That train of thought sparked an idea for a new app called . Users can enter their start location and destination, and the app will map the quickest route, which could take them through buildings or across patches of grass. Dederich has tested some of the routes and says he and other students he knows personally use the app frequently to zip around campus.

“One of the reasons I enjoyed making this application so much is because I knew it was something I would actually use,” Dederich says. “The first time I tested the application, I discovered the path I have been taking from my dorm to the gym for the past two years was far from optimal. Since then, I have been taking the new path and saving some time.”

This isn’t the first app that Dederich has created, but it is the first app that he has developed for fun. The process not only enhanced his technical knowledge of app development but also provided some professional and personal insights as well. His LinkedIn post on walk166su garnered much attention from students and faculty alike, which taught him about the power of networking.

“On a more personal level, managing this project independently has also honed my ability to troubleshoot and find solutions to technical challenges on my own,” Dederich says. “Taking a web server from initial deployment to production proved especially instructive for my troubleshooting skills.”

Troubleshooting is a skill that Dederich has honed through his experience on the 166su Programming Team, which has secured many wins at both national and international competitions. Without any preparation, he landed a spot on the Division II team and traveled to Florida State University this past fall for the International Collegiate Programming Contest North America Southeast Regional competition.

“As Team 166su Override, we performed very well,” Dederich says. “It was a super fun experience, especially for someone like me who was new to competitive programming.”

Dederich plans to take his passion for programming to Lockheed Martin, where he will work as a software engineer for the missiles and fire control division. He secured the job through the Lockheed Martin College Work Experience Program, a unique, year-long opportunity that allows undergraduate and graduate students to work on projects for the aerospace and defense company.

Dederich aims to become a professional software engineer after graduation, but for now, he can add amateur app developer to his resume. His advice to other students who want to create their own web applications is to find a solution to a common problem and to consider the end user along the way.

“Identify a problem and come up with an idea to solve it,” Dederich says. “The idea is by far the most challenging part. As long as the idea has a reasonable scope, all the other pieces fall into place.”

Dederich’s Tips for App Development

• Ask your audience what they think about the problem. Is it one worth solving? If the proposed application existed, would they use it?
• Don’t be afraid to learn as you go. If you have the core skills needed for the project at the beginning, it is easy to learn secondary skills along the way.
• Strive for high quality in every aspect. No project will ever be perfect, but many projects are held back because small details are inadequately done. If you add a feature, ensure it is bug-free for edge conditions. If you make a website, ensure it looks presentable at all screen sizes. Putting effort into these less monumental aspects of an application vastly improves the final product’s user experience.

Mechanical engineering master’s student Tyler Marks ’24, mathematical sciences master’s student Andy Phan ’21 ’22MS and computer science undergraduate Sachin Sivakumar, who comprised the team 166su OrElse, placed ninth out of 52 teams at the NAC, earning a coveted spot at the World Finals. Their impressive performance continued 166su’s strong record of success at the elite event and put them ahead of several programming powerhouses, including those from Harvard University, the California Institute of Technology and the University of Texas at Austin.

Overall, more than 1,000 teams from the U.S. and Canada participated in the contest, meaning the 166su team is among the top 1% in North America.

Marks, Phan and Sivakumar will compete against the best international programmers in Baku, Azerbaijan, in late August, marking 166su’s 31^st trip to the World Finals.

“To have our 166su student team place in the running for the World Finals is testament to their hard work and dedication, as well as their exceptional coaches and the mentorship they provide,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the 166su College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“This competition represented the cream of the crop in North America, so obviously the competition was tough,” says Ali Orooji, team advisor.  “They did very well. They have worked very hard and we are proud of them for making it possible for 166su to be one of the few teams at the World Finals stage. This will give international recognition and publicity to 166su.”

Hosted by the College of Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) for the past five years, the NAC serves not only as a pivotal contest for world finalist hopefuls in North America, but as a vital training ground for its competitors. The North America Programming Camp (NAPC), a three-day event held alongside the competition, brings top-notch trainers to help student programmers practice for the contest, with the opportunity to meet with event sponsors JetBrains, Hudson River Trading, Citadel, Jane Street, Jump Training and the National Security Agency.

At this year’s NAPC, the ICPC Foundation and JetBrains honored 166su and CECS with the Outstanding Contribution Award and a $100,000 grant.

