TechBridgeWorld - Testimonials

“TechBridgeWorld has afforded me the opportunity to be involved in projects that are geared towards tackling important problems in our world. It is work that I care about on a personal level, and will also see me through to the completion of my PhD. I am particularly excited about the chance to work directly with people affected by our work, as opposed to just analyzing data.”

Beatrice Dias, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant

Needs Assessment and Evaluation Lead based in Dar es Salaam

“I feel that the iSTEP internship program offers me a unique chance to take the technical skills that I've developed at Carnegie Mellon and apply them to a very important problem: how can we use technology to help people in developing communities? As for myself, I'm looking forward to the chance to work with new people, learn new skills, and tackle new problems.”

Daniel Nuffer, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant

Technical Lead for Social Worker Applications project based in Dar es Salaam

“The iSTEP program provided me an incredibly unique opportunity to mix a lot of the things that are important to me: technological innovation, real-world engineering practice, and cultural experience all under the umbrella of helping those in need. I can't imagine a program that would suit my desires more perfectly. Working with iSTEP has provided me opportunities that I could not get anywhere else, and I consider myself extremely lucky and privileged to do such meaningful work. I'm especially looking forward to taking engineering sensibilities to a real world problem in a new culture. I think too often engineers are removed from the people they are trying to help, and don't get to directly see the fruits of the labor. This experience will help me keep in mind why I became an engineer, and will keep me motivated to solve the technical challenges faced by developing nations and communities.”

Brad Hall, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant

Technical Lead for the Braille Tutor project based in Dar es Salaam

“I've been interested in the global development work Carnegie Mellon does and especially the work of TechBridgeWorld ever since seeing a presentation during the Freshman Immigration Course. Doing non-traditional work where you can see and understand the difference your work is making rather than developing for a faceless client base from a 9 to 5 cubicle is a fascinating and unique experience. I'm excited to get started on the projects and hope that my work is not only valuable to Tanzania but something I can discuss and encourage amongst my peers as I believe global development is a field which lacks a significant presence on campus. With projects such as this and many others happening on campus I hope that awareness for issues can bring more attention and more opportunities in the future.”

Anthony Velázquez, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant

Technical floater based on Pittsburgh Campus

“TechBridgeWorld's iSTEP program redefines what an internship should be. The unique and novel projects present interesting challenges that require innovation, flexibility and adaptability to unexpected situations. It is also a very unique opportunity to apply the skills I have learned throughout my education to enhance a life-impacting project. Those skills, without a doubt, are very important in shaping a successful future.”

Hatem Alismail, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant

Technical lead for the iSTEP Literacy Tools project based in Dar es Salaam

“The TechBridgeWorld course I took at Carnegie Mellon in Fall 2006 was the tipping point in making me explore social entrepreneurship seriously, which eventually led to the creation of A Developed World. In the course, I not only learned about the reality of the great digital divide that exists in the developing world, but also practical ways to bridge it. I was deeply influenced by TechBridgeWorld's work, and learned about the great work of people like Dr. Mohammed Yunus and Bono. Eventually, I interned for a summer at PlanetRead in Mumbai, India - an organization I also learned about during the course.”

Shashank Nigam, Technology for Global Development Course Participant

Recently co-founded his own social enterprise called A Developed World

“One of the best experiences of my life was participating with TechBridgeWorld and TCinGC this summer in Bangalore, India with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind. Apart from the experience of living in a different country with three fantastic teammates, I learned new skills and made new friends. I interacted with less fortunate children and networked with bright minds. Most importantly, I was able to make an impact on the Mathru School and its students. This achievement has given me a clearer understanding of what I want to do with my life. For me, this is just the beginning!”

Ermine Teves, Student Consultant in India, Business Administration Graduate

Collaborated with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind to field test the Braille Writing Tutor and launch a new website for the school to attract potential donors and partners

“TechBridgeWorld provided me with the chance to truly expand my horizons to find out what I am interested in and excel in…I truly appreciate all the help and support you’ve given me, you have been some of the few mentors I have had to support my goal in serving with the Peace Corps and I truly admire and appreciate that.”

Shabnam Aggarwal, Technology for Global Development Course Participant

Also participated with short-term winter internship experience with Microsoft Research India arranged by TechBridgeWorld

“This summer I was able to go to Bangalore and witness a totally different culture. In addition to growing culturally I was given the freedom to explore and develop technology that I thought would best help benefit the visually impaired community. There are many jobs where you can create technology without knowing why you are doing it or who the end user of your product is. However, this summer I was able to see the end results of all of my work directly in the field. My immediate feedback would be the joy on the faces of the children enjoying a game on the Braille Tutor or the children identifying one of the Braille images that we created. This is an amazing feeling and one of the reasons why I consider last summer to be one of my greatest experiences.”

