Six Northwest students presented their computer science research to a panel of KCP&L staff members during the company's annual undergraduate contest. Pictured left to right in the front row are Northwest students Randall Porter, Kaleb Odle and Chulho Yoon. Pictured left to right in the back row are KCP&L’s Seth Walz; Northwest students Patrick Blair, Robert Becthold and David Moyer; and KCP&L’s Jory Galloway and Tyler Mattoon.

Dec. 5, 2018

Students net cash awards for research in annual KCP&L contest

Six Northwest Missouri State University students earned cash prizes and valuable presentation experience Tuesday during the 11th annual CS/IS Research Paper Competition, sponsored by Kansas City Power and Light.

David Moyer, a senior computer science major from Grain Valley, Missouri, earned first place and $340 for his presentation “Aspects of Virtual Reality,” which explored the advantages and disadvantages of the technology as well as the opportunities it provides for software engineers and developers.

“He had very good presentation skills and seemed to be extremely knowledgeable about his subject and very passionate about it,” Jory Galloway, an application developer for KCP&L and 2011 graduate of Northwest, said.

Each year, finalists for the contest are selected by a panel of faculty in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, who conduct a blind review of research papers submitted by students in software engineering principles and systems analysis and design courses.

During the final round, a panel of KCP&L employees judge the context of the students’ presentations as well as their presentation skills and abilities to exhibit knowledge of their topic and respond to questions from the panel about their research. The contest also is an opportunity for KCP&L staff members to network with and recruit Northwest students. 

“It’s good for us to see what new technology they’re interested in and what they’re learning, and it’s good for them to get some experience presenting in front of business professionals,” Galloway said.

The other finalists and their awards were as follows:

• Second place, $220: Patrick Blair, a senior computer science major from Dallas Center, Iowa; “The Functionality and Future of Blockchain”
• Third place, $140: Chulho Yoon, a senior accounting and management information systems major from Seoul, South Korea; “User Interface Design”
• Honorable mention, $100: Randall Porter, a senior computer science major from Bowling Green, Missouri; “Benefits and Challenges of Reverse Engineering as a Means of Quality Assurance”
• Honorable mention, $100: Robert Becthold, a junior computer science major from Runnells, Iowa; “Machine Learning and its Uses”
• Honorable mention, $100: Kaleb Odle, a data science and informatics major from Dearborn, Missouri; “Computer Desktop Interface vs. Mobile vs. Wearable and Age Usability”

KCP&L has sponsored the undergraduate research competition since 2008. In the spring, KCP&L sponsors a second competition for teams of students who are completing their second semester in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems’ graduate-directed project course.