Katie Todd – Page 4 – Seidenberg School News

Pace University Opens New Learning Space Bringing Computer Science Projects to Life

Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems and Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick celebrated the opening of an upgraded computer science educational space with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The event included students, and university officials along with Assembly Member Glick and unveiled the new space at 163 William Street in lower Manhattan. Renovations were supported by a $500,000 government grant, which is part of the State and Municipal Facilities Program, also known as a “SAM grant.”

Assembley Member Glick cuts the ribbon officially opening the Seidenberg ThinkTank classroom on at 163 William Street

New features of the computer science learning space include a think-tank style classroom, and a dedicated space for the NYC Design Factory, an undergraduate program that pairs Pace students with outside companies and tasks them with developing projects and innovative apps for the companies. Reinforcing the latest research in team and group strategies for problem solving, the space provides communal areas for students to study and work in teams. The creation of these new modular meeting and training spaces provides students with collaborative learning spaces where projects can come to life.

Assembly Member Deborah J. Glick, who helped secure the grant said, “I was very happy to have the opportunity to allocate this money because Pace is comprised of a group of strivers and helping to get some resources is a great joy for me.” Glick is also chair of the Committee on Higher Education.

Pace University Provost Vanya Quiñones, Ph.D., said, “We cannot do all of this alone. It is important to our institutional success and student success to have a champion like Assembly Member Deborah Glick fighting for us.”

Provost Quiñones, Seidenberg Dean Jonathan Hill, Assembley Member Glick, and Government and Community Relations’ Vanessa Herman, in Seidenberg’s new collaboration space

Dean of Pace’s Seidenberg School, Jonathan H. Hill, D.P.S., said, “At Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, we are educating the next generation of New York City Tech industry employees and the founders of new companies. Assembly Member Glick’s assistance has made all the difference in allowing us to create cutting edge, technology-driven collaboration spaces for learning, designing, researching, and playing for these students.”

Ribbon cutting celebration to take place on Thursday, October 25, in NYC

By Brianna Adkins

A ribbon is being cut this week at Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems on the New York City campus and we want everyone to be there to see it happen.

This coming Thursday, Oct. 25, we will be celebrating a much anticipated space upgrade for students and faculty at 163 William Street. Over summer break, the construction project included the creation of a new glass conference room, a thinktank style classroom, a dedicated space for the NYC Design Factory, and comfortable lounging areas for students to study and work in teams. The creation of these new modular meeting and training spaces will provide students with collaborative learning spaces where projects can come to life from the minds of our brilliant students.

The ribbon-cutting will take place at 10:00am on the second floor at 163 William Street. A special guest – Assemblymember Deborah J. Glick – will be present to say a few words about the grant that enabled the construction to take place. Pace University Provost, Vanya Quiñones, will also share her thoughts. And yes, there will be a giant pair of scissors.

After the ribbon is cut, students have the opportunity to network over some snacks.

The five-hundred-thousand-dollar project that started at the beginning of this year refurbished and created a start-up style space that demonstrates the community and lifestyle of students in the Seidenberg School.

The new spaces are giving life to the STEM haven and giving room for students to learn how to cultivate their ideas through design thinking with one another at the NYC Design Factory.

We hope to see you Thursday morning at 10!

Advice for new students from your new Seidenberg family

Welcome new students to the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University! In special events held on each of our campuses, the Seidenberg School gave a little taste of our culture to our new family.

In New York City, a pre-convocation breakfast set up new students for their big day. We had a great turnout of new undergraduate students from all over – from New York to California, and from countries afar like Ukraine, India, and China. The party in Pleasantville was a gathering in the evening, where current students, staff, and faculty turned out to meet our fresh faces.

Dean Jonathan Hill welcomes new students on the New York City campus.

Along with Seidenberg School Dean Jonathan Hill, Seidenberg students, faculty, and staff gave some of their top advice to the incoming class. We’re sharing what some of them said below:

On the environment at Seidenberg School

“We are in an environment that is very friendly; you will have lots of support.” Dr. Christelle Scharff, Chair, Computer Science.

“What makes Pace different is this environment. This is going to be your family for the next four years.” Dr. Miguel Mosteiro.

