten an accurate taste of what a career in software engineering is actually like. Interns are treated as, and essentially are - full time engineers. I worked within the same codebase and wrote to the same standards as my colleagues. Additionally, my project wasn't some busywork that no one would ever see or use after I left -- rather, I had the pleasure of working on some front-end features that will end up being seen and used by thousands of Blogger users! From the practical experience of working on such a large and fast-paced application, I've learned a lot about web development, product life cycles, and programming in general.

3) Being 'Googley'. Everyone at Google works insanely hard, but there is also a sense of fun that is endorsed by the company culture. During one offsite, I went on a white water rafting trip! Through the intern program, I also had the opportunity to have some fun with my fellow interns: paintball, indoor skydiving, hiking, etc. Alongside all of the fun, there is an unspoken expectation that every Googler knows his workload and gets it accomplished bt the end of the day. I wasn't told what hours to work or where on campus I should work (work next to frozen yogurt machine, anyone?). Not many companies give their employees such trust and freedom, and the culture is one area where Google really outshines its competitors.

4) One big company, lots of diverse opportunities. Although I was a part of the Blogger team, I got to experience and learn much more than Blogger engineering. For example, I took a mini-course on UX (User Experience) sketching and learned how to draft quick prototypes on paper. I even took a seminar on making mochas and espressos! Between tech talks, seminars, and 20% time, Google offers so many opportunities to continue learning. Even in the scope of my own project, it wasn't just daily coding; I had the opportunity to contribute towards the user experience, design, engineering and testing of my feature.

5) Where else will you find a T-Rex being attacked by pink flamingos?

Join us for the 2010 Google GRAD CS Forum!

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0000

As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to encouraging students of underrepresented backgrounds in technology to pursue graduate study, we are pleased to host the first annual 2010 Google Graduate Researchers in Academia of Diverse backgrounds (GRAD) CS Forum. This forum will bring together students who are historically underrepresented in the field to connect with one another and with Google.

Up to 75 computer scientists will be invited to an all-expenses paid forum that will run Thursday evening through Saturday afternoon on January 21–23 at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

The Google GRAD CS Forum will include technical talks from established researchers – both from Google and universities – and a unique occasion to build and strengthen networks with other emerging researchers. Students will also enjoy tours of the Googleplex, have the opportunity to meet with Google engineers in their focus areas, and have fun exploring the San Francisco Bay Area.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

be a computer science (or related technical discipline) graduate student currently enrolled in a Masters or PhD program at a university in North America
demonstrate academic excellence and leadership in the computing field
maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.3 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in their current program

The forum is open to all qualified graduate students, and is committed to addressing diversity in our company and in the technology industry. Students who are a member of a group that is historically under-represented in the technology industry are encouraged to apply, including female, Native American, African American and Hispanic students as well as students with disabilities.

Selection Process

Google engineers will select up to 75 attendees based on each applicant’s academic and technical achievements. Evidence of academic achievement and leadership experience should be evident from the resume.

How to Apply

Complete the online application and submit all required documents online. First-time users will be required to register and create an account. Please note that recommendation letters are not required.

Application Deadline: December 12, 2009

Apply now at www.google.com/jobs/students/gradforum.

Posted by Hanah Kim, University Programs

Google RISE Awards – Only a few days left to submit an application!

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:25:00 +0000

We are pleased to announce the 2nd year of the Google RISE Awards!

Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Awards are designed to promote and support science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and computer science (CS) education initiatives. We provide awards to organizations working with university and pre-university students to provide enrichment programs in these fields. Support may include a combination of monetary awards ranging from $500 - $10,000, volunteer resources and in-kind donations.

Google believes that technology will continue to play an important role in shaping our future and knows that the youth of today will help innovate and drive these technologies for years to come. Through the Google RISE Awards Program, we aspire to help students take one step closer to achieving their potential by offering growth and development opportunities.

Please visit the RISE Awards website for additional details regarding eligibility, the application process and past award recipients. The deadline to submit your application is Sunday, November 22, 2009.

Posted by Holly Benson & Sun-Hee Yeo, Talent and Outreach Programs

Google Hispanic College Fund Scholarship

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:11:00 +0000

Google is pleased to partner with the Hispanic College Fund to offer scholarships for computer science students!

Google HCF scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of candidates’ academic background, leadership and passion for computer science. Recipients will each receive a $10,000 scholarship for the 2010-2011 academic year. Selected students will also be invited to attend the all-expenses-paid Annual Google Scholars’ Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California in the Spring of 2010.

Eligibility Requirements:

Must be of Hispanic background
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident residing in the United States or Puerto Rico
Studying at an accredited university in the U.S. or Puerto Rico for the upcoming academic year
Enrolled (or plan to be) full-time for the upcoming academic year
Have a minimum GPA of a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale
Demonstrate financial need
junior or senior undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a degree in computer science or computer engineering for the 2010-2011 academic year

Application Deadline: February 16, 2010

For complete details, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Googlers Beta – 2009 Edition!

Jessica Bagley — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:17:00 +0000

Our next entry for the Google Beta Series features an interview with intern Alex Sydell. Alex interned last summer at our Mountain View campus as a Software Engineer in Search Quality. Follow below as Alex details his unique experience at our global headquarters.

Interested in being a summer intern at Google? Visit www.google.com/students to apply today.

Name: Alex Sydell

School: UC Berkeley

Internship Focus: Search Quality Evaluation Tools

Hobbies: Creating websites and iPhone applications; Rock Climbing; Movies and Volleyball

Q: Hi Alex, thank you for joining us today. Could you briefly explain your summer internship project with Google this summer?

A: Sure. My team creates and maintains tools that are used to evaluate the quality of Google's search results. I worked on a new web-based user interface (UI) that automates part of the evaluation process. My project allows engineers to more intuitively configure some of our tools and quickly get the new configurations into our codebase.

Q: What would you say is for your favorite part of working here at Google?

A: Being surrounded by Googlers! I have never been in a place with so many smart, talented, friendly, and open people. Everyone is easy to approach with a question, whether just asking for directions or having a detailed discussion about a project. And someone always offers a helping hand. It is incredibly easy to make friends at Google because there is a very little sense of superiority and no reservations between Googlers. The atmosphere at Google is second to none.

Q: Could you describe a moment during your summer that will be difficult for you to forget?

A: BBQ week before the 4th of July holiday. Three days of BBQ: Hawaii, Louisiana, and Texas-style! We ate what seemed like pounds of delicious BBQ meat and seafood each day, completely full but wanting more. I must admit, it was a bit hard to work after eating so much good food, but we all survived. There was even a mechanical bull and a mini petting zoo, giving us plenty of opportunity to make complete fools of ourselves falling off of the bull or chasing rabbits and goats around a little cage. Without distractions like these, work would be mundane and unmotivating. There so many exciting events constantly taking place around us, and Googlers have proven that it is possible to be incredibly productive while still having a lot of fun.

Googlers Beta – 2009 Edition!

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:51:00 +0000

We continue the Googlers Beta Series with a story from Alyssa Daw, a Google Summer Intern and BS student from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, who will share with you her experience as a Software Engineer in Test (SET) Intern in our Kirkland office.

Interested in joining our next class of summer interns? Visit www.google.com/students to apply today!

