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O’Mard, Robertson recognized with Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance Award

4/1/13

Jeremy O'Mard, a senior management and information systems major at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, and Scott Robertson, a doctoral candidate in information sciences and technology in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, are co-recipients of the 2013 Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance Award. The award recognizes a junior, senior or graduate student for outstanding efforts to enhance the understanding of diverse cultures and create a community where all individuals are accepted and valued equally. The award is name for its benefactor, a Penn State alumnus.

Heard on Campus: David Rusenko of Weebly at IST Start-up Week

3/22/13

"It's just important to start something -- you learn a lot, it's an important process, and your first attempt most likely isn't going to be your last attempt. Starting a company is probably the best thing you can do for your resume. In the early days one of the toughest things is choosing who you're going to work with. Your company is truly defined by the people you hire. If you get people passionate about your product one way or the other I think that's a good sign. If you put something out there and people don't care, that's a bad sign."

-- David Rusenko, a 2007 graduate of the College of Information Sciences and Technology at Penn State, who spoke Thursday (March 22) during the second annual IST Start-up Week, being held March 18-23 on the University Park campus; details on the week's events are at http://ist.psu.edu/startup. A livestream is available at http://justin.tv/collegeofist and Twitter coverage is at #ISTStartup. Rusenko is the CEO and co-founder of Weebly, a tech start-up named one of Time's 50 best websites of 2007 and based out of San Francisco, Calif. Rusenko also is the youngest recipient of the prestigious Penn State Alumni Achievement Award, winning it in 2010.

Pamela Sorensen speaking at IST Start-up Week 2013

Heard on Campus: Pamela Sorensen of Pamela's Punch at IST Start-up Week

3/20/13

"Never underestimate 'working for the man' as long as you have to. What really fed my soul was working for a smaller company. I saw where my input actually had output, and I liked that. I believe that one of the most important assets that you have is your relationships with other people. The way that the world works is referrals; utilize them. Learn from your past, embrace the present, anticipate the future."

- Pamela Sorensen, a 1994 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts at Penn State with an undergraduate in speech communications. Sorensen is the founder of Pamela's Punch LLC, a leading source of information for the "who, what, when and where" of Washington, D.C.'s elite social, professional and philanthropic scene. She spoke during Penn State's College of Information Sciences' second annual IST Start-up Week, being held March 18-23; details on the week's events are at http://ist.psu.edu/startup. A livestream is available at http://justin.tv/collegeofist and Twitter coverage is at #ISTStartup.

Heard on Campus: Keith Deaven of Mediabarn at IST's Start-up Week

3/19/13

“People become experts as soon as a product is done and the first thing that goes off the budget is user research. As much as you think you know your audience and products, user research can increase your adoption rate if you do it right. Spend a small amount of money on user testing to figure out if people want your product and can use your product.

--Keith Deaven, a 1990 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts at Penn State with a degree in labor and industrial relations.

College of IST hosts 2nd Annual Start-up Week March 18-23

3/18/13

Visionary entrepreneurs from around the country, including alumni from the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), are visiting Penn State this week to inspire future innovators during the second annual IST Start-up Week. The event, taking place March 18-23, features more than 25 speakers and visitors from trailblazing companies such as Weebly, Reddit, Sincerely, Dropbox, Scribd, Social Cam and SongSplits. The event is open to the public.

Heard on Campus: Bryson Nobles of SongSplits Solutions at IST's Start-up Week

3/18/13

“It’s pretty important that once you have an idea, to be able to execute that idea. No matter how cool your technology is, it doesn’t really matter if you can’t convince people to buy it. There are three kinds of stories to master: Stories that recruit, stories that sell, and stories that inspire. Facts tell, stories sell.”

--Bryson A. Nobles, a 2004 graduate of the College of Liberal Arts with a B.A. in sociology. Nobles is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and launched more than a half-dozen startups during the last 13 years. In addition to sitting on the advisory board for two tech startups and working as a business management consultant to several companies in finance, entertainment, and retail, Nobles is also the co-founder of SongSplits Solutions, LLC., a data management company that maintains copyright ownership data for more than half of the registered songs around the world.

Graham talks about analytic games in the classroom

2/28/13

In Col. Jake Graham's Security and Risk Analysis Capstone Course (SRA 440W) at Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), students navigate a post-cyber society in which the entire power grid has been knocked out by a massive burst of solar wind.

Siemens conference looks at big data in enterprise architecture

2/28/13

Big Data, which refers to large amounts of structured and unstructured data that require machine-based systems and technologies in order to be fully analyzed, holds enormous potential for organizations. Implementing enterprise – wide systems to harness the power of big data, however, poses challenges for companies.

Red Cell Lab IST-002

Red Cell Lab offers realistic terrorism lessons for future intelligence analysts

2/20/13

Whether intelligence analysts are trying to predict the next moves of an insurgent group or determining how to best deliver aid after a hurricane, an excess of information can often cause just as many problems as a lack of it. Red Cell Analytics Lab, a laboratory in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, uses cutting-edge technology and the latest analysis to turn information into intelligence during fluid, complex situations that are as timely as today's headlines.

