FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Susie P. Gonzalez

susie.gonzalez@trinity.edu

May 15, 2009

Five Trinity Computer Science Students Develop Courseware for Counselors

SAN ANTONIO -- A San Antonio non-profit agency that counsels victims of domestic violence was in need of a software upgrade for counselors interested in distance learning. The problem? No budget for the job. Five Trinity University computer science students tackled the assignment eagerly, developing Web-based training courses for Family Violence Prevention Services Inc. as a senior design project.

The final product not only met the agency’s needs but exceeded expectations, said Phil Travers, clinical director of FVPS, who noted that the software was tweaked at no cost to the agency and ended up being “a valuable educational experience for us and the students. While our agency learned something about Web-based technology and courseware, the students learned something about domestic violence and our work in the community.”

Under the direction of Gerald Pitts, the Caruth Distinguished Professor of Computer Science at Trinity, students spent two semesters analyzing the agency’s needs, designing a prototype, and developing a solution. He kept them on track by requiring monthly progress reports, among other benchmarks.

Senior Cesar Giralt, a computer science major from Houston, observed, “For one year we were a software development team.” The student work was valued at more than $120,000, which the agency can claim as an in-kind donation to leverage financial gifts from foundations and other philanthropies. Working for a non-profit concern was rewarding, Mr. Giralt said, adding, “We were the only solution for them, and we gave them a professional product.”

Joining him on the team were fellow seniors Michael Hall of the Netherlands, Britton Horn of Deer Park, Texas, and Andrew Trompler and Ricardo Alcantar, both of San Antonio.

The three-hour courseware will generate revenue for FVPS, since counselors will be required to pay for their continuing education, another plus during tough economic times, Mr. Travers said. Working with the Trinity students was “one of the most productive and efficient collaborations I have experienced,” Mr. Travers added.

--30--