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.
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.
Niamh (pronounced:Neeve) Fitzsimon is freshman computer science and art (studio) double major from San Francisco. She’s Irish, and went to a small all-girls high school where she was forced to program in her freshman year. Niamh’s plan is to go into android mobile app development and work in Europe.
Friends from CSSI and Niamh, in a teacup at Google with an Android bot
Q: This will be your second stint at Google. It can’t be just “Irish Luck” What’s your secret?
I am naturally an over planner which causes me to think a lot further into the future than most. Because of this I went on an extensive scholarship search during my senior year of high school and happened upon the Generation Google Scholarship. Applying for the scholarship meant automatically applying for Google’s Computer Science Summer Institute. Although I didn’t get the scholarship, I did get into the program. There I found out about the Engineering Practicum Internship, which I will be part of this summer. Honestly I was just shooting for the stars when I applied the first time, but I decided to put my doubt aside an just go for it. I think my “secret” to pass onto others is to ignore all the voices and apply for things. You have to tell yourself that the worst that is going to happen is nothing, and if you never applied it would be the same without the possibility of success.
Q. Tell us about Summer Camp at Google. How will this time be different? What are you looking forward to?
Last summer’s camp was days filled with classes, mentorship, and getting to know about the industry. It was only three weeks and included learning Python in a day and a half, thinking up and building an entire web application from scratch with a team in a week and a half, and presenting the application. The entire time was in Google’s Cambridge, MA office so I got to explore one of the Google campuses, but most of the day was spent in the same conference room. It was a wonderful experience and I learned a lot (You can find my team’s application at currentcssi.appspot.com).
This summer will be a completely different experience. First of all I will actually be working for Google, which means getting to work on one of their real teams on a real product and getting paid for it. The team I will work on, an internal Android app development team, is more in my specific area of interest. My team will be made up of full time Google employees, plus one other intern. I will be working at the New York campus, which is much larger than Cambridge. Besides the actual work I will have some computer science lessons and mentorship. Although the application I will be working on is internal, I am excited because people in Google will be using it. I am also looking forward to micro-kitchen access, nap-pod access (yes, they look exactly like the ones in the Internship), and meeting more computer scientists from outside of Pace.
Q. So is GOOGLINESS a real thing??
Googliness from what I have witnessed is teamwork. The employees work in teams and the offices have an open format, with each team basically sitting around a table. It is being able to have creativity and finding your own way to be productive. Googliness is wearing a t-shirt, jeans, and flip flops to work and having to worry about the Google twenty (the food is really good and free).
Q. You will be studying abroad later this year. Where are you going?
I will be studying abroad in Spring 2016. I am going to John Cabot University in Rome. I went to Rome on a pilgrimage the winter before I came to Pace and fell in love with it. I am looking forward to experiencing the Italian culture (and hopefully improving my Italian) and all the history Rome has to offer. I am excited to take a fresco painting course and an art history course that will have a trip to Pompeii. While there I will not only get to experience Italy, but also travel to different parts of Europe and experience the cultures (and the food) there.
I think every student should do a semester abroad at least once if they can, and if not at least do a summer or travel course. You get to learn more about the place (and the world) than when you go for a vacation. Hopefully you will also learn more about yourself. Even just being on the other side of the country from my home has taught me a lot about myself, I cannot imagine what I will learn while abroad. I like how Pace has events such as the Pace Path Live to expose students to the idea of studying abroad.
Niamh’s ode to the Stars and Stripes – photographed and edited by her.
Q. We saw you checking out the Ms. Marvel collection at Seidenberg. Big graphic novel fan?
Being a graphic artist myself I love looking at different aspect of design. Since I began art I have looked up to Andy Warhol and Banksy and more recently Fintan Magee (who I discovered through Buzzfeed: http://www.buzzfeed.com/simoncrerar/jaw-dropping-works-of-fintan-magee-street-art#.rwggV1KD6J), but the more I have gotten into the digital world I have appreciated the look of websites more. The websites with amazing graphics that move as the page does are my favorite. I am hoping to learn more about it in the Design for the Internet class I am taking next year.
Q. Tell us about the path you’ve traversed at Pace. How has it been different from everyone else?
My path at Pace so far has been mostly planning. When you take on two majors it takes a lot of planning ahead to fit all the classes needed in, and adding study abroad on top of that complicates things further. I have tried to keep a balance of CS, Art, and general education each semester. Because the two majors are so different my day is sometimes polarized, like walking into Mathematical Structures for Computer Science last semester covered with paint and my portfolio in hand, but I enjoy the balance it provides. I think my path at Pace hasn’t been very different than everyone else. If I had to point out one difference it would be that my exact plan was formulated early than most. Part of the reason I chose Pace was that I would be allowed to double major in two very different subjects and by the end of the summer I had solidified my decision to double major instead of just minoring in art.