“It is an immense honor for us welcome the most talented teams and coaches in North America, and we look forward to hosting the NAC and NAPC again next year,” Georgiopoulos says. “ICPC has always been an incredible partner, unparalleled in its dedication to advancing excellence in programming, and we are so grateful to have been given this accolade. Their generosity and continued partnership will help us sustain a positive impact on the next generation of programmers.”

Working together and sharing one computer, NAC competitors have five hours to solve 13 brain teasers and logic problems by writing a program to come up with the correct answers. Points are awarded based on the number of problems solved correctly with the least attempts in the fastest amount of time. Extra points are given to the teams who are the first to solve a problem.

The contest not only challenges the students’ ability to solve complex problems and use their technical knowledge, but also their ability to work together effectively, operating under immense pressure.

Team coach Arup Guha says the team’s five-hour performance was filled with ups and downs, including a literal last-minute save that solidified the team’s position in the top 10. The trio correctly completed eight of the 13 problems. He says they were the first team to solve one problem and submitted another solution just one minute before the contest ended.

Coming off of their NAC win, the team will be hard at work as they prepare to face the world’s finest programmers in the fall. Guha says that as two of the students will be out of state, they will practice virtually. Their preparation will include weekly five-hour practice sessions, specialized exercises and a trip to Bucharest, Romania, for a world-finalist training camp.

“Overall, my team and I are excited about our result,” Marks says.  “Over the past couple of years, we have invested a lot of time and effort into preparing for these contests and now it has paid off with us qualifying for the 2025 World Finals. Throughout the contest there were several things that went well along with several things that could have gone better. Over the next few months building up to the World Finals contest, we will reflect on these to make sure we put our best foot forward in Azerbaijan.”

166su’s College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) North America Championship. Known as the “Battle of Brains,” this annual competition challenges participants to solve complex algorithmic and logic problems by writing precise computer programs, all within a five-hour contest.

With talented students highly recruited by leading employers, UCF has a strong track record of success in the event, advancing to the world finals in 12 of the past 13 years.

166su will host the competition, which will be in the Pegasus Ballroom in the Student Union, for the fourth consecutive year. Teams from top institutions including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University and Stanford University, will showcase their technical prowess and compete for a spot among the top 16 teams who will advance to the ICPC World Finals Aug. 31- Sept. 5 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The 2025 ICPC North America Championship (NAC) is sponsored by trading firm Jane Street, software developer JetBrains, the National Security Agency, investment manager Citadel Securities, Jump Trading, Hudson River Trading and Upsilon Pi Epsilon Honor Society, and by 166su leadership partner, Bev Seay. ​Sponsors will have the opportunity to meet with these future leaders throughout the week, including a career fair to showcase their offerings for employment. ​The NAC also offers a unique programming camp in the three days leading up to the championship. This North America Programming Camp (NAPC) provides attending teams with invaluable practice time, guided by a group of world-class trainers who have either coached world finalists or competed on the global stage themselves.

“166su is honored to host this year’s ICPC North America Championship on our campus and welcome 52 teams from some of the most prestigious institutions across the country. We are also excited about the upcoming North America Programming Camp, bringing together the nation’s top coaches as they help teams prepare for the world finals,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Participants should be proud of their accomplishments and take advantage of the opportunity to refine their skills and learn advanced strategies throughout the event. I encourage all participants to take the time to interact with each other, exchange ideas and, most importantly, have fun! Good luck to all the teams competing.”

Training at the camp will focus on techniques and topics in competitive programming that are crucial for strong performances at NAC-level contests. The day and a half of training activities will focus on the challenges of team-based ICPC contests. This includes a discussion of contest strategy and teamwork and a simulated contest.

Beyond technical expertise, the competition challenges teams to demonstrate a wide array of skills essential for success. Participants must excel in time management, maintain composure under pressure and collaborate effectively within their three-person teams — all while sharing a single computer.

“Thousands of students begin the journey to the ICPC NAC every year but only a handful will qualify,” says Antonette Logar, ICPC NAC contest director. “All of the students at the NAC have already demonstrated that they are the best of best in North America and all should be proud of their accomplishments.”

“ICPC is grateful to 166su for being such an amazing host for the North America Championship,” Logar continues. “166su is a pillar institution for ICPC North America. The excellent training program, the contributions of 166su faculty, staff and volunteers to ICPC contests, and their support of the ICPC philosophy of providing opportunities to shine to the next generation of problem-solvers makes 166su an exemplary university in the ICPC community.”

