WHPC Scholarship sends student to 2026 Game Developers Conference

Purdue’s Women in High-Performance Computing (WHPC) group offers scholarships to support students who wish to travel to major computing conferences. Recently, the group sponsored a graduate student to attend the 2026 Game Developers Conference (GDC) Festival of Gaming, which took place in San Francisco, California.

Aishwarya Bhosale is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Engineering Management at Purdue University. Her background is in Computer Engineering, and she has five years of industry experience as a Product Manager in consumer technology. Last month, Bhosale attended the 2026 GDC Festival of Gaming, thanks to assistance from a WHPC scholarship. This year marked the 40th edition of the conference, where the entire games industry came together across five days to learn, connect, collaborate, and celebrate. We sat down with Bhosale after attending GDC to discuss the conference and learn about her experiences whilst there:

Can you describe your overall experience at the conference?

Attending GDC in San Francisco was an incredible and energizing experience. The conference brought together thousands of professionals across game development, product, engineering, and design, creating a rich environment for learning and networking. As someone who has worked in the gaming industry, being in that space as a graduate student felt like a full-circle moment.

What was your biggest takeaway from the conference?

My biggest takeaway was seeing how deeply artificial intelligence is reshaping game development workflows, from procedural content generation to live-ops automation, which aligned directly with my own product experience. I also gained valuable insight into how product and engineering teams at major studios are thinking about scalable infrastructure and computing systems to power next-generation games. Connecting with industry professionals reinforced that my skills in cross-functional product management are highly transferable as the field evolves. It left me feeling energized and excited. Did you have any fun or exciting experiences outside the planned conference sessions? San Francisco was a wonderful host city—I had the chance to explore some of the iconic spots overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy the food scene during the evenings. I visited some great restaurants in the Mission District and got to experience the energy of the city with other conference attendees. The experience of being in a city so central to the tech world also felt motivating in its own right.

Has your experience led you to consider future involvement in research computing or HPC?

Attending GDC deepened my appreciation for the computational infrastructure that underlies large-scale interactive systems, and it has made me more curious about how HPC resources are leveraged in gaming and simulation environments. While my primary path is in product management, I can see myself working at the intersection of product strategy and high-performance computing, particularly as real-time AI and large-scale data processing become central to game development. I'm open to engaging with the research computing community here at Purdue to better understand how these systems work at scale. This experience has certainly broadened my perspective on what's possible.

How did support from Purdue WHPC make this experience possible for you, and how do you feel about receiving the support?

The scholarship support from Purdue WHPC made it possible for me to attend GDC without the financial burden of travel, accommodation, and registration costs, which would have otherwise been a significant barrier as a graduate student. I am deeply grateful for the investment the organization made in my professional development and growth. Knowing that a community of women in computing believed in supporting my journey made the experience feel even more meaningful. Would you recommend the WHPC scholarship program to other Purdue students? Absolutely, I’ve already recommended it to many of my classmates and even encouraged a few to attend recent RCAC events. I would strongly recommend the WHPC scholarship program to any Purdue student interested in computing, technology, or related fields.

Conferences like GDC provide exposure to industry trends, meaningful networking opportunities, and a level of career clarity that’s hard to replicate in a classroom setting. If you have the opportunity to apply, take it. The experience can genuinely shape the direction of your career.

Did you have any prior involvement with Research Computing or WHPC?

Prior to attending GDC, I was involved at Purdue as the VP of Communications for the Graduate Women in Business Club, which reflects my commitment to supporting women in technical and professional spaces. My industry background includes building data pipelines, working with product analytics platforms, and managing technically complex systems—experiences that connect naturally to research computing principles. I was relatively new to the WHPC community, making this scholarship a wonderful introduction to the organization. I hope to remain more actively involved going forward.

Purdue Women in High-Performance Computing Program

Purdue Women in HPC is part of a broader engagement initiative by the Rosen Center for Advanced Computing (RCAC) and is led by women staffers affiliated with RCAC. WHPC is a dedicated community encompassing undergraduate, graduate, staff, and faculty men and women who are interested in exposing women to high-performance computing and encouraging their pursuit of research and careers in HPC and other technology fields.

Within the WHPC initiative, RCAC provides partial travel assistance to undergraduate and graduate students, empowering their participation in various national conferences that align with WHPC’s objectives. The WHPC travel scholarship sends students to numerous conferences each year, most recently including the Grace Hopper Celebration, Society of Women Engineers, and Supercomputing.

For full eligibility requirements, and to apply for this scholarship, please visit the WHPC Scholarship page.

In addition to the scholarship program, Purdue WHPC organizes a range of activities, including regular meetings to discuss technical HPC-related issues of interest, opportunities to network with the WHPC community, a mentorship program, workshops, and exposure to external resources and opportunities.

If you would like to attend and/or are interested in future participation, please contact us at whpc@purdue.edu. You may also subscribe to our WHPC List Serve.

Written by: Jonathan Poole, poole43@purdue.edu