UA Computing Olympiad Offers High School Students Entry Into Fast-Paced World of Computing

TUSCALOOSA, Ala ‚ On February 26, more than 200 high school computer whizzes from across the state will gather at The University of Alabama to take part in what has become one of the university’s hottest competitions, the annual Alabama Computing Olympiad.

The University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration and The University of Alabama College of Engineering sponsor the competition.

Information technology careers are the hottest and fastest growing fields in the world, and the computing competition promises to be equally hot and fast.

The program is designed to promote computing careers among high school students. More than 200 students from more than 25 high schools across the state will participate in computer programming, web surfing, and web design contests, said Dr. David Hale, director of UA’s Enterprise Integration Lab. Special emphasis was placed on attracting minority student participants.

Students will compete for $500 scholarships. First, second and third place teams will also win for their school a laptop computer, a digital scanner and a digital camera, respectively. All participating high schools will receive their choice of computing software with a retail value of $150 to $400.

“By getting students involved in computers in a way that is fun, exciting and rewarding, we have the opportunity to instill an interest in the field that will last a lifetime,” said Dr. Allen Parrish, associate professor of computer science in the UA College of Engineering.

The event is sponsored in part by the Information Technology Work Force Development Resource Centers (IT-WORCs), an organization with representatives from Alabama State University, Bishop State Community College and The University of Alabama.

This is part of the Information Technology Workforce Development’s effort to provide a stream of technically competent workers into the state of Alabama’s workforce through state instructional institutions, with an emphasis on underrepresented minorities,” said Hale, the University’s representative for IT-WORCs.

A practice session is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26. The students will be provided with a free lunch, and the competition will begin at 12:30 p.m. All participants will be honored at a reception after the event.

In each competition, student teams will have to solve 10 problems of varying difficulty. While the students compete, their teachers or sponsors will be treated to a guided tour of the University as well as workshops on how to encourage students to seek computer-related careers.

Staffing will provided by C&BA and College of Engineering students and faculty, as well as alumni and regional experts.

“The Olympiad will also provide alumni the opportunity to come back to campus to interact with current and future students. They will be aiding as volunteers in the contests and participating in professional workshops presented to high school students, teachers, counselors, parents and current UA students,” Hale said.

The Olympiad is also sponsored by Gulf States Paper; Energen/Alagasco; Computer Sciences Corp.; Russell Corp.; Southwire; Southern Co.; Lithonia Lighting; American Management Systems; Hewitt Associates; Andersen Consulting; Keane Inc.; Ernst and Young; International Paper; Kimberly Clark; T.A. Lewis and Associates; Coca-Cola; MCI/World-Com; Microsoft; Rohm and Haas; Protective Life; and Wal-mart. Inc.

The UA Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, founded in 1919, has been repeatedly recognized in the 1990’s for offering a high-quality, cost-effective education.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became the first university in the state to offer engineering classes and was one of the first five in the nation to do so. Today, the College of Engineering has about 1,800 students and more than 90 faculty. It has been fully accredited since accreditation standards were implemented in the 1930s.

The College of Engineering and C&BA offer academic degrees in the information technology disciplines of computer science, computer engineering and management information systems.

During the funding of IT-WORCs, the manangement information systems program at UA has seen its total enrollments nearly double, as well as an increased diverisity in its student population. The management information systems’ MBA program is currently ranked 4th in the nation by ComputerWorld magazine.