BDPA College Student Overview

Earl Pace and David Wimberly founded BDPA in November 1975 as a local association. Within three years, the founders grew BDPA into a national organization with chapters in Philadelphia, Washington DC and Cleveland. Today, there are 46 chapters throughout the United States. One part of the BDPA legacy is our program for college students and college campuses. This is a program that enriches the opportunities for our students in a variety of post-secondary education institutions with a focus on low-and moderate-income communities.

31% of BDPA’s membership consists of college students. BDPA understands that its educational life cycle moves from the classroom to the boardroom. A major element of the educational life cycle resides with college students. Annual membership dues for college students are only $25 … a significant savings from the annual membership dues that adult professionals invest in BDPA membership.

BDPA established the college student program to teach advanced computer science and community responsibility to students from historically disadvantaged communities. There are four major components of our college student program that impact on the educational future of K-12 students:

1. College Scholarships
2. IT Showcase
3. Internships and Entry-Level Jobs in IT Industry
4. Mobile Application Showcase

Most of our 46 local BDPA chapters run programs that provide science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum and experiences for young people of color in community colleges, 4-year colleges and vocational schools. These training programs include a monthly program meeting hosted by each local chapter that provides remarkable information from industry professionals as well as unique networking opportunities that are not replicated anywhere else in the community.

BDPA seeks to have more students in college studying STEM-related disciplines. BDPA created the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) in 1992 for the purpose of giving college scholarships to deserving high school students. Over 200 college scholarships valued at over $469,900 have been handed out by BDPA and BETF. In addition, BDPA created two programs that feature college students - IT Showcase (2003) and Mobile Application Showcase (2014). BDPA began the process to bridge the ‘digital divide’ before the term was widely known. BDPA recognizes that to close the gap of computer and technology literacy, minority youth must participate and compete in today’s digital economy. Otherwise, our youth run the risk of being obsolete in America’s workforce.

The BDPA college student program is intellectually challenging and builds self-esteem through the mastery of applied computer science. We create a foundation for academic and career success. BDPA trains our youth to use technology as a vehicle to learn skills and concepts beyond the technology itself. In essence it bridges the gap between long-term educational approach of the classroom and short-term skills experience of the workplace.

It is worth noting that all of these BDPA programs have an added advantage in our efforts to cultivate exceptional talent – we go beyond just providing programming and STEM-based skills. BDPA also trains these young people in project management, time management, public speaking, team-building and presentation skills. In summary, they learn the fundamentals of being an IT professional and personal leadership in the workplace.

BDPA iRadio Show: September 22, 2015 (Adrian Ables, Haron Arama)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is very proud to be the creator of the BDPA iRadio Show. You can listen to the archive version of the show using the widget shown in the right-hand sidebar of this blog. FREE download from the iTunes Store is also available for our listeners!

Check Out Technology Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with BDPA on BlogTalkRadio

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The guest on the September 22nd show:

Adrian Ables

Adrian Ables - college student, Depauw University - Adrian Ables is a senior at DePauw University.  He won the Johnson & Johnson Scholarship for BDPA Students. Adrian was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has lived with his family in Oklahoma for most of his life. His passion has always been soccer ever since he was a little kid. He loves reaching out to his community and teaching kids how to play soccer. He teaches young people that they need to work hard on and off the field. Adrian is the captain of the soccer team at DePauw University. Adrian drove to Cincinnati earlier this summer to participate in the BDPA Midwest Regional IT Showcase. He competed in the 13th annual BDPA IT Showcase in Washington DC last month. His topic focused on social media and how it can positively impact the workplace infrastructure, communication, and environment. Our BDPA iRadio Show listeners would like to hear about Adrian's experience at the BDPA conference and how he plans to use his JnJ college scholarship funding.

Haron Arama

Hank Arama - High School Computer Competition Alumni, BDPA Southern Minnesota - Haron Arama is a senior at John Marshall High School in Rochester, Minnesota. He was part of the team trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota to participate in the 2015 National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship held in Washington DC. His team came in 4th place and earned him a Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship. Our audience will be interested in learning more about the training that Haron was part of in Rochester as well as his experiences during the week of the conference.

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We hope you enjoy the insights and commentary on the show from each of these guests. Please take a moment to post a comment to let us know that you care!

BDPA IT Showcase

The BDPA IT Showcase is an advanced technology forum where High School and College students from across the nation demonstrate their research and theories in the fields of information technology. Papers will be published in the IT Showcase Proceedings. The purpose of this program is to encourage more students of color to advance their education to the Ph.D. level in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) curriculum.

