TAP Into Success

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - High-tech job opportunities abound in Arkansas and a new program at the University of Arkansas will help Arkansas students prepare for those jobs. The first Technology Awareness Program (TAP) will be held on the Fayetteville campus June 24-30.

TAP brings high-achieving students from high schools across Arkansas to the U of A campus for a week-long residency program designed to introduce them to information technology careers. The students live in dorms and get a feel for university life.

"Participants are taught classes by university faculty in computer information systems, information systems research, multimedia and communication," said Barbara Lofton, director of minority affairs for the Walton College. "They participate in a project looking at a specific systems development life cycle and present their findings to the university community on Thursday, June 29."

The program is designed to step students through a problem-solving simulation. They are divided into four teams and given a project to develop. Each day students are taught specific aspects of problem-solving and given time to work on the those phases of their project.

Each day a featured speaker from participating Arkansas industries like Acxiom, J.B. Hunt, Southwestern Energy Company, Tyson Foods and Wal-mart Stores Inc. talks with the participants about the variety of high-tech careers available in Arkansas. The week ends with a trip to Wal-mart corporate headquarters, where students get to see how a major company approaches information technology and the wide variety of jobs available.

Participation in the initial program was limited to 19 students. The TAP program focused on minority applicants, since these groups are underrepresented in the information technology field.

"Arkansas high school counselors were invited to recommend TAP to their high-achieving junior and senior students," explained Beverly Woods, CISQA coordinator for TAP. "The students then submitted an application package that included a transcript, letter of recommendation and a statement of purpose that expressed their interest in technology."

The TAP program is a joint effort of the Information Technology Research Center (ITRC), the Computer Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis (CISQA) Department and the Office of Minority Affairs in the Sam Walton College of Business Administration. Students participating in TAP this summer are: Wesley Aldridge, Cotton Plant; Ronessa Blair, Fayetteville; Jerrold Browning, Candace Trice and Sharliese Kendrick, Little Rock; Frederick Calvin, Helena; Jenay Clark, North Little Rock; Brandin Davis, West Helena; Dawnyell Fletcher, Atkins; Krystal Hardy and Tiffany McHenry, Camden; Andrea Hogan, Turrell; Amanda Isom, Warren; Jerimy Loyd, El Dorado; Boualay Luong, Courtney McKinney and Natasha McGill, Fort Smith; Birkes Williams, Hot Springs; and NaTasha Wilson, Bearden.