[Kathryn Dickens]

Kathryn Dickens recently graduated from the one-year masters program at Carnegie Mellon University's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy & Management, with emphases on International Economics and Social Innovation. Prior to attending the Heinz School, she was a computer science volunteer with the Peace Corps in Cameroon, West Africa, where her main project was opening a bilingual public library (with a computer resource center) and a cultural center.

Kathryn is enthusiastic about the opportunity to consult at Ashesi University in Ghana, and hopes to continue in a career in the realm of technology in education and development. She hopes that her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Davis and her master's degree from Carnegie Mellon have prepared her to make profound and lasing contributions to the global community.

[Courtenay O'Connor]

With a Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Vermont and a Master of Science in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon's H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Courtenay O'Connor may not appear to be a typical Technology Consultant. Working with the Ministry of Health in the Republic of Palau, however, unites her interests and experience in international development and organizational change.

The Heinz School's unique core curriculum inculcated the necessity of data management and information communication technology into its 'management toolbox,' providing Courtenay with a well-rounded perspective that is tailored to meet the challenges presented through developing technology solutions for the Ministry of Health. Courtenay greatly enjoys the interface of new systems and technologies within a changing organization to provide sustainable and beneficial solutions. In Palau, this is manifested through her work with the Medical Referral Program, the Institutional Review Board, the Medical Licensing procedure, and the Medical Library.

[Nirav Patel]

Nirav Patel is a rising senior studying electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. While his interests range from backpacking to crocheting and classic films, Nirav's passion is applying technology to real-world problems. It is for this reason that he is an officer in Student Technology Outreach (STOC), a summer coder for One Laptop Per Child (OLPC), and part of the TCinGC program this summer.

As part of the program, Nirav is a consultant for the Palau Ministry of Health in Palau. This summer, he and Courtenay will be working with the Medical Licensure, Medical Referral, Medical Library, and Institutional Review Board programs at the Ministry of Health to bring technology to the organization in a friendly and sustainable way.

[Kaleem Rahman]

Kaleem Rahman is a junior studying computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar. His interests include implementing technology for developing communities, web applications and technologies, and organizational behavior.

This summer, Kaleem is working as a Research Intern with Microsoft Research India (MSRI) in Bangalore, India, in conjunction with the Mathru School for the Blind as part of the TCinGC program. There, he will be mainly focusing on how the current version of the Braille Tutor, a TechBridgeWorld software program, can be improved, and how new technology can be developed to enhance education for the visually impaired. As such, he will be field testing the tutor program at the Mathru School for the Blind by using the resources available at MSRI to improve upon existing technologies and develop new ones as well.

[Saurabh Sanghvi]

Saurabh Sanghvi is a junior Electrical and Computer Engineering student at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. One of the major issues in which he is interested is the disparity between very wealthy and underserved populations around the world. Saurabh believes technology can play an important role in helping with some of these issues, although that it must be developed specifically for individual communities such that it can be sustainable and applicable for them.

This summer, Saurabh is interning at Microsoft Research India in Bangalore, India as part of the TcinGC program. He is working toward developing technology to help the Mathru School for the Blind with fellow TCinGC interns Kaleem, Erin, and Aysha. With Kaleem, Saurabh will be primarily working on developing and field testing the TechBridgeWorld Braille Tutor, a tool that helps visually impaired students learn Braille by receiving immediate audio feedback from what they write. In addition, he is planning on working on creating software with Kaleem that can turn normal images into Braille images. As he enjoys working with kids, Saurabh is very excited to be in Bangalore working on a project about which he is very passionate.

[Aysha Siddique]

Aysha Siddique is a junior studying computer science at the Carnegie Mellon University Qatar Campus. She is also pursuing an additional major in Information Systems. Aysha has engaged in two TechBridgeWorld courses prior to participating in the TCinGC program this summer - Technology and Global Development and the Technology Consulting in the Community - and has developed a keen interest in developing and using innovative technology solutions in developing communities around the world. Specifically, she is interested in understanding the special needs of different communities, and how that leads to a difference in the technology solutions employed by them.

Aysha is currently interning at Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind in Bangalore, India as part of the TCinGC program. She is looking at ways in which technology can be used to benefit the Mathru School, such as by computerizing their records, restructuring the website to suit the audience of donors to the school, and increasing means of effective communication with the students' parents.

[Ermine (Erin) Teves]

Ermine (Erin) Teves graduated this past May from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, with a concentration in marketing. She worked as TechBridgeWorld's administrative intern for three semesters while an undergraduate at CMU, and as a result, is interested in technology for sustainable development.

This summer, Erin is participating in TechBridgeWorld's TCinGC program, and is based in Bangalore, India. There, she is working with Microsoft Research India (MSRI) and the Mathru School for the Blind. Along with fellow TCinGC student Aysha Siddique, Erin will work primarily with the Mathru School to determine how the school as a whole can benefit from technology.

[Adrienne White]

Adrienne White feels honored to be a part of the first TCinGC partnership in Ghana, and she is glad the program looked to her as one that would have the expertise to consult Ashesi University. A notable accomplishment at Carnegie Mellon, Adrienne is the first black female to graduate from the Information Networking Institute. She holds a Master of Science degree in Information Security Technology & Management. Upon her return from Ghana, Adrienne will be working full-time with the U.S. Department of Defense. She hopes to use her global experiences to best serve her country.