Women need to embrace tech: Spandana Raj Babbula

A native of Warangal, Spandana Raj Babbula has won the prestigious Google Anita Borg memorial scholarship (Asia Pacific) and Facebook’s 2014 Grace Hopper scholarship.

Spoke to Ms Spandana Raj about her winning the prestigious Google Anita Borg memorial scholarship and Facebook’s 2014 Grace Hopper scholarship and her experience as a young woman in a field with so few other women, about how things changed during her course, and for what advice she wishes she would give to the other women who are admiring by seeing her achievement. When asked about Spandana, her parents Babbula Rajeshwar and Jyothi said that she is very intelligent right from the childhood. She was first in class from nursery till today. She enjoys reading and learning and she is best at studying, thinking, and figuring systems out. Excerpts from conversation follows.

When was that you got interest in Computers?
I got exposed to computers as early as in high school when I was at Oasis Public School in Warangal. That created interest towards computers.

Why were you drawn to Computer Science?
That was probably my senior year in high school. I had always liked maths. My father Rajeshwar Babbula is a mathematics lecturer in a private college. He taught me what maths is and what a mathematician does. I liked logic problems, which I think probably drove me to computer science.

Who inspired you to take Computer Science?
No doubt my parents are my first inspiration. And also, at school-level my principal Paranjyothi at college-level Ashok Veda who is the co-ordinator of Naryana group of colleges who encouraged me a lot and my uncle P.K. Srinivasan who is at my back always.

What it was being a woman at IIT Madras?
I think I was in the first big co-ed class. And that made a huge difference in whether my parents would let their daughter go to the college. We are only five women in a class of 55.

With so few women around what was it like socially?
Well, different people are different but, yes, there was a lot of working together and studying with other classmates and I have some good friends.

Did you feel like male undergraduates and male faculty respecting your intelligence?
I never had that kind of experience instead all are so encouraging.

How did you know about Google Anita Borg memorial scholarship?
When I completed my first year in the college and stood first, my faculty and my seniors had said that Google Anita Borg memorial scholarship will be given to encourage women to excel in computing and technology, and to become role models and leaders in the computer field. It created interest in me to go for that so I applied for that. There was a point when I realised that I can get it.

How have you been selected?
A group of female undergraduate and graduate students will be chosen from the applicant pool across Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and India. Based on the strength of each candidate’s academic background and demonstrated leadership, scholarship of '1 lakh will be awarded. And I have been one among 27 members who were selected for that scholarship from India.

Why did you go to Tokyo recently?
All scholarship recipients have been invited to attend an annual Google scholars retreat in a Google office at Tokyo. There we interacted with the employees and observed their way of working and got inspired by seeing their commitment.

How did you get Facebook scholarship?
It was also same like Google, on the basis of academic performance the selection will be done. And I have been selected one among 25 all over the world. I am flying to Phoenix in Arizona in the USA, to attend the Grace Hopper celebration of women in computing, one of the world’s largest gathering of women technologists from October 6 to 11 as part of Facebook’s scholarship.  

So what is the next step for you, after finishing your studies at IIT-Madras ?
I want to go for research in the computer field after doing a job for one year related to my studies. I want to focus on just being a researcher.

Was your family very excited about your achievements? Were they supportive?
They were thrilled. They were bragging in my home town Warangal. And they bragged to near and dear ones that I was girl among boys who did it.

What advice would you like to give to the women of your age and future generations?
The percentage of computer science degrees earned by women is still 18 per cent. Women need to embrace computer science and technology instead of avoiding it.