Baylor Team To Compete In Programming Contest At LSU

by Judy Long

Baylor University student computer programmers will go to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge on Nov. 3 to compete in the world's best-known computer programming contest.
More than 14,000 students in 70 countries will participate in the IBM-sponsored ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest, a worldwide competition established more than 30 years ago. Sixty-four winning teams spanning the globe will advance to the world finals in Honolulu, Hawaii, March 20-24, 2002.
Bryan Klimt, a junior from Waco, Rohan Deshpande, a sophomore from Bombay, India, and Trey Gorman, a sophomore from Snyder, Texas, comprise the team that will go to LSU to compete against 33 other schools. The contest pits teams of three students huddled around one computer against six to eight real-world problems to be solved in five hours. The competition tests programming skills, creativity and teamwork, and the teams solving the most problems will go to Hawaii for the final competition.
Last year, Baylor's team placed fifth. Dr. David Sturgill, assistant professor of computer science and the team's coach, said the team needs to place in the top two at LSU to advance to the finals. "We have strong programmers on the team this year who will represent Baylor well," Sturgill said.
Baylor won the international contest in 1982. Baylor computer science professor Donald Gaitros was the team's coach that year.
For more information, contact Sturgill at (254) 710-6828.