Mills Matters Google brings machine learning course to campus “We are delighted to be working with Google on our
Google has chosen Mills College as the first of five institutions of higher learning to host a special free program dedi-
shared goal of increasing and broadening access to data
cated to teaching the basics of machine learning.
science and engineering education, which we believe will
The course, called the Applied Machine Learning Intensive,
benefit not just the participants in the program and their
kicks off on the Mills campus on February 12 and takes the
employers but also society at large, as they ensure that
form of a 10-week boot camp in how to use data science and
machine learning is applied in ways that challenge, rather
machine learning to power technologies such as self-driving
than enforce, existing inequalities,” says Kilgore-Snyder
cars and online marketing algorithms. The program is free,
Professor of Computer Science Ellen Spertus.
including room and board, and was specifically advertised to Mills students and alumnae with backgrounds in computer science, particularly in the Python programming language. Google machine learning engineers will partner with Mills professors to provide instruction. After Mills pilots the program this spring, four additional institutions—Agnes Scott College, Bay Path University, Heidelberg University, and Scripps College—will offer it over the summer. Google developed the course as part of its efforts to build the ranks of qualified job applicants in tech, especially among demographics that are traditionally underrepresented in the field. Kimberley Roberts, MA ’93, is a lead senior program manager in Google’s engineering education division and played a key role in bringing the course to Mills.
Mills welcomes new Quarterly editor Over the course
Based in Reinhardt Alumnae House,
California: she served most recently as
of a century, gen-
Rost oversees the Quarterly and par-
director of communications at Katherine
erations of edi-
ticipates in web-based communications
Delmar Burke School and previously
tors at the Mills
with alumnae, including alumnae.mills
as digital communications manager at
Quarterly have
.edu and email campaigns. She wel-
Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy. Rost
kept alumnae
comes submissions of class notes,
also worked as a journalist in Silicon
connected to the
letters to the editor, and story ideas
Valley and as an editor at several trade
College and each
at quarterly@mills.edu.
magazines in Southern California. She
other by gather-
Rost says, “I’m thrilled to become a
received her BA in communication stud-
ing and sharing
part of Mills’ long tradition of elevating
ies from the University of North Carolina
news from cam-
women’s voices. It’s truly an honor to
at Chapel Hill. Mills is delighted to have
pus and from the global Mills commu-
assume responsibility for the Quarterly,
an editor with such deep experience and
nity. In October, the College installed
and I can’t wait to bring to life the sto-
commitment to women’s education at
a new editor to continue this tradition:
ries that make Mills so unique.”
the helm of the Quarterly.
Allison Rost, alumnae communications manager.
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Rost witnessed the power of singlegender education at two girls’ schools in
–Nikole Hilgeman Adams, senior director of the annual fund and alumnae relations