Alyssa Daw was offered as an Software Engineering in Test (SET) with Google last winter and prepared vigorously by taking advanced coursework in computer science. "I was absolutely ecstatic when I got an internship at Google and I immediately set out to prepare myself by registering for the most difficult courses that I could for spring quarter," she says.

After her winter quarter, Alyssa was diagnosed with a rare medical condition and, after considering the severity of her situation, she contacted Google to give up her offer. "I called my manager to say that he could find someone else," she says. "But instead of taking me up on my offer, he offered to hold the job for me for as long as I wanted it - even if it meant finding shorter projects in case I needed to start late."

Alyssa joined Google this summer in the Seattle office as an intern in our SET group. And although her situation caused her to begin the internship behind schedule, she still had a very successful summer with us. "In the end, I did have to start a couple of weeks late, but the experience was amazing! I definitely felt the support from my whole team, especially my host who ended up getting Vice President approval for some of my accommodations."

Alyssa knew she was going to spend her summer as an SET, but she didn't quite understand what that meant at the time. "Before my internship, I thought that a Test Engineer primarily spent their time testing, and I am sure that in some cases this is true. However, during my internship with Google the only tests that I ran were against my own code - just like any other developer. I also got the experience of talking to users (in this case, other Googlers), and designing and developing a product that fit their specifications."

Her contribution to Google? A tool that allows admins to organize and display information about test labs. "I have never worked in a place where it was so easy to write quality code, test the code, have the code reviewed, and see all the comments, changes, test coverage, and more in one place. This is all thanks to some stellar internal tools. As I got into my own project, it hit me: I was adding to the stellar tools! It felt great to be giving back in this way, and to know that future Googlers would use my tool to make their lives easier.

2010 Google Online Marketing Challenge

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:38:00 +0000

"Students have first hand experience with real clients and real budgets to get real results. Is there a better way to gain experience with the real world?"

"The Challenge energized me and my students. The ability to work with a real-life client and spend "real money" on Google AdWords was unique and exciting."

Registration for the 2010 Google Online Marketing Challenge is now open!

The Google Online Marketing Challenge is a global student competition open to any higher education institution anywhere in the world. The 2009 Challenge had over 10,000 students in 57 countries competing and we want this year's Challenge to grow even more .... please help us to get the word out!

How it works ....

Teams of 3-6 students receive US$200 of online advertising with AdWords and then find local businesses to work with to devise an online marketing campaign. Teams outline a strategy, run their campaign, assess the results and provide the business with recommendations to further develop their online marketing. The winners are judged by an international panel of independent academics.

The challenge is a great way to get you and your classmates involved in the quickly evolving world of online marketing. It's a skill you'll want to have as you graduate and prepare to enter a tough job market and it's definitely a fun way to gain real-world experience with a real client.

Registration ....

Your professor, lecturer or whoever teaches you, enters their student team into the Challenge. If you think your professors, lecturers or tutors might be interested in signing their classes up for the Challenge, let them know about this opportunity! Your professor can obtain more information in the Academic Guide (http://www.google.com/onlinechallenge/students_guides.html) which is filled with information your professor will want to know to decide if the Challenge is right for their class.

The Challenge is open to any university, any discipline, at the graduate or undergraduate level in any country.

Timeline ....

Registration closes: January 22, 2010

Challenge starts: January 28, 2010

Challenge ends: June 4, 2010

Winners announced: July 2010

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Growing the next generation of computer scientists and business leaders

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:05:00 +0000

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog)

We had a busy summer here at Google interacting with students through a wide variety of scholarship, internship and networking opportunities across North America. Here's a look back at a few of our programs (you can bet we'll be hosting them again!) along with news on some upcoming initiatives.

Rising college sophomores participated in two Google programs: Google FUSE, in its inaugural year, and the Google Computer Science Summer Institute (CSSI).

For FUSE, we welcomed 50 rising college sophomores to our New York City office for a three-day retreat designed to connect students from groups that are under-represented in the field of computer science. The retreat focused on making connections between students and Googlers, encouraging students to create meaningful academic experiences and allowing them to learn more about possible career paths via hands-on activities, panel discussions and a bit of fun around the New York City area.

Another group of twenty rising sophomores spent two weeks at the Googleplex in Mountain View for the second annual Computer Science Summer Institute. This special program included an interactive and collaborative Computer Science curriculum, as well as a living-learning residential experience for student networking. Students worked in teams to create an interactive web application using Python in Google App Engine. When not in class, they heard technical talks from Google engineers, spoke with professionals from across the technology industry and academia about the many things they can do with a Computer Science degree. They also had some fun joining the Bay Area summer interns on a boat cruise and catching a baseball game after an exciting San Francisco scavenger hunt.

In addition, our engineering internship program hosted more than 450 college (undergraduate and graduate) interns in 15 locations across North America. These interns were an integral part of the engineering team and made significant contributions this summer working on exciting projects including Android, Chrome, Docs and machine translation.

We also had more than 100 students working across multiple functions, including sales and engineering in Mountain View, New York, Chicago, Ann Arbor, Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston as part of the Building Opportunities for Leadership and Development (BOLD) Program. BOLD is a 10-week internship program designed to provide exposure to the technology industry for students from groups that are historically underrepresented in technology. This summer experience includes a unique glimpse into a business or engineeringcareer, professional development and leadership courses, as well as one-on-one mentorship designed to further support professional growth.

Of course, we realize that growing future leaders in engineering and business doesn't just start with college students. For this reason, we partner with the LEAD programs in both businessand engineering to encourage outstanding high school students to pursue careers in these fields. This year, all four LEAD Summer Engineering Institute participants had the opportunity to tour a local Google office to attend technical talks and interact with Google engineers (okay, with some tasty food and video games thrown in as well).

As part of Google's ongoing commitment to recognizing student achievements and promoting leadership, we also offer a number of academic scholarships. We are currently accepting applications for the Google Lime Scholarship for Student with Disabilities in the U.S. and Canada, and the Anita Borg Scholarship in Canada, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the United States. In case you're curious, we offer a host of scholarships for many other international regions.

If one or more of these opportunities sounds like something you'd like to participate in, you can find applications for full time opportunities and summer internship opportunities on ourstudent job site. Visit our scholarship page for more information on our scholarship opportunities. And follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on application deadlines and new program announcements.

Making an early connection playing People Bingo at Google FUSE.

Taking a break from bowling during Google FUSE.

Posted by Kyle Ewing, Talent and Outreach Programs - University Programs and Recruiting

Announcing our 2009 Google AISES Scholars!

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 16:18:00 +0000

Google and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society are proud to announce our second class of Google AISES Scholars. Please join us in congratulating our nine 2009 Google AISES Scholars!

Bryan Bailey, University of Maryland
Vanessa Benally, Fort Lewis College
Alexander Brown, University of New Mexico
Corinne Cameron, University of Alaska Anchorage
Russell Harjo, Northeastern State
Kasra Manavi, Texas A&M
Alicia Montoya, University of New Mexico
Bryan Parker II, University of Texas at Dallas
Michael McGahey, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute

Google AISES scholars will each receive a USD $10,000 academic scholarship for the 2009-2010 academic year and are invited to attend the annual Google Scholars' Retreat at the Googleplex in Mountain View, California in 2010. The retreat is a time for Google to recognize the students’ hard work and achievements, and to provide the scholars with an opportunity to meet computing professionals and network with other scholars. We hope this program will encourage students to continue to achieve great things in their studies and inspire them to become role models and leaders in science and technology.

