By Sara Badura
Ashita Abraham, a junior double-majoring in cybersecurity and computer science at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, spends a lot of time working independently on her coursework.
So, she welcomed the interactive format in her Introduction to Mathematical Proofs class, a one-credit, six-week course she took in the spring of 2024. Instead of in a typical classroom, she found herself in the FNBO Code Studio.
Located on the second floor of the Peter Kiewit Institute building on UNO’s Scott Campus, the FNBO Code Studio serves as a space for computer science students to connect and collaborate with classmates. The studio opened in fall 2023, supported by a generous gift from FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha). An outdated computer lab was refurbished and transformed into a modern tech space, with oval tables, docking stations and whiteboards.
FNBO also made a gift through the University of Nebraska Foundation to create an endowed scholarship to assist students pursuing a degree in the College of Information Science & Technology.
“I loved the whole setup of the Code Studio, which is, when compared to normal classrooms, much more engaging,” Abraham said. “We even had a couple of small TVs and TV screens where students at each and every table could see what the professor was projecting.”
Students and faculty alike appreciate the design of the FNBO Code Studio, said Mahadevan Subramaniam (Subu), Ph.D., professor and chair of the Computer Science Department at UNO. Subu had his first opportunity to teach in the code studio as the instructor leading the Introduction to Mathematical Proofs course.
“At UNO, we talk in terms of small class sizes and having a very nice faculty-to-student ratio,” Subu said. “That’s really important because computer science programs at some institutions across the country have huge classes with hundreds of students.”
UNO prides itself on providing an excellent computer science education while also giving students opportunities for small group and individual experiences, he said.
The FNBO Code Studio provides an ideal learning environment while helping prepare students for their future professional careers, Subu said. Computer science studies often involve individual work, but collaborating with others is crucial to success in the field.
“I think that this kind of an environment makes the transition into the workforce a little bit easier because you’re used to talking to small groups,” Subu said. “You interact with small groups, and you know how to express your ideas.”
Thomas Minnich, a UNO senior majoring in computer science, was another student in Subu’s mathematical proofs class in the FNBO Code Studio. He said about half his time in the class was spent working on group projects. The tech-friendly space made it easy for students to plug in their laptops and share their projects on monitors around the room.
Minnich said the FNBO Code Studio is a “great collaborative space” that encourages interactions like those he expects to find in the professional world.
This summer, he completed an internship in software development. In the life cycle of developing code, he said, time is invested early to talk about ideas and make design decisions “before you even start to write the code.”
“Having that social interaction really helps prepare you for real-world challenges when it comes to IT and software development, where a lot of time is spent talking to people,” Minnich said.