The projects focus on various “advanced thought” topics including; database technology, web design technology, wired and wireless communication technology, IT security, data mining, soft computing, high performance computing, cloud computing, virtual technologies, nanotechnology, robotics, operating systems, IT certification, social media and much more.

The Showcase presentations consist of demonstrations where applicable. Three awards (First, Second and Third Prize) are made in each of two categories: High School and College (undergraduate).

Over the past few years there were 46 undergraduate papers and 74 high school papers presented from students in 14 states, 33 high schools, 12 universities and three community colleges. Some of the presentations over the past few years are entitled: Artificial Intelligence Applications in the Military, Can Cloud Computing Eradicate Hard Drive Storage Systems, Fourth Generation Mobile Communications Networks, Nanotechnology in High Performance Computing, Positron Emission Tomography, Robotics and Bioinformatics in Healthcare Industry.

BDPA Cincinnati Launches 2015 High Technology STEM Initiative

BDPA Cincinnati chapter announces the opening of the 2015 Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program offers cutting edge STEM training to areas High School and College Students. 2015 is the 19th year for SITES program. The program will begin on January 10th at Cincinnati State Technical College. Students can preview the program content and complete the application for training sessions on the www.bdpa-camp.org web site. The SITES program contain a number of distinct offerings for students and opportunities to win college scholarships

Computer Camp – a disciplined 13-week program for students in 8th through 12th grades. The computer camp covers Visual Basic Applications, Mobile Phone Applications, Web Development, Programming Automation Controllers, Robotics, 3D Printing, Internet Of Things, Information Technology Theory and History, and Professional Development. This training provides students with IT theory and hands-on activities as well as exposure to leading technical professionals in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas.

High School Computer Competition (HSCC) -The BDPA National High School Computer Competition, was founded in 1986 by Dr. Jesse Bemley, of Washington, D.C. What started as a two-team event between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA. has grown to over 20 teams of various high school students from within the 46 chapters across the nation. It's designed to introduce our youth to the field of Information Technology, challenge their learnings, encourage them to seek higher levels of education, and groom many of them to become our next generation of IT professionals. HSCC is a 28-week program that prepares students to compete in a 3 step competition that demonstrates IT prowess. The competition consists of an oral component, a written component, and a very competitive programming component. Students are taught to master ASP.NET Programming, JavaScript Programming, Structured Query Language, MySQL Database and Microsoft Visual Studio in a succinct and efficient manner. Students will have the ability to develop a complete database driven application in seven hours after completing this training. Additionally, students are coached on working effectively in teams, team building, leadership, and academic discipline. The top winners of this competition are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference in addition to any local chapter recognition or awards.

IT Showcase – The BDPA Information Technology Showcase allows student presenters from educational institutions across the United States, to present and demonstrate their research. The presentations represent advanced computing and technical topics presented by college and high school students to an audience of corporate representatives and IT professionals. IT professionals and educator mentor students and help them prepare for a national competition. Top students are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

Mobile Application Showcase - The National BDPA Mobile Application Showcase allows student application developers the opportunity to participate in a competition that allows them to an opportunity to test their talents against others and develop a working, functional Mobile Application, at no cost to themselves. The applications being showcased will represent three different application categories (i.e. business, personal productivity, and gaming). Each category will have stringent requirements to be met in advance to the showcase. The top winners of this showcase are awarded scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

BDPA Cincinnati had an exceptional training year in 2014 which culminated in students winning $15,625 in scholarships for their performance at the 2014 National BDPA Conference. The chapter is looking forward to an even greater training year in 2015 engaging more minority students and bringing even greater rewards back to Cincinnati.

Wordless Wednesday: Ogochukwu Eburuoh (Bowie State University)

BDPA Cincinnati Launches 2015 Technology Initiative for High School Students

BDPA Cincinnati chapter announces the opening of the 2015 Student Information Technology Education and Scholarship (SITES) program. The SITES program offers cutting edge technology training to areas High School and College Students. 2015 is the 19th year for SITES program in Cincinnati. The program will begin on January 10, 2015 at Cincinnati State Technical College. Students can preview the program content and complete the application for training sessions on the www.bdpa-camp.org web site.

The SITES program contains four (4) opportunities for students to win college scholarships:

Computer Camp - a disciplined 13 week program for students in 8th thru 12th grades. The computer camp covers Visual Basic Applications, Mobile Phone Applications, Web Development, Programming Automation Controllers, Robotics, 3D Printing, Internet Of Things, Information Technology Theory, Computer History, and Professional Development. This training provides students with IT theory and hands-on activities as well as exposure to leading technical professionals in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky areas.

