Computer science students seek software projects

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: (907) 474-7902
12/08/06

University of Alaska Fairbanks computer science students are now accepting proposals for software design projects for their spring semester class.

The projects allow students to gain real-world experience while local government, public service and private organizations gain customized software free of charge. Typical prices for commercial custom software development projects like those done annually by UAF students can run as high as $40,000. The projects often require more than 650 hours of software development per team of five students.

Students have developed more than 53 successful projects in the last 18 years. Last year, student teams developed three systems for local customers. One was System Tracers, software to automate a complex quality assessment process at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. Another was a system to generate accurate estimates for jobs at the UAF Geophysical Institute machine shop. The third was a system for managing data and generating reports on students of the UAF Rural Alaska Honors Institute.

Previous clients include Love INC, the Fairbanks North Star Borough, the City of North Pole, the Bureau of Land Management, Fairbanks Taxi, the University of Alaska Museum of the North and the National Weather Service.

"Each project has presented teams with a new set of challenges," said Pete Knoke, associate professor of software engineering. Clients are partners in the educational process because they work with students to clarify requirements and help evaluate student projects.

The deadline for applications is 5 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, 2007. Requests can be submitted via e-mail to ffpjk@uaf.edu or by regular mail to: Department of Computer Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 756670, Fairbanks, AK, 99775-6670. Proposals should include a basic description of your organization’s needs and contact information. Direct phone inquiries to Victoria Fortune at (907) 474-2777.

CONTACT: UAF Public Information Officer Marmian Grimes at (907) 474-7902 or via e-mail at marmian.grimes@uaf.edu.