Information Technology

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Penn College IT student presents at conference

Pennsylvania College of Technology student Carson D. Seese, of Shippensburg, co-presented “Hands-On Writing Malware in Go” at BSidesDC, an annual open security conference in Washington, D.C. Seese is seeking a bachelor’s degree in information assurance and cyber security.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology student offered his expertise at a recent conference for information security practitioners in Washington, D.C.

Carson D. Seese, of Shippensburg, co-presented “Hands-On Writing Malware in Go” at BSidesDC, an annual regional open security conference that facilitates interaction and collaboration among IT professionals.

Seese, a sophomore Dean’s List student, is seeking a bachelor’s degree in information assurance and cyber security. He co-presented with Stuart McMurray of IronNet Cybersecurity, a worldwide leader in network traffic analysis. Seese worked with McMurray during his summer internship.

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High-schoolers preview not-so-distant future at Career Day

Chef Craig A. Cian, associate professor of hospitality management/culinary arts, helps a student from the Lycoming Career & Technology Center to form pizza dough.

Career Day brought hundreds of ninth-12th graders to campus on Thursday to explore more than 30 activities offered by employees and students to help high-schoolers learn about the wide variety of career options available to them. The event is coordinated by the College Transitions and First Year Initiatives Office.

Alumni Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology Students

Globe-trotting grad returns as IBM advocate, alumni ambassador

The 2015 grad urges students to consider participation in "Call for Code," which carries a lucrative prize purse (and the invaluable satisfaction of making the planet a better place). — The 2015 grad urges students to consider participation in “Call for Code,” which carries a lucrative prize purse (and the invaluable satisfaction of making the planet a better place).

On the eve of Career Fair, as futures weigh heavily on the minds of imminent graduates, a 2015 alumnus returned to show students just how far a Penn College degree can take them. Information technology majors heard Monday afternoon from Derek E. Teay, who earned a bachelor’s degree in software development and information management and is traveling the world as a developer advocate for IBM. Teay – whose campus resume included Resident Assistant for the IT Living-Learning Community, Connections Link, Student Activities Event Assistant and graduate of Leadership Boot Camp – has continued that high-intensity involvement with IBM’s “Call for Code” initiative. The project challenges developers to create solutions (using such tools as cloud, data and artificial intelligence) to significantly improve preparedness for natural disasters and accelerate relief when they hit. This year’s grand prize winner from among 5,000 applicants, employs multiple sensors to gather data on temperature, humidity and smoke concentration in order to protect firefighters from the cumulative effect of toxic inhalation while battling blazes in the wild. Teay has traveled extensively in his work at IBM, and soon will go to Barcelona to help developers implement their solution and field-test it under real-life conditions. In addition to encouraging students to participate in future “Call for Code” competitions, Teay sprinkled some “cool techy stuff” into his talk such as hooking up his Tesla to IBM Cloud through the Node-RED programming tool … all within hours of buying the car. Joining students in listening to Teay’s presentation were two faculty members from his alma mater: Jacob R. Miller and Sandra Gorka, associate professors of computer science.

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Penn College faculty present cybersecurity paper

Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty detailed for nationwide peers an ongoing initiative to address the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals.

Jacob R. Miller and Sandra Gorka, associate professors of computer science, presented “Improving the Pipeline” at the Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education in Las Vegas. Their talk summarized a paper they wrote with Alicia McNett, instructor of computer information technology, and Bradley M. Webb, assistant dean of industrial, computing and engineering technologies.

The annual colloquium brings together educators, business and industry leaders, and practitioners to share ideas, research and needs related to cybersecurity.

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USA Today STEM insert features faculty perspective

The insights of a Penn College faculty member are included in a 16-page “Women in STEM” supplement inserted in 250,000 copies of Friday’s USA Today being distributed in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, northcentral Florida and Houston. Alicia McNett, assistant professor of computer information technology, is one of four industry success stories recruited for a panel Q&A (on Page 12) titled “We Ask the Experts How Women Can Break Into STEM.” The publication also includes a front-page ad (topped by a cover photo of Melinda Gates, who is profiled inside) directing readers to a webpage focused on the college’s passionate pioneers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Women in STEM supplement

Faculty & Staff Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology STEM

Penn College professor authors book for IT professionals

The expertise of a Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty member will help information technology professionals worldwide incorporate a vital networking tool.

Lisa Bock, associate professor of computer information technology, has written “Learn Wireshark,” a 432-page book devoted to the software that aids network administrators in troubleshooting their networks and identifying potential attacks.

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NSF cybersecurity grant extended for Penn College

The National Science Foundation recently rewarded Pennsylvania College of Technology’s commitment to tomorrow’s cybersecurity workforce by extending a grant for an additional year.

The grant – “Improving the Pipeline: After-School Model for Preparing Cyber Defense and Information Assurance Professionals” – facilitates interaction between information technology faculty and high school students to introduce rewarding career possibilities in cybersecurity.

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Penn College transfer student stays the course

With determination, and some help from campus resources such as the Academic Success Center and Disability Services at Penn College, Jacqueline M. Westervelt, of Rutherford, New Jersey, earned an associate degree in information technology: technical support emphasis in May and expects to graduate in August with a bachelor’s degree in applied management.

The email contained a stark message for the transfer student. After a year of subpar grades, Pennsylvania College of Technology had to place her on academic probation.

Jacqueline M. Westervelt repeatedly scanned the message, hoping that the words would change. They didn’t.

Her dream of earning an information technology degree – already delayed for two years – was in jeopardy. Self-doubt, fueled by past struggles in school, flooded her mind. Tears flowed as she thought that the people who told her she wasn’t college material were right.

