LU's Leleux to present STAIRSTEP research in Chicago

Hannah Leleux, a Lamar University junior from Bridge City majoring in computer science, has been awarded a scholarship from the Association for Computing Machinery – Women to attend SIGITE 2015, the 16th Annual Conference on Information Technology Education, Sept. 30 – Oct. 3, at DePaul University in Chicago. The conference is sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Information Technology Education.

Leleux has been participating in research in computer science education for more than a year with a team of undergraduates in Lamar University’s Students Advancing through Involvement in Research Student Talent Expansion Program (STAIRSTEP). STAIRSTEP is designed to recruit, retain and transition undergraduates to degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The LU Office of Undergraduate Research and a grant from ExxonMobil support the program.

At the conference, Leleux will present “Work in Progress: Programming is a SNAP! Increasing Knowledge and Interest in Computer Science,” describing research she is performing with STAIRSTEP team members: Timothy Gonzales, junior, Beaumont; Timothy Holcombe, senior, Lumberton; Colin Smith, junior, Bridge City; Alexander Strong, senior, Beaumont; and Greg Year, senior, Armada, Michigan. The undergraduate research office and the LU Department of Computer Science will provide additional support for Leleux’s travel expenses.

“I am honored and would like to thank ACM-W for the scholarship to the conference,” Leleux said.

“I would like to thank Dr. Peggy Doerschuk for mentoring the STAIRSTEP team,” she said. “Dr. Doerschuk has been the biggest help in guiding the team and has given us all an amazing opportunity to increase our knowledge in computer science through STAIRSTEP. I would also like to thank the Office of Undergraduate Research, ExxonMobil and the Department of Computer Science for making this possible.”

Photo:STAIRSTEP team members, left to right, Tim Holcombe, Tim Gonzales, Hanna Leleux, Greg Year, Alexander Strong and Colin Smith.