High School Computer Competition (HSCC) - National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) was founded in 1986. It's designed to introduce our youth to the field of Information Technology, challenge their learnings, encourage them to seek higher levels of education, and groom many of them to become our next generation of IT professionals. HSCC is a 28-week program that prepares students to compete in a 3-part competition (oral, written and programming) that demonstrates IT prowess. Students are taught to master ASP.NET Programming, JavaScript Programming, Structured Query Language (SQL), MySQL Database and Microsoft Visual Studio in a succinct and efficient manner. Students are coached on working effectively in teams, team building, leadership, and academic discipline. The top performers in this competition are awarded college scholarships at the National BDPA Conference in addition to any local chapter recognition or awards.

IT Showcase - The BDPA Information Technology (IT) Showcase allows high school (and college) students to present and demonstrate their research. The presentations represent advanced computing and technical topics presented to an audience of African American PhDs. Top students are awarded college scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

Mobile Application Showcase - The National BDPA Mobile Application Showcase allows students to test their talents developing a working Mobile Application that can run on an Android platform. The applications being showcased represent business, personal productivity or gaming. Each category will have stringent requirements to be met in advance to the showcase. The top winners of this showcase are awarded college scholarships at the National BDPA Conference.

BDPA Cincinnati students earned $16,525 in college scholarships during 2014. BDPA seeks new high school students in each of these programs in 2015. Contact the chapter by email (cincinnati@bdpa.org), phone (513.549-6991) or the web (www.bdpa-camp.org) for more details.

Classroom to the Boardroom: Nicholas Reid (New York University)

 BDPA believes that it can help the Black community 'win the future' by providing programs, scholarships and services that will move folks from 'the classroom to the boardroom'. Back in 2003, we created the BDPA Information Technology (IT) Showcase as part of that process. Our vision at the time was to find a way for the students trained by BDPA in coding (programming), database management, web development, presentation skills and teamwork in our local chapter computer camps and the national High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships to stay within the BDPA family as they moved on to college.

Dr. Jesse Bemley

The IT Showcase was created by BDPA Hall of Fame member Dr. Jesse Bemley with the idea that HSCC alumni (high school or college) could continue to compete at the annual conference. These young people were encouraged to document their research on a relevant technology topic ... write a 10-page paper, create a poster board display and then defend their research in person in front of judges from industry and academia.

This blog wants to begin to highlight some of the young people who have begun their 'classroom to the boardroom' journey in both the HSCC and IT Showcase initiatives. One such student is Nicholas Reid. As a high school student Nicholas represented BDPA New York chapter in the 2010 national HSCC championship. His team finished in sixth place that year.

In 2012, he served as the technical coordinator for the high school students being trained by his local chapter.

2014 IT Showcase Award: Dr. Bemley, Nicholas, Dr. Brown

The past two years (2013 and 2014) Nicholas has been a participant in the college division of the BDPA IT Showcase. In fact, he took home the silver medal at the BDPA IT Showcase held in August 2014!

 Nicholas is the future face of technology. He is currently studying physics and computer science at New York University with a career goal of becoming an astrophysicist.

BDPA is excited to support the efforts of youngsters such as Nicholas. We expect great things from him and others who follow the BDPA path. However, we need support from BDPA members, sponsors and supporters to increase the funds available for BDPA programs, scholarships and services. Won't you take a moment to make a secure online donation right here and right now in the name of Nicholas Reid?

Cincinnati Students Prepare to Compete at National BDPA STEM-based Championships

L-R: Brian Pulliam, Hasani Harrigan, Deborah Prince, Frank Hill, Austin Murph, Jon Carr and Yaw Asante.

BDPA Cincinnati chapter is sending six students to the 2014 BDPA Technology Conference to compete in the National High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship, IT Showcase and Mobile Application Showcase.   These young people will leave Cincinnati on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 and our scheduled to return back to the Queen City on Sunday, August 10, 2014.

Itobore Odje

Itobore Odje represents Cincinnati in the 1st annual BDPA Mobile Applications Showcase. She is currently a student at the University of Cincinnati.

Brian Pulliam is an alumni of the HSCC program, finishing as high as 5th place in the 2013 National BDPA Technology conference. He is currently a freshman at Sinclair College. This year Brian provides moral support to the HSCC team while he competes for the first time in the BDPA IT Showcase. He plans to present on the topic, 'Telepresence Robotics in the Military'.

