Science and Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships Blog

“I aspire to be a geek fertility goddess.”
- Ellen Spertus

Ellen Spertus, currently an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Mills College and a part-time software engineer at Google, Spertus is a former National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) recipient. She received her bachelor’s degree from MIT and went on to use her NSF fellowship towards a graduate degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science also from MIT. Although she has published her fair share of valuable papers and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, it was her crown as Sexiest Geek in 2001 that really made headlines and brought her national attention.

In 2001 she entered the Sexiest Geek contest in Silicon Valley wearing a circuit-breaker printed corset, long black skirt, with high slit, and a slide ruler strapped to her thigh. Her visually provocative and intellectually hilarious outfit was not only to entertain but to show young women that the “geek” label can be a coveted title and much more than the male-dominated, bottle-cap glasses stereotype. Geeks, especially computer geeks, can be sexy, smart, entertaining and female.

Since 1990, Dr. Spertus has worked to increase the number of women in computer science through her writing, organizing, teaching and Sexiest Geek contests. She has developed tools and strategies for women online, was a co-Investigator on an National Science Foundation grant to develop technology classes and clubs for girls in the Oakland area, and has led numerous workshops on electronics for girls.

The combination of brains and a circuit-breaker corset seems to be working for her as she was chosen one of ABCNews.com’s Top 10 Wired Women of 2002 and later was the recipient of the Women Who Dare Award in 2007 given out by Girls Inc. to women who inspire young girls to reach for equality and success.

*Sexiest Geek Image via Dr. Ellen Spertus Homepage

Related: Girls Inc. of the Island City – Tips for applying to NSF Graduate Researach Fellowship Program – NSF Graduate Research Fellow Profile – Burton Richter

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program website offers an extensive amount of information on every topic pertaining to the program. Potential applicants can read about the program, where they will learn that the GRFP caters to graduate students in the science, technology, and mathematics fields. They can also read more about the statistics from the program’s past three years. And learn, for example, that about 10 percent of all applicants received an award.

There are also many resources available to current applicants. Those who are seeking assistance with their application (which are due in early November) should view the tips for applying section. GRFP resource persons are volunteers at universities across the country, who have experience with the program in different capacities. Most will either be current or past fellows, fellowship advisors, or professors.

Related: Fellowship directory – Five Grinnell College Graduates Awarded NSF GRFP