The College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at Penn State welcomes six new outstanding faculty members for the 2014-15 academic year. Hailing from a wide range of backgrounds and specialties – Eun Kyoung Choe, assistant professor; Neelam Dwivedi, instructor; Peggy Fisher, instructor; David Fusco, lecturer; Jessica Kropczynski, instructor and Jeff Rimland, research associate – will add to the wealth of knowledge and diversity inherent in IST.
With a doctorate in information science from the University of Washington, Choe’s background is in human-computer interaction, health informatics, and industrial design. “I study how we can design technology to promote healthy behaviors,” Choe said, “and I am actively looking for students to work with -- both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.”
Choe has worked at Google, Intel Labs, Microsoft and Samsung. “I am very excited to start my job at Penn State’s IST,” Choe said. “I am amazed at this vibrant community of open-minded people who are eager to collaborate and excel in research.”
Dwivedi, a doctoral candidate in IST, has been teaching courses in the college for the baccalaureate degree program since January 2011. Holding an master of science in information technology from Carnegie Mellon University, and a master of engineering in computer science from BITS Pilani, India, Dwivedi gained over 20 years of experience as an IT professional before choosing to pursue her passion for research and teaching.
“I am excited in this new position as I am teaching the same courses to resident IST students as well as World Campus students,” said Dwivedi. “It gives me insights into the similarities and differences between the two models of education delivery, and broadens my perspectives about how students learn differently in online vs. face-to-face environments.”
Peggy Fisher, an instructional designer for IST, joins the faculty with a strong background in both IT and education. Fisher said, “Joining the IST faculty as a full-time instructor is very exciting for me! I am looking forward to the challenge of working with the community to encourage boys and especially girls to consider the College of IST for their future education. I have a passion for teaching programming and math,” Fisher noted, “so this is a perfect fit. I believe it is important to love what you do!”
Holding a doctorate in education from Drexel University, Fusco has been with Penn State since 1999. His focus is on mixed-methods research methodology; he has significant teaching experience with undergraduate, graduate, post-secondary and returning adult students using online, hybrid and face-to-face strategies.
“The quality of students I’ve encountered at IST thus far have been engaging and bring a sense of curiosity not found in most universities. I am looking forward to creating long-lasting relationships with our students so we can continue to learn from them years after they graduate.”
Kropczynski, who received her doctorate in sociology from the University of Kentucky in 2012, joined IST in November of 2012 as a post-doctoral scholar working with Guoray Cai and John M. Carroll on the GeoDeliberation Project. The project has been focused on developing an online platform that analyzes and facilitates civic engagement and spatial decision-making in a community planning context.
Of her new position on the IST faculty, Kropczynski said, “I am excited to be working as an instructor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology where I will be teaching courses on social network analysis in residence. These courses will be made available to World Campus in 2015.”
Rimland has over 16 years of professional experience developing cloud, Web and desktop applications; service-oriented architecture and other software tools. Rimland’s primary research interests are in sonification (auditory display) and Web and cloud-based environments with a focus on assistive technologies for the visually impaired. Rimland also has developed a novel Web-based architecture for information fusion using complex event processing, multi-agent systems, and sonification.
“Students in the College of IST are an amazing group who are motivated to improve technology, create start-up businesses, and make the world a better place,” said Rimland. “I’m excited about my new role teaching in this environment, and I hope that my background in software development and research will help equip the students to take on these challenges.”