Cal State L.A. computer science students head to the Imagine Cup U.S. Finals
‘Team Defenestrate’ is one of 13 to compete in world technology competition
Los Angeles, CA -- Microsoft recently announced that California State University, Los Angeles’ Team Defenestrate is one of 13 teams advancing to the 11th annual Imagine Cup U.S. Finals, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student technology innovations that address the world’s toughest problems. The U.S. Finals will take place on Monday, May 13, in Silicon Valley and will be streamed live on the U.S. Imagine Cup Facebook page.
Cal State L.A.’s Team Defenestrate developed an Internet-themed real-time strategy game, entitled “/Admin,” where some of the key features include being able to play a game that can be saved across multiple platforms, including smartphones, tablets, and PCs.
With support from faculty adviser Elaine Kang and computer science department chair Raj Pamula, the CSULA team members include students Ryan Bogle, Gabor Kondas, Imtiaz Razzak and Zac Skinner.
To advance in the competition, students age 16 and older compete in three major competition categories, including:
Games – Using Microsoft’s gaming platforms such as Windows PC (PC or touchscreen), Windows Phone, Xbox, Indie Games, or Kinect SDK, students are tasked with creating a new game, changing a current genre or developing a new visual style of game.
Innovation – In this category, students are tasked with using their skills and creativity to design a totally new app experience by reinventing social networks, transforming online shopping, experiencing music in a new way or doing something amazing with GPS.
World Citizenship – Students have the opportunity to create an app that will help solve global challenges, such as reducing world hunger, providing better treatment for diseases, raising awareness of environmental issues or providing better access to education.
The top team will be selected to represent the U.S. at the worldwide finals in St. Petersburg, Russia July 8-12, 2013.
As a key program of Microsoft YouthSpark, Imagine Cup inspires students to tackle software development projects using Microsoft’s tools and platforms from the initial brainstorming phase through final release and beyond, transforming them from passive consumers of technology to skilled creators. Imagine Cup uses the thrill of competition to drive students to develop new skills, test themselves in new ways, lead multidisciplinary teams and take command of their future careers.
For the list of other finalists, go to http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_in_education/archive/2013/04/16/microsoft-announces-imagine-cup-2013-u-s-finalists.aspx.
For more information regarding the competition, visit the Microsoft’s Imagine Cup website.
# # #
Working for California since 1947: The 175-acre hilltop campus of California State University, Los Angeles is at the heart of a major metropolitan city, just five miles from Los Angeles’ civic and cultural center. More than 20,000 students and 225,000 alumni—with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds—reflect the city’s dynamic mix of populations. Six Colleges offer nationally recognized science, arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and humanities programs, among others, led by an award-winning faculty. Cal State L.A. is home to the critically-acclaimed Luckman Jazz Orchestra and to the Honors College for high-achieving students. Programs that provide exciting enrichment opportunities to students and community include an NEH-supported humanities center; a NASA-funded center for space research; and a forensic science program, housed in the Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. www.calstatela.edu