IT's news! Updates on students and faculty

Computer Information Students (CIS) go up against a challenging field in the HackedEd competition at Facebook headquarters … Undergrad and graduate students meet recruiters at the annual CIS Mixer … IS faculty on air and online offering their expertise to shed light on trends. Read on for more updates!

Computer Information Students (CIS) go up against a challenging field in the HackedEd competition at Facebook headquarters … Undergrad and graduate students meet recruiters at the annual CIS Mixer … IS faculty on air and online offering their expertise to shed light on trends. Read on for more updates! CIS students compete at HackEd A game that simulates college experiences and an app that connects aspiring college students with others like them: These were the ideas developed by CIS students who competed at the College Knowledge Challenge Hackathon at Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park on September 27. The students, all seniors, included (from left in our feature photo, above) Joshua Morris, Tiffany Wey, Andrew Schweinfurth, Fernando Hernandez, Sumit Patel and Andrew Rowland. Divided into two teams, the students had hours to come up with prototype apps designed to help low income and first-generation college students succeed. The competition, dubbed “HackEd,” was an invitation competition sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with support from Facebook, King Center Charter Schools and College Summit. The 23 other teams were made up of other college students, entrepreneurs and professional developers. Professor Altaf Ahmad, who accompanied the students on the trip, commented that our students stood out for the managerial perspective they brought to their projects. The day started early, when teams learned that they would be developing apps, and that they would have to have a prototype and a pitch ready by 4:30 that afternoon. The goal was to develop a product that addresses the barriers to college admission and success among groups that are financially strapped and/or do not traditionally go to college. Teams were to leverage social networking to “develop the knowledge, skills and relationships to acquire and use information about college with enough sophistication to make realistic and achievable college plans.” At day's end, teams were required to distill everything into a three-minute pitch. Hernandez, Rowland and Wey developed an app that connects aspiring students to others who share characteristics such as career plans, school choice, etc. The idea is to enable high schoolers to converse with college students and others who are already doing what they want to do — essentially showing them the ropes and personalizing the process. Morris, Patel and Schweinfurth leverage the gaming environment. The app allows applicants to experience what life will be like depending on the decisions you make. “It’s a game that simulates what your life could be like if you attain certain educational goals... say complete college,” explained Morris. “It has a gameplay element similar to Farmville and points/money is earned by what you do now in the real world. These are things that bring people along the path of higher education. It doesn't simulate college — it simulates a better life and has interactive game play. Don't take the SAT, next time you log on you are living in a trailer.” “I really like the idea and I am thinking about taking it further,” said Morris. “My plans are to do some mockups and try to get the right people to look at the concept a little more seriously. To be successful, it has to be looked at as more of a platform than a simple app. A grandiose vision is almost necessary to come up with anything really revolutionary these days.” Wey said that “it was great to see how many organizations out there were really tackling the problem of getting kids to college and supporting them in the unfamiliar environment. Everyone had a different take on the problem, and brought his own expertise into the mix.” Patel added that HackEd was “a great experience representing both ASU and W.P. Carey against so many incredibly smart people on a national level. I had some great team mates, which helped us keep up with the other teams — who included professional developers, experienced educators, and game designers.” Mixing college and career: Students and recruiters meet On the eve of ASU’s big Career Fiesta, CIS and MSIM students had the opportunity to meet with the companies that are most interested in the management skills developed in Department of Information Systems. Some 27 companies sent representatives, and 218 students turned out to engage with them. The event, which has been staged by the department for some five years, is set up like a job fair, facilitating conversations between recruiters and students. Although it’s designed as a mixer, match ups also occur, with many companies offering students internships or jobs. Media: Experts explain the trends Marilyn Prosch talked to reporters about the ubiquity of social media recently. In an interview on the Phoenix NBC affiliate (KNPX), she discussed whether kids are addicted to technology,  and in InformationWeek she offered insights on Facebook marketing.