Athens State Students Assist with United Way Project

For Further Information

Guy McClure

256-233-8296

Guy.McClure@athens.edu

For immediate release
May 20, 2014
www.athens.edu

Athens State Students Assist with United Way Project

            ATHENS, Ala. - As a project for the Fall 2013 semester under the direction of Dr. Adam Lewis, the Athens State University Computer Science capstone students developed a publicly accessible online volunteer registration portal for the United Way.  The system also gives United Way employees access to be able to manage the information that is entered and to react in a way to quickly identify and place those volunteers.

            The capstone student for the Spring 2014 semester, under the direction of Professor Katia Mayfield, continued to work on the initial development that had been conducted.  There were some tweaks made to the existing database and online forms, along with setting up the United Way office with a back-up plan to still be able to conduct their work off line in case of a disaster and where internet was not available, the students also conducted a full re-design to the Limestone-Athens United Way website.

            The Computer Science department worked closely with United Way Executive Director Kaye Young McFarlen and Volunteer Administration Manager Anna Beth Thomason during the process.

            “Without the ability to register and track spontaneous volunteers on the web or in person our ability as a community to respond to the tornado would not have been as smooth,” remarked McFarlen.  “This work has created an invaluable tool to help respond to emergencies in our community”

            Mayfield added, “We want to thank Anna Beth and Kaye who took time out of their schedules to work with our students and allow them to have had this experience to fully develop a working product that benefits a great organization and the community.”

                                                           

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Athens State students pictured left to right: Chris Young, Michael Harrison, Elizabeth Purcell, Cole Thornhill, Joel Walters, Zachery Baldwin and Nathan Loum.  Not pictured Gregory Moore, Drew Booth, and Richard Baize.