DETROIT ? Wayne State University undergraduate students Melissa and Jennifer Hui last week won first place in the digital arts segment of the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition.
Imagine Cup is one of the world?s premier student technology competitions, and Microsoft Corporation feels it is a way to encourage the young to apply their imagination, creativity and passion to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world today.
This year?s U.S. finals were held in Los Angeles April 20 ? 22, and featured some of the most innovative and creative college students in the country. In addition to demonstrating how their projects address this year?s environmental theme, the students participated in an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Workshop led by established leaders in the entrepreneurial field to help them build on skills and confidence needed to bring their projects to life.
Team Provisio – Melissa and Jennifer Hui of Bloomfield Hills – were first place winners of the Photography category. Their photo essay project transported viewers to the cradle of the world?s ecosystem – rain forests – and depicted how technology is being applied there to try to slow global warming and deforestation. As winners, they have advanced to the Imagine Cup World Finals in Paris from July 3 to 8, and will receive $5,000, a two-page color spread in American Photography magazine and a display of pictures on the Imagine Cup micro site of PopPhoto.com.
?The Imagine Cup is all about igniting the imagination of tomorrow?s technology visionaries and leaders, and inspiring them to harness the possibilities of technology to build a better world,? said Dan Lewin, corporate vice president of Strategic and Emerging Business Development at Microsoft. ?The contest provides student inventors and entrepreneurs with a launch pad for their ideas and access to key resources that can set them on the path to career success.?
?The Microsoft Imagine Cup is a wonderful learning opportunity for our students, and we are proud that the Hui sister team were invited to compete, and even more proud of their ultimate win,? said Robert Thomas, dean of WSU?s College of Liberal Arts and Science.
Melissa is a junior in the Biological Sciences program and Jennifer is a freshman in the Biological Science program and is working towards a minor in Economics at WSU. Melissa is a graduate of Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills and Jennifer is a graduate of the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills. Both competed together in last year?s Imagine Cup and finished as World Top 20 Semi-Finalists in another digital media invitational.
?This year, with our respective majors focused in life sciences and biology, we were motivated to tackle the topic of environmental sustainability with a perspective in tropical rain forest conservation by use of monitoring technologies,? said Melissa. ?I personally wanted to reach the roots of an on-going global environment crisis.?
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