Google Visits Stony Brook University Computer Science Class
Judged teams in competition for best overall student-created social networking system
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| Members of the winning team “Lifeshare,” Michael Gulak (sitting), Jason Macagnone and Tarasha Dewan, demonstrate to Google software engineers Manja Srinivasaiah and Jimmy Orr how their social network functions. Also present are Richard McKenna (far right) and Prof. Smolka (back). |
STONY BROOK, NY, December 15, 2011 – On Friday, December 9, 2011, Stony Brook University students enrolled in the Department of Computer Science “Principles of Database Systems” course (CSE 305) welcomed representatives of Google as judges in a course project competition to develop a relational database system and corresponding web-based user interface for an online social networking system. The Google panel judged which student-created project consists of the best overall social networking system.
As part of their curriculum to gain experience in the design and implementation of a database system, approximately 25 teams of students developed fully-functional social networking database systems that resemble Google+ and Facebook. In the preliminary round of the competition, teams demonstrated their system to Computer Science Professor, Scott Smolka and Richard McKenna, a Computer Science lecturer. In the final round, six teams were selected to present demonstrations to Google computer software engineers Jimmy Orr and Manja Srinivasaiah, who traveled to Stony Brook from Google’s New York City headquarters for the competition.
All participants received Google tee shirts with the three best teams receiving award certificates. Members of the top overall team selected for the best overall social networking system “Lifeshare,” each received a Samsung Galaxy Tab tablet computer compliments of Google.
“Each team was judged according to the quality of the web-based user interface and their ability to implement several basic Google+ transactions,” said Professor Smolka. “Students gained valuable experience in designing the system and in their presentation, which is a great opportunity for them to showcase their skills and build a network of connections for the future.”
– See more at: http://commcgi.cc.sunysb.edu/cgi-bin/am2/admin.cgi#sthash.wJTDmox3.dpuf
