BIS-ITSA wins top honors at national IT conference

Six students from Eastern’s Business Information Systems/Information Technology Students of America (BIS-ITSA) club traveled to Springfield, MI, this past March to compete in the United States IT Collegiate Conference (USITCC), which welcomed 15 colleges and universities from across the country.

According to the USITCC website, the conference featured six competitions in different areas of IT, including database design, Microsoft Office, security, PC troubleshooting, business analytics, and a “hackathon.” Winners received prize money, trophies, certificates, and formal recognition from the Foundation for IT Education.

Jake Cohen, a senior studying BIS, business analytics, and finance, along with Sam Hurlburt, a junior studying BIS and business analytics, earned major accolades at the conference. The duo won first place in the business analytics competition and placed second in the database design competition.

“The weather was great, the competitions were intense, and the midwestern food was good,” said Cohen.

"It was a great experience being able to represent Eastern and the BIS program at the national level," said Hurlburt, who credited part of his success to Eastern faculty. "While competing, I could point to specific classes in the BIS department that prepared me to do well."

In addition to individual honors, BIS-ITSA also won the Student Organization Award for Model Student Organization, along with Georgia Gwinnett College. In recent years, Eastern’s BIS students have placed in the top five nationally in multiple areas such as Microsoft Office solutions, database design, and business analytics — skills highly valued in a competitive, high-paying job market, according to Alex Citurs, BIS professor and BIS-ITSA faculty advisor.

Eastern’s BIS-ITSA faced off against much larger colleges and universities, such as Texas State University, Missouri State University, and the University of Iowa.

Citurs noted, “The students faced strong competitors. Considering the size of these institutions, the Eastern students' standout performance speaks to their hard work and abilities.”

Although large institutions were present at the conference, many institutions prefer to compete at regional IT conferences due to increased post-COVID transportation costs. New England, having only three campuses with ITSA organizations, lacks a regional conference. Citurs discussed the possibility of competing in the Midwest regional conference in the near future.

The conference also taught students valuable skills for application in the field. For Robyn Vetterkind, a junior studying BIS, business analytics, and data science, USITCC taught “the value of hands-on learning, how to manage high-pressure situations, and refined my skills and understanding of what works and what doesn't in real-world scenarios.”

Vetterkind also pointed out that there is still a lot to learn in the field. “It quickly became clear that while there are things I know, there's even more I still need to learn," she said.

“Attending the USITCC was an incredible opportunity to put my technical skills to the test,” said Allison Kazmier, a sophomore studying BIS, business analytics, and accounting.

Kazmier emphasized that the conference gave her a clearer vision of job opportunities in the field. “It allowed me to dive deeper in different areas, helping me recognize where I can improve and what I'd like to explore further.”

Students also noted important networking opportunities from the trip. “Going on a trip like this is also a great way to network with other students from around the country,” said Mitchell Peterson, a junior studying BIS and business analytics.