To learn more about Google's scholarship opportunities, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships.

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Googlers Beta – 2009 Edition!

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:39:00 +0000

We are relaunching our Googlers Beta Series and bringing you the unique stories and experiences of Google interns. Our first post for the season comes from Asit Mishra, a Google Summer Intern and PhD student from Penn State University, who will share with you his experience as a Software Engineer (SWE) Intern in our Seattle office.

Asit's Story:

Think about the 100+ tools that Google has launched, the billions who query our search engine everyday, and the 10,000+ crazy (in a good way) software engineers working at Google; there is a plethora of jobs that our server platform machines must serve each day. Our machines serve a diverse set of workloads, and managing and making sense of these workloads is a big challenge. But learning the behavior of these workloads can help us, among many other things, to make better scheduling decisions, to better project our machine growth, and to customize our cells to handle the jobs better. During my internship, I worked on a very interesting, and in my opinion, high-impact project where I modeled the workload of Google's machines.

I used a variety of tools, including time-series modeling, clustering and statistical methods to capture the workload signatures. After months of brainstorming with my mentor (Joseph Hellerstein) and the cluster management team, I was at a point where I could categorize the workloads into smaller groups. This gave us an opportunity to investigate the workload behavior at a macro-level and makes the analysis simpler.

Aside from the free food, massages and the rock-band set-up, I found the "Google-culture" to be really amazing. It is not very different from the culture one would see at a university or research lab. The openness and the helping attitude of Googlers, here, helped me a lot in my work. Between the numerous brainstorming sessions with my mentor and the cluster management team and the two trips down to Mountain View to dig-deep into our findings, these experiences have gone a long way in shaping the outcome of my project and enhancing my overall understanding of Computer Science. For me, it's been one of the most productive and enriching experiences within a 3-month span.

I had never seen terabytes worth of data before coming here! Once, my mentor told me that here at Google people don't worry about storing megabytes or gigabytes of data; if it's terabytes it a slight concern and if it's petabytes - that's where you actually start thinking.

A note from Joseph Hellerstein, Asit's host: We had great fun with Asit during the summer, and it was very productive. Asit's work is impacting how Google does cluster scheduling and capacity planning. Also, we submitted a paper to ACM SIGMETRICS Performance Evaluation Review. Oh, and we got some really cool jackets for our work with the Google Cluster Management Team.

Want more information on internships at Google? Visit http://www.google.com/jobs/intern for more information. You can also learn more about the exciting research going on at Google by visiting http://research.google.com/.

Current Google Scholarship Opportunities for Students in Computer Science

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:09:00 +0000

We are are pleased to announce the launch of 3 scholarship opportunities for students in Computer Science: Google SHPE Conference Travel Scholarship (new!), Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities and the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship (U.S. and Canada).

Google SHPE Conference Travel Scholarship

Deadline to apply: September 30, 2009

Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities
Deadline to apply: December 15, 2009

Google Anita Borg Scholarship (U.S. and Canada)

Deadline to apply: February 1, 2010

To Apply

To apply for these scholarship opportunities, please visit our Online Application for Google Scholarships & Awards Programs.

If you are a first time user, you will need to register and create a profile, as well as a user-name and password. If you are already registered, please log-in to your account to complete your application.

Read the application instructions or visit the FAQ page for more information.

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs

Announcing our 2009 Google United Negro College Fund Scholars!

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Google and the United Negro College Fund are proud to announce our 2009 Google UNCF Scholars!

Google UNCF scholars will each receive a USD $10,000 academic scholarship and are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the Google Headquarters in California in 2010. While at the Googleplex they'll have the opportunity to meet each other and attend technical talks and professional development workshops, as well as explore the San Francisco Bay area. We hope this program will encourage students to excel in their studies in years to come, inspire them to become role models and leaders, and attract more African-American students to the fields of science and technology.

Please join us in congratulating our Google UNCF Scholars!

Brandon Fields, Tuskegee University
Brandon Whitehead, Georgia Institute of Technology
Brett Matthews, Georgia Institute of Technology
Courtney Daley, Rochester Institute of Technology
Dwayne Reeves, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Edward William, University of Idaho
Ikpeme Erete, Georgia Institute of Technology
Kimberly Davis, Talladega College
Mauricia Ragland, Clark Atlanta University
Miyako Jones, University of Michigan-Flint
Nancy Douyon, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Njinda Ngwanchang, University of Massachusetts
Paula Laurent, DePaul University
Sean Sanders, Georgia Institute of Technology
Shani Ingram, Tennessee State University
Stephen Guy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Stephen Oney, Carnegie Mellon University
Wendy Logan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

To learn more about Google's Scholarship Programs, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships.

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Announcing our First Class of Google Lime Scholars!

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:48:00 +0000

Google and Lime are proud to announce our inaugural class of Google Lime Scholars!

Please join us in congratulating the 5 students who we are recognizing for their tremendous achievements in the field of computer science.

David Hayden - Arizona State
David Millman - University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Eugene Vasserman - University of Minnesota
Matthew Strom - University of Illinois
Sina Bahram - North Carolina State

Google Lime scholars will each receive a USD $10,000 academic scholarship and are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the Google Headquarters in California in 2010.

To learn more about Google's Scholarship Programs, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships. To learn more about Lime, and their partnership with Google, check out http://limeconnect.com/.

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

It’s kids play for winning students in the 2009 Google Online Marketing Challenge

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:33:00 +0000

Last year we launched the Google Online Marketing Challenge — a global university competition that gives undergraduate and post-graduate students hands-on exposure to online marketing. Working with their professors, teams receive the equivalent of US$200 to spend on Google AdWords advertising, then work with a local business to devise an effective online marketing campaign. Teams are given three weeks to mastermind the strategy before submitting a campaign report to an international judging panel of professors.

Today we announce the results; our global winners come from Deakin University, Australia and were taught by Chia Yao Lee and Bardo Fraunholz. The team of Andrew Kidd, Richard Blakely, Kevin Fung, Clinton Hinze, Katalin Kish and Howard Lien worked with a local kids play center, www.littletigrrs.com.au, to create a well-crafted campaign that highly impressed our judges.

Clockwise from top left: Richard Blakely, Chia Yao Lee (professor), Katalin Kish, Kevin Fung, Bardo Fraunholz (professor), Howard Lien, Andrew Kidd, Fiona and Mike (from Little Tigrrs), Clinton Hinze and Mick, The Big Hearted Tiger

Read more about the challenge and the other top finishers on the Official Google Blog.

We sent a survey out to every participating team, professor and business and the results were overwhelmingly positive. One professor noted, "The Google Online Marketing Challenge is among the most practical learning experiences one can offer their students. Thanks, Google!" Students seemed to agree, one commenting, "The Google Challenge enabled me to develop my online marketing and consultant skills by working with a real business. The Google Challenge has been the best assignment I have ever had!"

And finally, my personal favorite favourite:

"The teams have bonded and the learning process was blissful in every way! Our BEST memories ever: Thank YOU for having opened the Challenge to overseas students. It means the WORLD to us!!!"

For anyone interested in competing in the 2010 Challenge, formal registrations will open later this year, but in the meantime you can register your interest.

