The UH chapter of Association of Information Technology Professionals won third place out of 60 competing organizations for Overall School in the AITP Region 3 Conference this month, placing in the conference for the fourth consecutive year.
The Overall School award is given based upon performance in up to eight academic contests that are developed and judged by outside corporations, according to the AITP Region 3 Conference website. These contests include application development, network design, computer troubleshooting and Microsoft Office.
“The organization provides a forum for students who aspire to become more marketable in today’s competitive job market,” said Bret Detillier, technology professor and AITP faculty sponsor.
AITP Professionals at UH is composed of career-minded students who seek to network with alumni, students, potential employers and IT professionals, Detillier said.
“The corporate organization that develops each contest also provides a team of judges that evaluate the results,” Detillier said. “Each contest is structured so that at the beginning of the competition, the students are presented with a business scenario. Students must then develop a realistic solution for the business problem.”
Jayson Adanse, computer information systems senior and president of the UH chapter, said he was relieved to have been able to secure the organization’s spot at the conference and carry on the tradition.
“(Our) members are able to see where they stand against students from around the region and see the quality of their education at the University of Houston,” Adanse said. “Four years of placing in the conference is quite amazing and not to be taken lightly.”
For upcoming years, Adanse said he wishes more underclassmen will go and experience what the competitions entailed to be more prepared, as they are the future of AITP.
Detillier said the competition gives UH a chance to market its computer information systems program and the value of its students.
“By our students doing well against so many other schools it shows that UH students are some of the best in the country,” Detillier said.
For the last two years, Chevron has contributed $1,000 to help AITP send students to these competitions. Next year Detillier is hopeful more corporate sponsors will participate and make it possible to send students to the National Conference out of state and send more students to the Regional Conference.
“During the last five years, I have seen a tremendous amount of growth within the AITP organization,” Detillier said. “It has now become one of the most respected professional student chapters on campus.”
AITP has also become an excellent resource for job postings, Detillier said. Many students have found internships and permanent jobs through descriptions posted via AITP student members and former graduates.
“By networking with industry professionals and meeting students from other universities, our students gain further insight into their careers and what it takes to be successful,” Detillier said.
The next competition for UH AITP is the National Collegiate Conference, to be held April 4 to 7 in St. Louis.
Additional information about AITP at UH can be found at: www.tech.uh.edu/AITP/index.php.
