Voices Magazine Vol3-Issue 1

VOICES Bi-Monthly Magazine of the University of Technology, Jamaica | April - June 2019 14 M ay 14 2019 marked a historic day for the School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT), when the six-member team who represented UTech, Jamaica won the coveted 3rd Girls in ICT Hackathon national championship. UTech, Jamaica came out on top against Northern Caribbean University and the University of the West Indies who placed second and third respectively in the young women category. The event was held in observance of Girls in ICT Day celebrations and is part of a thrust to kindle the interest of Jamaica’s females in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The competition involves young women and girls from across Jamaica who compete using technology to solve the issues of gender-based violence and climate change and climate resilience. The SCIT team consisted of Team Captain - Juleen Gentles, Social Media Guru - Tuwanie Morgan, Roshelle Pinnock, Sashamoy Palmer, Kehli Cousins, Divinia Bryan and Kasjshae Quimwarrwye. The team’s winning solution targeted Climate Change and Resilience. They designed a mobile application prototype called Green Dream. The application helps households reduce their carbon footprint by allowing them to be more efficient with the energy/electricity consumption and also by optimizing their driving patterns to consume less petrol and release less exhaust daily. The application consists of several challenges that members of a household can engage in competition against and with each other, for example recycling challenges, conservation challenges and other activities that promote a healthy environment. T he School of Computing and Information Technology, (SCIT) will offer two new undergraduate degree programmes at the start of the 2019/20 Academic year. These are the Bachelor of Science in Computer Network and Security and the Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems. On July 2, 2019 SCIT hosted an information session for incoming and prospective students where details of the programme offerings were outlined by their respective programme directors. Dr. Sean Thorpe, Head, SCIT in his welcome noted that the roll out of the new ICT courses of study are in response to the current global data explosion and the growing high demand for ICT skilled professionals for the jobs of now and for the future. Looking at other opportunities in the ICT space, Dr. Thorpe said that recent data collected by the Jamaica Computer Society where he also sits as President, showed that “Jamaica right now has a shortage of over 10,000 data security and data science professionals.” In the international space he said that the skills shortage for these two categories of professionals is estimated to be in the region of 2.3 million. SCIT Students Win 3 rd National Girls in ICT Hackathon 2019 SCIT Offers 2 New Degree Programmes Professor Nilza Aples presents Mr Axel Van Trotsenburg, the World Bank’s Regional Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean Region with a gift following his tour of the Animation Lab, School of Computing and Information Technology (SCIT). Sharing in the occasion (L-R) are Nicholas Wellington, student, BSc in Animation Production and Development, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, President, Ms Nadine Maitland, Programme Director, BSc in Animation Production and Development, Professor Colin Gyles, Deputy President and Ms Karlene Francis, Operations Officer, World Bank. Juleen Gentles(left) and Tuwanie Morgan (right) show Hon. Fayval Williams. Minister of Science, Energy and Technology their mobile app - Green Dream.