The four high school students that will represent the chapter at the National BDPA HSCC championship next month are new to the game. However, they are powerful coders who will do well. Cincinnati Bell sponsored the BDPA membership dues of the four students listed below as well as Brian Pulliam! Share some love for our 2014 HSCC team:

1. Yaw Asante is a sophomore at Walnut Hills High School. His interests are medical science, computer science and law. This is Yaw’s first year with competing in the HSCC championship.
   
   
2. Jon Carr is a freshman at St. Xavier High School. Jon likes computers, robotics and video games. This is Jon's first year with competing in the HSCC championship.
   
   
3. Hasani Harrigan is a junior at Seven Hills High School. Hasani likes music, engineering and is an outstanding baseball player. Hasani is the leader of the HSCC squad this year based on his prior experiences in both the 2012 and 2013 HSCC championships held in Baltimore and Washington DC, respectively.
   
   
4. Austin Murph is a sophomore at Seven Hills High School. His interests are golf, engineering and video games. This is Austin's first year with competing in the HSCC championship.
   
   

BDPA Cincinnati chapter is very proud of its Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship program.  

Deborah Prince (xpedx) and Frank Hill (Hiltronics Computer Associates) both dedicated untold hours to training these young people each Saturday from January thru July at the computer labs of Cincinnati State Technical College.

We need your support to move forward! Can you take a moment to make a secure online donation towards college scholarships for these STEM-centric young people? Just click here -- www.crowdrise.com/BDPACincinnati -- and help us as we try to help them!

Related articles

• HSCC Student Spotlight: BDPA Cincinnati

Seeking STEM Student Participants for 12th Annual BDPA IT Showcase

BDPA is actively recruiting high school and college undergraduate students to participate in the 12th annual National BDPA Information Technology (IT) Showcase (co-sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company and Johnson & Johnson).

Download BDPA IT Showcase Overview & Timeline!

2012 IT Showcase Winner

The BDPA IT Showcase allows student presenters from educational institutions all over the United States to showcase their research papers and posters by presenting and demonstrating their research. The presentations will represent science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) topics presented by highly motivated high school and college students to an audience of students and IT professionals. College and high school students have the opportunity to participate in this 3-day event held in conjunction with the National BDPA Technology Conference held in Indianapolis, IN, August 6-9, 2014.

2013 IT Showcase Winner & Friends

The Presentations and Research Projects will be judged in two divisions … high school and college … by a panel of judges. Three awards will be made in each category for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Each participant will be recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation at the end of the IT Showcase session. The awards will be presented at the annual Gala on Saturday, August 9, 2014.  See list of past winners!

BDPA seeks scholarly papers/projects on leading edge technologies in STEM disciplines with a focus on, hardware and software methodologies, research proofs of concept encompassing, but not limited to, artificial intelligence, intelligent technologies, smart toys, machine learning, genetic algorithms, wearable computing, web technologies, green IT technologies, virtual IT technologies, high performance computing, computing curricula, computational science (across the physical and life sciences), green energy technologies, robotics, climate change or global warming.

The National IT Showcase Coordinators will work with chapter volunteers and students to help them develop their research project. The final recommendation on the student's participation will be made after the research paper is completed.

Participants are expected to follow this timeline:

1. Research paper (8 page maximum) – due April 15, 2014
2. PowerPoint presentation from the paper (10 min. for IT Showcase) – due June 6, 2014
3. Poster display (3ft by 4ft) graphically depicting research topic - due June 6, 2014
4. Photo (B&W) and Bio – due April 15, 2014
5. Trip Report - Due August 16, 2014.

The presentation and poster are driven by the research paper. The PowerPoint presentation is given at the podium and poster presentations are given in the poster display area.

Contact Dr. Jesse Bemley (IT Showcase coordinator) on (301) 584-3135 if you have questions or wish to discuss further.

Related articles

• VIDEO: Review of 2013 BDPA Technology Conference

BDPA IT Showcase Winners (2003-2013)

Milt Haynes and I asked Dr. Jesse Bemley to create a program in 2003 for our High School Computer Competition alumni and college students. We wanted the program to encourage more African American students to seek Ph.D recognition in the hard science fields.

Dr. Bemley created the Information Technology (IT) Showcase.

The BDPA IT Showcase allows student presenters from educational institutions all over the United States to showcase their research papers on advanced computing topics to an audience of students and IT professionals. Some of the topics covered in the past include: intelligent technologies, wearable computing technologies, web technologies, parallel computing technologies, computing curricula and computer graphics technologies.

