A group of six Belmont mathematics and computer science majors and minors recently competed in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC). The 2015 Mid-Central Regional contest was held at Tennessee Technological University with a total of 25 participating teams. The contest represents the geographic area of Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois (including the Greater Chicago Metropolitan Area in Indiana), Kentucky and Tennessee.
During the competition, teams of three students represented their universities in multiple events. Volunteer coaches prepare their teams with intense training and instruction in algorithms, programming and teamwork strategy. The contest fosters creativity, teamwork and innovation in building new software programs and enables students to test their ability to perform under pressure. Teams of three university students are pitted against eight or more real-world problems and given a five-hour deadline. Huddled around a single computer, competitors race against the clock in a battle of logic, strategy and mental endurance.
Belmont’s two teams consisted of Chris O’Brien, James Dickenson, Michael Kranzlein, Katie Kruzan, Luke Johnson and Chandler Capps. Dr. Bill Hooper serves as the team coach.