“If you find yourself getting overwhelmed at any time, don’t panic. Talk to your advisors, reach out and talk to us. We were in your positions many moons ago.” Dr. James Gabberty, Associate Dean.

On university life

“It’s a big change going from high school to college. One thing I’d advise is taking care of your time management – there are only 24 hours in a day, so use them wisely.” Vicente Gomez (BS in Computer Science).

“Health and wellness is super important now that you’re in college.” Vivian Ng (BS in Computer Science).

“Be proud that you are here.” Dr. Jonathan Hill, Dean.

Dean Hill with some of our awesome returning students on the Pleasantville campus.

On studying in New York City

“As a previous international student at Pace University, New York City – not just Pace – became my classroom. Huge opportunities will come your way.” Stephanie Elson, Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Retention.

“Networking is key.” Dr. Darren Hayes.

On making the most of university

“You can work, study, do an internship, do a research project with a faculty member, but you will have to pick and choose. Do what you love and you will do well.” Dr. Christelle Scharff.

“It’s not just what you do in the classroom but what you do outside.” Dr. Darren Hayes.

“You are about to put many years into accomplishing something. The proof in the pudding is when you get a job after graduation. You are now preparing for a career, so think about what you want to do now and start taking the steps you need to get where you want to be.” Dr. James Gabberty.

New or returning to Pace University and want to talk? Stop by the Seidenberg School at any time on either campus. We are always here for our students and want to help you have the best experience you can at Pace University. Contact us to set up some time to talk or just drop by.

Pace University concludes sixth successful year of STEM Camp

The sixth annual STEM Collaboratory NYC’s STEM Camp at Pace has concluded after two weeks of intensive summer tech-related fun. Hosted and run at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems, the camp introduced participants to tailored coding programs, field trips to top tech companies, and much more.

From Monday, July 2 through Friday, July 13, 2018, high school students from the tri-state area descended upon the Seidenberg School to learn how to code Python, data science, data visualization, design thinking – to name just a few. Workshops run by Seidenberg faculty Christelle Scharff and Frank Parisi offered an in depth exploration of hot tech areas, while Seidenberg student mentors led NYC Design Factory soft skills development events.

Getting to know you, getting to learn all about you… one of our icebreaker exercises that totally worked the way we meant it to and didn’t end up with twine everywhere.

Students weren’t restricted to the four walls of One Pace Plaza, however – several organized field trips included visits to Google for a tour and panel discussion, as well as a trip to local startup AppFigures. As is STEM Camp tradition, the cohort also enjoyed a boat ride to Governor’s Island to visit Billion Oyster Project (during an intense summer heatwave, so ice cream may have been involved).

Science takes safety seriously! STEM Camp visited Governor’s Island to work with Billion Oyster Project.

The Seidenberg School runs STEM Camp in partnership with the School of Education via a grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). As part of our initiative to bring technology education to the high school classroom as well as our established college experience, STEM Camp was created to bring gifted high school students to Pace University for an unforgettable summer experience that encourages participants to pursue STEM degrees.

The camp closed out with project presentations from the students, which we streamed live on Facebook.

We’d like to thank Dr. Lauren Birney from the School of Ed, Dean Jonathan Hill, and our amazing team at Seidenberg who made STEM Camp possible: professors Christelle Scharff and Frank Parisi, students Vivian Ng, Allan Krasner, Sven Nussgruber, Jackson Bynes, Guillermo Schneider, Aditee Verma, Anna Marinina, Milind Ikke, and Seidenberg staff lead, Melanie Madera.

Student mentors Sven Nussgruber, Jackson Bynes, Allan Krasner, Guillermo Schneider, Anna Marinina, and Aditee Verma, making it happen! Not pictured: Vivian Ng.

Stay tuned for a video highlighting the best moments from this year’s camp!

Read about previous STEM camps.

GenCyber cybersecurity workshop for high school teachers enters fourth year at Pace University’s Seidenberg School

For the fourth year, Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems hosts a GenCyber cybersecurity workshop for high school teachers. The workshop, which is supported by a grant from the National Security Agency (NSA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), aims to introduce methods for educators to bring cybersecurity into the classroom through a seven-day program on Pace University’s Pleasantville campus.