Here are past IT Showcase Winners:

2003 - Philadelphia, PA
High School Division

• 1st place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Washington, DC
• 2nd place: Mr. Eric Lamison-White, Bowie, MD
• 3rd place: Ms. Jessica Eggleston, Columbia, SC

College Division

• 1st place: Ms. Swathi Nibhanupudi, University of Cincinnati
• 2nd place: Mr. Wesley Williams, University of Chattanooga
• 3rd place: Mr. Ayyub Wright, University of Memphis
  

2004 - Dallas, TX
High School Division

• 1st place: Andre Strong, Thomas Edison HS, Alexandria, VA
• 2nd place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie HS, Bowie,MD
• 3rd place: Julian Waller, Carroll HS, Washington DC

College Division

• 1st place: Robert Garcia, DePaul University
• 2nd place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T University
• 3rd place: Chris Holt, Southern Illinois University
  

2005 - Detroit, MI
High School Division

• 1st place: Bryan Bemley, Carroll HS, Washington, DC
• 2nd place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie HS, Bowie, MD
• 3rd place: Joshua Wallace, Duval HS, Lanham, MD

College Division

• 1st place: Chris Holt, Southern Illinois University
• 2nd place: Darrell Edmonds, North Carolina A&T University
• 3rd place: Darren Lamison-White, Bowie State University
  

2006 - Los Angeles, CA
High School Division

• 1st Place: Eric Lamison-White, Bowie High School, Bowie, MD
• 2nd Place: Malcom Parker, Mayfair High School, Los Angeles, CA
• 3rd Place: Alicia Simmonds, Frederick Douglass HS, Upper Marlboro, MD

College Division

• 1st Place: Raymond McGill, Jr., Cornell University
• 2nd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University
• 3rd Place: Myles Singleton, Illinois State University
  

2007 - Washington, DC
High School Division

• 1st Place: Jahmal Chase, School for Creative and Performing Arts, Cincinnati, OH
• 2nd Place: Amber Gosby, Mt. Healthy High School, Cincinnati, OH
• 3rd Place: Christian Loggins, Eastern High School, Washington, DC

College Division

• 1st Place: Delano Robinson, University of Minnesota Crookston
• 2nd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University
• 3rd Place: Darren Lamison-White, Bowie State University
  

2008 - Atlanta, GA
High School Division

• 1st Place: Fred Smith, III, Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, D
• 2nd Place: Tyrell Ferguson, North Point High School, Waldorf, MD
• 3rd Place: Cadeal Chase, Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts, Baltimore, MD

College Division

• 1st Place: Tiffany McCormick, North Carolina A&T State University
• 2nd Place: Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University
• 3rd Place: Jessye Bemley, North Carolina A&T State University

2009 IT Showcase Students

2009 - Raleigh, NC
High School Division

• 1st place: Mr. Naaman Cephas, Hodgson Vo-Tec High School (Newark, DE)
• 2nd place: Mr. Marcus Smith, Pencader Charter High School (New Castle DE)
• 3rd place: Ms. Whitney Wilson, Charter School of Wilmington (Wilmington, DE)

College Division

• 1st place: Mr. Frederick Smith III, California University of Pennsylvania
• 2nd place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University
• 3rd place: Ms. Jovanna Foreman, North Carolina Central University

2010 IT Showcase Winners

2010 - Philadelphia, PA
High School Division

• 1st place: Ms. Cherise Poole, Pencader Charter High School (New Castle DE)
• 2nd place: Ms. Kenyatta Malloy, Friendly High School (Washington DC)
• 3rd place: Ms. Whitney Wilson, Pencader Charter High School (New Castle DE)

College Division

• 1st place: Mr. Frederick Smith III, California University of Pennsylvania
  
• 2nd place: Mr. Naaman Cephas, Delaware Technical & Community College
  
• 3rd place: Mr. Ahmed Mahamad, University of Minnesota

2011 - Chicago, IL
High School Division

• 1st place: Ms. Whitney Wilson, Pencader Charter High School (New Castle DE)
• 2nd place: Ms. Nathasha Sowell, Warren Central High School (Indianapolis, IN)
• 3rd place: Mr. Marcus Smith, Pencader Charter High School (New Castle DE)

College Division

• 1st place: Mr. Michael Bijou, Bowie State University
  
• 2nd place: Ms. Shaneece Davis, North Carolina Central University
  
• 3rd place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University

2012 - Baltimore, MD
High School Division

• 1st place: Ms. Tyra Foulks, Irmo High School (Columbia, SC)
• 2nd place: Mr. Wesley Walker, Groveport Madison High School (Groveport, OH)
• 3rd place: Ms. Brandi Taylor, Irmo High School (Columbia, SC)

