Dr. Andrea W. Lawrence, C'68, Endowed Scholarship
The Spelman College Department of Computer and Information Sciences has established an endowed scholarship to acknowledge and honor the service, leadership and contributions of Andrea Lawrence, Ph.D., C'68.
Dr. Lawrence, a computer scientist and educator, is the first African American to earn a doctorate degree in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and she is one of the original faculty members of the computer and information sciences department at Spelman.
Innovative Trailblazer
A proud alumna, she has served the Spelman community in various leadership roles for more than 30 years. She developed and taught many of the first offerings of the original courses for the computer science major, and served as department chair for more than 15 years. In addition to department chair, Dr. Lawrence has also served as the director of academic computing, introducing some early technology advancements to the campus, including the College’s first web presence.
In addition, to serving the Spelman community, Dr. Lawrence has worked to advance computer science education for the broader community by serving in various capacities, including being a member of the Coalition for Diversifying Computing (CDC), the organizing committee for the Tapia Conference, associate director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) Scholars at Spelman, and president and current board member of the Association of Departments of Computer Science/Engineering at Minority Institutions (ADMI).
Dr. Lawrence has also received numerous awards, including the National Technical Association’s Technical Achiever of the Year Award in 2004. She was named a Technology All-Star in 2005 by the National Women of Color (NWOC); and in 2014, she was awarded the SIGCSE award for lifetime service to the computer science education community. The SIGCSE award honors an individual with a long history of dedicated volunteer service to the computer science education community.
Dr. Lawrence has educated and empowered students at Spelman for more than 30 years, and this endowed scholarship to ensure that our innovative trailblazer will be able to continue to support and serve our students for years to come.