Saurabh Sanghvi, Student Consultant in India, ECE Junior

Collaborated with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind to field test the Braille Writing Tutor, develop games for the tutor software, and explore braille image printing options

“Taking the V-Unit has been one of the most daring and challenging experiences I had in graduate school and in life. It has given me the opportunity to take my research to a different level.”

Ariadna Font Llitjós, V-Unit Participant, LTI Ph.D. Graduate

Traveled to Cusco, Peru to develop machine translation system from Quechua to Spanish

“Our time abroad was filled with so much more than acting as TCinGC consultants. In fact, becoming functional members of the Ghanaian culture was important to the success of our project. We took extra effort into eating local food and participating in social events. Kayt and I were sent to Ashesi to accomplish a specific technical goal, which we exceeded, and we were so grateful to be selected to consult there. But on a more personal note, this is what I got out of the experience: It’s not only what you bring to the table, but also what you take from the table. I definitely look forward to traveling back to Ghana.”

Adrienne White, Student Consultant in Ghana, INI Graduate

Collaborated with Ashesi University College in Accra, Ghana to set up a student records management system with local partners

“Through this project I feel that I became an independent thinker and learner by extending myself beyond classroom work. The project helped me to extend my thinking beyond the course materials that I learned in the classroom and to be more creative in applying my skills in ways that could benefit my society. Through this experience I learned the difference between conducting a research project and presenting it in simplified terms to a general audience so my message can get through.”

Noura El-Moughny, TechBridgeWorld Independent Study, CS Graduate

Developed Arabic Language capabilities for the Braille Writing Tutor

“As technology consultants to Ashesi University College, we were the luckiest consultants of TCinGC! Ashesi was a welcoming community where we were surrounded by people with the common goal of educating Africa’s best and brightest students to be future leaders. I learned a lot about the technical aspects of the different solutions we considered along the way to our final recommendation, but I learned the most and enjoyed myself the most at lunches and socializing with Ghanaian colleagues and friends! For years to come, Ashesi University will have a functioning student records database system, and I will have the professional experience and unforgettable memories!”

Kathryn Dickens, Student Consultant Summer 2008 in Ghana, MSPPM Graduate

Collaborated with Ashesi University College in Accra, Ghana to set up a student records management system with local partners

“It was great to have an opportunity to apply computer science knowledge outside of the field, and to realize how useful it could be. The possibility of enabling scientists from other areas to access state of the art computer science approaches turned out to be incredibly important.”

Juan Pablo Gonzalez, V-Unit Participant, RI Ph.D. Graduate

Collaborated with soil scientists in Colombia to create computerized soil maps using Gaussian processes



