West Georgia Technical College’s (WGTC) Computer Information Systems (CIST) program recently partnered with Southwire’s IT Department to host the first-ever “Computer Science Innovators Challenge” at WGTC’s Carroll campus. The event aimed to foster creativity and innovation among participants of all skill levels, challenging them to develop unique projects within a limited timeframe and provide solutions to unfamiliar concepts.
According to CIST Program Chair Tara Shackleford, students showcased their skills and problem-solving abilities during the event, impressing potential employers like Southwire. This opened up opportunities for internships and future career prospects for the students.
Three teams presented their projects at the event, with each team receiving Visa gift cards ranging from $50 to $150. The winning project, “Know Your Power” by Glenn Freeman, Kristy Bishop, and Christian Putman, developed a power consumption calculator in natural language that could understand the power draw of appliances. The second-place project, “Streamline, Simplify, Scale (Waybridge SAP/ER)” by John Paschal and Taylor Lowery, aimed to automate the scaling process for transportation and direct trucks and trailers while emphasizing security aspects. Finally, the third-place project was “The Future of City Exploration” by Robert Galan and Kevin Keeler – a traveling tool that utilized AI to guide users and provide historical data and fun facts during travel.
For more information on WGTC’s CIST programs or any other queries related to this event please contact Tara Shackleford at tara.shackleford@westgatech.edu or visit www.westgatech.edu
