The 2004 Anita Borg Award for Social Impact was awarded to Karen Banks. Dr. Fran Allen received the Anita Borg Award for Technical Leadership. Both women were honored at the 2004 Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.

Original Call for Nominations

For Social Impact

In a world that she saw as rapidly using technology across all borders and human boundaries, Anita Borg spoke out on behalf of a large, underrepresented segment of the world’s population - women. She believed emphatically that women’s lives must benefit from technology. Anita Borg stressed that women’s voices, representing multiple approaches and priorities, are essential and that where women define the benefits, technology is developed for the good as well as for profit. Throughout her life, she worked to make her vision of relevant, valuable technology become the norm. This award was created to honor those who fulfill her vision.

The Anita Borg Institute will present this award at each Grace Hopper Conference. The first award will be presented at the 2004 Grace Hopper Celebration, October 6-9, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois . In addition, the award recipient will receive a cash grant of $10,000.
This award identifies achievements by an individual or team who has increased the positive impact of technology on the lives of women.

• Impact will be measured by the degree and type of social change, amount of women’s increased empowerment through the technology or increased influence over technology.
• The award recipient may have developed the technology, motivated social change and empowerment through that technology, or increased women’s influence over and decision-making about technology.

Required Nomination Materials:

• Title of nominated achievement
• Name of nominee(s)
• Brief summary (maximum of 700 words)
• Statement of merit (3-5 pages) - Must include short bio of person(s) responsible and address the following issues: Describe the impact and how it was measured. Was the action taken with respect to a specific situation? What motivated the nominee to take action?
• Letters of recommendation (maximum of 3 letters)
• Nominator’s name, e-mail address, postal address, phone number and relationship to nominee.
• How did you hear about this award?

Ellen Lapham chaired the Anita Borg Social Impact Award Committee in 2004.

For Technical Leadership

Recognizes a woman technologist for inspiration to the women’s technology community through her outstanding technological and social contributions. Through her leadership she should have increased the impact of women on and in technology.
Anita Borg excelled in technology development, was vocally passionate about technology, the technology community and inspired many women to bring their own passion to the field. This award honors the life she shared with us and the great passion in which she lived and worked to make the world a better place for women and for technology.
The award celebrates outstanding women technical leaders. Leaders cover new ground and change the world in some way; this award recognizes the leadership that has increased women’s impact, representation, and effectiveness in the technology arena. The criteria for leadership changes as the world changes, the leadership contribution needs to be evaluated in the context of the time frame of the leadership.

Required Nomination Materials:

• Nominee’s Name
• Statement of Merit – written by the Nominator(s) [Typically: 1 page]
• Nominee’s Resume or Curriculum Vitae [up to 2 pages]
• Nominator’s Name, e-mail and phone contact information.

Kathy Richardson chaired the Anita Borg Technical Leadership Award Committee in 2004.