The computer science department has added a new program that will open conversation and interaction between UW students and faculty with technology companies: The Industrial Affiliates Program. The program serves as a medium between the two, with companies offering experience and potential projects while the students work as interns and introduce themselves as potential future employees.
“The Affiliates Program offers companies a more direct form of contact with the faculty and students and provides them with potential internships and future hires,” said Dr. James Caldwell, the department head of computer sciences.
Companies in the IAP also can pitch ideas for projects to students.
“In the past, students have come up with their own special projects that implement aspects from everything they’ve learned, but now we have companies that can submit projects suitable for students,” Caldwell said. “This is important because the students can work with problems that different companies are actually interested in solving.”
One company already involved with IAP is Handel Information Technologies. Handel has six students from the program working for the company, including senior computer sciences major Luis Garcia is working for Handel.
“I’m on a team developing a piece of software called RiteTrack5. It’s used in human services programs as a management tool,” he said.
The program has a standard fee structure to be included as a sponsor that increases with the number of employees the business has. The base level is $500 annually for companies with 10 or fewer employees and climbs to $10,000 annually for businesses with over 250 employees.
The IAP will also host an annual meeting where UW students will give project presentations at an all day meeting that company representatives can attend. Caldwell has high aspirations for the meeting.
“Ranchers have the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, but we don’t have anything like that for technology,” he said. “This meeting could become a similar venue that everyone looks forward to each year.”