Posted by Lee Hunter, Product Marketing Manager

Connect with one another

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Last week we were thrilled to welcome fifty students from North America -- from the University of Alberta to Morehouse College to the American University of Puerto Rico -- in New York City for the first-ever Google FUSE. Aimed at connecting top rising sophomores from underrepesented backgrounds in CS, this retreat brought together some of the best and brightest students for three days of making new connections, creating new ideas, and getting to know Google.

What better way to help these talented students to build their network than by bringing them together to solve some interesting challenges? After bonding over a game of computer science trivia and designing web and mobile ready applications, these budding computer scientists have both virtual and real worlds at their fingertips.

We think it's safe to say that this pilot year went well, and that we look forward to fielding applications for FUSE 2010 soon enough!

Posted by the FUSE team (Holly Benson, Zach Geller, Lindsey Gilligan, Hanah Kim)

Announcing our Google Hispanic College Fund Scholars

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:15:00 +0000

We are excited to announce our 2009 class of Google Hispanic College Fund Scholars!

Anamary Leal, University of Central Florida
Antonio Blanca, Georgia Institute of Technology
Ashley Nicole Munoz, Texas A&M
Bilson Libres Campana, UC Riverside
Cesar De La Paz, University of Texas at Austin
Diana Polette Flores, University of Florida
Felipe Bernal, University of Central Florida
Giovani Galicia, UC San Diego
Jorge Mena, UCLA
Jose Dieppa, University of South Florida
Jose Lugo Martinez, Indiana University
Luis Ernesto Saumell, Florida International University
Mario Ernesto Consuegra, Florida International University
Michael Benjamin Byrd, UC Davis
Nathaniel David Figueroa, Mount Vernon Nazarene College
Nicholas Vaidyanathan, Arizona State University
Ramon Jesus Gonzalez, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
Ricardo Portillo, University of Texas, El Paso
Shaun Neil Paredes, Arizona State University
Taj Preciado, Park University

The Google Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Program offers funds to students studying computer science or computer engineering who are juniors or seniors in college or pursuing a Master's or PhD. Selected scholars each receive a USD $10,000 academic scholarship and are invited to an all-expenses paid trip to the Google Headquarters in California in 2010.

For more information on Google's Scholarship Programs, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs Specialist

Congrats to the class of 2009!

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:08:00 +0000

As students around the country celebrate the culmination of their degrees, we thought we'd share some of the words of wisdom that a few Google executives have been imparting to graduating classes around the country.

Google co-founder Larry Page had the pleasure of returning to his alma mater, University of Michigan, earlier this month to offer some advice to graduating students. As someone familiar with taking a little risk in life, Larry urged the U Michigan class of 2009 to "always work hard on something uncomfortably exciting," that "it is often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious dreams. I know that sounds completely nuts. But, since no one else is crazy enough to do it, you have little competition," and advised that "Overall, I know it seems like the world is crumbling out there, but it is actually a great time in your life to get a little crazy, follow your curiosity, and be ambitious about it. Don't give up on your dreams. The world needs you all!" You can read the complete text of his speech here or watch the video below.

This past weekend, Vice President of Search Products and User Experience, Marissa Mayer, received an honorary doctorate from the Illinois Institute of Technology and gave the graduating class some great advice on the things they should find in order to achieve success in a career and in life. Marissa advised the class of 2009 to "find the smartest people you can and surround yourself with them," "find allies, rather than adorers," "find peers, managers, and leaders who challenge you to be the best you can be, and then help you achieve it," "find courage...Do something you're not ready to do," "find places where you're comfortable," and finally, to "be an information fountain...Power comes from sharing information...Collaboration leads to creativity and innovation." You can hear the rest of her inspiring speech by watching the video below.

Last, but certainly not least, Google CEO Eric Schmidt visited both Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pennysylvania to advise students that “You’ll find today is the best chance you have to start being unreasonable, to demand excellence, to drive change, to make everything happen" and urge them to "do things in a group. Don’t do things by yourself. Groups are stronger, groups are faster. None of us is as smart as all of us.” Check out the video of Eric at CMU below for the rest of his fascinating speech.

From Larry, Marissa, Eric, and all of us at Google - congratulations class of 2009!

Congratulations to the 2009 Google Fellowship recipients

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:29:00 +0000

(For the full story, please visit the Official Google Blog & Google Research Blog)

We started the Google Fellowship Program this year to support graduate students in their quest to discover and achieve great things. Our goal was to find the best and brightest PhD students and award them a unique fellowship that highlights their contributions to research and supports them through their graduate studies.

After careful review, we are proud to announce the 2009 Google Fellowship recipients:

Roxana Geambasu, Google Fellowship in Cloud Computing (University of Washington)
Michael Piatek, Google Fellowship in Computer Networking (University of Washington)
David Sontag, Google Fellowship in Machine Learning (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Ali Farhadi, Google Fellowship in Computer Vision Image Interpretation (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Nicholas Chen, Google Fellowship in Human-Computer Interaction (University of Maryland)
Siddhartha Sen, Google Fellowship in Fault Tolerant Computing (Princeton University)
Ryan Peterson, Google Fellowship in Distributed Systems (Cornell University)
Eric Gilbert, Google Fellowship in Social Computing (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Micha Elsner, Google Fellowship in Natural Language Processing (Brown University)
Subhransu Maji, Google Fellowship in Computer Vision Object Recognition (University of California, Berkeley)
Nicolas Lambert, Google Fellowship in Market Algorithms (Stanford University)
Han Liu, Google Fellowship in Statistics (Carnegie Mellon University)
Lixia Liu, Google Fellowship in Compiler Technology (Purdue University)

The Google Fellowship will provide these students with funding to cover their tuition and expenses, plus an Android-powered phone and a Google mentor. Our sincere congratulations to all of them!

We're already looking forward to our sophomore year in 2010. You should expect to see a broader program covering more areas of research, more schools, and more geographies. We can't wait.

Posted by Leslie Yeh Johnson, Google University Relations

The power of video

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:45:00 +0000

We recently announced the winners of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative (CSCI) Power Down for the Planet video contest. Read more about this contest and the winners on the Official Google Blog.

We at the Google Student Blog would especially like to recognize the students from the 19 participating colleges and universities who entered to win the student grand prize. This award went to a team from Jackson State University for their "Power Down the Planet" entry.

The winning team will take home $5,000, 2009 Specialized Globe Vienna Deluxe 1 bikes powered by Specialized, and software. Congrats to Jackson State and thanks to all of the students who participated!

Posted by Alice Ryan, Green Rocket Scientist

Announcing the 2009 Canada Anita Borg Scholars

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:02:00 +0000

Google is thrilled to honor the memory of Anita Borg and her commitment to women in science by presenting the 2009 Anita Borg Canada Winners!

The 2009 Google Anita Borg Canada Scholarship Recipients

Jenna Cameron - University Of Western Ontario (Bachelors)
Jing Xiang - University Of British Columbia (Masters)
April Khademi - University Of Toronto (PhD)
Pooja Viswanathan - University Of British Columbia (PhD)

The 2009 Google Anita Borg Canada Scholarship Finalists

Barbara Macdonald - University Of Waterloo (Bachelors)
Melanie Tupper - Dalhousie University (Bachelors)
Xiaoyuan XU - Simon Fraser University (Bachelors)
Michelle Annett - University Of Alberta (Masters)
Gail Carmichael - Carleton University (Masters)
Sarah Carruthers - University Of Victoria (Masters)
Katherine Gunion - University Of Victoria (Masters)
Zahra Ahmadian - University Of British Columbia (PhD)
Phillipa Gill - University Of Toronto (PhD)
Marjorie Locke - University Of Western Ontario (PhD)
Somayeh Moazeni - University Of Waterloo (PhD)
Mona Mojdeh - University Of Waterloo (PhD)
Fahimeh Raja - University Of British Columbia (PhD)
Ozge Yeloglu - Dalhousie University (PhD)

Posted by Demian Caponi, Talent and Outreach Programs

Google Photography Prize

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 07 May 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Google is excited to announce the Google Photography Prize, a global competition for students to create themes for iGoogle. Run in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery London, the Google Photography Prize is open to students across the world.

