Asurion Launches New Data Science Scholarship Program at Fisk University With $200,000 Investment

By AIT News Desk On Jun 9, 2020

Global Tech Care Company Makes a Four-Year Commitment to Help Build Nashville’s Diverse Tech Talent

Nashville-based tech care company Asurion announced that the company is launching a new data science scholarship program at Nashville’s Fisk University with a $200,000 investment. The Asurion Data Science Scholarship at Fisk, a private historically black university, strengthens Asurion’s diverse talent pipeline in Middle Tennessee while providing Fisk students with the real-world exposure and experience to succeed in the workforce after they graduate.

“Our new Data Science Scholarship at Fisk is part of Asurion’s ongoing commitment to fostering diversity in Nashville’s tech community while also providing growth opportunities for the emerging tech workforce,” said Barry Vandevier, Chief Operating Officer at Asurion. “We believe that investing in local, diverse tech talent is key to helping Nashville achieve long-term growth in the industry.”

“I am thrilled that this scholarship at my alma mater is the next program from Asurion aimed to continue building a diverse workforce,” said Nikki Smith-Bartley, Vice President, Chief Diversity & Talent Strategy Officer at Asurion. “Programs such as the Asurion Data Science Scholarship will help provide students with an opportunity to establish themselves as young professionals in the tech industry, which will afford them even more opportunities upon graduating.”

Four to six Fisk University students pursing Computer Science or Data Science degrees will each receive a $10,000 scholarship each academic year under the program. Through the Asurion Data Science Scholarship, Asurion will also provide numerous development opportunities for Fisk scholars, including:

The opportunity to interview for Asurion’s paid summer internship program;
Monthly mentorship by Asurion data science and computer science employees throughout the academic year; and
Ongoing learning and development sessions with Asurion teams.

“We are so excited about this partnership with Asurion,” said Dr. Jens Frederiksen, Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement and Enrollment Management at Fisk University. “More and more students are pursuing our unique data science program which was launched last year. By partnering with Asurion we will be able to offer our students unparalleled experiences for internships and permanent hires.”

In addition to programs created for the scholarship recipients, Asurion will have the opportunity to get involved in teaching and providing students with real-world experience. Asurion data science team members will participate in select data science class curriculum at Fisk, an Asurion executive will join industry leaders across Nashville companies and sit on their Industry Board, and Asurion will host an annual hackathon for Fisk students.

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