Exciting news from Microsoft New England: two of our colleagues have been recently highlighted as women to watch in Boston’s tech industry!
Jennifer Chayes, Distinguished Scientist and Managing Director at Microsoft Research, was nominated by the Ad Club of Boston to its list of “100 Women You Admire.” This list (e-book here), which in the end saw over 250 individual nominations submitted and 30,000 additional admires honored, featured some of the most amazing women in the Greater Boston area. Noting Jennifer’s “continuous work to drive women into STEM fields,” the Ad Club emphasized that “not only does she speak with girls about careers in technology, but she also represents her beliefs in her efforts to bring more women into Microsoft Research.” Jennifer’s work at Microsoft has centered upon co-founding both Microsoft Research New England (in 2008) and Microsoft Research New York (in 2012) as well as Microsoft Research’s Theory Group.
Quickly following this news was the announcement that Sara Spalding, Senior Site Director at Microsoft New England has been named by Mass High Tech as one of 20 “Women to Watch.” This annual list, currently celebrating its 10th year, highlights women who are thought leaders in their fields, shaping the future of the technology and life science industries. Selected from more than 125 nominations, these women to watch were admired “for their leadership behind the scenes in the office and in their community,” saidChris McIntosh, Publisher at Mass High Tech/Boston Business Journal. Sara, who joined Microsoft in 1991, has actively worked to ensure that Microsoft NERD is a great place not only for its employees, but also for the local tech community. Sara will be honored at an event held on Thursday, May 9 at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel. More information is located here. As part of her efforts to develop the local tech community, Sara has also recently published an article in the Boston Globe highlighting Microsoft’s role in Kendall Square.
Microsoft is proud to count such incredible women among our ranks. Their achievements underscore the importance of getting more girls excited about STEM careers.
