Recent Computer Science graduate Natalia Rodriguez ’15 is one of three inaugural recipients of the Collegiate Award from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). The purpose of the award is to encourage women undergraduates to persist in computing majors by recognizing their impressive innovations. The official press release for the award is available here.

The specific project for which Rodriguez is receiving recognition is titled, “Mapping Instagram Data To Visualize Body Image Hashtags.” As part of the project, a data visualization tool was created that analyzes differences and similarities between hashtags #selfie and #blithe, a pro-anorexia keyword used by individuals suffering from eating disorders, on Instagram. The project is explained in full details through the video below. 

Rodriguez has honored on May 19th at the 2015 NCWIT Summit. Like the other award recipients, she received an engraved trophy, a cash award, and an HP notebook computer.