The Department Hosted Ten Alumni at 10th Annual Alumni Symposium, A Decade of Excellence

On Friday, March 18, 2016, the department held the 10th anniversary of the Computer Science Alumni Symposium. Department Chair, Dr. Sebastian van Delden, started the symposium with a warm welcome and presented Symposium Chair, Dr. Jim Bowring, with an award thanking him for his dedication over the years to the alumni symposium series.

This year’s theme, “A Decade of Excellence“, featured an alum from each graduating class over the past ten years.  Presenters highlighted where they are working and their responsibilities, showcasing the variety of opportunities that a degree in computer science can offer.  Positions held by presenters included a senior data scientist, an interactive computing professor, a site reliability engineer for Apple, an algorithmic trader, a chief technology operator at a start-up and a developer consultant.  Students gained advice ranging from broaden your skill sets, the ups and downs of a start-up, life right out of college, to the advantages of growing and keeping in touch with connections!

The presenters for the 10th Annual Computer Science Alumni Symposium included:

  • 2006 – Jeffrey Duke, Charleston Water System
  • 2007 – Patrick Roos, Miner & Kasch
  • 2008 – Alexander Endert, Georgia Tech
  • 2009 – Avery Scott, Apple
  • 2010 – Brian Giarrocco, Ground Swell Capital
  • 2011 – Brittany Johnson, NC State University
  • 2012 – Jordan Homan, Tender Food and Recipes
  • 2013 – Jason Daniel, SSI Schaefer
  • 2014 – Krista Grooms, SPAWAR
  • 2015 – Joye Nettles, ThoughtWorks

Biographies of the participating alumni presenters can be found, here.  The symposium concluded with a reception, where students had the opportunity to meet and network with the presenters.

Photo Credit: Leslie McKellar

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