We have opened up iGoogle, our personalized homepage, as the digital canvas for your creativity. We invite you to submit your compelling photography to bring your photography online to a global audience.

See iGoogle themes from artists that have already attempted the challenge.

How it works

Enter your portfolio of five digital photos that together will make up the iGoogle theme
The shortlist: 36 shortlisted entries will be turned into iGoogle themes, shown on Google and put to public vote
The finalists: 6 finalists will be exhibited at Saatchi Gallery London and reviewed by our independent jury (including Idris Khan, Martin Parr, Michael Hoppen, Susanna Brown and Tim Marlow)
The winner: 1 winner will receive a $7,500 prize and an invite to spend a day with Martin Parr

How to enter

Visit www.google.com/photographyprize to read more about the contest and to submit your photographs. The deadline for submission is May 31, 2009.

Enter early to get an exclusive 'I'm a Google Photographer' button for your website, blog or social network page!

We look forward to seeing your entries!

Posted by Louise Rigby, Associate Product Marketing Manager

Announcing the 2009 US Anita Borg Scholars

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 22:00:00 +0000

We are thrilled to announce and congratulate the 2009 Google US Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship winners!

The 2009 Google Anita Borg Scholarship Recipients

Jennifer Roberts, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sheena Lewis, Northwestern University
Ramya Raghavendra, University of California-Santa Barbara
Saleema Amershi, University of Washington
Divya Ramachandran, University of California-Berkeley
Leshell Hatley, University of Maryland College Park
Sara Sinclair, Dartmouth College
Mary David, University of Southern California
Dana Forsthoefel, Georgia Institute of Technology
Manjari Narayan, Rice University
Yi-Chieh Wu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sarah Cooley, Oregon State University
Katherine Corner, University of Colorado at Boulder
Natalie Freed, Arizona State University Main
Sarah Loos, Indiana University Bloomington
Isabel Mattos, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Norma Savage, Universidad Nacional Autonoma De Mexico (will be attending University of California-Santa Barbara)
Elaine Short, Yale University
Xuexin (Alice) Zhu, Harvey Mudd College
YoungJoo Jeong, Carnegie Mellon University

The 2009 Google Anita Borg Scholarship Finalists

Cindy Rubio Gonzalez, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Maria Kazandjieva, Stanford University
Rachel Sealfon, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Shilpa Arora, Carnegie Mellon University
Pinar Muyan-Ozcelik, University of California-Davis
Kristi Morton, University of Washington
Carrie Ruppar, TBD
Ekaterina Gonina, University of California-Berkeley
Kelli Ireland, University of Pittsburgh
Xia Zhou, University of California-Santa Barbara
Corey Toler-Franklin, Princeton University
Chaitrali Amrutkar, Georgia Institute of Technology
Krystle de Mesa, University of California, San Diego
Sonal Gupta, University of Texas at Austin
Sujatha Nagarajan, University of Illinois at Chicago
Julia Schwarz, University of Washington
Wendy Stevenson, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Supriya Vadlamani, Cornell University
Tracy Chou, Stanford University
Alyssa Daw, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Rachelle Fuhrer, University of California, San Diego
Jennifer Harrison, Arizona State University
Margaret Leibovic, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sneha Popley, Texas Christian University
Kyle Rector, Oregon State University
Jacinda Shelly, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sarah Shiplett, Wellesley College
Manasi Vartak, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Angela Yen, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Valerie Yoder, Westminster College

For more information on our scholarship programs, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent & Outreach Programs

Make an ad in 48 hours to make your name at Cannes Lions Advertising Festival

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:55:00 +0000

Want a challenge? Want to go to Cannes? Under 29? Enjoy going a full weekend without sleep? We have something for you.

Every year young creative minds from all over the world compete in 48 hour film contests where - if they make the best advert in the given time - they win a trip to the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival to represent their countries at the Young Lions competition. This year we're sending two of you.

You will need to make an ad in 48 hours - we'll release the brief for the ad at the beginning of this period - and once submitted, you'll get two weeks to get the ad as many views, ratings and votes on the channel as possible. Then, sit tight. The two best entrants as picked by our expert panel will win an all-expense-paid trip to the Festival to make up Team YouTube at the Cannes Lions.

For now, go to the channel, subscribe to receive updates, and await further instruction. Brief released Friday May 15th, at midnight GMT. You'll have until midnight Sunday May 17th to get the ad uploaded and submitted to the contest.

The Young Lions competition is a prestigious but frantic week of creativity where the teams of two from all over the world compete in timed challenges to create ads for different briefs, in between training sessions from industry luminaries. An inherent part of the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, one of the world's premiere advertising festivals, it's an ideal place for any young creative person to get exposure and open doors for their career.

Good luck.

Posted by Stephanie Hollywood, University Programmes

Follow us on Twitter!

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Google for Students has made its way to Twitter! Check out our daily updates at @googlestudents.

Happy Earth Day!

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Today is Earth Day. What are you doing to celebrate? Googlers around the world are celebrating in many different ways, some of which you can read about here.

Even our homepage has gotten in on the fun with another innovative doodle:

For tips and ideas on how you can go green for Earth Day and beyond, check out YouTube's Live Green Channel. Through simple steps like getting a houseplant you too can live a little greener.

Congratulations are in order for the students of the University of Maine at Farmington - 24% of them took the Climate Savers Computing Initiative's Power Down for the Planet pledge to support more efficient computing, besting 18 other universities. You can still take the pledge to adopt green computing practices. For more information, visit http://www.powerdownfortheplanet.org/.

Have any conservation tips or want to share how you are celebrating your Earth Day - tell us all about it in the comments!

Google Lime Scholarship Launch

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 20:32:00 +0000

Google is proud to partner with Lime on launching a new scholarship program: Google Lime Scholarship for Students with Disabilities.

To be eligible for the Google Lime Scholarship, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

a student entering their junior or senior year of undergraduate study or be enrolled in a graduate program in the 2009-2010 academic year at a university in the United States or Canada (in addition to US and Canada citizens, international students with disabilities studying at universities in the US or Canada are also encouraged to apply);
enrolled in Computer Science or Computer Engineering program, or a closely related technical field as a full-time student for the 2009-2010 academic year;
a person with a disability (defined as someone who has, or considers themselves to have, a long-term, or recurring, issue that impacts one or more activities that others may consider a daily function). This definition also includes the perception among others that a disability exists.

For complete details, please visit www.google.com/jobs/scholarships or read our blog posting on the Official Google Blog.