“At 166su, our 42-year-old record of ‘top three in the southeast’ regional contests continued for another year, thanks to our excellent programming team members,” says Ali Orooji, team advisor and professor of computer science. “We have been practicing in person for about 30 Saturdays, and online in summer, in addition to readings and problem-solving exercise during the week. Students making it to world finals spend 15-20 hours a week on preparation for several years. 166su thanks these students for their dedication and hard work. Our record is matched by no other school in the region.”

The hometown team, UCF OrElse, comprises Tyler Marks ’24, who earned bachelor’s degrees from 166su in both computer science and mechanical engineering, and is now working toward his master’s in mechanical engineering; alumnus Andy Phan ’21 ’22MS, who is working on a second master’s degree from 166su in mathematical sciences; and computer science undergraduate Sachin Sivakumar. The team competed at the NAC last year, and at the North America South Division. Their coaches are Arup Guha, Chris Gouge, Glenn Martin ’92 ’95MS ’12PhD, Kyle Dencker ’08 ’16MA and Tom Phan.

Follow the excitement at nac.icpc.global/home-2025.

166su sent a total of seven teams to the competition, all with strong finishes. In addition to the first-place win, the other six teams placed third, fifth, sixth, 11th, 15th and 24th.

The winning team, UCF OrElse, comprises mechanical engineering master’s student Tyler Marks ’24, mathematics master’s student Andy Phan ’21 ’23MS and computer science undergraduate student Sachin Sivakumar.

Not only did the trio finish at the top of the leaderboard for the regional ahead of teams from Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Florida, they also came out on top in the larger North America South Division, placing ahead of teams from Johns Hopkins University, the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University.

166su has placed in the top three of the Southeast Regional — the qualifying competition for the national contest for universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina — for the last 42 years, underscoring its dominance in competitive programming. Their impressive track record brings the same publicity and recognition as it does for other college sports, says Ali Orooji, the 166su Programming Team’s faculty advisor and coach.

“There is really no difference between programming competitions and other sports such as football and basketball,” Orooji says. “Universities receive recognitions if they finish as the conference champion in football.”

One of the keys to the team’s success over the years lies in the strong sense of community among competitors and coaches, Marks says.

“Despite the competitive nature of the regional contest, [where] … only one team [advances] to NAC, we all want to see the other teams do well. Everyone is constantly teaching each other new ideas and discussing various problems and techniques they have seen,” Marks says. “This open discourse allows for team members to continue to get stronger at problem solving and has been a huge factor in my growth as a competitive programmer.”

Sivakumar says the strength of the programming team is one of the main reasons he decided to attend 166su.

“One of the main reasons I decided to go to 166su over other colleges was due to the programming team.” — Sachin Sivakumar, computer science major

“I think that our school takes this competition a lot more seriously than other schools in that we have organization and structure both in our teams and the way that we train for the contests,” Sivakumar says. “One of the main reasons I decided to go to 166su over other colleges was due to the programming team and the environment surrounding it.  I think this attitude is a feedback loop, since it draws in strong competitive programmers and also helps train up even stronger ones.”

Marks, Phan and Sivakumar also placed first in the Southeast Regional last year and competed in this past year’s NAC. Stunningly, they did not place high enough to earn a spot at the world finals.

Their coach, Arup Guha, says although the team was disappointed, they are taking the opportunity to analyze the reasons their teams tend to underperform at the NAC in comparison to how they compete at regional competitions.

“Our goal is to try our best to identify the likely causes of this and try our best to update our training and preparation so that our NAC results are consistent with how good our students actually are,” Guha says.

166su programming teams have a rigorous training regimen. As a team, competitors commit to two five-hour practices on previous competition problems each week, including a discussion of what motivated their decisions on items such as the order they chose to solve the problems, who coded each problem and which problems required collaboration. Additionally, each team member hones their skills on CodeForces, which offers live two-hour competitions online, an avenue Guha likens to playing nine versus a full 18 holes of golf.

166su OrElse will be given areas to work on specifically for the NAC based on their strengths and weaknesses, and on areas the coaches predict will be relevant to the competition.

