Virtual Computing Showcase

Participants Share Technology Projects with Industry Professionals

BY LANDON MION

KENNESAW, Ga. (Dec 2020) — The College of Computing and Software Engineering (CCSE) at KSU hosted its computing showcase, C-Day, virtually this year for undergraduate and graduate students taking classes in computing and software engineering or statistics. They were given the opportunity to present their findings and receive feedback from industry recruiters and hiring managers.

C-Day is a biannual event that takes place at the end of the fall and spring semesters. Participating students present their research and projects highlighting their experiences in their internships, team application development, capstones, and thesis work.

“C-Day is a fantastic opportunity for our students to show off their skill sets to the larger community,” said Jeff Chastine, interim dean of CCSE. “For our industry partners, it is a great way for them to better understand the strengths of our programs and identify talent.”

Dawn Tatum, director of CCSE partnerships and engagements and senior lecturer of information technology, and Adriana Clark, program coordinator in CCSE, were both a big part of C-Day. Tatum was responsible with finding the bulk of the projects and Clark worked as a project manager for industry-sponsored projects.

Svetlana Peltsverger, associate dean in CCSE, organized the event in a virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic. Participants presented their projects in the form of  five-minute YouTube videos shared ahead of the event. This was the second time she had to switch to an online format, having done so earlier in the year for the spring event.

“I work with the capstone and research faculty to help them promote the event to their students,” said Peltsverger. “The most rewarding aspects of being a part of C-Day are seeing the students’ successful projects and hearing positive feedback from industry judges.”

There were 38 projects presented at this fall’s C-Day. An advisor, usually the class instructor, and/or a project sponsor, usually a subject matter expert, mentors the students. While many project sponsors are from industry, Kennesaw State faculty members often serve in this capacity when appropriate.

Tsai-Tien Tseng, associate professor of biology, served as the project sponsor for a team of undergraduates that were looking into the packaging of Linux software in the field of bioinformatics. These software tools come in a variety of forms and from different sources. The students were examining how to streamline the bioinformatics software packages to simplify the distribution, installation, and use by scientists.

He introduced the students to the field of scientific computing, which utilizes information technology as a support service on a daily basis. Tseng also met with the information technology students, Jascha Cohen, Joyce Anderson, Duane Romany, and Javen Stegall, on a weekly basis to offer feedback throughout the semester.

He said it was a very rewarding experience to be a part of this unique and high impact presentation. The product benefits not only KSU, but also the field of bioinformatics.

“I believe that students are receiving incredible benefits from this experience,” said Tseng, also associate director of undergraduate research. “Specifically, students sponsored by me are not only learning about scientific computing, but they are also learning how to interact with me, a computational biologist.”

The fall 2020 program and listing of C-Day winners can be viewed online at: https://ccse.kennesaw.edu/computing-showcase/cday-programs/fall2020program.php.