NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering Student Named an Honored Member of “Generation Google”

Google recently announced that Catherine “Catt” Small, who is studying Integrated Digital Media at the New York University Polytechnic School of Engineering, is among the latest recipients of its Generation Google Scholarship, established in 2012 to help aspiring computer scientists from underrepresented groups become leaders in the tech industry.

Small, of Bronx, New York, was awarded $10,000 in tuition funds and an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the Google Scholar’s Retreat, a whirlwind program of tours, lectures, and discussions held each year in California.

“Like Google, we aim to inspire students to become tech leaders by creating the space for creativity and by breaking down the barriers that might prevent them from pursuing STEM studies,” said NYU School of Engineering Dean and President Katepalli R. Sreenivasan. “We have a long history of giving students from diverse backgrounds access to high-quality education, and I’m proud that Google chose to recognize Catt Small, who has been an undeniable inspiration to so many other women at our school. She is a force to be reckoned with in Brooklyn’s tech community, and we are proud to call her one of our own.” Among the organizations co-founded by Small, already a seasoned game developer and Web designer, are:

• Tech under Thirty, a vibrant networking group for young designers, developers, and engineers
• Code Liberation, which offers free development workshops in order to facilitate the creation of video game titles by women
• Brooklyn Gamery, which makes high-quality games for different devices and operating systems—including new, experimental technology

Small will use her Generation Google Scholarship to further her graduate work in the Department of Technology, Culture and Society. As to her ultimate career goals, Small explains, “I want to create products that affect people in positive ways, mentor fellow creators, and create a more diverse, positive community for design, technology, and games. My goals are very open-ended because I don’t want to feel creatively limited.”