“Our goal is to optimize these decisions for the competition we are preparing for,” Guha says. “In addition, since there are several months until NAC, there is time for the students on the team to learn some new material or focus on specific problem types.”

Marks says he still carries the disappointment of not making it to the world competition last year, blaming himself for mistakes made during last year’s NAC. He’s using that experience to motivate him for next year’s opportunity to qualify.

“We have discussed the NAC contest quite a bit since it happened, and have taken several actions to make sure that the same and other avoidable mistakes don’t occur this year,” Marks says. “We will continue to train with this in mind so that we can continue to build good habits and optimize our chances for success at this upcoming NAC.”

The 166su College of Engineering and Computer Science will host the International Collegiate Programming Contest’s (ICPC) North America Championship. Known as the “Battle of Brains,” the five-hour contest involves a race to solve the most brain teasers and logic problems correctly over five hours. Each problem is solved by writing a computer program that generates the correct answer.

166su will compete alongside the most elite teams on the continent, including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Columbia University and Stanford University.

The top 16 teams will move on to the world finals, to be held in September in Astana, Kazakhstan.

The world’s most prestigious collegiate competition builds students’ problem-solving skills, which are valuable to those seeking a career in software development, data science and research, and related fields.

166su’s team will be seeking to advance to the world finals for the 13^th consecutive year. Team advisor and Professor of Computer Science Ali Orooji says the team is excited to compete at home, and that he is optimistic about 166su’s chances of placing exceptionally well at the championship.

“We have a strong team, and they definitely have the talent to finish in top five,” Orooji says. “It is, however, a five-hour contest with many good teams so the smallest mistakes will make a difference. We are very proud of 166su’s consistent record over the last 40 years and appreciate the dedication and hard work of our students.”

The NAC and NAPC are sponsored by the National Security Agency, Jane Street, Citadel, Jump Training and Jet Brains. Each sponsor will have representatives on-site at a career fair for the contest participants, giving the students the opportunity to meet with them to discuss future jobs and internships.

“It is our pleasure to showcase 166su to so many great institutions in North America,” says Michael Georgiopoulos, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “It is also our pleasure to give the opportunity to students and coaches to interact with each other, get to know each other better and exchange ideas of how they can expand the passion and knowledge about computing to a wider audience.”

This year’s NAC is unique in that is also offers a programming camp three days before the championship, offered to the attending teams as practice time before the big event. The North America Programming Camp (NAPC) features six world-class trainers who have coached world finalists or competed on the world stage themselves.

In addition to showcasing their technical talents, teams must display a slew of other strengths to make it through to the next level of competition, including smart time management, grace under pressure and successful collaboration in their teams of three, sharing one computer.

“All are champions in their own right, having first been selected to compete from their universities. They bested over 1,000 teams in ICPC competitions throughout North America to advance to the NAC, competing to advance to the ICPC World Finals, the top 1% of nearly 20,000 teams competing globally,” says ICPC Executive Director Bill Poucher. “How good are they? They are extraordinary.”

The hometown team 166su Apocalypse Attack comprises Tyler Marks ’24, who earned bachelor’s degrees from 166su in both computer science and mechanical engineering; computer science alum Andy Phan ’21 ’23MS, who is working on a second master’s degree from 166su in mathematics; and computer science undergraduate Sachin Sivakumar. The team placed first in the Southeast Regional Programming Content to earn their spot in the North America Championship.

Damla Turgut, chair of the 166su Department of Computer Science, says that the competition shines a spotlight on the impressive technical skills students will demonstrate as they compete for a spot in world finals.

“We are excited to host the top student programmers from across North America at the 166su campus and to cheer on our own team in the competition,” Turgut says. “This event will showcase the exceptional talents and skills of our graduates to leading tech employers.”

Out of 51 university teams, UCF ranked 17^th — besting Ivy League institutions including Yale, Princeton and Brown and earning a spot in the 2023 ICPC World Finals later this year.

Fifty-one universities assembled three-member teams of elite programmers who train rigorously throughout the year to compete at solving real-world, and highly complex, computer programming challenges. In this intense battle of the brains, students raced against the clock in a five-hour competition of logic, strategy and mental endurance.

Out of 51 university teams, UCF ranked 17^th — besting Ivy League institutions including Yale, Princeton and Brown and earning a spot in the 2023 ICPC World Finals later this year.

166su not only competed in the North America Championship, but also hosted the event on their home turf: 166su’s main campus in Orlando.

