Top Programmers

By Cori Anderson ‘18

A team of Bradley computer science students finished third out of twenty-one teams in a programming competition in early October at the annual Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges regional conference hosted by the University of Evansville in Evansville, IN. The regional conference brought together students and faculty from Midwestern universities for a weekend of competition, networking and learning.

At the programming competition, Bradley students tested their skills against 20 other teams to solve a series of problems in a limited time. That environment provided a welcome challenge for the students.

Jasmine Seitz ’16, of Peoria Heights, Illinois, said the competition reinforced the value of skills learned in Hilltop classrooms.

“I think that the ability to work quickly and efficiently in a team environment is definitely something that can be applied in the workplace,” Seitz said. “We also relied on critical thinking skills to solve problems we were presented.”

In addition to the programming competition, the conference included opportunities to network and learn about research in the field.

“It’s always interesting to see what research and projects students are involved in, and of course the programming contest really challenges our skills,” said Dakota Leonard ’16, of Wyoming, Illinois.

Dr. Tachun Lin, assistant professor of computer science and information systems, called the computing competition a “once-in-a-lifetime” chance for students to represent the University.

“It’s a good opportunity to prove to yourself that you can go above and beyond what is required,” he said. “You will apply what you have learned in classes to solve some real-world problems in a timely manner.”

The trip was sponsored by alumnus Tony Zuccato '92, Vice President of Operations for Produce Pro Software.