Interested in Computer Science? Meet With Local Web Designers and Developers on May 3

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Local industry and teachers have teamed up to host a conference that promotes careers in web design, software development and other computer science fields.

Dubbed the Buffalo I/O conference, the event is free and open to the public. It will be held from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, May 3, at 101 Davis Hall on the University at Buffalo's North Campus. To learn more, visit http://www.buffaloio.com.

Sponsored by InfoTech Niagara, the Western New York Computer Science Teachers Association and UB's Computer Science and Engineering Department, the conference is modeled after a similar event held in Boston, Mass. Geared toward high school and college students, the Buffalo conference will feature 10- to 15-minute lectures from industry leaders, informal networking opportunities and free refreshments.

While not known as a high-tech business hub, Western New York has a small yet vibrant technology community that is looking to grow, said Carl Alphonce, a teaching associate professor in UB's Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

He added that computer science job openings are outpacing the number of graduates. For example, the National Center for Women and Information Technology projects that industry will add 144,500 computing jobs each year until 2018. With institutes of higher learning expected to produce less than 90,000 computer science and computer engineering graduates annually, there could be a yearly gap of more than 50,000 jobs, according to the center.

To meet the demand, Alphonce and others are encouraging talented and creative students to consider studying computer science. They can expect to earn salaries anywhere from $46,000 to more than $100,000, according to 2010 statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor.

INFOBOX

What: Computer science conference

Where: 101 Davis Hall (UB's North Campus)

When: 6-9 p.m. on May 3

Who: Open to the public, free

Why: Computer science is a growing and, potentially, lucrative career path