Students win big at regional computer science conference

The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Southeast Region wrapped its 38th annual meeting Nov. 2 at Furman University. About 100 attendees participated in the event that featured a programming contest and a research competition.

Of the 22 teams tackling the programming competition, a Furman team, including Emirhan Gencer ’27, Mohamed Ibrahim ’27, Sean Rowland ’26 and Michael Thomas ’26, took top prize for correctly cracking the most coding conundrums in a three-hour window, solving seven of nine possible problems. Two other Furman teams tied for 6th place.

In the research contest, 18 abstracts were accepted out of 28 total submissions, and Furman’s Jack Patterson ’25 and Gencer placed 3rd for their summer research project that explores the potential of large language model (LLM)-based chatbots to support faculty and staff in academic advising and teaching.

“All of us in the Department of Computer Science are immensely proud of our talented students,” said Kevin Treu, professor and chair of computer science. “They dedicated a great deal of time to honing their problem-solving and research skills and abilities, and their success in these competitions was a wonderful recognition for them.”

Both contests are long-running components of the conference designed to elevate engagement in the computer sciences among students and faculty at schools similar in size to Furman.

“The programming contest is a rare opportunity for students to compete against one another and solve some interesting problems,” said Chris Alvin, associate professor of computer science. He said the competition was a confidence booster for all students involved. Once students put their problem-solving skills through the paces, he said, “Students came away from the competition with a ‘Hey, I can do this’ mindset.”

On the research front, Alvin said the peer review process is vital. “We really want students to live The Furman Advantage, where they become equipped to communicate to an audience and to different audiences.” Syed Fahad Sultan, assistant professor of computer science, attributes Furman’s success to a raft of courses in the department, from introduction to computing to advanced data structures and engineering, as well as a MayX course focused on preparing students for programming competitions and technical interviews.

In a poster session, the 18 abstracts were pared down to five finalists, two spots secured by Furman undergraduates. Alvin, one of the judges, said students were able to show off their work and get valuable feedback from peers and faculty. Students in the top five then gave 15-minute presentations of their work.

But choosing the finalists was no easy task, Alvin said. “The difficulty in judging is a testament to the students and the quality work they produced,” he said.

The conference, which included a keynote address from a Sandia National Laboratories representative, a banquet address from alumna and benefactor Jennifer McHan Good ’92, invited papers (one of them by Johnathan Dewey ’24 and Chris Alvin), vendor displays, the contests and more, was by all accounts a shining moment. Both Alvin and Sultan gave credit to Treu, who will be stepping down as conference chair after 30 years.

“In many ways the success at the conference was a fitting sendoff for him,” Sultan said.

“My colleagues, including our administrative professional Kala Kennemore, were pleased to welcome the CCSC:SE participants to our beautiful campus and to Riley Hall for this year’s conference,” Treu said. “We have a lot to be proud of here at Furman.”