Seidenberg School News

This lecture will focus on how Telehealth solutions can improve the quality of health care globally and contribute specifically to improving the healthcare system of the US.  Telehealth involves the use of electronic information and communication technologies to support clinical health care, personal health management, health-related education, and collaboration between health care providers.  Through the use of Telehealth technologies, we can improve patient care, prevent adverse health-related events, reduce costs, reduce time delays, and provide deeper insight to develop curative solutions.  This lecture will include a discussion of the complex regulatory and public policy issues that simultaneously foster and inhibit innovation and delivery to the market, as well as a delineation of the key emerging sub-areas of Telehealth.

The lecture will take place in person and online via Udemy

Where: 163 William Street, 2nd Floor, Room 237

When: 6:00-8:00 PM

Prof. Sotiris Skevoulis will be teaching a cross disciplinary class this summer focusing on the relation between mathematics and music. He took the time to write up a description of the class for our blog:

The extent to which science and society are governed by mathematical relationships is evident not only by the astronomer’s Galileo Galilei’s observation in 1623 that the entire universe “is written in the language of mathematics”, but in the ancient Greek works of scholars such as Pythagoras.  It may come as a surprise to some that music is also based upon mathematical relationships. Several musical concepts such as scales, octaves, rhythm and harmony can all be explained and understood logically using simple mathematics.

Using this knowledge questions such as – which instruments and notes actually make up that wild opening chord of the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night”? – can be answered simply. Using a mathematical  tool called a “Fourier Transform” Dalhousie University mathematician Jason Brown analyzed and solved the decades-old mystery and no, it was not only George Harrison’s 12-string guitar!

The math-music connection is not limited to only those two fields.  This relation even has an effect on Education; research has shown that students who learn their academics through music retain the information better than children who learn the same concepts by verbal instruction.

This course is an extended review of the relationships of music, mathematics and computing. Simple knowledge of High School math is the only prerequisite. It will meet in a blended form onsite and with online components. It examines the relationships of music and mathematics from Pythagoras to J.S. Bach and W. A. Mozart as well as focusing on modern digital music and Ianis Xenakis. It explores the areas of mathematics that are used in music theory and music composition. Because of computing, only recently composers can incorporate complex mathematical models in composition without having to make the tedious calculations they require. Students will be able to implement simple musical algorithms and create small programs for electronic sound synthesis, explain the mapping between music and mathematical models and above all appreciate the mathematical structure of music

My work on music and mathematics involved the study of the theory of music and probabilities. The analysis and study of the probabilities moving from one musical note to another could be used in the study of musical plays and help us identify common characteristics between different composers and musical plays.

Who can take this course?

• Current Pace students
• Visiting students from other Schools who want to study an interesting topic over the summer and transfer the credits back to their School
• Any student who is interested in technology, math and music

For more information please feel free to contact me at: sskevoulis@pace.edu

Sotiris Skevoulis, Ph.D.

Professor

Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.

Now that sounds like an interesting class! And is sure to be an interesting introduction to complex mathematics and computer science for students outside the Seidenberg school Are you excited to take this class? Tell us in the comments. Be sure to follow the Seidenberg School on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to get the latest updates about what unique classes and opportunities are available.

 

Pace Student Julie Gauthier attended last month’s Women in Technology event and was kind enough to write about it for our blog. Read about her experience at the event and meeting all the wonderful female technologists:

What makes hosting events focusing on women in technology a challenge, is that there are so few women in computer science, the audience for the panel is typically as large as the panel of accomplished women. The Women in Technology event held by Pace University’s Career Services and the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems last month was not one of those events! The panel of brilliant tech-ladies drew in a large crowd of not only women in computer science, but also gentlemen and other ladies from outside of the strictly computer science focused Seidenberg community. The panel included Maria Naggaga, Liz Young (my fabulous graphic design professor), Vanessa Hurst, and Izzy Johnston. These remarkable women came from different backgrounds in the technology, and each had their niche. Vanessa worked with databases, Izzy was an extremely motivated, multi-talented developer, Maria is a technology evangelist for Microsoft, and Liz owns her own web development and marketing strategy company, as well as teaches at Pace. Instead of focusing on bringing more women into the technology industry, these ladies focused on why going into the technology industry is amazing!

 The technology industry has infiltrated every other field. Technologists are able to work in whatever field interests them at the time. With constant developments, jobs in technology are never stagnant. We’ll never stop learning! It was inspiring to hear these women talking about how excited they are about their jobs and what they do. I share that same passion.

Many of them also talked about the sense of community that they have within their development groups and in their respective universities. Maria talked about her mentor from her school in Canada, and how he pushed her to do well. I could relate to the sense of having a community and support within that community. I feel that way about the Seidenberg School. Often it is assumed that there is a lot of sexism in computer science communities, but that is very much untrue of the Seidenberg School. True, I’m the only girl in a few of my classes, but I’d never know it, and I don’t think any of my friends realize it either.

It is my firm belief that women should be able to pursue whatever career they choose. While this may not be programming or web development, that doesn’t mean that women should not be exposed to technology at an early age! Technology is revolutionizing every sphere of our lives and early exposure will be key to future success. I am a mentor for the Lego robotics team at the Chapin School on the Upper East Side. It’s my goal to demonstrate to the girls that programming is not that difficult. It doesn’t take a special type of brain, that supposedly only men have, to understand it. In fact, if they like making things and problem solving, they might like programming too!

This event was also a great opportunity to network; even if only with a few other women in technology. In fact, I’m off to meet up with Liz Young and hear about her company’s projects right now!

 

Pace University is dedicated to promoting women in technology and making sure that all our students have an opportunity to achieve greatness. Do you have a personal story of overcoming adversity in the workforce? Be sure to follow the Seidenberg School on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to get the latest updates about what opportunities are available to students and upcoming events

All photo credits to Chidimma Chuke

Dr. Jonathan Hill spoke to the National Journal’s – The Next America about the new STEM Collaboratory sponsored by the Verizon Foundation. The Stem Collaboratory is a joint partnership between the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and The School of Education here at Pace University. The collaboratory will be a place where inner-city teachers, university professors, industry executives, and government officials will come together to help improve the STEM education of students in New York City public schools

In the interview Dr. Hill, along with assistant professor at the School of Education Lauren Birney, spoke about the challenges that minority students face in pursuing educational opportunities, particularly in STEM fields, and how the collaboratory hopes to address these issues.

The two also penned an opinion piece for The Hill’s Congress Blog about the negative impacts of the Sequester on education especially in the STEM fields.  The piece talks about the negative impacts of budget cuts across the board that may end up costing New York State 1,100 jobs alone and warns “The fact that spending on education is considered ‘discretionary’ is, in itself, cause for concern.”

How do you think the budget cuts will affect education at your school? And the possibility of collaboration among departments? Tell us in the comments. Be sure to follow the Seidenberg School on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ to get the latest updates about what our faculty is saying and doing in the professional world