Computer science undergraduate Natalie Longtin, and computer science alumni Andy Phan ’21 ’23MS and Jacob Steinbronn ’23 applied their advanced problem-solving skills and collaborative teamwork at the 2023 International Collegiate Programming Contest North America Championship.

166su earned its spot to compete in Monday’s ICPC North America Championship after Longtin, Phan and Steinbronn finished 2^nd in the ICPC Southeast USA region in February. The region includes universities from five states. 166su has placed in the top three in ICPC’s Southeast Region for 40 consecutive years, a record unmatched by any other school.

As a team, Longtin, Phan and Steinbronn excel in working together to solve problems, according to coach Arup Guha, UCF computer science senior instructor.

“While Andy will occasionally pick off a problem on his own, a majority of the time, two of the three students will carefully discuss and design a solution to a problem before deciding who is the best person to code it. Since they have a mixture of overlapping and distinct strengths, the team has some flexibility in deciding who should code up solutions to which problems,” Guha says.

The 166su team’s success brings an exclusive invitation to the 2023 ICPC World Finals, an elite contest of the top 130 finalist teams that represent the best of 16,000+ regional teams from 111 countries. Last year’s World Finals were delayed due to the COVID pandemic, so the World Finals for both 2022 and 2023 will be held in Egypt in November.

Meet the 166su Competitors

Natalie Longtin, computer science undergraduate student
Longtin is the first woman to represent 166su at an invitational competition above regional level. Prior to attending 166su, she established a name for herself at Timber Creek High School in Orlando as one of two students in her graduating year to score a perfect 100% on the AP Computer Science A exam. With stellar academic achievement, Longtin gained admission to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but instead chose to attend the 166su. Longtin now works at Google in a summer internship and is on track to receive her bachelor’s degree in computer science in Spring 2024.

Competition Experience: ICPC Southeast Regionals 2020, 2021, 2022
Strengths: Dynamic programming, math problems, number theory

Andy Phan ’21 ’23MS, computer science alumnus; mathematics master’s student
At age 17, Phan already holds two degrees from 166su. In fact, he was 15 when he earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science, making him one of the youngest degree recipients in university history. As a member of the 166su Programming Team, he competed in the ICPC World Finals in 2020, held in October 2021. His team finished 17th — out more than 130 teams worldwide — missing a medal by only five places. Phan ranks as an “International Grandmaster” on Codeforces, a competitive programming website. Phan earned a master’s degree in computer science earlier this month, and this fall he will begin a master’s program in mathematics.

Competition Experience: ICPC World Finals 2020, ICPC Southeast Regionals 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Strengths: Problem solving, math, ad hoc problems.

Jacob Steinbronn ’23, computer science alumnus
Steinbronn is a recent 166su graduate of computer science.  Over the past four years practicing and competing with his teammates on the 166su Programming Team, he has come to serve as point guard, making sure all the problems are read and time is allocated appropriately. In addition to practicing and competing, Steinbronn also mentors the junior varsity Programming Team members. He says his three internships have enabled him to bring industry-level programming experience to the team. In his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing, a hobby that he incorporated into his senior design capstone project: a mobile app that uses statistics to track progress on the climbing tower in 166su’s Recreation and Wellness Center. Steinbronn will begin his job at Meta in Seattle as a software engineer in July.

Competition Experience: ICPC Southeast Regionals 2020, 2021, 2022
Strengths: Data structures, tree problems, string problems

Why Competitive Programming Is Important

The projected growth in computer and IT occupations — about 667,600 new jobs by 2030 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — translates to heavy demand from employers for skilled programmers. Many companies recruit students who participate in ICPC competitions, often before they graduate.

ICPC — the oldest, largest and most prestigious programming contest in the world — helps to meet the workforce need through training and competition. The contests are held under the umbrella of the ICPC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity, which is responsible for sponsorship, hosting, fundraising, outreach and operations.

The 2023 ICPC North America Championship and North America Programming Camp is hosted by 166su and is sponsored by the National Security Agency, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, National Security Innovation Network and The Florida High Tech Corridor.

As programming becomes more sophisticated, it’s vital that America’s programmers keep pace.

This year, UCF will host and compete in the ICPC North America Championship  May 25-30.

