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				Contact: Christine Payton	Oct. 22, 2009
				(337) 482-6397, payton@louisiana.edu
				COMPUTING AT UL LAFAYETTE TO BE CELEBRATED AT JUBILEE Naming of Oliver Hall to be included in festivities
				On Oct. 30 and 31, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette will celebrate 50 years of computing and the 25th anniversary of the Center for Advanced Computer Studies. The event is the Louisiana Computing Carnival 2009. All computer science and CACS alumni and supporters are invited to attend. “Fifty years ago, UL Lafayette offered the first course in computer science. Not many universities had even heard about this new invention,” said Dr. Magdy Bayoumi, director of CACS and department head for Computer Science. “From there, UL Lafayette developed an excellent computer science program, highly regarded all over the world.” The festivities will include the official naming of the computer science building for Dr. James Oliver on Oct. 30 at 1:30 p.m. The building is located at 301 E. Lewis Street across from Girard Park. Oliver is known as the “father of computing” at UL Lafayette. He taught the university’s first computer science class in 1959. A year later, he obtained a grant from the National Science Foundation to acquire an IBM 1620, the first digital computer used on UL Lafayette’s campus. Oliver also formed the first student chapter – in the world – of the Association of Computing Machinery. Today, there are over 500 ACM student chapters in 30 countries. In 1962, Oliver initiated the university’s master’s program in computer science. UL Lafayette awarded its first master’s degree in computer science in 1964. Oliver created the university’s bachelor’s program in computer science in 1966. He also developed its doctoral program in computer science – the first in Louisiana – in 1968. UL Lafayette’s Department of Computer Science was established in 1973 with Dr. Terry Walker as department head. Oliver was promoted to professor of chemistry in 1959; he remained in that position until 1969. During that time, he also served as director of the Computing Center and dean of the Graduate School until 1972. During his career, he acquired more than $3 million in grants for UL Lafayette. In addition to the building dedication, the Carnival will include a workshop highlighting the impact of computing and Internet revolution, poster presentations focusing on research and student projects, building tour and a banquet. Dr. Sung-Mo “Steve” Kang will deliver the keynote address. He is chancellor of the University of California, Merced, where he also serves as a professor of engineering. Born and raised in South Korea, Kang earned a scholarship to a U.S. university and became the first in his family to attend college. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey; his master’s from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and his doctorate from UC Berkeley. Kang’s degrees are all in electrical engineering. A banquet also will be held Oct. 30 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel, 1521 W. Pinhook Road. It will honor the Oliver family and highlight the history of computing at UL Lafayette through a series of videos. Price to attend is $15 for students, $40 per person, $75 per couple and $320 per table. For more information, contact CACS at (337) 482-6854 or visit www.cacsconference.com. -30- About UL Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is the second largest university in the state, with over 16,000 students. It’s a public institution that awards bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. It includes diverse offerings from the humanities to scientific research and leads the nation in areas like computer science, biology and nursing. Its student-athletes – Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns – compete in NCAA Division I, the highest level of collegiate competition.

Document last revised Wednesday, October 28, 2009 2:51 PM

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