Media Advisory

TO                         EDUCATION REPORTERS AND PSA DIRECTORS

FROM                     UAF Department of Mathematical Sciences

SUBJECT                Computer Scientists Seek Projects

DEADLINE             January 13, 1999

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Mathematical Sciences is seeking proposals for its spring semester computer software development class. Proposals may be submitted by local government, service and private organizations for consideration by students in the senior project and professional practice course. Requests must be received by 5 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 13 via e-mail to ffpjk@uaf.edu or by regular mail to the UAF Department of Mathematical Sciences, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99775-1110.

Last spring three projects were chosen for development, including a property tax billing program for the city of Nenana. Student computer scientists have helped design a number of different software applications since the course was first offered more than a decade ago.

"Clients" who have benefited from the student software development class include the North Pole Police Department, the Alaska Court System, the Fairbanks North Star Borough and Fairbanks Taxi Inc., to name a few. Projects have included plans to keep track of police and fire crew rotations and more recently, helping the local, online community network FairNet develop a web-based calendar. Typical prices for commercial, custom software development projects can run as high as $40,000.

CONTACT: Peter Knoke, UAF Department of Mathematical Sciences, (907) 474-5107, or via email: ffpjk@uaf.alaska.edu

DPD/1-4-99/99-039ma