Trauth researches: Do veterans with disabilities have interest in IT careers?

2/14/13

Eileen Trauth, professor at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), has focused her research on the role of diversity and social inclusion in information technology (IT) and the IT professions throughout her career. She is now expanding her research into an area that has previously received little attention—the perceptions about careers in the IT field held by military veterans with disability.

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Two Penn State engineers named ASME fellows

5/14/13

Two Penn State engineering faculty members were recently named fellows of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The faculty members are Mike Erdman, the Walter L. Robb Director of Engineering Leadership Development, and Soundar Kumara, the Allen E. Pearce/Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial Engineering.

IST grads, students explore San Francisco start-up scene

5/14/13

The second annual Start-up Week, which was held at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) March 18-23, 2013, featured more than 25 entrepreneurs from trailblazing companies such as Weebly, Reddit and Songsplit, who networked with students and dispensed advice on starting and growing innovative technology-based companies. Several IST students decided to foster the connections established with the entrepreneurs and educate themselves about the field of entrepreneurship by embarking on a trip to San Francisco, Calif.

Tapia heads to Costa Rican jungle to join discussion on sustainability

5/10/13

Sustainability research, which examines the complex interactions between humans and the rest of nature, has the potential to bring economic and social benefits to the developing world and tropical countries such as Costa Rica. However, sustainability research in the tropics has been slow to develop. Andrea Tapia, an associate professor in Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), is one of about 30 people worldwide who have been invited to participate in a consortium that will hold its first planning meeting in June in the jungle of Southern Costa Rica, where they will discuss issues of sustainability and biodiversity conservation in the tropics.

Tapia to engage Schreyers Honors students in crisis informatics discussions

5/10/13

Andrea Tapia, an associate professor in Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), seeks to develop information and communication technology solutions that promote better decision-making across all responders in disaster settings. Starting in the Fall 2013 semester, she will have the opportunity to engage students in the Schreyer Honors College in a deeper discussion than what is typically allowed in a classroom setting of how technologies can be used to save lives during a crisis.

IST dean announces $50,000 gift to establish scholarship

5/3/13

David Hall, dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), says he feels indebted to Penn State for the opportunities it has provided him, and would like to show that appreciation by easing the financial burdens of future IST students. To solidify that commitment, he recently finalized the documentation for an estate gift of $50,000 for the David L. Hall Scholarship in IST.

2 young men with game controllers

Leadership emerges spontaneously during games

4/29/13

Video game and augmented-reality game players can spontaneously build virtual teams and leadership structures without special tools or guidance, according to researchers. Players in a game that mixed real and online worlds organized and operated in teams that resembled a military organization.

IST research: "Friendly" privacy concerns on Facebook?

4/18/13

In recent years, social network sites such as Facebook have become hugely popular platforms that provide users with various features to facilitate social connectivity, information sharing and relationship development. However, the highly interactive nature of communication and data exchange on those sites has led to an increasing number of privacy concerns by users. Researchers at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) are studying interpersonal privacy issues on social network sites through the use of a particular feature—Friendship Pages on Facebook.

IST doctoral student looks at how MOOCs are changing the nature of education

4/11/13

The rise of online and distance education in recent years has brought quality learning to the masses but also presents challenges for educators and system designers. The shift from face-to-face interaction between instructors and students to computer-mediated forms of communication, according to a doctoral candidate at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), highlights the importance of understanding how such interactions are affected by the way educational systems are designed.

Outstanding IST Alumni Award marks milestone

4/11/13

In commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of its first graduating class, Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) has established the Penn State Outstanding IST Alumni Award to recognize graduates who have reached exceptional levels of professional achievement. The award is one of the highest honors bestowed by the College of IST.

IST's enterprise architecture program gives students advantages

4/11/13

Enterprise architecture (EA) is one of the fastest growing career fields today, with organizations of all types seeking qualified individuals at all levels to fill architecture-related jobs. However, being a relatively new field, it can be hard for employers to find recent college graduates who possess an understanding of EA fundamentals.

Entrepreneurs share secrets of success during College of IST's Start-up Week

4/4/13

Visionary entrepreneurs from around the country visited Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) the week of March 18-23 to share their perspectives on creating cutting-edge companies during the second annual Start-up Week. The event, which was open to the public, featured more than 25 speakers and visitors from trailblazing companies such as Weebly, Reddit, Sincerely, Dropbox, Scribd, Social Cam and SongSplits.

IST film screening to focus on cyber threats

4/3/13

In today’s interconnected society, cyber-attacks, identity theft and privacy invasion pose increasing threats to national and personal security. Students, faculty and staff at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) will gather next week to watch a new documentary film directed by a Penn State alumnus that explores the “wide-spanning socio-technical fallout caused by data collection and social networks.”