Graduate students in Northwest's School of Computer Science and Information Systems visited Lettuce Dream, a hydroponic greenhouse in Maryville, to learn about its processes. The students are developing computer programs to assist the local non-profit. (Submitted photos)

Dec. 4, 2018

Students helping Lettuce Dream by developing computer programs

By Grace Niemeyer, communication assistant

Graduate students in Northwest Missouri State University’s School of Computer Science and Information Systems are developing computer programs to improve processes at a local non-profit organization.

Lettuce Dream is a hydroponic greenhouse in Maryville that operates as a social enterprise to help people with cognitive or developmental impairments build skills they can use in a working environment.

Students in Northwest’s Master of Science program in information systems are working in two teams to develop a human resource management system and a planting management system to track processes more efficiently. The teams’ prototypes integrate separate spreadsheets for tracking into one cohesive unit and upgrades manual processes to digital processes.

Dr. Cindy Tu, an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems overseeing the project, said Lettuce Dream was the perfect fit for both the students and client.

“We learned how to coordinate with a team and brainstorm our ideas together and channel them into our project,” Sabita KC, a student in the program, said. “We imagined ourselves in the shoes of Charlie (Clodfelter, the director of Lettuce Dream) and developed the components and interface accordingly. We implemented the knowledge into real time, which proved to be beneficial for our project.”

While the School of Computer and Information Science Systems at Northwest is dedicated to the development of future leaders in the computing industry, Sana Monappa said the teams incorporated elements from all of their coursework into the project.

“I learned how to work with a team, time management and how to practically implement all that we have learned over the semesters at Northwest,” Monappa said.

Students in the graduate program study information systems analysis and design, cybersecurity, database design and development, human-computer interaction, financial decision-making for information systems, business intelligence and management of information technology projects. The program can be completed in four semesters, including an eight-week summer session.