STEM summer camp wraps up with Jeopardy-style competition

July 20, 2025 | By Aaron Viner University Communications

School of Computer Science faculty member Nilanjan Sen presents an overview of career paths to campers. | Photo courtesy of Western Illinois University

MACOMB, Ill. — The annual Western Illinois University Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Summer Camp wrapped up with an exciting competition on July 11.

The high school campers participated in a five-day program designed to introduce them to scientific activities from various STEM-related disciplines. The camp culminated in a Jeopardy-style competition moderated by Anjum Razzaque and Nilanjan Sen, faculty from the School of Computer Sciences.

The competition featured general knowledge questions drawn from all academic programs within the School of Computer Sciences. Razzaque said that students participated with enthusiasm and curiosity. In a dramatic finish, two teams ended in a tie, requiring a final Jeopardy question to determine the winner.

Results for the competition were:

First Place: Jermaine Jamerson, Aneesh Kashyap and Jack Sparrow.
Second Place: Bryan Paz, Alima Price and Jayden Pinneo.
Third Place: Eduardo Amastal Alvarado, Alexei Davis and Jonas Gomez.
Fourth Place: Diego Roa and Caleb Herrera.

Tahir Khan, the interim director of the WIU Cybersecurity Center, and Information Systems professor George Mangalaraj contributed to organizing and preparing the event. Dennis DeVolder, chair of the School of Computer Sciences, also provided souvenirs and mementos to commemorate the occasion.

Before the competition, Sen presented an overview of career paths in computing and explained how the school’s academic offerings equip students for those opportunities.

To learn more about WIU’s School of Computer Science, visit wiu.edu/computerscience.

For more information on WIU’s summer camps, visit wiu.edu/camps_and_conferences.