	Testimonials
	“TechBridgeWorld has afforded me the opportunity to be involved in projects that are geared towards tackling important problems in our world. It is work that I care about on a personal level, and will also see me through to the completion of my PhD. I am particularly excited about the chance to work directly with people affected by our work, as opposed to just analyzing data.” Beatrice Dias, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant Needs Assessment and Evaluation Lead based in Dar es Salaam “I feel that the iSTEP internship program offers me a unique chance to take the technical skills that I've developed at Carnegie Mellon and apply them to a very important problem: how can we use technology to help people in developing communities? As for myself, I'm looking forward to the chance to work with new people, learn new skills, and tackle new problems.” Daniel Nuffer, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant Technical Lead for Social Worker Applications project based in Dar es Salaam “The iSTEP program provided me an incredibly unique opportunity to mix a lot of the things that are important to me: technological innovation, real-world engineering practice, and cultural experience all under the umbrella of helping those in need. I can't imagine a program that would suit my desires more perfectly. Working with iSTEP has provided me opportunities that I could not get anywhere else, and I consider myself extremely lucky and privileged to do such meaningful work. I'm especially looking forward to taking engineering sensibilities to a real world problem in a new culture. I think too often engineers are removed from the people they are trying to help, and don't get to directly see the fruits of the labor. This experience will help me keep in mind why I became an engineer, and will keep me motivated to solve the technical challenges faced by developing nations and communities.” Brad Hall, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant Technical Lead for the Braille Tutor project based in Dar es Salaam “I've been interested in the global development work Carnegie Mellon does and especially the work of TechBridgeWorld ever since seeing a presentation during the Freshman Immigration Course. Doing non-traditional work where you can see and understand the difference your work is making rather than developing for a faceless client base from a 9 to 5 cubicle is a fascinating and unique experience. I'm excited to get started on the projects and hope that my work is not only valuable to Tanzania but something I can discuss and encourage amongst my peers as I believe global development is a field which lacks a significant presence on campus. With projects such as this and many others happening on campus I hope that awareness for issues can bring more attention and more opportunities in the future.” Anthony Velázquez, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant Technical floater based on Pittsburgh Campus “TechBridgeWorld's iSTEP program redefines what an internship should be. The unique and novel projects present interesting challenges that require innovation, flexibility and adaptability to unexpected situations. It is also a very unique opportunity to apply the skills I have learned throughout my education to enhance a life-impacting project. Those skills, without a doubt, are very important in shaping a successful future.” Hatem Alismail, innovative Student Technology ExPerience (iSTEP) Participant Technical lead for the iSTEP Literacy Tools project based in Dar es Salaam “The TechBridgeWorld course I took at Carnegie Mellon in Fall 2006 was the tipping point in making me explore social entrepreneurship seriously, which eventually led to the creation of A Developed World. In the course, I not only learned about the reality of the great digital divide that exists in the developing world, but also practical ways to bridge it. I was deeply influenced by TechBridgeWorld's work, and learned about the great work of people like Dr. Mohammed Yunus and Bono. Eventually, I interned for a summer at PlanetRead in Mumbai, India - an organization I also learned about during the course.” Shashank Nigam, Technology for Global Development Course Participant Recently co-founded his own social enterprise called A Developed World “One of the best experiences of my life was participating with TechBridgeWorld and TCinGC this summer in Bangalore, India with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind. Apart from the experience of living in a different country with three fantastic teammates, I learned new skills and made new friends. I interacted with less fortunate children and networked with bright minds. Most importantly, I was able to make an impact on the Mathru School and its students. This achievement has given me a clearer understanding of what I want to do with my life. For me, this is just the beginning!” Ermine Teves, Student Consultant in India, Business Administration Graduate Collaborated with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind to field test the Braille Writing Tutor and launch a new website for the school to attract potential donors and partners “TechBridgeWorld provided me with the chance to truly expand my horizons to find out what I am interested in and excel in…I truly appreciate all the help and support you’ve given me, you have been some of the few mentors I have had to support my goal in serving with the Peace Corps and I truly admire and appreciate that.” Shabnam Aggarwal, Technology for Global Development Course Participant Also participated with short-term winter internship experience with Microsoft Research India arranged by TechBridgeWorld “This summer I was able to go to Bangalore and witness a totally different culture. In addition to growing culturally I was given the freedom to explore and develop technology that I thought would best help benefit the visually impaired community. There are many jobs where you can create technology without knowing why you are doing it or who the end user of your product is. However, this summer I was able to see the end results of all of my work directly in the field. My immediate feedback would be the joy on the faces of the children enjoying a game on the Braille Tutor or the children identifying one of the Braille images that we created. This is an amazing feeling and one of the reasons why I consider last summer to be one of my greatest experiences.” Saurabh Sanghvi, Student Consultant in India, ECE Junior Collaborated with Microsoft Research India and the Mathru School for the Blind to field test the Braille Writing Tutor, develop games for the tutor software, and explore braille image printing options “Taking the V-Unit has been one of the most daring and challenging experiences I had in graduate school and in life. It has given me the opportunity to take my research to a different level.” Ariadna Font Llitjós, V-Unit Participant, LTI Ph.D. Graduate Traveled to Cusco, Peru to develop machine translation system from Quechua to Spanish “Our time abroad was filled with so much more than acting as TCinGC consultants. In fact, becoming functional members of the Ghanaian culture was important to the success of our project. We took extra effort into eating local food and participating in social events. Kayt and I were sent to Ashesi to accomplish a specific technical goal, which we exceeded, and we were so grateful to be selected to consult there. But on a more personal note, this is what I got out of the experience: It’s not only what you bring to the table, but also what you take from the table. I definitely look forward to traveling back to Ghana.” Adrienne White, Student Consultant in Ghana, INI Graduate Collaborated with Ashesi University College in Accra, Ghana to set up a student records management system with local partners “Through this project I feel that I became an independent thinker and learner by extending myself beyond classroom work. The project helped me to extend my thinking beyond the course materials that I learned in the classroom and to be more creative in applying my skills in ways that could benefit my society. Through this experience I learned the difference between conducting a research project and presenting it in simplified terms to a general audience so my message can get through.” Noura El-Moughny, TechBridgeWorld Independent Study, CS Graduate Developed Arabic Language capabilities for the Braille Writing Tutor “As technology consultants to Ashesi University College, we were the luckiest consultants of TCinGC! Ashesi was a welcoming community where we were surrounded by people with the common goal of educating Africa’s best and brightest students to be future leaders. I learned a lot about the technical aspects of the different solutions we considered along the way to our final recommendation, but I learned the most and enjoyed myself the most at lunches and socializing with Ghanaian colleagues and friends! For years to come, Ashesi University will have a functioning student records database system, and I will have the professional experience and unforgettable memories!” Kathryn Dickens, Student Consultant Summer 2008 in Ghana, MSPPM Graduate Collaborated with Ashesi University College in Accra, Ghana to set up a student records management system with local partners “It was great to have an opportunity to apply computer science knowledge outside of the field, and to realize how useful it could be. The possibility of enabling scientists from other areas to access state of the art computer science approaches turned out to be incredibly important.” Juan Pablo Gonzalez, V-Unit Participant, RI Ph.D. Graduate Collaborated with soil scientists in Colombia to create computerized soil maps using Gaussian processes
	© Carnegie Mellon University