Contact: Bob Ratliff
A student computer science team from Mississippi State University is the winner of 2002 regional competition organized by the Association for Computing Machinery International.
Sponsored by IBM, the annual collegiate computer programming contest recently took place at the Daytona Beach, Fla., campus of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
MSU's Team Maroon was first to correctly solve eight of 10 problems posed to the 83 teams from Southeastern universities and colleges. Team White, its sister group, finished 30th.
The Florida Institute of Technology, University of Central Florida and Georgia Institute of Technology finished second through fourth, respectively.
Assistant professor David A. Dampier and associate professor Donna S. Reese are faculty coaches of the MSU teams.
"The teams in competition are comprised of students who excel in computer programming at their respective schools," Reese said. "The outstanding showing of both MSU teams reflects quality and the dedication of our students."
By virtue of its win, Team Maroon travels to Beverly Hills, Calif., in March for the world collegiate programming competition.
Founded in 1947, ACM and its 75,000 members promote activities that advance the skills of information technology professionals and students worldwide.
Members of the two MSU teams include (by hometown):
CLEARWATER, Fla.--Sophomore computer science major Christopher R. Waters, a Team White member, is the son of Rory Waters and Mary Wilson and a 2000 Clearwater High School graduate.
HUNTSVILLE, Ala.--Sophomore computer science major James C. Bane, a Team White member, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Bane and a 2001 Virgil I. Grissom High School graduate.
MADISON--Senior computer engineering major John A. Stenmark, a Team Maroon member, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Stenmark and a 1999 graduate of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus.
STARKVILLE--Senior computer science and physics major Davis Herring, a Team Maroon member; graduate student Sunil Nandihalli, a Team White member; and graduate student Vinny Senguttuvan, a Team Maroon member.
Herring is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Herring and a 2000 Starkville High School graduate. Nandihalli and Senguttuvan are both computational engineering majors and graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology.