March 31, 2005
SIUC's computer science day set for April 5
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- More than 250 high school students will visit Southern Illinois University Carbondale on Tuesday, April 5, for Computer Science Day. Organized by the SIUC computer science department, these students will have an opportunity to learn about various facets of this rapidly evolving field and to compete in a Web page design contest.
After a brief welcome from John Dunn, SIUC provost and vice chancellor, the director of the computer science undergraduate program Robert J. McGlinn, and Jack M. Parker, dean of the college of science, SIUC faculty members will lead sessions about computer security, Linux fundamentals and Web development
According to faculty member Kenny Fong, Computer Science Day not only allows the university to showcase its facilities, but also gives these students insights that they might not receive otherwise.
"The workshops are a good opportunity for them to learn some advanced and hot computer-related topics, such as security, that they normally cannot learn in high schools," Fong said. "Most importantly, the students can learn what computer science is before making a decision about which college and major to apply for."
In addition to the instructional sessions, 22 teams of students will compete against each other in a Web design competition. Winners will be announced at 12:45 p.m. in Ballroom D of the SIUC Student Center.