Turns out, they were wrong.

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From living space to makerspace, summer visitors have their hands full

Learning the skills and craftsmanship required of a builder in the newest pre-college offering: Building Construction.

A dozen residential Pre-College Programs and a daytime Creative Art Camp brought hundreds of young women and men to Penn College’s campuses in mid-June, providing hands-on entry to the myriad career opportunities reflected in the institution’s postsecondary curriculum. Keeping campers (and PCToday photographers) busy in recent days were these fun learning opportunities, some of which involved culminating projects: Architecture Odyssey, Autism Spectrum Post-Secondary Interest Experience (ASPIE), Automotive Restoration, Aviation, Building Construction (new this year), Creative Art Camp, Engineering, Future Restaurateurs, Graphic Design Summer Studio, Grow & Design Horticulture, Health Careers, Information Technology and SMART (Science and Math in Real-world Technologies) Girls.

Alumni Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology STEM

Penn College alum’s perseverance pays off

Penn College alumnus Steven P. Fantaske, formerly of State College, works as an Unreal Engine 4 virtual reality developer for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado. The NIST promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness.

The student’s future revealed a stark reality: life without a college degree. His aborted attempts at college would close the door to a fulfilling information technology career. Potential wouldn’t be realized. Dreams wouldn’t be lived.

But Steven P. Fantaske flipped the reality he seemed destined to experience. Ten years after being placed on academic probation, he earned his second degree at Pennsylvania College of Technology. The result? Fantaske has a rewarding job that tasks him with altering reality. Only this time, the reality is virtual, and the beneficiaries are public safety personnel.

The former State College resident is an Unreal Engine 4 virtual reality developer for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado. The NIST is a nonregulatory agency of the Department of Commerce that promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness.

Faculty & Staff Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology STEM Students

Penn College IT students present findings at conference

Pennsylvania College of Technology students Allison F. Chapman (left), of Montoursville, and Margot S. Rinehart, of Downingtown, recently discussed their efforts to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Northeast Region Conference in Connecticut. Both students are seeking bachelor’s degrees in information assurance and cybersecurity.

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology information technology students detailed at a recent conference their efforts as part of a National Science Foundation grant to address the critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals.

Allison F. Chapman, of Montoursville, and Margot S. Rinehart, of Downingtown, presented “Capture the Flag as a Testing Platform” at the recent Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges Northeast Region Conference at the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut.

Industrial, Computing & Engineering Technologies Information Technology STEM Students

Penn College student chosen for coveted research assignment

A Pennsylvania College of Technology student will spend his summer engaging in a National Science Foundation research program devoted to high performance computing.

Nichalus S. Kibler, of New Columbia, majoring in both game and simulation programming and information assurance and cyber security, is one of 11 students nationwide chosen for the Research Experience for Undergraduate site at Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.

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Dual-enrollment students attend Penn College NOW visit days

Daniel J. Harris, instructor of HVAC technology, talks with a group about classes in air conditioning and refrigeration while showing them a lab.

More than 400 high school students, all enrolled in Penn College classes at their respective high school or career and technology center, visited campus on Friday. A visit to campus is a required part of every course offered through the college’s Penn College NOW dual-enrollment program. The program offers Penn College classes at more than 50 partner secondary-education facilities throughout the state. College Transitions and First Year Initiatives hosts visits for participating schools throughout the year. To ensure that courses offered through Penn College NOW maintain the same rigor as those offered on campus, secondary teachers work with Penn College faculty liaisons who train them to teach the course curriculum, visit each school at least once a year, and grade high school students’ final projects. In addition to hosting Penn College NOW student visits – including a March 19 trip, also documented in this photo gallery – College Transitions and First Year Initiatives conducts frequent group visits for other secondary students, providing college and career exploration, including a campus tour. On April 2, Lycoming Career and Technology Center plans to bring 200 students to campus for sessions with Career Services, the Academic Success Center and more.

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Pre-College Programs to enrich participants’ summer experience

Young women enrolled in SMART Girls, among the wide-ranging roster of pre-college programs at Pennsylvania College of Technology, assemble a robot during last summer’s camp.

Building construction has been added to the abounding schedule of pre-college initiatives offered at Pennsylvania College of Technology, hands-on summer activities that mirror the nationally renowned opportunities afforded postsecondary students.

“Our Pre-College Programs offer living and learning experiences in which students have opportunities to explore unique academic interests in a state-of-the-art environment,” said Deborah B. Wescott, manager of conference and guest relations. “It’s a chance to work and make connections with industry leaders, meet and mingle with your peers, and establish a path that could lead to all sorts of future possibilities.”

The signup deadline is May 31 for the institution’s 12 residential programs and its one day camp.

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Penn College duo addresses cybersecurity skills shortage

Thanks to strong attendance by students, faculty, staff and alumni, Pennsylvania College of Technology was well-represented at a recent major cybersecurity conference: ShmooCon 2019 in Washington, D.C.

A Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty duo detailed at a recent major cybersecurity conference their pioneering efforts to address the critical shortage of professionals in the field.

Jacob R. Miller and Sandra Gorka, associate professors of computer science, presented “Kinder Garten Security: Teaching the Pre-college Crowd” at ShmooCon 2019 in Washington, D.C.

The annual East Coast hacker convention is devoted to technology impacting information security and discussions regarding the field. The conference is offered by The Shmoo Group, comprised of worldwide security professionals who donate their time and expertise for information security research and development.

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