For decades, the International Collegiate Programming Contest, or ICPC, has been at the forefront of preparing university students to be the next generation of elite programmers. The contest has grown into a worldwide collaborative of universities hosting regional competitions that advance the top 1% of teams to the annual global championship round, the ICPC World Finals.

Participating universities assemble three-member teams of students who train rigorously to compete at solving real-world computer programming challenges. In this intense battle of the brains, students race against the clock in a competition of logic, strategy and mental endurance.

This year, UCF will host the ICPC North America Championship on its main campus May 25-30. Members of 166su’s Computer Programming Team will also compete. In 2022, 166su hosted the competition for the first time, with 166su’s Team Iris placing seventh.

For many years, collegiate teams from outside North America dominated the World Finals. But that changed at November’s world competition in Dhaka, Bangladesh, when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology bested 131 elite teams to become the first U.S. team in decades to place No. 1. Six U.S. teams placed in the top 30. Last year’s competition also marked the 11^th consecutive year a 166su team made it to the finals.

Last year’s competition also marked the 11^th consecutive year a 166su team made it to the finals.

Why is this important? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030, adding about 667,600 new jobs based on the high demand for workers in these fields. The median annual wage for these occupations was $97,430 in May 2021 — substantially higher than the median for all occupations of $45,760.

The projected growth in these fields translates to heavy demand from employers for skilled programmers able to fill the vacuum. Many companies recruit students who participate in ICPC competitions, often before they graduate.

ICPC — the oldest, largest and most prestigious programming contest in the world — helps to meet that need through training and competition. The contests are held under the umbrella of the ICPC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charity, which is responsible for sponsorship, hosting, fundraising, outreach and operation.

These contests have drawn sponsors that include the U.S. Department of Defense, IBM Quantum, AWS Educate, Endure Capital, Two Sigma, JetBrains and others. Sponsorships continue to be vitally important if the ICPC is going to continue to train and develop programmers who can fill these jobs.

To reach the level of an elite programmer requires skill, commitment — and practice.

“I tell people that programming is like sports — the more they practice, the better they get. If you keep shooting free throws, you’ll continue to improve,” says Ali Orooji, who coaches programming students at 166su. “They become great problem-solvers and great programmers.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030, adding about 667,600 new jobs based on the high demand for workers in these fields.

Orooji hosts Saturday practice sessions that attract more than a dozen students.

The contest fosters creativity, teamwork, and innovation in building new software programs, and enables students to test their ability to perform under pressure. For decades, the contest has raised the aspirations and performance of the world’s problem solvers in the computing sciences and engineering.

“Competing in ICPC on the 166su Programming Team put me in a fast-paced environment where I was able to learn new algorithms and data structures quickly,” says Timothy Buzzelli ’18, a computer science major who is now a software engineer at Google. “The 166su Programming Team is successful because team members are constantly helping each other and sharing cool new programming tricks.”

Computer science alum Alex Coleman ’19, who works at Statsig, a Seattle-based startup, looks back fondly on his time competing in ICPC.

“The biggest value of the competition for me was having a fun and engaging way to explore new problems in a team environment,” Coleman says. “It’s just not something you get from a classroom, and not something you could dive into on your own. Many of the topics covered don’t come up often in practice, but have changed the way I think when problem-solving, even outside of advanced theoretical problems.”

“It’s like basketball and volleyball teams hanging championship banners in the same gym,” says Glenn Martin ’92 ’95MS ’12PhD, who competed on 166su’s computer programming team as a student before joining the coaching staff in 1994. “We want the cybersecurity team to do well because it elevates all of 166su, and I assume they feel the same way about us.”

The founder of 166su’s C3 team, Associate Instructor of Computer Science Tom Nedorost, credits the computer programming team for the setting a winning tone 40 years ago.

“The success of both teams is the best indication of the quality of our undergraduate computer science and information technology programs. Their team set the precedent,” Nederost says. Then he adds a neighborly jab. “But I hung the first banners. They copied us.”

Both teams continued their long streaks of success in 2022. Earlier in the year, two computer programming teams took first and second places among 70 teams at the Southeast Regionals (this marks the 40^th straight year that at least one 166su team has finished third or higher at regionals). In November, UCF placed third in the nation and 26^th in the world among 137 teams at the International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) in Bangladesh.