College Division

• 1st place: Mr. Michael Bijou, Bowie State University
  
• 2nd place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University
  
• 3rd place: Mr. Adwait Walimbe, University of Minnesota

2013 - Baltimore, MD
High School Division

• 1st place: Mr. Jared Sherrod, Delaware Academy of Public Safety and Security (Wilmington, DE)
• 2nd place: Mr. Ian Crowder, Oak Park River Forest High School (Oak Park, IL)
• 3rd place: Ms. Brandi Taylor, Irmo High School (Columbia, SC)

College Division

• 1st place: Ms. Jazzmine Bess, Florida A&M University
  
• 2nd place: Ms. Jessica Boardley, University of Delaware
  
• 3rd place: Mr. Bryan Bemley, Bowie State University

 These are truly some remarkable students. We will follow their educational progress to determine how many of them receive their Ph.D. in the hard science field. In the meantime, it would be great to hear from you. What are your thoughts as you review this list of winners?

Overview: BDPA IT Showcase

The BDPA IT Showcase is an advanced technology forum where High School and College students from across the nation demonstrate their research and theories in the fields of information technology. Papers will be published in the IT Showcase Proceedings. The purpose of this program is to encourage more students of color to advance their education to the Ph.D. level in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) curriculum.  Click here to see more detailed overview.

BDPA IT Showcase founder Dr. Jesse Bemley notes, "Attendees will be amazed at the thoroughness of the research and the advanced topics presented at the IT Showcase. The IT Showcase treats the audience to challenging 'outside-the-box' thought."

The projects focus on various “advanced thought” topics including: artificial intelligence, database technology, web design technology, wired and wireless communication technology, IT security, data mining, global position systems, graphical processing units, soft computing, production planning tools, high performance computing, cloud computing, green technology, virtual technologies, nanotechnology, robotics, operating systems, IT certification, social media and much more.

The Showcase presentations consist of demonstrations where applicable. Three awards (First, Second and Third Prize) are made in each of two categories: High School and College (undergraduate). In recent years the top performers in the IT Showcase have won college scholarships funded by Johnson & Johnson.

Over the past few years there were 46 undergraduate papers and 74 high school papers presented from students in 14 states, 33 high schools, 12 universities and three community colleges. Our hope is that all 46 local BDPA chapters will find a way to send a student ... ideally one of their HSCC alumni ... to participate in the next BDPA IT Showcase.

Bemley Scholar Ahmed Mahamad Graduates with Health Sciences Degree from University of Minnesota

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to recognize Bemley Scholar Ahmed Mahamad for his successful graduation from the University of Minnesota (Rochester) with a bachelor of sciences degree in Health Sciences.

Ahmed has a powerful BDPA legacy. He is one of the rare students in history to win three (3) national BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships. He won those three championships in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as a member of the HSCC teams trained by BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter. As a result of his excellence Ahmed earned multiple college scholarships including the Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship awarded by BETF to support his educational efforts at the University of Minnesota.

Ahmed joined with two other HSCC alums (James Arama and Adwait Walimbe) in 2010 to create the StartLounge. StartLounge was a visual, social interface that engaged users with Facebook integration to let them preview Facebook news feeds and photos.

As a college student Ahmed continued to support his BDPA family. He was a student instructor for BDPA Southern Minnesota for a number of years and he was a participant in the 2010 BDPA IT Showcase held in Philadelphia PA. His research topic during that year's IT Showcase was entitled, 'Robotics Bioinformatics and Medicine' [paper / poster].

Ahmed is the 'future face of technology'. His graduation this weekend from the University of Minnesota is simply another step in his personal quest to rise from 'the classroom to the boardroom'. Whenever BETF donors or volunteers begin to waiver in our commitment to support of BDPA programs, scholarships and services we merely need to remember the example of Ahmed Mahamad. Today, I ask all of you to join BETF in tipping our caps to this talented young man ... and if your heart tells you ... please help us provide more college scholarships in the future for other young 'uns like Ahmed!

Congratulations Ahmed ... University of Minnesota graduate, Class of 2013!

Seeking Students for BDPA IT Showcase

BDPA Charlotte chapter is actively recruiting high school and college students to participate in the 2013 BDPA IT Showcase. Chapter member Kevin Robinson created this promotional video to help get the word out.



