University of Houston Wins Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011- April 13, 2011

HOUSTON, April 13, 2011 – Team Big Impact Bear, a UH finalist in the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 competition, won first place in the national competition for mobile game design on Monday at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington. Francisco Jimenez, a graduate student in computer science who works part-time for TLC² as a programmer for a collaborative project with the Mexican Institute of Greater Houston (MIGH), was a driving force for Big Impact Bear.

“Having the chance to show the result of so much effort to people from around the country and judges who are in the business and know what to look for was very exciting,” said Jimenez. “Getting first place is one of the most rewarding experiences I have had so far.”

Microsoft’s Imagine Cup is touted as the world’s premier student technology competition. Student teams have one year to evolve a concept into a functional prototype using the theme, “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.” Teams were directed to select more specific thematic guidelines from the United Nations list of Millenial Developmental Goals.

Forest Gun focuses on deforestation, and the game’s protagonist is a scientist developing a formula to grow trees. Alas, the evil logging companies discover his efforts and send minions to destroy the lab. They detonate a bomb within the lab, so the scientist drinks the formula to protect it and transforms into a humanoid tree with the power to grow taller trees. As the game proceeds, the objective is to collect seeds and plant them. The antagonists are lumberjacks who throw fire, so the player must avoid fireballs. Eventually, opportunities arise to collect special items from a branch, culminating in the ability to regrow the entire forest. Another fascinating element of this game is the ability to change the minds of loggers and inspire them to join the cause of reforestation, reflecting the power of positive change through education.

Jimenez, a native of Venezuela, never imagined potential future as a game developer when he decided to pursue graduate study at the University of Houston. Enrollment in a class on game design became the catalyst for his team’s impressive efforts, and will perhaps become the turning point for an interesting career choice as well. He is a budding software engineer who demonstrates advanced abilities in programming complex interactivity for a variety of applications, including a classroom portal under construction as part of the federally funded TLC² partnership with MIGH.

When asked whether he would pursue opportunities that will likely arise as a result of his involvement in Imagine Cup, Jimenez was visibly excited. “If I get a chance to work in the gaming industry, I think I will take it.” He cited web design and networking as other primary interests, and spoke enthusiastically about his current position developing for the MIGH project.

The fact that four UH teams made it to the national finals out of 74,000 registrants is a testament to the sophistication of the computer science department’s curriculum design. The department deserves commendation for inspiring students to commit to this project and providing superlative instruction on this cutting edge subject. Jimenez cited Professors Chang Yun and Jose Baez as faculty members who played an important role in supervising the game’s development and accompanying the students to Redmond.

"We are extremely proud of our gaming teams and their mentors,” said Professor and Chair of Computer Science Jaspal Subhlok. “Teams from our department won 2nd and 3rd place in the 2010 Imagine Cup, so it is remarkable that they topped it this year. This success showcases not only the gaming coursework, but also the excellent overall quality of our undergraduate program. Developing computer games requires expertise in diverse facets of computing as well as creativity and artistic skills—the same challenges students will face in their computing careers. The number and quality of the students in the CS undergraduate program has increased dramatically over the past few years, in large part because of innovative coursework. Victories in Imagine Cup 2011 reinforce the fact that computer science students receive an excellent education right here and have the skills and training to outperform anybody."

Three of four UH teams placed among the winners of the national competition. In addition to Team Big Impact Bear taking first place for mobile game design, Team AAMP took second place in the same category, while Righteous Noodle placed third in the PC/Xbox category. Big Impact Bear received $6,000 for their winning design, and will join the other winners of Monday’s national finals to compete in the international component of Imagine Cup 2011 later this year in New York City.

The University of Houston was the only institution with three teams placing in the national competition. Arizona State and Harvard University each had two winning entries and were the only other universities with multiple finalists. The University of Houston’s success in this prestigious student competition is an excellent indicator of its potential for producing highly capable professionals to work in commercially relevant technology arenas. About TLC² The Texas Learning & Computation Center (TLC²) fosters and supports interdisciplinary research, education and training in computer and computational sciences and engineering and information technology at the University of Houston. TLC² offers state-of-the-art computation, visualization and educational facilities. Its skilled staff provides support in grant procurement and management, communications and media services, event and outreach coordination, and applications solutions and web development. About UH The University of Houston is a comprehensive national research institution serving the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. UH serves 37,000 students in the nation’s fourth-largest city in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.


Contact:

Jennifer James
Director of Communications
Texas Learning & Computation Center
University of Houston
713.743.3373