SEARCY, Ark. — Earlier this month, Dr. Steve Baber, Harding University
professor of mathematics and computer science, was inducted into the
Arkansas Academy of Computing, a group that boasts influential members including the founders of Acxiom and leaders of information technology for companies such as Wal-Mart and JB Hunt.
Baber was recognized for his work in the 1990s with the ARKNet Board
that brought Internet to nearly every institution of higher education
and public high school in Arkansas and also for his 27 years of work
with Harding’s intercollegiate programming teams, which have acquired
a number of high-ranking awards through the years.
Since Baber began working with Harding’s programming team, it has
qualified twice for the World Finals, placing in the top 30 teams both
times among schools such as Harvard, Duke, Cornell and George-Mason.
In this competition, both the 1998 team and the 2000 team placed among the top 10 programming teams in the nation. The team has also landed in first place 10 times in statewide competitions.
Baber has served on the board of directors for ARKNet, the steering
committee that created the Midsouth Regional Programming Contest, and the board of directors for the Arkansas Society for Computer and
Information Technology. He has also operated in several different
positions for the Arkansas Computer Conference, including conference
chair.
Baber will work with the AAC to benefit the computer science students
at Harding by learning about additional resources to use in the
classroom, enriching job networking, and aiding in the selection of
graduate schools.
The AAC was founded in 2006 to recognize and honor professionals whole work is continuously and significantly advancing the profession of
computing in Arkansas.
