GVSU hosts IBM-sponsored regional programming contest

The demand for computer engineers and programmers is expected to grow the fastest and add the most jobs from 2008-2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The School of Computing and Information Systems at Grand Valley State University prepares students for the workforce through learning opportunities like the IBM-sponsored Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM ICPC) on October 22.

The regional contest is Saturday, October 22, but media is encouraged to attend the practice contest, which will help familiarize students with contest rules, Friday, October 21, from 7-9:30 p.m. in room 207 of Manitou Hall on the Allendale Campus.

“Our graduates are getting jobs immediately upon graduating,” said Paul Leidig, assistant dean of the School of Computing and Information Systems. “There are more employers hiring than there are students available. This event is a great way for students to showcase their skills and develop new ones.”

Student programmers from the School of Computing and Information Systems at Grand Valley will be participating as well as students from Central Michigan University, Indiana Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Saginaw Valley State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Teams of three are given eight real-world problems to solve in five hours and must use skills based upon open technology and advanced computing methods. The winning team that finishes the most problems correctly in the least amount of time will win a spot on the World Finals roster.

The World Finals, held May 14-18, 2012, will take place in Warsaw, Poland, where 100 world finalist teams will compete at the University of Warsaw. This select group of programming students is chosen from tens of thousands of participants from universities in 90 countries and six continents.

For more information about the ACM ICPC visit http://cm.baylor.edu/welcome.icpc.