The message applies nationwide. BDPA understands that there are too few African Americans stretching themselves to obtain PhD in computer science or other STEM-related curriculum. That is the deeper purpose for the BDPA IT Showcase. We want to show our students role models as well as encourage them to showcase their research and presentation skills. Please let us know if you know of a high school or college student interested in participating in the 2013 BDPA IT Showcase!

Who Am I? - Dr. Jesse Bemley (Founder, IT Showcase and High School Computer Competition)

BDPA and the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation strive to make a difference in both the Black community. We have some serious people who volunteer to implement programs that will advance the careers of African Americans in the IT industry. We don't always get a chance to know our BDPA leaders in a personal way. This blog decided to try and provide you with a different perspective ... a different look ... at our BDPA leaders.

Who Am I?

Dr. Jesse Bemley

IF I WERE A...

• MONTH, I would be... April
• COLOR, I would be... Black
• TIME OF DAY, I would be... Morning
• SUPERPOWER, I would be... USA
• FLOWER, I would be... Rose
• SONG, I would be... 'No Charge' (Shirley Caesar)
• CAR, I would be... Neon
• ITEM OF CLOTHING, I would be... suit
• ANIMAL, I would be... a Pit Bull
• FOOD, I would be... Turkey
• MOVIE, I would be... True Grit
• CITY/TOWN, I would be... Memphis
• SPORT, I would be... Football

Dr. Bemley is the creative genius behind both the BDPA High School Computer Competition and the BDPA IT Showcase. What isn't well-known is that Dr. Bemley is also a past president of the BDPA Washington DC chapter.

Our hope is that Dr. Bemley will join us here on the blog to share deeper insights into these things via the COMMENTS feature! What did you learn about BDPA's intellectual beacon via this blog post that you may never have known otherwise?

Message from BDPA Corporate Sponsor (GEICO)

BDPA is very excited that over 100 corporations have invested in its programs, scholarships and services. Corporations support the BDPA mission to advance the careers of African Americans in the information technology industry from the classroom to the boardroom. These corporate sponsors see a tangible return on investment when it comes to recruitment, retention, community outreach, supplier diversity and market share.

It always helps when BDPA members become corporate champions. For example, past National BDPA executive director Midge Johnson attended the 2012 Dignitaries Reception held during the recent annual BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore MD. She was enthusiastic by what she saw ... and she took the story back to her employer, GEICO. A few weeks later GEICO agreed to recruit diverse talent at our annual BDPA Career Fair that will take place August 14-17, 2013 in Washington DC as well as co-sponsor the 11th annual BDPA IT Showcase!

Earl Pace (BDPA founder), Midge Johnson (GEICO), Wayne Hicks (BETF executive director)

Midge shared her reflections on the process with us:

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"I attended the 2012 National BDPA Technology Conference in Baltimore earlier this year. As I walked through the Career Fair, I noticed several insurance companies recruiting diverse IT talent at the Career Fair. I also noticed that GEICO’s name, the company that I work for, was nowhere to be seen anywhere. At that point, I decided that it was on me to ensure that GEICO is represented at future National BDPA Technology Conferences with a continuing local presence. I literally took the program from this year’s VIP Reception, which included the names of three of our insurance competitors, to the GEICO Corporate Community Citizens president. I showed her that GEICO needed a presence with and in BDPA and I would take the blame for not really championing them.

Earlier this year, as a the co-chair of the Black History Month Celebration at GEICO, I invited Earl Pace, Jr. to be the opening celebration keynote speaker. Our focus was not to relive the past but to emphasize our accomplishments and contributions to this country as a people. Everyone including the GEICO chief executive officer was very impressed with his presentation which made an unforgettable impression on the powers that be. Because of Mr. Pace, I strongly believe that they were open to my approaching them after the National Conference in Baltimore to become a BDPA Sponsor."

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There are many sponsorship opportunities for Corporate America to consider as it looks to support BDPA programs, scholarships and services. If you think that your company or your employer might be interested ... please reach out to us by replying to the post ... or by email (corpsales@bdpa.org).

Message from the BDPA Northern Delaware Chapter President

Greetings Presidents!

Delaware is currently planning to host a regional educational showcase and 2012-2013 kick off of our student program. We will be hosting this event at Wilmington University on September 22, 2012. This event will include an opportunity to identify college students as candidates for internships and open the door for new students (high school and college) to participate in the Northern Delaware student program(s). During this event we will showcase students from the past as well as demonstrate career pathways for those with a talent in the STEM fields.