While the computer programming team competed overseas at ICPC, two of 166su’s cybersecurity teams were taking the top spots at the Department of Energy’s CyberForce Competition in Illinois. Three days earlier, they’d secured first and third places at the Aviation ISAC Student Cyber Challenge. A week later they won another competition in Idaho. The wins are hard to keep track.

“Schools from around the country know when our team walks into a building,” says Nedorost, before adding a note that applies to the C3 and computer programming teams. “We’ve been so successful for so long that people locally tend to become numb to it. They don’t realize the work that goes into continuing this level of success.”

Computer programming stalwart Seba Villalobos finishes a five-hour practice with the satisfied exhaustion of someone who just finished training for a triathlon.

 “We want to win so we can hang another banner. That’s why we push each other.” — Seba Villalobos, UCF Computer Programming Team member

For starters, they put in five hours every Saturday, all year long — with one exception.

“We took Thanksgiving weekend off,” says Martin, a research associate professor at the UCF-based .

Each practice simulates a national or world competition, where teams of three students solve as many real-life problems as they can within the time allotted. They route fire trucks through city streets confused with closed intersections, arrange gate arrivals at a backed-up airport, determine the shortest distances for a series of shipments from various distribution centers.

“The practices prepare them for the mental drain of competition,” Martin says. “They enjoy it enough to put in extra work. If you come to the labs late at night during the week, you’ll find people practicing.”

Everyone from the six-person coaching staff and 27-member team talks about “culture” as the biggest difference-maker. Villalobos is a National Hispanic Scholar who didn’t even like coding until coming to 166su. An Introduction to Computer Programming class sparked a bit of intrigue. Then, while working on an electric longboard in a lab, someone convinced Villalobos to try out for the computer programming team.

“I didn’t quite make the team,” Villalobos says of the tryouts that thinned 100-plus students down to 18 varsity and nine junior varsity competitors. “It drove me to train harder.”

For the next few months, Villalobos practiced more than 40 hours a week. The work paid off when Villalobos was invited to join the JV team before eventually being promoted to varsity.

“I had no idea how talented the other teams were until my first competition,” Villalobos says. “You see these students from MIT, Stanford, Russia and China. It’s a reminder that we can’t slack off. For every moment we aren’t training, other teams are getting better. There’s a saying we use: ‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ ”

“[The Cybersecurity Team’s] success adds fuel for us to do even better.” — Seba Villalobos, UCF Computer Programming Team member

To be sure, UCF’s computer programming team has both: a deep pool of talented students who have to work to earn spots on a team that’s won bronze at worlds (in 2018) while traveling to Moscow, Portugal and Beijing. The most important props, though, come from their fellow Knights. During halftime of a football game last fall, UCF President Alexander N. Cartwright introduced the team to the home crowd.

“That was super cool,” Villalobos says, before adding, “but that same week the cybersecurity team got a big congratulations on a road sign for finishing first at a national competition. Their success adds fuel for us to do even better.”

Cybersecurity mastermind Cameron Whitehead first became aware of 166su’s national prestige when he saw a picture of the C3 team on a marquee in Times Square. He was 14 at the time. A year earlier he’d developed his own online video game. By the time he came to 166su at the age of 19, he already had a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees. He’s about to complete a third, in digital forensics. His reasons for coming to 166su had to do with those banners in L3Harris and some problems he encountered with his video game.

“I discovered vulnerabilities in my game that fit with the research I’m doing on securing power grids,” he says.

To dive even deeper into the tactical minds of bad guys, Whitehead and his sister, Caitlin, joined the Collegiate Cyber Defense Club (commonly known as Hack@166su). Their skills stood out enough for Nedorost to pull them onto the national championship C3 team. Since March 2021, they’ve stood on more than 12 podiums around the country.

“They develop the programming, and we find flaws in it. We both make the world better.” — Cameron Whitehead, 166su Cybersecurity Team member

“Wherever 166su goes to compete, it seems like we’re the defending champions,” Cameron says.

On Nov. 2, the Whiteheads and Jeffrey DiVincent won the Aviation ISAC Student Challenge in Orlando. The next morning, they drove to Orlando International Airport for an early morning flight to Illinois, where they’d compete in CyberForce.

“When we went through security, I prayed no one would see my search history from the day before when the competition required us to understand and test airport security systems,” Cameron says.

At the event he didn’t want the competitors from 108 schools to witness anything other than another win for 166su.