Deadline to apply: June 1, 2009

Posted by Meghan O'Farrell, Talent and Outreach Programs

Connect at Google FUSE

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:20:00 +0000

At Google, we are committed to helping the innovators of the future make the most of their gifts. As part of this commitment to build and retain a strong and diverse talent pool in computer science, we’ve created the Google FUSE program. This summer, FUSE will provide an opportunity for successful and invested first year computer science students who are historically underrepresented in the field to connect with one another and with Google. We’ll be bringing rising college sophomores from across the US and Canada to our New York office for two days of networking, learning, and fun.

Our goal is to form a network that will allow these top rising sophomores to learn about the research, academic, and industry opportunities that lead to great careers. We also want to make connections between students and Googlers who have paved this path before them.

If you're currently a first year student who has declared a CS or related major and are interested in connecting with other top students, we want to hear from you! Students from historically underrepresented groups in technology -- female, Native American, African American and Hispanic students as well as students with disabilities -- are encouraged to apply.

Learn more at www.google.com/jobs/students/fuse.

Posted by Zach Geller and Hanah Kim, University Programs Specialists

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 18:35:00 +0000

It's time for green clothing, corned beef sandwiches, and dumping large quantities of dye into bodies of water - St. Patrick's Day is here again! At Google we are celebrating with our annual 5K run, Irish themed food in our cafes, and, of course, a special holiday logo, designed by Doodle 4 Google Ireland winner Evan O'Sullivan Glynn.

Hope everyone has a fun and safe St. Patrick's Day! And be sure you're wearing green so you don't get pinched!

Google Summer of Code 2009 is on!

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 20:31:00 +0000

Interested in learning more about open source software development and methodologies? Looking for a way to get that experience while getting paid? Look no further!

Through the Google Summer of Code^TM program, we match college and university students with mentors from academia and industry to work on a three month coding project. You're welcome to propose a project that suits your specialized interests or to apply to work on a project proposed by one of our mentoring organizations. Successful student participants receive a $4500 stipend, an awesome t-shirt and valuable exposure to real world software development scenarios. You won't even need to leave home to work with a global community of members from more than 98 countries. Best of all, no previous experience with open source development is required, and there will be projects available across a wide variety of technical areas and skill levels.

We're currently accepting applications from open source projects who wish to act as mentoring organizations. We'll publish the list of accepted open source projects, along with their suggested project ideas, on Wednesday, March 18th. You'll have a few days to get to know your would-be mentors before student applications open on Monday, March 23rd. However, there's no reason to wait to get involved with the Google Summer of Code community; check out the webpages from past instances of the program, review what other students have done and decide what open source projects look interesting to you. While there are no guarantees, if an organization has participated in the past, chances are they'll return again this year provided they choose to apply.

Looking for more background? We have a wide variety of resources to help you get started. First, read our program Frequently Asked Questions for an overview of Google Summer of Code. We also have a community wiki that has some great advice for student applicants and more information to give you an idea of the mentor's perspective. You can also check out a variety of videos, including information about the program and screencasts made by past students, in our program YouTube channel. If you still have questions or want to jump in after taking a look at the documentation, you can always find us in the Google Summer of Code Discussion group or in #gsoc on Freenode. Best of luck to all of our applicants, and here's to our fifth Google Summer of Code!

Posted by: Leslie Hawthorn, Program Manager, Open Source

Squeezing Ideas out of a Throw-Away Item

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:00:00 +0000

How would you define innovation? Environmentalism? Or entrepreneurship? The Juicy Ideas Competition asked college students to demonstrate all three. Attracting nearly 900 college students from roughly 30 schools, The Juicy Ideas Competition asked students to create an innovative product out of a "throw-away" item. They were then asked to post a video that illustrated these three factors and post it to YouTube.

Videos poured in from all over the country - we saw everything from blankets made out of plastic bags to coffee tables made out of Gatorade bottles. But none of the ideas stood out as much as the four students from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Spencer Price, Ryan Klinger, Andrew Drake, and Justin Henry created a working bicycle out of used water bottles to win the Juicy Ideas grand prize trip to the Google Headquarters in Mountain View.

At the Googleplex last week, the students spent an exciting day listening to presentations from Googlers on the unique business culture, our green transportation efforts, and new features in Google Earth. We even got them on our conference bike! Most importantly, the students got to present their winning video and it's version 2.0 to a group of Google employees. Take a look at how they transformed a simple idea into a feasible business model:

Google was thrilled to be a supporter of the Juicy Ideas Competition and we look forward to the exciting ideas that will arise next year! Juicy Ideas is coming to a school near you! If you're interested in participating or just want more information join us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Posted by Mary Radomile, Program Manager, EngEDU

Google Advertising 101

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:30:00 +0000

Do your marketing professors keep using phrases like "SEM" (Search Engine Marketing) that have you befuddled? Are you looking to advertise your own business or website? Curious how Google makes its money? Well read on to learn more...

Media consumption is changing dramatically and there is an enormous opportunity for marketers. Search marketing is durable, always-on and is now approximately 41% of consumer media consumption*. That's pretty compelling. Media consumption can come in many forms such as search, blogs, rich media, online display, games, etc.

So what is Google's role in this space? Simply put, Google is in the "Connections Business". Our goal is to connect consumers to all the information they care about and connect marketers to all the customers they care about.

What Google Believes:

Advertising should be measurable, accountable, and optimizable.
You should only pay as much as you have to and you should get what you pay for.
Advertising should be flexible. You should be able to start, stop, or cancel your media buy at any time you choose.

The Google advertising auction has three main components:

Speed: Almost instantaneous
Scale: A live auction is run for every single query – every user, everywhere around the world.
Quality: In addition to "price", there's a consumer component. In other words, Google doesn't decide where ads are eventually displayed because the consumer helps us to decide. Every time you click on an add, you help us to determine which ads are most relevant.

Additionally, Google allows small, niche advertisers to compete with large clients that they have struggled to compete with in the past because of cost and market entry.

Now you are probably wondering where you can advertise? Well, the Google Media Platform, offers marketers 4 ways to connect with the consumer: Search Solutions, Content Network, Offline Solutions, and other web solutions.

Search and Content Networks: Google AdWords is a quick and simple way to advertise on Google and its ad partners, regardless of your budget. AdWords ads are displayed along with search results on Google, as well as on search and content sites in the growing Google Network, which includes websites like AOL, EarthLink, HowStuffWorks, & Blogger. With searches on Google and page views on the Google Network each day, your Google AdWords ads reach a vast audience.

Want to learn even more about AdWords? Feel free to jump on to adwords.google.com for more detailed info.

*Source: "US Entertainment and Media Consumer Survey Report 2007" JupiterResearch (April 2007); Universal McCann (June 2007); eMarketer (Feb 2007); Google internal estimates

Posted by Sabrina Welch, HRTO Project Manager

Nick Chokas – Google Ambassador

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:30:00 +0000

And now a word from Google Ambassador and former Intern, Nick Chokas.

After hearing, reading, or in my case, experiencing all the amazing perks and benefits of working at Google it becomes very clear why they are the #1 company to work for in the world. Free gourmet food, exciting company events, awesome co-workers, world class technology, and how can I forget those amazing massage chairs. My internships at Google have been the most fun and rewarding experiences of my life. I have worked there for the past 2 summers (2007 & 2008) at their New York City headquarters, and man did I have the time of my life. The greatest company in the world and the greatest city in the world – you can’t go wrong. I worked as an IT Field Technician where my main responsibility was supporting all of the employees' computer needs. Along with this my tasks included direct support for Google’s corporate resources and applications, office relocations and expansions, web development of internal applications, and a less technical duty of drinking at least 2 Mountain Dews per day (I’m a Mountain Dew fanatic). Besides spoiling me with tons of fun and making me gain weight, working at Google has taught me how to be a more resourceful team player, introduced me to solving complex problems, amplified my self-motivation, and increased both my overall technical and business knowledge. Let’s just say I looked forward to going to work every single day.

