Biography:
Anicia Peters is a renowned Namibian computer scientist known for her expertise in human-computer interaction (HCI). She currently serves as the CEO of the National Commission of Research, Science, and Technology (NCRST), where she has made significant contributions to the field of technology and research.
Born in Rehoboth, Namibia, Peters grew up in the Khomasdal suburb of Windhoek. She attended Origo Primary School before moving to M.H. Greeff Primary School and later Concordia College. From a young age, Peters demonstrated a keen interest in computing, which eventually paved the way for her remarkable achievements in the field.
Peters earned two undergraduate degrees cum laude from the Namibia University of Science and Technology (formerly known as the Polytechnic of Namibia). She obtained a National Diploma in Business Computing and a B.Tech. in Business Computing. Her exceptional academic performance earned her the Rector’s Medal for outstanding achievement and the prestigious Prof. Yrjö Neuvo Award for being the best graduate in information technology at the institution.
With a thirst for knowledge and a desire to broaden her horizons, Peters pursued further studies at Iowa State University. Here, she successfully obtained a Master of Science (MSc) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with a specialization in human-computer interaction. Her outstanding academic prowess was recognized when she received two scholarship awards from Boeing in 2013 for her exceptional contribution to HCI research conference publications. Additionally, Iowa State University honored Peters with a Research Excellence Award for her exceptional work during her PhD studies.
During her doctoral studies, Peters was a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright International Science and Technology Award and also received the Schlumberger Faculty for the Future Women in Science fellowship. Her research work focused on various aspects of technology, including social computing, gender in digital technologies, gamification, and e-participation such as e-government and e-health. Her contributions to the field led to her selection as a Google Anita Borg scholar in the United States in 2012.
Prior to her role as CEO of NCRST, Peters gained valuable experience in industry by interning at Intuit in the Silicon Valley as a user experience (UX) researcher. She later took on a postdoctoral fellowship at Oregon State University, working under the guidance of Margaret Burnett, a renowned researcher and co-founder of the area of end-user software engineering. During her time at Oregon State University, Peters worked on the development of two visual programming languages.
In 2015, Anicia Peters assumed the position of Executive Dean of the Faculty of Computing and Informatics (FCI) and became an associate professor in computer science at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). Her appointment as the first Namibian dean at NUST marked a significant milestone in her career. Under her leadership, Peters played a crucial role in establishing the India-Namibia Centre of Excellence in IT, further strengthening the ties between the two countries in the field of technology and research.
Peters is a strong advocate for women in computing and has initiated several initiatives aimed at promoting women’s involvement in the field. She organized the Namibia Women in Computing conference and established three chapters of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) in Namibia, including the ACM-W. In addition to her efforts in Namibia, Peters chaired the International Culture and Computer Science Conference held in Windhoek in 2016. She also took the initiative to co-chair the inaugural Africa Human-Computer Interaction Conference (AfriCHI) in Nairobi, Kenya in 2016 and served as a special advisor to AfriCHI2018.
Throughout her career, Peters has garnered significant recognition for her contributions. In 2016, she was recognized as the Star of the Week by the New Era newspaper, acknowledging her outstanding work in academia and research. In February 2017, she was featured as one of the 20 prominent personalities in Who’s Who Namibia 2017. Peters is also celebrated as one of the 10 African Women Rolemodels, further exemplifying her impact and influence in the field of computer science.
Awards:
– Rector’s Medal for outstanding achievement at the Namibia University of Science and Technology
– Prof. Yrjö Neuvo Award for the best graduate in information technology at the Namibia University of Science and Technology
– Two scholarship awards from Boeing for contribution to HCI research conference publications
– Research Excellence Award from Iowa State University for her PhD studies