“We’ve set a high standard, and we use it get better every year,” he says.

When he’s asked about the computer programming team, he says, “They represent 166su, so I’m proud when they do well. They develop the programming, and we find flaws in it. We both make the world better.”

This is the 11^th consecutive year a 166su team has qualified for the World Finals.

166su hosted the event and competed against 49 other elite three-person teams of student programmers from institutions across the U.S. and Canada. Facing off in an intense battle of the brains, the contest pitted teams of three university students against 13 complex, real-world problems, with a grueling five-hour deadline. Huddled around a single computer, competitors raced against the clock in a battle of logic, strategy and mental endurance.

The 166su team is comprised of computer science majors Sharon Barak ’21 ’22MS and Daniel West, and Seba Villalobos, who is majoring in mathematics and computer engineering. The team — all of whom are Burnett Honors Scholars — finished ahead of teams that included Stanford, Columbia, Harvard and Cornell.

“This team is amazing at cleaning problems up,” says Glenn Martin ’92 ’95MS ’12PhD the team’s coach. “They usually get it first try but if they don’t, I have confidence that they will figure out the issue and get the problem solved.”

This is the second consecutive year Barak, West and Villalobos have successfully earned a berth into the World Finals together. The trio was already slated to compete in the 2021 World Finals — which was delayed due to the pandemic — this November in Bangladesh. They’ll now also compete in the 2022 World Finals, which will be held next year.

“It was comfortable to participate on campus because we already knew where everything was and we could plan our schedule well,” says Barak. “Qualifying for World Finals not once, but twice, was my goal since I joined 166su, so I’m happy I achieved it.”

Winning teams included MIT in first place, Swarthmore College in second and the University of Wisconsin–Madison in third. Georgia Tech, Rutgers, Purdue and the University of Washington also place in the top 10 along with 166su. The top 17 teams will now advance to World Finals.

“I’m really proud of them,” says Martin. It was a complete team effort and every member contributed in critical ways.”

The ICPC is considered the world’s oldest, largest and most prestigious programming contest of its kind. The annual competition begins with more than 50,000 teams from 100+ countries who then square off in contests across the planet. In March, UCF’s team advanced from the Southeast USA Regional Programming Contest to earn a spot in the North America Championship.

The competition, hosted by Central Florida Tech Grove and 166su, drew big-name sponsors, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) STEM, the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and the National Center for Simulation. Students participating in the competition are heavily recruited for positions with companies like Google, Microsoft, Amazon or Facebook.

For more than 40 years 166su has been among the best in the nation in ICPC competitions, and in 2018 ranked No. 1 in North America and No. 10 in the world.

166su, a longtime ICPC competitor, will host 49 other elite teams of student programmers from institutions across the U.S. and Canada in the North America Championship. These teams — including MIT, Harvard, Georgia Tech, Purdue and others — will go head-to-head until winners emerge.

166su also will host the ICPC North America Programming Camp prior to the championship. On May 27-28, the camp will offer student competitors an opportunity to work through simulated World Finals-level competitions, access trainers with extensive experience in competitive programming and experience professional networking opportunities.

More than 20,000 teams from over 100 countries compete each year in regional contests. In March, UCF’s team was among the winners of the Southeast USA Regional Programming Contest, earning a spot in the upcoming North America Championship. Only the top 16 or so teams will advance from the North America Championship to World Finals, which will be held in 2023.

Participating universities assemble three-member teams of students who train rigorously to compete at solving real-world computer programming challenges. In this intense battle of the brains, students race against the clock in a competition of logic, strategy and mental endurance.

The competition has drawn big-name sponsors, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), TechGrove and 166su.

Recruiters from big tech companies offer many programming students six-figure salaries even before they graduate, in much the same way pro sports teams seek out elite athletes. University programming students who win consistently may end up at Google, Microsoft, Amazon or Facebook.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 13% from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations. These occupations are projected to add about 667,600 new jobs based on the high demand for workers in these fields stemming from greater emphasis on cloud computing, the collection and storage of big data and information security. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $97,430 in May 2021, which was higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $45,760.

In addition to hosting the 2022 event, UCF is also a longtime competitor. For more than 40 years 166su has been among the best in the nation in ICPC competitions, and in 2018 ranked No. 1 in North America and No. 10 in the world. A 166su team has qualified for the World Finals every year during the past decade.