This school year, I was chosen as the Google Ambassador for the University of Connecticut. As such I am the primary link between the student body on campus and Google. My main goals are evangelizing Google products, recruitment, and hosting CSE study break parties. Using Google Sites, I created a quick website for students to go to for more information, which you can visit at http://sites.google.com/site/googatuconn/.

Back in December I held an informational session where I shared my experiences at Google, what it was like to work there, and what makes a successful candidate. I also talked about two very useful Google products, Google Docs and Google Calendar (or GCal).

To prepare for the event and get the word out, I used Google Spreadsheets to create a form for everyone to to use to RSVP to the event. I posted fliers all around campus to advertise the event and added the URL to the form’s website. Once people filled it out and submitted it, their entries were automatically put into a spreadsheet. As expected, this saved me a lot of time and heart ache.

As for the actual event, roughly 110 people showed up and, in a nut shell, they loved it. The pizza & sodas didn't hurt! I gave a presentation packed with useful information and YouTube videos about Google. In addition I did live demonstrations of Google Docs and GCal. Most of the people that attended the event had no idea the powerful and time-saving features both of these products have. Consequently, the informational session was a huge success.

All in all, Google has not only changed how the world searches and finds information but also has had a huge impact on me individually as it gave me a HUGE jump start to my career for when I graduate this coming May. I hope that more people get the chance to intern there so they can experience what it is like to work at the best company in the world – its life changing. Thank You Google!!!

Posted by Nick Chokas, University of Connecticut

How to Support a Job Search Using Google Tools

Jessica Bagley — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:30:00 +0000

I’ve always been a planner. The scope and breadth of my “to do” lists is legendary. I’ve never pulled an all-nighter to finish a term paper in college. When I deliver a presentation, I always prepare an appendix containing various tidbits that my audience might ask about. Naturally, planning and preparation were foremost on my mind when Google contacted me two years ago to interview for a position on their University Programs team.

I was certainly familiar with the company and some of their products but I knew I needed to prepare extensively for the interview to make the most of this opportunity. What better way to learn about the company and its products than use them to do research for my interview? Google Search was fantastic for learning more about my interviewers. Google Alerts gave me daily news updates and insights into media buzz on the company in the weeks leading up to my interview. I used Google Docs to organize my research and put it at my fingertips. Using Google products in this way served me well. I was offered a position and soon after became a Googler.

Since that time, I have experimented with additional products that can be useful when conducting a job search. These tools are a valuable resource regardless of the company or industry you are targeting.

I recently penned a knol to share some ideas on how Google products can be utilized to:

identify and target companies or other organizations of interest
network, enhance your web presence, and showcase your key accomplishments to potential employers
prepare for an interview and ultimately land your ideal position

The case studies that I developed for the knol reference undergraduates and PhD students but the advice translates to any job seeker regardless of the stage of their career.

Tips include creating a Google Site to highlight your accomplishments and help potential employers find you; using YouTube to brush up on dining etiquette prior to the inevitable interview day meal; and using Google Scholar if you’re interviewing for a technical position to determine and read up on the areas of expertise of your interviewers.

I hope you find these tools as useful as I have and I wish you all the best in your pursuit of a rewarding career opportunity.

You can download your own copy of the quick reference featured in this post for all these tips and more! Or check out my knol for more information and details on how you can enhance your job search with Google tools.

Posted by Jennifer Petoff, University Programs Team

Our blogging resolution – we want to hear from you!

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Happy New Year, everyone!

We hope you all enjoyed your holidays, semester breaks, and time off. We have a lot in store for the Google Student Blog in 2009 but we'd also love to hear from you about what you'd like to see in these posts. You can think of it as our New Year blogging resolution. Have a great idea for a post or a series? Is there something you're dying to learn more about? Want to guest write a blog to share how you use Google products on your campus? Share in the comments below or email us at studentspeak@google.com.

We look forward to hearing your ideas and making sure your voices are heard.

The Google Student Blog Team

Googlers Beta

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 22:34:00 +0000

The Student Has Become the Teacher

During a Google internship PhD student Sam Slee discovered the openness of the Google culture and found a way to become part of it.

Name: Sam Slee
Department: Google Analysis Products

Background: PhD candidate from Duke University working on Self-Reconfigurable Robotics.

How it happened:
I first wanted to come to Google because I was inspired by stories of a great company culture and their famed "Don't be evil" motto. I wasn't disappointed. During the course of my internship much of my work was about writing connections from my team's codebase to several other large, existing Google systems. That meant I had to learn a lot about these core, internal workings that most companies would try to keep hidden.

But the Google culture is incredibly open. Even as an intern, I was able to read through documentation and source code for these important Google technologies. Whenever I came up with more detailed questions, there were plenty of Googlers that I could go to in person or by email who were very eager to provide help.

That eagerness rubs off, and after a while I looked to start sharing all of the documentation and tutorials that I had written while learning about those Google technologies. I eventually found an intern in another office -- in another city, actually -- who needed to start working with a particularly big, internal system that I had written an online tutorial for. It took me 2 days to get that system set up when I first tried it. Following my tutorial, it took him about 2 hours. He was thrilled to say the least, and at that point I felt like I had contributed as a real part of the Google culture.

To learn more about how you can become a Google intern, please visit www.google.com/jobs/students/intern. We are now accepting applications for Summer 2009.

Posted by Jessica Bagley, University Programs Team

Google Workshop for Women Engineers

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:26:00 +0000

As part of Google's ongoing commitment to encouraging women to excel in computing and technology, we are pleased to host the 2009 Google Workshop for Women Engineers to recognize and reward deserving female graduate students in computer science, and inspire them to become active participants and leaders in creating technology. For more information on the program and to find out how to apply, please visit http://www.google.com/jobs/students/gwwe. The deadline to apply is Friday, December 5, 2008.

Up to 75 female computer scientists will be selected to attend a 3 day all-expenses paid workshop at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California January 22-25, 2009. This special workshop will include technical talks and career workshops, and a unique occasion to build and strengthen networks of women in technology. Students will also enjoy tours of the Googleplex, have the opportunity to meet with Google engineers in their research fields, and have fun exploring the San Francisco bay area.

Posted by Jessica Bagley, University Programs Team

Announcing the 2009 Google Anita Borg Scholarship – now accepting applications!

Jessica Bagley — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:28:00 +0000

In 2003, a group of Googlers decided to establish the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship to honor the work of their friend and colleague, Dr. Anita Borg, a computer scientist who dedicated her professional career to increasing the participation of women and other under-represented groups in the field of technology. In her memory, we're pleased to announce the 2009 Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship program in both the United States and Canada.

