The strength of the College of IST is demonstrated through the successes and accomplishments of its students, faculty, alumni, and programs. Read more about how the college and its people are driving innovative change and taking on the challenges of the Information Age.
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IST Career Spotlight: Josh Stine
January 26, 2023
As manager of pricing strategy for Elevate Sports Ventures, Josh Stine is drawing on his industry experience to lead a pricing team serving more than 100 professional and collegiate partners.
IST student wins Westin Scholar Award for skills in privacy and data protection
January 25, 2023
Alexei Hooks, a fall 2022 graduate from the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, was recently awarded the 2022-23 Westin Scholar Award for his outstanding skills and dedication to the field of privacy and data protection.
IST students create innovative, user-focused technology solutions
January 23, 2023
Students in the capstone course for the Human-Centered Design and Development program major are asking questions, finding solutions and using knowledge from previous classes to pursue a semester-long group project focused on creating user-centered technology.
Center for Socially Responsible AI awards seed funding to 6 projects
January 11, 2023
The Penn State Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence recently announced the results of its third seed funding competition. The center awarded $145,000 to advance six interdisciplinary research projects that feature researchers from eight colleges and institutes.
College of IST welcomes two new members to Dean’s Advisory Board
January 10, 2023
The College of Information Sciences and Technology recently welcomed two new members to its Dean’s Advisory Board: Andy Duffett, senior vice president, Global Revenue Operations at CrowdStrike, and Corey Lee, enterprise security executive for U.S. Education at Microsoft Corporation.
Mentors help first-generation IST alum find the right path
January 9, 2023
Joel Gill Jr. has established himself in a tech consulting career and has learned from a variety of experiences and mentors.
People open up more to smart speakers that listen actively
December 16, 2022
Adding random, short expressions of understanding in a conversation may turn smart speakers, such as Alexa and Siri, into robot therapists that allow people to open up more without violating their privacy, according to a team of researchers.
IST students gain real-world experiences in new distributed team project course
December 16, 2022
A new course offered by the College of Information Sciences and Technology is helping students prepare for their required internships by focusing on teamwork and real-world projects.
Researchers propose methods for automatic detection of doxing
December 9, 2022
A new automated approach to detect doxing — a form of cyberbullying in which certain private or personally identifiable information is publicly shared without an individual's consent or knowledge — may help social media platforms better protect their users, according to researchers from Penn Stat
Novel 3D imaging model may show path to more water-efficient plants
December 9, 2022
A new computational pipeline for analyzing three-dimensional imaging data can help biologists more accurately and quickly see how the cells in a plant’s leaves respond to the environment and identify plants that more efficiently use water, according to researchers.
Arts and Architecture’s fall student marshal is first ever from World Campus
December 8, 2022
Carly Mojica, from Colorado Springs, is the first-ever Penn State World Campus student to serve as student marshal for the College of Arts and Architecture's commencement ceremony.
Real-world internship helps IST student make a meaningful impact
December 7, 2022
Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Djante McLaughlin is bringing his knowledge and passion for cybersecurity to life through his leadership with the IST Student Government and his work with the Department of Homeland Security.
WATCH: Andrew Sears shares perspective on reflecting and realizing opportunity
December 6, 2022
As part of the “Perspective: Leaders at Penn State” video series, Andrew Sears, dean of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, shares his love for spending time with animals as an opportunity to reflect and gain perspective — and then r
Erica Mi named College of IST student marshal for fall 2022
December 6, 2022
The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology will honor Schreyer Honors Scholar Erica Mi as student marshal at its fall 2022 commencement, which will be held Saturday, Dec. 17.
IST faculty, students develop digital solutions to help mushroom farmers
December 1, 2022
A team of researchers at Penn State is aiming to speed up and streamline the collection of important environmental data that impacts the mushroom farming industry through a new digital solution.
On the Bridge — December 2022
November 30, 2022
A compilation of recent news, highlights, and achievements from the College of Information Sciences and Technology community.
