Date: Oct 13, 2009

Hofstra Hosts Regional Trials of International Computer Contest

"Battle of the Brains" tests top computer students' programming skills

Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University is hosting this year’s regional trials of the 34th annual Association for Computer Machinery International College Contest on Oct. 18, 2009 - an event that will bring to campus some of the most talented student programmers from more than 20 area institutions.
A team from Hofstra’s Department of Computer Science will compete, as will groups from institutions such as Yale University, Cornell University, Stony Brook University and Nassau Community College. The contest will run from noon to 5 p.m. in CV Starr Hall, off California Avenue.

Known as the “Battle of the Brains” and sponsored by IBM, the contest challenges teams of three students to use their programming skills to solve real-world problems under a tight deadline. The team that solves the most problems in the least amount of time advances to the World Finals, which are scheduled for Feb. 1-6 in Harbin, China.

“To computing students and academics, the ACM programming contest is the equivalent of the Olympics,” said Gerda Kamberova, chairwoman of the Computer Science Department. “This year, more than 52 teams from diverse regional academic institutions will come to our campus…we will have an opportunity to showcase our university, its campus, programs and students.”

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

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Related Link: Association for Computer Machinery