Students Show Off Technological Creations for Computer Science Education Week

On December 10, the lobby of the Technology Building was teeming with approximately 25 students eagerly demonstrating robots, interactive video games, websites, and apps they created.

The fourth annual celebration of Computer Science Education Week, sponsored by the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department, demonstrated how Buffalo State students, especially women and minorities, are contributing to the field.

“The purpose is to attract more students to the CIS discipline, to see how much fun the projects can be and also to learn more about the many employment opportunities in the computer-science industry,” said Sarbani Banerjee, professor of CIS.

Students, from a variety of majors, created all the projects during the fall course CIS189.

For instance, Kiara White, a senior dietetics major, and Kelli Bores, a sophomore CIS major, built a robot that can detect colors. As the robot buzzed about in a pattern on the floor, the students explained how they programmed it to stay within designated lines.

“What they have designed is the precursor to self-driving cars. It’s the same idea,” noted Charles Arbutina, lecturer of CIS.

Meanwhile, Diandre Deabreu and Nico McLean demonstrated “Another World: A Video Game,” a program they designed with 3-D computer-animation software Alice. First-year communication major Angelique Jordan walked visitors through a website she designed to illustrate the dangers of cigarette smoking with tips on how to quit.

“My grandmother smokes and it inspired me to try to get her and others smokers to stop,” Jordan said.

“When the students have to articulate what they’ve learned, it gives them a sense of worth and boosts their self-confidence,” said Arbutina, who has taught CIS courses for the past 35 years. “It’s so important today not only to be able to use the technology but also to express yourself well.”

Funded through the SUNY Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, CIS189 is an introductory course open to all students, but targeted toward females and minorities. 

“Our goal is to bring more women and unrepresented minorities into the field,” Banerjee said.

Reflecting on the Computer Science Education Week event, Neal Mazur, associate professor of CIS, said, “Students today are very adept at the use of technology, but are often unaware of the underlying structure and code of, for example, websites and apps. The CIS 189 course, as demonstrated by the students’ projects, gave them a deeper understanding of how technology is actually used to create useful and interesting artifacts.”

Currently, 250 undergraduates have declared themselves CIS majors, and 30 graduate students are enrolled in the master’s level educational technology program. Also, approximately 1,000 students take service courses through the discipline each year.