IST student helps make Penn State experience positive through UPUA
November 30, 2022
Serving as a representative and advocate for her fellow Penn State students is a responsibility of which third-year College of Information Sciences and Technology student Nora O’Toole is extremely proud. As speaker of the assembly in the University Park Undergraduate Association, O’Toole oversees
Penn State shares more stories of faculty and staff veterans
November 17, 2022
This year's Military Appreciation Week celebrated faculty and staff that have served or are currently serving. These members of the Penn State community are an important part of what makes the University special.
Alumni couple pays Penn State experience forward through endowed IST scholarship
November 16, 2022
Jason Streeter (class of 2007) and Amanda Brown (class of 2008) have been inspired by their individual Penn State experiences in their motivation to jointly support students at the University.
IST resources, technical skills help student expand nation’s terrorism database
November 15, 2022
For Sean Cicchiello, researching radical crimes in the U.S. and determining whether they are acts of terror is part of his job.
Penn State and Taipei Tech sign memorandums of understanding
November 14, 2022
Penn State hosted a delegation from the National Taipei University of Technology on Oct. 16-18.
Penn State Brandywine’s Andy Landmesser named IST Faculty Member of the Year
November 10, 2022
Andy Landmesser, assistant teaching professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State Brandywine, was recently named the College of Information Sciences and Technology Statewide Faculty Member of the Year. He was presented with the award at the fall IST faculty meeting on Nov. 7.
Berks IST professor honored as INFORMS Volunteer Service Award recipient
November 9, 2022
Abdullah Konak, distinguished professor of information sciences and technology at Penn State Berks, received the 2022 INFORMS Volunteer Service Award in October during the annual ceremony in Indianapolis.
World Campus student makes an impact for veterans through IT internship
November 9, 2022
Michelle Wiemer has had the opportunity to explore different lines of work and meet people from all walks of life through her journey as a military spouse.
Penn State employees and staff share ‘Profiles of Service’
November 9, 2022
This week at Penn State features a variety of events including the 11th annual military appreciation football game against the University of Maryland on Nov. 12.
IST Identity Talks series presents ‘Careers in Consulting’ on Nov. 16
November 8, 2022
Members of the Penn State community are invited to join the College of Information Sciences and Technology for “IST Identity Talks – Careers in Consulting,” to be held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
High-tech tool to perform low-cost health screening for newborns and mothers
November 8, 2022
A new, $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering will allow Penn State researchers to develop artificial intelligence-based software that can evaluate the health of a newborn and their mother with only a photograph of the baby’s placenta.
Grant to explore using computers to help groups make better decisions
November 8, 2022
National Science Foundation grants to Penn State and Iowa State could lead to an interactive, computer-aided, decision-support tool that can help groups of people make better choices.
NSF grant to help reimagine first-year experiences through diverse lens
November 2, 2022
A Penn State research team aims to meet the unique needs of increasingly diverse student bodies by reimagining first-year learning experiences in technology-related degree programs at U.S. universities, thanks to a new $296,804 grant from the National Science Foundation.
New coding tool could aid computer programmers who are blind or have low vision
November 1, 2022
A new tool could help make code reading, navigating and editing more accessible and efficient for blind and low-vision computer programmers, according to Penn State researchers.
IST professor to present McMurtry Lecture on Nov. 10
October 31, 2022
William Parquette, professor of practice in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, will present the college’s annual McMurtry Lecture at 12:15 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 10, in E202 Westgate Building on the University Park campus.
IST Q&A: Alumna Mary Ward defines data-driven features for iRobot Home app
October 28, 2022
As a senior digital product manager for the iRobot organization, Mary Ward defines and drives the strategy and personalized data-driven features for the iRobot Home mobile app.
International consortium to better assess Africa drought risks, boost resilience
October 27, 2022
An international, Penn State-led consortium aims to improve drought risk analysis and management and increase societal resilience in Africa, funded by a three-year, $1.1 million grant from the Belmont Forum.
