Computer science students compete in IBM battle of the brains

Friday, November 06, 2009

University of Tulsa students are preparing for a prestigious international computer programming competition, the 34th annual IBM-sponsored Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest.

The ACM regional competitions are Nov. 6–7 at East Central University and host 11 universities from Oklahoma and Texas. Last year, a TU team placed second in the regional contest, and this year’s teams are ready to take first.

“We have a group of talented, motivated and enthusiastic students who have prepared well for this competition,” said Sandip Sen, professor of computer science and faculty sponsor. “It is wonderful to witness the excitement of these students as they prepare for the event.”

Teams of three will be challenged to use their programming skills and rely on their mental endurance to solve complex, real world problems under a grueling five-hour deadline. The two TU teams consist of the following individuals:

  • Team A: Logan Brooks, Bryce Culhane and Brendan Dalpe
  • Team B: Ellery Newcomer, Alex Ruff and Stephen Macke

Sen also thanked Austin Roberts (BS ’09), a past member of TU programming teams, for playing a pivotal role in selecting and training the teams.

The 2009 regional competitions are expected to draw tens of thousands of students from universities in approximately 90 countries on six continents for what competition organizers call an all-out “battle of the brains.”

The winner of the regional competition will travel to Harbin, China, February 1–6, to compete against the best and brightest information technology students from around the world for awards, scholarships and prizes.

“They really look forward to competing at an international level and I believe they will perform extremely well,” Sen said. “The competition is also a great platform for the students to showcase their analytical, problem-solving, algorithm design and programming skills.”

ACM estimates that tackling these problems is equivalent to completing a semester’s worth of computer programming—in one afternoon. The team that solves the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a coveted spot in the world finals.

For more information about computer science at TU, visit www.utulsa.edu/cs.

Contact:
Amethyst Cavallaro
918-631-2656
cavallaro@utulsa.edu