UWG Computing Alumnus Encourages Students to Pursue Internships Share this page
Deontay Hayes ’24 was a trailblazer in the University of West Georgia’s computing program, being among the first students to enroll when the bachelor’s degree launched in Fall 2022. His time in the Dr. James ‘Earl’ Perry College of Mathematics, Computing and Sciences laid the foundation for his passions in the field, equipping him with the skills and knowledge to advance his education.
Now, as a graduate student, Hayes is building on that strong academic start by pursuing a master’s degree in applied computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity.
During Hayes’ first semester at the university, he was hired as a student system administrator in UWG’s Information Technology Services (ITS) department. He was responsible for working with the service desk to help manage user accounts, conduct server installations and set up Linux and Windows operations.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Hayes. “I definitely gained a lot of good experience.”
In addition, Hayes was mentored by Dr. Mostafizur Rahman, an assistant professor of computer science at UWG. Hayes conducted research on wireless systems and networks and spectrum sharing, presenting his findings at UWG’s Scholar’s Day. His work, titled “Evaluating User Utility in Tiered Spectrum-Shared Markets,” was accepted for presentation at the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference at Emory University’s Oxford campus.
Hayes plans to participate in the upcoming fall conference at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and is currently writing a piece to submit.
“I’m looking to get my work published as a paper for the conference,” said Hayes.
Through professional experiences and hands-on learning, Hayes has gained transferable skills like programming, communication and problem solving. He currently works as a graduate assistant in UWG’s Office of Information Security and encourages students to get involved on campus.
“Pursue jobs and internships on campus,” said Hayes. “They work with your schedule and have really flexible hours.”
For more information on the Dr. James ‘Earl’ Perry College of Mathematics, Computing and Sciences, visit its website.