Jacksonville, AL – A group of ten Jacksonville State University students, led by Dr. Arup Ghosh, Associate Professor of Computer Science, delivered a standout performance at the prestigious IEEE SoutheastCon 2025, held March 27–30 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The JSU delegation—Jakob Skipper, Corey Dunn, Denzel Stinson, Tyler Best, Kris Mcanally, Norah Martin, Katty Juarez, Stutika Thapa Shrestha, Dikshant Shrestha, and Prashant Basyal—competed across a variety of categories including hardware, software, ethics, circuit design, networking, presentation, and website development. They earned recognition alongside top-tier engineering and computing institutions from across the southeastern United States.
A highlight of the conference was JSU’s third-place finish in the Software Competition. This high-intensity challenge followed a Game Jam format, requiring students to design and build innovative software projects within a limited time frame—a true test of creativity, collaboration, and technical skill.
“Our students worked incredibly hard preparing for this event,” said Dr. Ghosh. “I’m thrilled with how they performed—especially in the software category. It’s truly rewarding to see their talent, collaboration, and perseverance recognized on such a large stage.”
The IEEE SoutheastCon, which hosted approximately 900 participants—with students making up nearly half—served as a major opportunity for learning, networking, and hands-on experience in a competitive environment.
Beyond the competitions, two students from Dr. Ghosh’s Human-Technology Interaction Research Lab (HTIR Lab) presented and published peer-reviewed research. Graduate student Jakob Skipper presented his work on Adolescent Online Safety, addressing how families can navigate and stay protected in the evolving digital landscape. Undergraduate student Stutika Thapa Shrestha shared her research on Artificial Intelligence applications in elderly caregiving, exploring how emerging technologies can improve care and support for aging populations.
“What makes this trip especially meaningful isn’t just the awards—but the confidence, knowledge, and experience the students gained,” Dr. Ghosh added. “This is exactly what I envisioned when I started my HTIR lab and the IEEE Student Branch at our university—exposure that inspires lifelong learning and opens doors to future opportunities.”
The trip was made possible thanks to the support of the IEEE Jax State Student Branch, IEEE Alabama Section, IEEE Region 3, the National Science Foundation’s S-STEM Program, Jacksonville State University’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Sciences, and the Department of Mathematical, Computing, and Information Sciences (MCIS).
With a strong showing on a regional stage, JSU’s students continue to demonstrate the university’s growing impact in the fields of computer science and engineering.
