Chase Sower and Thanh Hang, seniors majoring in business computer information systems, were selected as finalists for the international Association for Information Systems (AIS) Software Innovation Challenge.
 
The annual competition tasks student teams with proposing an IT solution to a challenge that addresses a sustainable development goal identified by AIS. For Sower and Hang, members of UNT’s AIS chapter, their solution entailed a web platform/application called OnMyWay.
 
OnMyWay offered a method for more efficiently coordinating ride-sharing solutions, while reducing environmental stress and delivering the highest value to users.
 
“We wanted to create an app that could positively impact society, with ours aiming to reduce traffic emissions, reduce traffic congestion, and save people money,” explained Sower, AIS treasurer for UNT.
 
From dozens of submissions around the world, Sower and Hang landed a spot among the top seven teams.
 
Both students credit Dr. James Parrish, assistant professor in the Department of ITDS, with helping them succeed in the competition.
 
“Dr. James Parrish advised me on how to secure and think about the UI and UX of the software,” said Hang.
 
As for the future, Sower and Hang have ambitions to continue using their critical thinking and passion for learning in the IT industry. “I plan to focus my career on software development and database analysis… I’m dedicated to continue learning and improving myself in these fields,” said Hang. Sower also commented, “I plan on going into Mainframe programming or something related to networking. I enjoy IT work and plan on working with technology for the rest of my life, as there are always new things to learn and experiment with.”