CSC News

Student Team Takes 1st Place at UNC Site in the ACM “Battle of the Brains” Contest

Two teams of NC State University computer science students, coached by Dr. Thomas Honeycutt, made a strong showing in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals of the 34th ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), or “Battle of the Brains,” held November 7th at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Team “NCSU1” made up of Kelsey Hawkins, David Boyuka and Stuart Robinson (pictured at right) captured 1st at the UNC competition site, while placing 4th out of over 160 teams competing in the Regional competition. 

Also representing NC State was Team “NCSU2” comprised of Tyler Arehart, Michael Kolbas, and Richard Taylor, which placed 5th at the UNC site 32nd in the region.

Special thanks to corporate sponsors Lockheed Martin & SAS Institute for their generous support of these teams and their efforts.

The ICPC challenges teams of three students to use their programming skills and rely on mental endurance to solve eight or more complex, real world problems under a grueling five-hour deadline.  Tackling these problems is equivalent to completing a semester’s worth of computer programming in one afternoon!  Huddled around a single computer, competitors race against the clock in a battle of logic, strategy, and mental endurance.  The team that solves the most problems correctly in the least amount of time wins a spot on the World Finals roster.  The World Finals will be held in February 2010 in Harbin, China.

The ACM ICPC is a multitier, team-based programming competition sponsored by IBM.  It operates under the auspices of ACM and has its headquarters at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.  The contest fosters creativity, teamwork, and innovation in building new software programs, and enables students to test their ability to perform under pressure.  It is the oldest, largest and most prestigious programming contest in the world.

For more information on the ACM “Battle of the Brains,” click here.

~coates~