Computer Science students from Stevens Institute of Technology are answering Microsoft's challenge to imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems. These students are participating in Imagine Cup 2011, a global competition that encourages students of all ages to develop software addressing unmet needs in the world today. On March 8, Robert Youngjohns, President of Microsoft North America Sales and Marketing, invited select Imagine Cup teams from the New York City Area to present their projects in a private showcase.

Junior Computer Science major Kirill Marantz '12 showed off his 3D simulation game Lost City and graduate students in the program, Maxim Serebrennik, Brent Cox, and Lazaros Karydas demonstrated their real-time virtual reality simulation system.

"Faster computing, social networking, and Web-enabled mobile devices combined with the new levels of design and raw technical sophistication of the developers have increased the power and pervasiveness of computer gaming and multimedia simulation," says Dr. George Kamberov, Associate Professor of Computer Science and Director of the Game Design and Simulation Programming M.S. Program at Stevens . "We especially see a growing need for professionals with the skills to design games and simulations for research, training, and 'edutainment,' which is at the core of the Imagine Cup. For this event, the Stevens game design crews joined students from all levels, from freshmen to advanced graduate students."

The showcase presented participants with a unique opportunity to exhibit and explain their designs to a senior executive at a major company. Youngjohns spent time with each individual or team, not only watching their demonstrations, but asking questions about their technology and their aspirations for the Imagine Cup.

"What impressed me the most was the students' ability to articulate clearly their premise and the drive and passion for the solution they were working on," reported Microsoft developer Andrew Parsons, who was in attendance, on his MSDN Blog.

Other schools invited to the NYC Imagine Cup Showcase included NYU, NJIT, Ithaca, Hofstra, and Pace. Top grade school competitors as young as 12 were also in attendance to pitch their game design skills to Youngjohns.

Microsoft's Imagine Cup is an annual competition that asks students around the world to use technology to solve tough problems. Each year, the competition has a different theme, typically based around the connections between people, technology, and major global issues such as health and sustainability. This year's theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems." The competition is especially asking students to target the United Nations' Millenial Development Goals, eight major global goals that include universal primary education and gender equality.

Learn more about game design at Stevens or visit Admissions today to apply.