Featured – Page 35 – Seidenberg School News

Nachiket is spending his summer at Argus to work in financial analytics

1. Who are you working with this summer? (…and what do they do?)

I am working with Argus Information and Advisory Services. They perform a broad range of financial analytics ranging from benchmarking, wallet analysis, syndicated studies as well as regulatory functions with credit card transaction and account-level data.

2. Can you tell us a little about what you are doing? (We might not understand the technicalities, but we’d love details!)

I am presently working on a regulatory project. Our client is a US government institution and we are vested with the task of performing data validation and ensuring a high quality of data is maintained when millions-upon-millions of transaction-level data comes in every month. This requires that I have good Excel and SQL Server skills, and that I am able to scan through thousands of lines of code to edit segments that need to be re-written when something changes with the way data was sent in the current month. We also routinely run ad-hoc projects that involve querying the data or performing certain data-manipulations to derive specific insights or answer questions the client needs.

3. Is there a particular class or professor at Seidenberg that has helped you prepare specifically for your current internship? (Clearly, we’re all about shout outs this summer!)

Since I am working with databases all day long in this position, I think my database specialization is proving useful. Dr. Namchul Shin’s courses have given me a good background that I have an opportunity to seriously enhance this summer and beyond.

4. Does your new office have a favorite restaurant/hangout they go to after work? (No! we’re not going to show up like proud parents!)

I work in White Plains, NY and we have dozens of places to go to for lunch or hang out after work. Downtown White Plains is a pretty vibrant place and it doesn’t look like we will run out of options any time soon!

Nachiket Pingle is completing his MS in Information Systems and is entering the second year of his graduate program.

Briana is spending her summer as a Data Science intern in our country’s capital

1. Who are you working with this summer? (…and what do they do?)

I work as a data science intern under the Office of the Chief Data Officer for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve in Washington D.C.

2. Can you tell us a little about what you are doing? (We might not understand the technicalities, but we’d love details!)

I work on a team that handles data management, integration, and dissemination – which essentially means we’re responsible for the Board’s data releases (both internal and external). My project is to analyze the efficiency of our current data release processes as they relate to timeliness and efficiency, design and implement optimization efforts/metrics, and develop a near-real-time operational dashboard for use by management and stakeholders.

3. Is there a particular class or professor at Seidenberg that has helped you prepare specifically for your current internship? (Clearly, we’re all about shout outs this summer!)

At the moment, I’m focusing on algorithm analysis and machine learning models, so I’d like to give a shout out to Professor Benjamin and Professor Cha for all of their wonderful guidance in these fields thus far!

4. Does your new office have a favorite restaurant/hangout they go to after work? (No! we’re not going to show up like proud parents!)

So there’s this place called Buredo near my office that has burrito-sized sushi rolls, need I say more? Those who know me know I’m crazy for sushi, so this place is like a dream come true!

Briana Vecchione is a rising senior in the Seidenberg School, set to earn her BS/CS by May of 2016. She is also a recipient of the Grace Hopper grant that will send her to the Grace Hopper Conference in Houston, Texas this October.

Seidenberg continues cybersecurity education with GenCyber workshop

The Seidenberg School has long been committed to promoting cybersecurity education through a variety of programs and activities. GenCyber, a workshop hosted by Pace and Seidenberg this month, is one of the many ways in which the Seidenberg School has contributed to inspiring the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

The workshop is a prestigious cybersecurity education program funded jointly by the National Science Foundation and the National Security Agency, designed to promote cybersecurity education at the K-12 level. The 2015 Pace GenCyber was designed specifically for high school teachers, and Pace was one of only ten universities nationwide selected to host a teacher workshop in 2015. We welcomed 22 participants, mostly in STEM fields, but not exclusively so, from all over the U.S. including Washington, Florida, Colorado, and Iowa.

The workshop took place at Pace University’s Pleasantville campus, and was spearheaded by Professor and IT WEST Department Chairperson Li-Chiou Chen and Director of Assessment Andreea Cotoranu. The two organized the program from activity design, to instruction, and everything in between. Lectures for the workshop were then delivered by professors of high esteem within the Seidenberg faculty including Li-Chiou Chen, PhD, Charles Tappert, PhD, Meikang Qiu, PhD, and Darren Hayes, DPS with assistance from some of their talented doctoral students. Jigar Jadav, Computer Science teacher at Mamaroneck High-School, and Pace Computer Science PhD student, provided invaluable input on high school instruction and lesson plan development. Moreover, an orchestra of Pace and Seidenberg students and staff ensured that all logistics worked smoothly. According to Andreea Cotoranu, “this was truly a team effort.”

Throughout the two weeks of the workshop, the teachers dove into a variety of integrated lectures, labs, resource sharing, curriculum development activities, pedagogy, and community building that all focused on different aspects of four main pillars in cybersecurity including cryptography, network security, access control/biometrics and computer forensics. The workshop also introduced Design Thinking pedagogical strategies for problem solving, a student-centered approach to teaching that fosters learning through project development (brainstorming, creating, doing, etc.) in lieu of traditional lecture-style teaching methods.

Westchester Magazine quoted participant Virginia Nalbandian, a Pleasantville High School mathematics and computer science teacher, as saying, “the workshop has inspired me as a teacher to return to my classroom and inspire my students. And this is what education should ultimately be about.” Sponsors, participants, and organizers all feel hugely satisfied by the workshop’s success.

