Two students who developed application software for a project at North Carolina Central University during their time at Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics are winners in a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency competition to find the best environmental apps in the country.

 

William Fry of Greenville, N.C., and Ali Hasan, of Mount Pleasant, N.C., were recognized at a forum in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, November 8, for EarthFriend, the app they created during the four-week Summer Ventures program at NCCU.

 

The teens took the category of Best Student App in the EPA Apps for the Environment Challenge. The contest asked software developers to find ways to combine and deliver environmental data in new apps, according to the agency’s website. Submissions were required to use EPA data, address one of Administrator Lisa Jackson’s priorities and be useful to communities or individuals.

 

Earthfriend combines educational games and facts about the environment to encourage users to go green. The app is available as a free download for the iPhone and iPad at the Apple App Store. It also can be viewed on the EPA website, www.epa.org.

 

“We wanted to bridge the gap between education and entertainment, combining them into one captivating entity,” said Hasan, a 15-year-old junior at Mount Pleasant High School. “We agreed we should utilize as many functions of the iPhone as we could. Our inspiration was our vision of creating an app that would enthrall everyone, yet teach them ways to save the environment.”

 

Hasan and Fry met at NCCU during Summer Ventures, a state-funded camp for academically talented high school students who want to pursue careers in math and science. NCCU is one of five universities that host the free program.

 

Soon after meeting, the teens realized they had a lot in common and wanted to work together. Each owns an application software development company, and they share a love for music. They learned about the competition from their camp mentor Dr. Kai Wang, a part-time faculty member at NCCU and head of the Computer and Engineering Technologies Department at Wake Technical Community College. Wang encouraged the boys to put their heads together to come up with a winning idea.

 

“As soon as we heard about it, we knew it was for us,” said Fry, a 16-year-old at J.H. Rose High School. “We designed an interface, planned out the elements and got right to work. Ali is ingenious with games and graphics, and I enjoy designing utility functions, idea implementation and trouble-shooting. Together, we came out with an app that includes games, fast facts, data and a catchy interface.”

 

Dr. John Myers, an NCCU chemistry professor and Summer Ventures director, said faculty members really push camp participants to be creative and explore their potential.

 

“The amazing thing to me is that this project, which began as a four-week project, has been selected as the best student app for the environment in the nation,” Myers said. “The sky’s the limit for these students. They are going to go very far.”

 

Hasan and Fry, who is currently a foreign exchange student in Germany, said they are inspired by their scientist parents. Hasan grew up hanging out in his father’s laboratory, and his mother, a former math teacher, taught him methods to easily solve complex math problems. Fry’s father is an engineer who holds several patents and his mother is a family practice physician.

 

“Ever since I was in elementary school, I have always thought that science, math and technology were so fascinating,” Fry said. “Having parents who facilitated my interests has been paramount.”

 

About Summer Ventures:

Summer Ventures in Science and Mathematics (SVSM) is a cost-free, state-funded program for academically talented North Carolina residents who may pursue careers based in science and mathematics. The program brings rising juniors and seniors together in residential settings for intensive study.

A statewide program of the University of North Carolina system, SVSM is administered by the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Five campuses of the university system host the SVSM institutes.

 

- From NCCU News