“I will be attending Pace Path Live on April 25th. I am hoping to take away some new ideas to organize my time at Pace. Although I have planned out a lot I know there will be some curveballs and room for improvement in my plan. Overall, I believe it will be a fun and informational day.” – Niamh Fitzsimon, ’19, Pace University
1. You work for Renthackr – any tips for incoming Pace students looking to rent in the fall?
USE RENTHACKR! Even just for curiosity’s sake. You can get some insider tips on buildings in the area, see where your Facebook friends live, and get an idea of how expensive rent really is. We also just added a “find by room” feature so you can find a room and skip out on some of the apartment hunting drama.
2. Could you tell us (briefly) what you’re working on this summer?
I’m one of two interns, and we are essentially the engineering team right now. Renthackr is built with Ruby on Rails primarily, and I’m really polishing my Ruby skills. I also have the pleasure of being in charge of the analytics of the site, so I’m getting to take the data from Ruby to D3.js graphs. It’s really fun getting to learn how to work with the full stack through challenges fixing up the existing application.
3. The work you’re doing right now… do you think there’s a particular subject you took last semester that’s helping you? Or a particular Professor who’s teachings deserve a shout out?
Dr. Wolf’s class on Ruby on Rails gave me a good foundation, and showed me what I’d be up against in the web development world. Dr. Scharff’s Programming Languages and Implementations class also has been an amazing help in my process of learning Ruby inside and out. I understand different datatypes better, and know where to look in the language to work out logic problems.
4. How does the co-working space at WeWork differ from the co-working space at Pace, Seidenberg? (Warning: Just checking to see where your loyalties lie)
WeWork is beautiful. So is Seidenberg. But WeWork is really a coworking space to be reckoned with. The design of the whole space is very welcoming and beautiful. The view from my desk couldn’t be better. Seidenberg has a great video game set-up, but so does WeWork to be honest. However, a whole lot more collaboration and teaching goes on at Seidenberg. A lot more work gets done at WeWork.
Julie Gauthier is an undergrad student at the Seidenberg School, majoring in computer science. She’s also the student manger at Seidenberg’s Creative Labs, overseeing tech projects from concept to completion, and happens to be the biggest fan of Dubstep DJ, Skrillex.
I am working for the US Department of Justice in the Criminal Division. Their purpose is to investigate and prosecute crimes on a federal level.
2. Can you tell us a little about what you are doing?
My title is actually fancier than my job. I am called a high tech intern within the investigative unit. Basically I am working on various projects that involve computer forensics and their role in cyber crimes.
3. Is there a particular class or professor at Seidenberg that has helped you prepare for your current role?
I think my computer forensics class with Professor Watkins was most helpful. He taught us the technical terms I would need to know, the importance of data integrity and even report writing. Each of these aspects play a vital role in my job this summer.
4. Does your new office have a favorite restaurant/hangout they go to after work?
The other interns and I get together with the employees and do some bar trivia at a local spot. It’s a good way to unwind and get to know each other on a different level.
By day, Cynthia Shaw is an undergrad student at the Seidenberg School, majoring in information technology. By night, she’s a super hero that fights cyber-crime! Cynthia currently attends school at Pace University’s rather picturesque Pleasantville campus.
1. How hectic is your internship at Costco? Are you sleepless in Seattle yet?
Seattle is not New York. But, no, I am not having any sleepless nights, though my internship does take up a lot of my hours from Monday-Friday and some weekends too. I have to stay updated and do a lot of reading with regard to project management.
2. Could you tell us (in brief) what you’re working on this summer?
I am working as a PMO intern with Costco IT. I am placed directly under a program manager, so I assist him with all the projects that fall under him (around 9 projects). In addition, we are developing a new dashboard for project management tools, which I am responsible for. It is in its development phase right now but we will start testing it soon. Also I am responsible for coming up with a training manual for the project managers.
3. The work you’re doing right now… do you think there’s a particular subject you took last semester that’s helping you now? Or a particular Professor who’s teachings deserve a shout out?
Umm, I was always interested in project management. But, the IT Project Management course offered was really helpful in getting to know the basics and helped me with the lingo.
4. What is the fun stuff you’ve done in Seattle? Any explorations, tips?
Seattle has beautiful wineries and a lot of water activities. So yeah, I’ve been pretty involved in all the grape crushing, blueberry and strawberry picking, para-sailing and jet-skiing. And of course, the first-ever Starbucks is worth a visit. There are a lot of hiking places around Seattle as it’s surrounded by mountains, the most beautiful being Mt. Rainer.
Kalgi Shah is a grad student at the Seidenberg School, majoring in information systems. An avid traveler, Kalgi has visited more places in America in the last 8 months, than most people who’ve lived here all their lives!
1. Who are you working with this summer? (…and what do they do?)
