Association for Computing Machinery - UP Student Chapter

The Association for Computing Machinery - University of the Philippines Student Chapter, or UP ACM is the first chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery in the Philippines. Based in the Diliman campus of the University of the Philippines, the student organization is a four-time winner of the international ACM Chapter Excellence Awards.

UP ACM is recognized by both the University and the UP College of Engineering. The organization is specifically based in the Department of Computer Science, though its hundred-strong membership counts students from other departments and colleges, such as the School of Library and Information Studies.

UP ACM is designated as an academic organization, though its activities also include community and government service.

History

Establishment

UP ACM was chartered on June 19, 2003, making it the first ACM chapter in the country. The organization initially involved only graduate students, with the interim officers being:

*John Paul Petines, Chairperson
*Joyce Avestro-Viray, Vice-Chairperson
*Ben-Hur "Harv" Viray, Secretary
*Louella Tiongson-Javier, Treasurer

Out of the four officers, three became faculty members of the Department of Computer Science. Prof. Rommel P. Feria served as the adviser of the organization, a position he holds up to the present.

Revival

The organization was revitalized on January 15, 2005, when it opened the doors to undergraduate students. With the sudden influx of members, UP ACM also expanded its organizational structure, increasing the members of the Executive Council to seven.

The academic years 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 marked the emergence of UP ACM as a reliable student organization committed to Department, University, community, and national service. It conducted computer literacy programs for the children of nearby Barangay UP Diliman, held seminars in a government agency and the City College of Manila, and actively participated in the UP Alliance of Computer Science Organizations, among others.

During this period, the organization reaped three international distinctions awarded by the ACM headquarters in New York City (see "Awards and Recognition"). In both years, UP ACM was the only Asian chapter among the winners.

In order to cater to the different computing interests and needs of its members, UP ACM maintains its own special interest groups (SIGs), patterned after the ACM SIGs. Some of the areas covered by these groups are gaming, graphics, and the Java programming language.

Awards and Recognition

*Outstanding Recruitment Program, ACM Chapter Excellence Awards 2004-05
*Outstanding Community Service, ACM Chapter Excellence Awards 2004-05
*Outstanding Community Service, ACM Chapter Excellence Awards 2005-06
*Outstanding Chapter Activities, ACM Chapter Excellence Awards 2006-07
*Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Performance, UPD Department of Computer Science, AY 2005-06

External links

* [http://upacm.org Official Website of the UP ACM]
* [http://acm.org Official Website of the ACM]
* [http://acm.org/chapters/stu/essay_contest.html ACM Chapter Excellence Homepage]
* [http://corsarius.net/writings/acm-essays UP ACM Winning Essays] , submitted for the ACM Chapter Excellence Awards

References

* [http://www.upacm.org/old Old UP ACM Website] . Retrieved December 1, 2006.
* [http://news.inq7.net/breaking/index.php?index=7&story_id=40203 UP computer science students win int’l award] . Retrieved December 1, 2006.
* [http://blog.corsarius.net/2005/06/07/the-filipino-can-do-it The Filipino Can Do It!] . Retrieved January 9, 2007.
* [http://ccrux.corsarius.net/2006/08/19/pinoy-student-org-beats-the-worldagain/ Pinoy Student Org Beats the World…Again] . Retrieved December 1, 2006.
* [http://upacm.org/blog/?p=117 UP ACM Blog announcement of fourth Chapter Excellence award] . Retrieved October 1, 2007.