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The Louisiana Computing Carnival 2009 Begins a Year-Long Celebration of Computing Education at UL Lafayette
- Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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On Oct. 30 and 31, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will celebrate 50
years of computing and the 25th anniversary of the Center for Advanced Computer
Studies. The event is the Louisiana Computing Carnival 2009.
All
computer science and CACS alumni and supporters are invited to attend. “Fifty
years ago, UL Lafayette offered the first course in computer science. Not many
universities had even heard about this new invention,” said Dr. Magdy Bayoumi,
director of CACS and department head for Computer Science. “From there, UL
Lafayette developed an excellent computer science program, highly regarded all
over the world.”
The festivities will include the official naming of the
computer science building for Dr. James Oliver on Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m. The
building is located at 301 E. Lewis Street across from Girard Park.
Oliver is known as the “father of computing” at UL Lafayette. He taught
the university’s first computer science class in 1959. A year later, he obtained
a grant from the National Science Foundation to acquire an IBM 1620, the first
digital computer used on UL Lafayette’s campus.
Oliver also formed the
first student chapter – in the world – of the Association of Computing
Machinery. Today, there are over 500 ACM student chapters in 30
countries.
In 1962, Oliver initiated the university’s master’s program in
computer science. UL Lafayette awarded its first master’s degree in computer
science in 1964.
Oliver created the university’s bachelor’s program in
computer science in 1966. He also developed its doctoral program in computer
science – the first in Louisiana – in 1968. UL Lafayette’s Department of
Computer Science was established in 1968; Oliver was the first department
head.
He was promoted to professor of chemistry in 1959; he remained in
that position until 1969. During that time, he also served as director of the
Computing Center and dean of the Graduate School until 1972. During his career,
he acquired more than $3 million in grants for UL Lafayette.
In addition
to the building dedication, the Carnival will include a workshop highlighting
the impact of computing and Internet revolution, poster presentations focusing
on research and student projects, building tour and a banquet.
Dr.
Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang will deliver the keynote address. He is chancellor of the
University of California, Merced, where he also serves as a professor of
engineering.
Born and raised in South Korea, Kang earned a scholarship to
a U.S. university and became the first in his family to attend college. He
earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey;
his master’s from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and his doctorate
from UC Berkeley. Kang’s degrees are all in electrical engineering.
A
banquet also will be held Oct. 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel, 1521 W.
Pinhook Road. It will honor the Oliver family and highlight the history of
computing at UL Lafayette through a series of videos.
For more information and to purchase tickets to the banquet on Friday night please visit www.ullafayettefoundation.org or call Magdy Bayoumi at 337-482-6147.
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