Three UH Teams Place in National Microsoft Competition

Tackling deforestation, water pollution and poverty earned University of Houston students top honors in computer game designing at the U.S. finals of the 2011 Microsoft Imagine Cup. With the annual contest drawing more than 74,000 of the nation’s brightest technology students to Microsoft’s headquarters, UH made quite an impact with three of its four finalists winning in game design.

First Place and $6,000 – Mobile Game Design:
Team Big Impact Bear, their “Forest Gun” project aims to prevent and reverse deforestation in the world. Members: Francisco Jimenez, Daniel Salazar and Brett Langsjoen.

Second Place and $3,000 – Mobile Game Design:
Team AAMP, “Operation Clean Sweep” raises awareness of water pollution. Members: Patipol Paripoonnanonda, Mark Rojas and Antonio Farias.

Third Place and $2,000 – Windows/Xbox Game Design:
Team Righteous Noodle, “Eva Frontier” challenges players to end poverty through the use of advanced technologies. Members: Jack Chaiyakhom, Son Tran, Kyuho Shim and Thien Pham.

The first-place winners were mentored by UH game developing instructor Jose Baez, with the other two teams guided by research assistant professor Chang Yun. Each of the 14 finalists making up the UH teams won a Windows Phone 7.

Jimenez, from Team Big Impact Bear, says he never imagined a potential future as a game developer when coming to study at UH, but is now excited at the prospect of possibly getting a chance to work in the gaming industry. As first-place winners, Team Big Impact Bear’s members will have an opportunity to interview for a Microsoft internship.

“This success showcases not only UH’s gaming coursework, but also the overall quality of our undergraduate program,” said Jaspal Subhlok, professor and chair of the computer science department. “Developing computer games requires expertise in diverse facets of computing, as well as creativity and artistic skills, which are the same challenges students will face in their computing careers.”

UH computer science department is among the first in the nation to offer comprehensive gaming coursework encompassing interactive game development, gaming art and computer graphics.

While Melissa Dickinson, Phil Trevino, William Holtkamp and Carlos Lacayo from Team STC did not place, they had the opportunity to network and present their entry “Deep Sea,” a game that promotes ways to defend an oil rig and protect the ocean environment when faced with inclement weather and explosions.