We're looking for women who will carry on the legacy of Dr. Borg, with strong academic backgrounds and demonstrated leadership qualities. A group of female undergraduate and graduate students will be chosen from the applicant pool, and scholarships will be awarded based on the strength of each candidate's academic background and demonstrated leadership. All US and Canadian scholarship recipients and finalists will be invited to visit the Googleplex in Mountain View, California next June for the Annual Google Scholars' Retreat. This special networking event includes workshops with a series of speakers, panelists, breakout sessions and social activities in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The deadline for the US Anita Borg Scholarship program is Friday, February 6, 2009 and the deadline for the Canada Anita Borg Scholarship program is Monday, February 23, 2009. Tell your friends, or apply yourself.

The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship program is a global initiative available to women studying computer science in Australia, Canada, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and New Zealand.

Posted by Meredith Carroll, Diversity Programs

Hear from the Global Winners of the Google Online Marketing Challenge

Jessica Bagley — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 19:48:00 +0000

You may know that earlier this year, Google launched the Google Online Marketing Challenge to encourage students around the world to get hands-on experience with AdWords and online marketing, with the chance to win a trip to Mountain View in the process. From Nigeria to Australia to Taiwan, 1600 student teams from 47 countries around the world took part in the first ever global online marketing competition. The standard of teams was very high and we're proud to announce our winners and finalists for 2008!

Global Winner

University of Western Australia - Aaron Balm, Lauren Bobridge, Amy Smith, Victor Tsen and Arina Usikov. Taught by Dr. Fang Liu.

Regional Winners

Australian Graduate School of Management - Sean Harpur, Daniel Jolly, Fiona Macrae, Danny Van Clief and Jason von Stieglitz. Taught by Dr. Julien Cayla.
Pennsylvania State University (US) - Caroline Furey, Joe Lewis, Matthew Maisel, Daehee Park and Tonya Podkuiko. Taught by Dr. Jim Jansen.
Universitat Bern (Switzerland) - Raphael Dick, Kilian Imboden, Kevin Meile and Gourav Verma. Taught by Prof. Thomas Myrach and Research Assistant, Natalie Jaggi.

Regional Finalists

National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences (Taiwan) - Shiu Chiau-Ya, Yang Huei-Chuen, Yeh Hui-Ling, Lin Jia-Wei, Wang Shin-Pei and He Tzung-Ting. Taught by Craig Chao.
National Taiwan University - Chu Chao-Yuan, Honggo Ng, Tseng Tzu-Yu, Lee Ta-Jen and Lin Wan-Ching. Taught by Chun-Yao Huang.
Boise State University (US) - Lisa Chipman, Trevor Herbst, Kasey Keller, Chris Mendonca and Lisa Mooers. Taught by Christoph Schneider.
James Madison University (US) - Ryan Farrell, Bethany Kent, Julia Marchetti, Renee Montmeny and Katelynn McGinnis. Taught by Theresa Flaherty.
The Wurzburg-Schweinfurt University of Applied Sciences (Germany) - Johannes Albert, Fabian Drescher, Christian Hoerner and Jochen Saal. Taught by Mario Fischer.
The College for Modern Business Studies (Hungary) - Péter Seres, Tamás Szabó, László Tóth and Anikó Vetési. Taught by Nebojsa Damjanovich.

Below is a guest blog entry by the Global Winners from the University of Western Australia who recently visited the Googleplex in Mountain View as part of their prize. For us at Google, it was immensely gratifying to meet these students and hear them speak of the enthusiasm and benefit they received from competing.

Remember - The Google Online Marketing Challenge is on again in 2009. To find out more visit the 2009 Challenge website at www.google.com/onlinechallenge.

____

The Google Online Marketing Challenge has had a major impact on us as students by not only expanding our knowledge of online search advertising but also by increasing our career prospects. As student marketers it was great to actually get hands-on experience in using an online advertising platform. We got to work with real money and a real business client in a real world situation. The challenge was definitely a refreshing change from the usual theoretical university assessments we've been given in the past.

The challenge gave us the opportunity to put into practice some of the marketing theories we've been learning about in our Advertising and Promotion unit. In addition the resource guides provided by Google and the Adwords help center taught us how to easily and effectively advertise on Google's search and its content network. The knowledge and skills that we picked up will definitely help us in the future, especially at a time when more and more people are using the Internet.

And you don't even have to be studying marketing to benefit from taking this challenge. One day you may be starting your own business, and the skills you picked up through this challenge can be used to help promote your business on one of the world's largest online advertising networks. Also you could easily promote your charity, club or organization using the experience you gained from taking this challenge.

Besides the valuable experience we have all picked up, the challenge has helped increased our career prospects, especially with Google. One of our team members is actually in talks with Google for a job in London. Another one of our team members is currently in part-time employment with a Search Engine Marketing firm as a consequence of the challenge. Taking part in the challenge is definitely a great thing to add to your resume.

As global winners our prize was a trip to the Google headquarters in Mountain View. While we were there we received a tour of the Googleplex, found out what it was like to work there, met the Googlers who worked on the challenge and got plenty of Google's renowned free food and drinks! In addition we each received an awesome Macbook Pro. There are many cool prizes to win, so sign up for 2009 and who knows you and your team may be flying to the Google headquarters in 2009.

Before we sign off we would like to share a tip for everyone taking part in the 2009 challenge. It is highly recommended that you follow the guidelines, read it thoroughly and try to satisfy as much of the requirements as possible. The guides will help you structure your campaign correctly and give you a good understanding of what the judges expect from you. Apart from the resource guides, make sure to use the Adwords help center and other Adwords online resources. Just Google it!

Thank you and best of luck to everyone!

____

Posted by Lee Hunter, Product Marketing Manager

More on Halloween and the Election

Jessica Bagley — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:32:00 +0000

It’s been a busy week at Google between Halloween last Friday (or Googleween as we like to call it) and the election on Tuesday. Halloween 2008 was celebrated in true Google style with lots of creative costumes and pumpkin carving. From current events to technology, Googlers costumes ranged from the simple to the elaborate. And of course our dogs got in on the fun too!

A Googler dressed as T-Mobile's G1, the first phone to support Google's Android platform.

Plymouth Cafe's pumpkin carving contest entry: Seed of Pumpkin

A bumblebee Doogler (Googler dog)

Jellyfish

Michael Phelps shows off his 8 gold medals

Our favorite student submitted costume comes from Ashley Tjader and Ashley Reid from theUniversity of South Carolina who dressed up as their favourite childhood lunch items.

Thanks, Ashley and Ashley, for sharing your Halloween fun with us!

The biggest news this week, of course, is the culmination of the 2008 US Presidential election. According to Rock the Vote, American youth turned out in record numbers to cast their votes. A whopping 55% of voters ages 18-29 voted in the 2008 election, up from 49% in 2004. No matter how you voted, we hope you were one of the 133 million people to get their voices heard during this historic election. To see how Google got involved and helped to get out the vote, visit our 2008 Election site or check out our blog post from just a few days ago. And congratulations to President Elect Barack Obama and Vice President Elect Joe Biden on their victory!

Posted by Jessica Bagley, University Programs Team

Halloween @ the Googleplex

Jessica Bagley — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:22:00 +0000

At Google, we'll take advantage of any opportunity to get creative -- and costumes are no exception. Halloween is the perfect chance to bring some fun into the workplace since dressing up doesn't end with our home page. Here are some of the fun costumes of Google Halloween past:

And now it's your turn! Send us photos of your best costume to studentspeak@google.com and we’ll post our favorites on the blog. Wishing you a spooky Halloween.

Posted by Jessica Bagley, University Programs Team