IST student diversifies wearable tech health data apps through Google internship
October 26, 2022
This summer, Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology doctoral student Sahiti Kunchay put her knowledge and skills to the test as a research intern at Google.
Researchers to use $1.2 million grant to study early Alzheimer’s detection
October 26, 2022
A team of Penn State-led researchers received a $1.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help fund a project to develop a machine learning system for early Alzheimer’s disease detection.
Witzig new director of Center for Security Research and Education
October 25, 2022
Lisa Witzig has been appointed director of Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education. CSRE was created in 2017 to provide an interdisciplinary approach to security-related topics across Penn State and consists of 11 contributing academic and research units from across the University
Witzig named director of Penn State's Center for Security Research and Education
October 25, 2022
Lisa Witzig has been appointed director of Penn State’s Center for Security Research and Education. CSRE was created in 2017 to provide an interdisciplinary approach to security-related topics across Penn State and consists of 11 contributing academic and research units from across the University
IST students celebrate women in tech at annual Grace Hopper conference
October 24, 2022
Six Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology students attended the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in Orlando, Florida, in late September to learn, network and celebrate the contributions women have made in the technology industry.
IST skills set technology director, captains up for success at Homecoming
October 19, 2022
With almost 11 months of planning and preparation, Penn State Homecoming returns this week with a full slate of activities.
IST’s Anna Squicciarini named cyberspace program director at NSF
October 18, 2022
Anna Squicciarini, Frymoyer Chair in Information Sciences and Technology, has been named a program director in the Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace cluster of the National Science Foundation, effective Sept. 26.
AI language models show bias against people with disabilities, study finds
October 13, 2022
The algorithms that drive natural language processing technology — a type of artificial intelligence that allows machines to use text and spoken words in many different applications — often have tendencies that could be offensive or prejudiced toward individuals with disabilities, according to re
IST Identity Talks series presents ‘Paving the Way for Change’ on Oct. 19
October 11, 2022
Members of the Penn State community are invited to join the College of Information Sciences and Technology for “IST Identity Talks — Paving the Way for Change,” to be held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19.
Project aims to use artificial intelligence to turn health data into predictions
October 11, 2022
A $599,883 grant from the National Science Foundation could help scientists use machine learning algorithms to use large amounts of data to guide decisions on a range of issues, from disease spread to economic meltdowns to social unrest.
Workshop explores artificial intelligence for biomedical, health research
September 30, 2022
Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) and Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) will co-host a workshop, "Harnessing the Power of EHR Data and AI to Advance Biomedical Research," that will focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for bi
Penn State Alumni Fellow offers service and support to alma mater
September 28, 2022
Across more than three decades of service, Penn State graduate Larry Raiman has seized opportunities to mentor students, host internships, volunteer on development campaigns and devise original co-curricular programming — and he backed that service with support for all three imperatives of the Un
IST students form meaningful connections, celebrate diversity at Tapia
September 27, 2022
Fourteen College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) students attended the three-day ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference in Washington, D.C., in e
Nittany AI Alliance preps students for development and leadership roles in AI
September 22, 2022
Students advancing solutions in health, education, environment, and humanitarianism are making a difference in the world around them through the work they are advancing as part of the Nittany AI Alliance.
Center for Socially Responsible AI accepting seed funding proposals
September 21, 2022
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence is inviting short proposals for its annual seed funding program. Applications will be accepted through Nov. 1, with projects expected to start in spring 2023 and last for up to two years.
People who distrust fellow humans show greater trust in artificial intelligence
September 19, 2022
A person’s distrust in humans predicts they will have more trust in artificial intelligence’s ability to moderate content online, according to a recently published study. The findings, the researchers say, have practical implications for both designers and users of AI tools in social media.
Students encouraged to apply for AI center affiliate status
September 15, 2022
Penn State’s Center for Socially Responsible Artificial Intelligence is accepting applications for its Student Affiliates Program. Graduate and undergraduate students from all Penn State campuses are eligible to apply. Applications will remain open indefinitely and can be submitted online.