You and your chapter members (i.e. stakeholders) are welcome to join us! However, If any of your students are interested in showcasing their talents or attending as a participant please register online. In order to showcase we ask that they share in advance one or more artifact (project, paper, presentation, poster board, HSCC team project) that demonstrates their talents. There is no cost for participation. We hope to see a few students from the Northeast region in attendance!

The objectives of this event include:

• Promotion of the BDPA Brand
• Execution of the "Classroom to the Boardroom" mantra
• Build a pipeline of future STEM talent

Attached is a flyer with all the details.

BDPA Northern Delaware Regional Showcase from Wayne Hicks

Please let me know if you have any questions. To register go to http://bdpa_ndc_regional.eventbrite.com/.

This event is hosted by the BDPA Northern Delaware Chapter. We will be collecting resumes from College Juniors/Seniors (Exceptional Sophomores will be considered) who have a 3.25 or above in the field of computer science, information technology, engineering, business, accounting or finance. These resumes will be submitted for consideration for 2013 Summer internships in select JPMC locations (including: New York, NY; Jersey City, NJ; Dallas TX; Tampa FL; Columbus OH; and various locations in Delaware).

Sincere Regards,
Karen Smith, chapter president
BDPA Northern Delaware

VIDEO: BDPA Technology Conference Introduction of 'Future Faces of Technology'

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) executive director Wayne Hicks introduced the young people who participated in the 34th annual BDPA Technology Conference held on August 1-4, 2013 in Baltimore, Maryland. Wayne had a great time ... and the young people had even more fun!



We hope that you will find a way to support the college and career aspirations of these BDPA student members. In fact, if you have time or inclination, please make a secure online donation in support of our Dr. Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund.

Finally, we want to share a soul-clap with BDPA Dallas chapter president Stacy Stewart who took the time to edit this video!

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Robotics: SCARA, Cartesian and the Elephant Man' (Briana Lee)

Briana Lee is a junior at Columbus South High School. She was a first-time participant in the 10th annual BDPA IT Showcase held August 1-2, 2012 in Baltimore, MD. Briana wants to attend college and become licensed as a psychologist. Her BDPA IT Showcase research topic was, ‘Robotics: SCARA, Cartesian and the Elephant Man’.

Ms. Lee shared in her research information on how robotics plays such a huge role in the technology world. She discussed the history, components, barriers and impact of robotics on our society. She compared SCARA, Cartesian and the Elephant Man robotics prototypes and demonstrated how they were each being used in everyday life to make businesses more efficient.

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Robotics: SCARA, Cartesian and the Elephant Man' (Briana Lee) from Wayne Hicks

Ms. Lee is another example of the young people that receive powerful STEM experiences as a result of the work of BDPA on a local, regional and national level. Ms. Lee is the ‘future face of technology’ and she is yet another reason for you to invest in BDPA!

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Social Media: Let's Get Conn_Ected' (Alilea Fitzgerald)

Alilea Fitzgerald is a junior at Columbus South High School in Columbus, OH. After graduation she wants to pursue a career in forensic science. This is her first year competing in the BDPA IT Showcase. Her research was entitled, ‘Social Media: Let’s Get Conn_Ected’.

Communication right now is the best way to get into people’s heads. Communication has been used by rulers to gain control and power and attention of the readers or listeners. Today we use social media to communicate, control, gossip and grab people’s attention with marketing. People can be anywhere in the world and look at Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and so forth.

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Social Media: Let's Get Conn_Ected' (Alilea Fitzgerald) from Wayne Hicks

Ms. Fitzgerald’s research gave information on how social media works, how it is used in society, its impact and the barriers that confront it in the future. Ms. Fitzgerald is another ‘future face of technology’ brought out into the world by the works of BDPA.

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Green Technology: Environment and Wires' (Wesley Walker)

Wesley Walker is a junior at Groveport Madison HS and Fairfield Career Center in Ohio. He is actively involved with the 10th annual BDPA IT Showcase. He participated on the 2011 BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championship team trained by BDPA Columbus chapter. The team earned college scholarships with their 3rd place finish.

His 2012 IT Showcase research focused on ‘Green Technology: Environment and Wires’. Green technology is the use of the alternative resources to get energy. Using these resources is a benefit for the general health of people, the environment of our planet, and it also saves money. The resources used are inexhaustible and have an unlimited amount as opposed to the natural gases we tend to use.

BDPA IT Showcase: 'Green Technology: Enviornment and Wires' (Wesley Walker) from Wayne Hicks

Wesley earned the silver medal in the High School division of the BDPA IT Showcase with this research. He was presented to the National BDPA body as one of the ‘future faces of technology’ during the 2012 BDPA Awards Gala.