Dr. Li-Chiou Chen introduces the fundamentals of Linux and Raspberry Pi.

Over the course of the workshop, the 24 high school teachers in residence will undergo rigorous training in various cybersecurity topics and learn the tools to impart that knowledge to high school students when they return to the classroom. The workshop kicked off on Thursday, July 12, 2018, and will run until Friday, July 20.

On day one, the workshop kicked off into high gear with unplugged activities running in the morning before it was joined by a few guests for lunch. Dean of the Seidenberg School, Jonathan Hill, as well as the new Pace Provost, Vanya Quinones, stopped by to greet the participants.

Assistant Dean Andreea Cotoranu introducing the next training exercise to participants.

Andreea Cotoranu, the Assistant Dean of Academic Innovation, and the Pace GenCyber Program Director, welcomed the group and thanked her “partner in crime,” Dr. Li-Chiou Chen, Chair of the Information Technology Department, and Pace GenCyber lead instructor, for her contributions to designing and teaching the workshop. “I am very excited you are all here,” said Dr. Chen.

Pace Provost Vanya Quiñones and Seidenberg Dean Jonathan Hill welcomed participants on Day 1.

Dean Hill gave participants an overview of their host: “Welcome to Pace University and the Seidenberg School,” he said. “The Seidenberg School is the third oldest school of computer science in the country. We are celebrating our 35^th anniversary this year and there are several things that are . . . part of our ethos that we are incredibly proud of, and having the opportunity to host you here is a great reflection of that.

“We believe in a strong pipeline from K-12 all the way through to the highest levels at University so we have such deep respect for all the things you do in your classrooms.

“This is a competitive program; we get a lot of applications, and the fact that you are here speaks volumes . . . the material you are going to get is incredibly compelling.” He added: “Pace is a university where you not only get a great technical education, but you get a great liberal education and a great scientific education.”

Dr. Hill then introduced the new Provost of Pace University, Vanya Quinones, who was only on her sixth day so far at Pace! Provost Quinones welcomed the attendees, saying that she was glad to meet them so early on in her tenure at Pace. “It shows how Pace is committed to the future of our country and future generations understanding the importance of cybersecurity, computing, and technology,” she said. “We are proud that you are here, and we are excited that you are able to come and meet Pace and see the wonderful things that we do here.”

Dr. Li-Chiou Chen demonstrating a cryptography wheel.

The Seidenberg School is delighted to run the GenCyber workshop for high school teachers as it fully aligns with our cybersecurity initiative, which emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity education and awareness today and going forward. The School has been having a powerful impact in higher education and industry communities for years, but the chance to extend our impact into high school classrooms is an opportunity we are extremely proud of and enthusiastic about.

“We are excited to have you here,” said Assistant Dean Andreea Cotoranu. “This year, with this cohort, we are reaching [a total of] 90 high school teachers across the country that have been participating in Pace GenCyber. By teaching you, the teachers, we have an opportunity to impact thousands of students across the country and we are very proud of that.”

Participants hard at work on a cryptography exercise.

Read about previous GenCyber workshops!

Jonathan Hill reappointed as Dean of the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University

The Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University is delighted to announce that Jonathan Hill, DPS, has been reappointed as Dean.

After two years of service as Dean of the Seidenberg School (following one year as Interim Dean), Dr. Hill has built a list of achievements that have elevated the School as an institution of academic excellence and opportunity for our students. Under Dean Hill’s leadership, enrollment at the Seidenberg School has grown year over year, and the School’s presence on both New York City and Pleasantville campuses has improved with new construction work, additional lab space, and active participation in unique programs like the Design Factory Global Network (DFGN).

In a letter to the Pace community, President Marvin Krislov wrote, “We appreciate and admire Dean Hill’s many accomplishments for the Seidenberg School and for the University. We look forward to his continued success and progress.”

Dean Hill’s ability to engage students, faculty, and staff in the community is reflected in the culture of the Seidenberg School – or, as we like to say, our Seidenberg fam!

We very much look forward to supporting Dean Hill in his vision for the Seidenberg School and continuing to offer a great student experience for Seidenberg and Pace students alike.

Please join us in congratulating Dean Hill!