Betty Gronneberg Makes Inspirational Presentation to NDSU Students

FARGO, ND, September 26, 2017 (Newswire.com) - NDSU graduate Betty Gronneberg returned to the university to give students tips for success on Friday, September 22nd.  Gronneberg, who was born and raised in Ethiopia, earned a degree in Computer Science and Statistics at Addis Ababba University.  She also worked at the United Nations.  She completed her master’s degree at NDSU and has worked extensively in the software industry.  Through a Bush Foundation Fellowship and the uCodeGirl organization that she founded, Gronneberg is working to drive girls’ interest in computer programming and inspire the next generation.

Introduced by her former master’s advisor, Computer Science professor and department chair Dr. Kendall E. Nygard, Gronneberg went on to tell students that, to increase their chances for success, they should find a mentor, be experiential, and network.  There were over fifty in attendance at the event.

Having the event was designed help students feel more connected to their program and create a network of their own that could help them become better and more successful. Hearing from someone who is a graduate of our program helps students think about the opportunities available and impact they can have in their future.

Joan Krush, Computer Science Academic Advisor and Lecturer

One student in attendance commented that it was “inspirational to learn from Betty’s diverse experiences,” calling the presentation “encouraging.” 

During the presentation, Gronneberg talked about information technology being the fourth industrial revolution.  She also showed students how they can find their purpose and reason for being – how they impact themselves and others.  She stressed the importance of dreaming and dreaming big enough to have an impact, encouraging students to start every day by striving to be better than mediocre.  Gronneberg also discussed the challenges that students’ might face and how they can prepare to prevail and persevere to reach success.

“Having the event was designed to help students feel more connected to their program and create a network of their own that could help them become better and more successful in their STEM major,” commented Computer Science Academic Advisor and Lecturer Joan Krush, who helped organize the student-focused event. “Hearing from someone who is a graduate of our program helps students think about the opportunities available to them now and what impact they can have in their future.”

The event was co-sponsored by the Department of Computer Science and NDSU’s Information Technology Division.  Refreshments were also partially sponsored by a donation from Fast Enterprises.

The NDSU Computer Science Department was founded in 1988 (though computer science courses were offered as part of Mathematical Sciences since 1973). It offers Ph.D. degrees in computer science and software engineering, three master’s degrees and two bachelor’s degree programs. It occupies 7,460 square feet in NDSU’s Quentin Burdick Building and has approximately 600 graduate and undergraduate student majors.

Source: NDSU Computer Science