Welcome to i-Connect, the magazine of the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Published three times a year, i-Connect will keep you informed about:

• What IST faculty members and graduate and undergraduate students are doing, from research to corporate projects
• Individuals, families, and corporations who support IST through scholarship donations, endowed professorships, and other gifts
• Where IST graduates are now and what they are doing in their professional and personal lives

We hope you enjoy the magazine and invite your comments. E-mail us at i-Connect.

Entrepreneurism in IST • Commencement '08 • Advancement Team Introduced

The start-up flame has long burned bright in IST as students and alumni alike have tackled new ventures. Read about just a few of these entrepreneurs and their observations on what it takes to be a success. Commencement speaker Bradley Mitchell urged members of the IST Class of '08 at University Park to "live your dreams". A total of 261 received bachelor's and associate degrees statewide. Meet the new College Advancement Team, dedicated to building relations with IST's alumni and friends and to raising needed support.

Exploring Virtual Worlds • IST Faculty Research • Internships Drive Careers

Virtual worlds have moved beyond science fiction as more and more people are attending classes, participating in job interviews, and working on projects in cyberspace. Learn how IST students and faculty members are exploring this new frontier and where its future lies. Also read about summer internships held by IST students across the state and meet five IST scholarship recipients. Enjoy photographs of the IST Alumni Tailgate from the Penn State-Iowa game and the latest news from IST alumni.

Commencement 2007 • Hands-on Class Projects • IST Scholarship and Awards Banquet

Enjoy commencement images of the Class of 2007. Read about the real-world projects that take IST undergraduates across the campuses out of the classroom and into the workplace, their communities, and even around the world. Also learn about the successes of five IST alumni and meet the IST Alumni Society’s new marketing-and-communications committee chair.

IST Research • IST Around Pennsylvania • PricewaterhouseCoopers Partners with IST

IST faculty and students are discovering how to convert data into understandable and usable knowledge. Learn about their efforts in data visualization, search engines, the design of new collaborative technologies, and the transformation of business processes. Also read about IST’s first Alumni Fellow, new trustee matching scholarships, the experiences of a Class of 2003 alumna, and much more.

Securing Our World • Video Game Research • PNC Bank Supports IST Students

Some of today’s major challenges include guaranteeing information access, securing information infrastructure, and balancing availability of information with protection of privacy. Learn how IST’s new major in Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) is addressing those challenges. Also read about IST faculty and students exploring new design tools and uses for video games, recent gifts to the college, the achievements of IST faculty, and much more.