Everyone involved in GenCyber left the program with a positive, enthusiastic mindset about going forth and integrating cybersecurity in their curricula. The feedback from both participants and sponsors (NSA/NSF), has been excellent, and we are thrilled with the outcome! The organizers and sponsors are already discussing the plans for the return of the workshop next summer, and we look forward to hear how the project will grow.

National Science Foundation awards $2.5 million grant to the Seidenberg School

The Seidenberg School is to receive a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) totaling two and a half million dollars. The grant is in support of the project “A Multiple Pathway Approach to CyberCorps – Renewal,” which is directed by Dr. Li-Chiou Chen, Dr. Joseph Ryan (the Dyson School), Dr. Darren Hayes, and Prof. Andreea Cotoranu.

This project extends the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service (SFS) program at Pace University. The Pace CyberCorps program received about $1 million from the NSF between 2010 and 2015, and the new NSF award will bring an additional $2.5 million to advance Pace’s program over the next five years between 2015 and 2020.

The Seidenberg School has been awarded the grant in order to support 3-4 cybersecurity scholars every year, assist student research in cybersecurity, and direct several outreach programs – including running the GenCyber cybersecurity teachers’ workshop which concluded recently. The grant will support eligible cybersecurity scholars who are current Pace students, transfer students from community colleges, and new graduate students from other universities. All scholars are required to fulfill core curriculum requirements in both cybersecurity and mathematics, as well as interdisciplinary curriculum requirements in either criminal justice, business administration, or another discipline. The scholars will also be expected to complete research projects and professional development activities. The interdisciplinary academic preparation will allow the graduates to conduct cybersecurity tasks in a specialty area such as information assurance compliance and auditing, network security administration, digital forensics, etc.

Cybersecurity is one of our key initiatives, and we want to encourage students to learn about this field as it’s not only crucial for securing our digital information over the Internet, but it’s an ever-growing area where employment opportunities abound. The National Science Foundation grant will allow Seidenberg and Pace University to continue its efforts as a center for cybersecurity research and education.

We’d like to congratulate Dr. Chen, Dr. Ryan, Dr. Hayes, and Prof. Cotoranu on this fantastic achievement!

Hana is spending her summer interning at Varick Media Management

1. Who are you working with this summer? (…and what do they do?)

This summer I am working with Varick Media Management. Varick is an adtech company specializing in programmatic advertising.

2. Can you tell us a little about what you are doing? (We might not understand the technicalities, but we’d love details!)

I’m an intern for the Engineering team as well as the Trading team and Data Science team, and I get the best of three worlds! I am given the opportunity to be a part of all aspects of campaign deployment, as well as building on Varick’s campaign management software, Alveo. I’m using a whole variety of languages and tools this summer, including Java, Spring framework, JavaScript, Angular.js, MySQL and R.

Hana and Ethan Garrison striking a pose at Varick MM.

3. Is there a particular class or professor at Seidenberg that has helped you prepare specifically for your current internship? (Clearly, we’re all about shout outs this summer!)

A fellow Seidenberg student, Ethan Garrison, has introduced me to Varick MM and opened my mind to this industry.

4. What are some of your favorite perks in your new office? (No, we’re not going to show up like proud parents!)

There is delicious food every now and again at the office! Lots and lots of snacks 😀

Hana Stanojkovic is a rising junior in the Seidenberg School, studying Computer Science. She also has a knack for photography and cooking that she loves showing off on her Instagram!

Remembering John Molluzzo

We would like to take a moment to pay tribute to John Molluzzo, who sadly passed away on July 18, 2015. John was a big part of the Seidenberg School community, and was considered a colleague, friend, and mentor by both students and faculty.

After achieving his PhD in Mathematics in 1972 from Yeshiva University, John progressed into computing and joined Pace in 1985, quickly becoming a solid part of our team. His passion and talent for technology came through in his classes, and he taught many introductory classes as well as advanced ones.

Below are some messages from John’s friends at the Seidenberg School:

It is hard to say in words what we have lost with the passing of John Molluzzo. John was a trusted colleague and friend to all in the Seidenberg community. As chair of the IT department in NY from 1994 to 2013 he served as a helpful and supportive mentor. He was a dedicated teacher who worked continuously to update his courses. His leadership and counsel were often sought by colleagues facing a thorny problem. His colleagues will miss his quiet leadership and good natured presence. His students will miss a dedicated and caring teacher.

Dr. Cathy Dwyer

John was a great colleague, scholar, and teacher. He was always gentle, humble, and thoughtful. He has been my mentor since I joined Pace University 16 years ago, and my whole career at Pace as teacher was deeply influenced by him. I always felt blessed to have a colleague like him. Now I am deeply saddened. The loss is simply too big to take. John, my mentor and my colleague, you will be truly missed and will not be forgotten. My deepest condolences to Maria, Charles, and John and their families.

Dr. Namchul Shin

What can I say about John? He and I were hired around the same time, in late 1984/early 1985. I started in January, 1985 and I believe that John started that fall. He was a “rock” – reliable, logical, strong. He was the person I went to for advice. He was a master teacher; I’m sure that every student who ever had him for a class remembered him, regardless of how long ago the class was.

He liked really bad horror movies-I remember being surprised to learn that he knew Plan 9 From Outer Space, a “grade B” horror film that in my house we joke about. He knew the movie, the plot, and all other types of trivia. He was a civil war buff. He knew the lyrics to obscure ’50’s rock and roll songs. And he was also a superb mathematician at heart who became a computer professional. I will miss him, his presence, his perspective and his counsel. I can’t really believe that he’s gone.

Dr. Constance Knapp

Our most heartfelt condolences go to John’s family.