Drew McKinney ’05 has teamed up with his cousin to develop an iPad application that helps children who cannot speak. SpeechHero uses 6,000 recognizable symbols and vocal utterances, breaking them down into common vocabulary words and phrases that children can choose by clicking on associated symbols, which are often easier for children to decipher than words. Drew earned his B.A degree in Computer Science at K before studying Informatics and Human Computer Interaction and earning a M.A. degree from Indiana University in 2010.
computer science
Alum Keith Crandall Hired to Direct Computational Biology Institute at George Washington University
Keith Crandall ’87 has been hired by George Washington University to direct its new Computational Biology Institute.
Computational biology combines elements of computer science and biology, and its practitioners develop tools to analyze data generated in researching genetics and genomics, including genetic mapping and DNA sequencing.
Crandall’s research interests have included crustacean biology, biodiversity, and infectious diseases. His B.A. from Kalamazoo College is in biology. At Washington University in St. Louis he earned a Ph.D.in population and evolutionary biology and a master’s degree in statistics. His work at CBI will include an investigation of the impact of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, using gene expression to identify how oil pollutants affect deep sea crustaceans.
Kalamazoo Kicks Byte
Students from Kalamazoo College worked together to build their mental endurance and speed in anticipation of a big test held Oct. 21-22. No, not mid-terms—the 36th annual Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest sponsored by IBM. Regional competitions for the so-called “Battle of the Brains” attracted tens of thousands of students from schools in about 90 countries on six continents, all with the same dream to walk away with prizes, scholarships, job opportunities, and a coveted spot among the top 100 teams invited to the World Finals in Poland in May 2012.
Two Kalamazoo teams competed against the smartest collegiate IT talent from 122 colleges and universities in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, including teams from MSU, UM, Purdue, Notre Dame, and Ohio State. Each three-student team applied its programming skills to solve complex real world problems under a grueling five-hour deadline huddled around a single computer.
“The two ‘K’ teams did great,” said Pam Cutter, associate professor of computer science. “We had seniors through freshmen participating.”
The “Black Hornets” finished tied for 48th, and the “Orange Hornets” finishing 53rd.
“We’re proud of their effort and for standing up to the ‘big schools.’ It was time well spent and a great learning experience for all.”
Check out the final results!