
College of IST names student marshals for spring 2023 commencement
April 28, 2023
The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology has named its student marshals for the spring 2023 commencement ceremony. Elissa McNeil will represent the IST’s undergraduate majors, and Daniel Manolesco will represent the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program.

IST assistant professor Shomir Wilson receives NSF CAREER Award
April 21, 2023
Shomir Wilson, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, is the recipient of a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation in recognition of his work, “Large-Scale Exploration and Interpretation of Consumer-Orien

Commitment to technology, public service set IST alum up for success
April 3, 2023
As a full-time database consulting engineer, an independent financial adviser, and a commissioner in his local community, College of IST alumnus Fred Faylona relies on his Penn State experience to succeed professionally and make a difference in his community.

Schreyer Honors College announces 2023 Alumni Award recipients
March 31, 2023
Schreyer Honors College honored four Scholar alumni for their achievements and contributions with the 2023 Scholar Alumni Awards. The winners were recognized on March 24 at a luncheon held at the Hintz Family Alumni Center.

5 student startups win funding in Inc.U Competition
March 24, 2023
Student startup Bindr, a dating app that provides a safe space online for bisexual individuals, won $15,000, the largest prize amount, in the 2023 Invent Penn State Inc.U Competition.

IST’s 'Be You in Tech' Summit celebrates diversity, encourages empowerment
March 8, 2023
The College of Information Sciences and Technology recently partnered with RMS US LLP to present the 2023 Be You in Tech Summit.

Entrepreneurs share strategies during Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC
March 7, 2023
Each spring, Penn State Startup Week powered by PNC brings together the best and brightest Penn State student and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators for a weeklong celebration of what happens when Penn State’s inspired doers put their ideas into action.

Thought leaders headline TechCon at Penn State Abington
March 3, 2023
Technology thought leaders will share their vision for building smart, sustainable communities at the TechCon and Innovation Challenge at Penn State Abington on Saturday, March 25. The event is open to the public.

IST Career Spotlight: Nick Leghorn keeps NYT applications secure
March 1, 2023
Nick Leghorn is using his Penn State degree in information sciences and technology to help The New York Times provide high-quality journalism while ensuring the digital experience can be tailored to the reader’s needs.

IST Career Spotlight: Megan Tucker flies ahead with Boeing
February 21, 2023
As an IT business partner for Boeing, Megan Tucker is the focal point for one of the company’s new defense helicopter programs. She works between the program and the enterprise to ensure all IT requirements are met and communicated.

IST Career Spotlight: Keith Duemling protects and supports health care tech
February 14, 2023
In his role as director of cybersecurity technology protection for the Cleveland Clinic, Keith Duemling oversees all cybersecurity protection platforms for the clinic’s facilities throughout North America and Europe.

Information Sciences and Technology faculty, staff recognized with annual awards
February 8, 2023
Faculty and staff in the College of Information Sciences and Technology were recognized at the college’s annual awards event this week. Recipients were nominated by their IST colleagues and selected by a review committee for their excellence in teaching, research and service.

IST Career Spotlight: Heather VanGorder maps Pepsi’s path
February 7, 2023
Heather VanGorder, who earned a bachelor’s degree in information sciences and technology in 2020, currently works as an IT analyst at PepsiCo Inc. Her team is responsible for setting up the mapping that gets PepsiCo products to their final destinations.

IST Career Spotlight: Ryan Hartzfeld
February 2, 2023
As a lead software engineer at Disney Streaming, Ryan Hartzfeld is leading efforts to make impactful changes to a variety of streaming services offered by the Walt Disney Co.

Penn State cybersecurity team places third in CyberForce Competition
February 1, 2023
A team of Penn State students recently placed third out of 169 universities in the U.S. Department of Energy’s annual CyberForce Competition. The team, which was comprised of members from the University’s Competitive Cyber Security Organization, also earned third place in last year’s event.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

New baseball statistic gauges pitcher's strikeout efficiency
September 9, 2022
Baseball teams could soon have a better concept of pitcher strikeout efficiency — particularly when an opposing team’s player is on third base at risk of scoring a run — thanks to a new statistic developed by a Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) student.

A beautiful internship: IST student drives tech design at Estée Lauder Companies
August 30, 2022
Since she was a little girl, Lauren Pearl has had a dream to one day live and work in New York City. She came one step closer to making that dream a reality this summer, through a 10-week internship with the Estée Lauder Companies.

In the 'spirit': IST intern grows tech, interpersonal skills at Bacardi
August 23, 2022
Ella Maquito spent the summer helping a major spirits brand increase its global reach. As an information technology intern at Bacardi, Maquito worked with the company’s brand homes software on the digital commerce team to conduct user interface and user experience testing.

IST intern analyzes data, informs game plans for Giants' Arizona Complex League
August 19, 2022
College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Mojisoluwa Awe spent her summer as a data analyst for two of the Arizona Complex League affiliate teams of the San Francisco Giants.

IST student gains data privacy training through IAPP internship
August 16, 2022
This summer, College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Parker Kirby had the opportunity to gain hands-on industry training and gain more experience as a data scientist or analyst through his internship with the International Association of Privacy Professionals — the world’s largest i

IST intern fosters data science skills in middle- and high-school AI campers
August 8, 2022
Rising College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Nathan Reilly has taken his data sciences skills and knowledge to summer camp.

IST intern builds career skills, improves community in Lowe’s summer program
August 5, 2022
As a software engineering intern at Lowe’s this summer, College of Information Sciences and Technology student Hannah Kern has been exposed to a number of new experiences and technologies while developing code — including learning new computer programming languages.

Strong community support drives success for IST student marshal
August 2, 2022
When James Reese represents the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) as student marshal at the summer commencement ceremony this month, it will be, in part, thanks to members of the IST community who believed in him.

IST student aims to improve airport experience for travelers with disabilities
August 1, 2022
Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology student Veronica Jenkins recently worked with real-world data to conceptualize improvements in airport operations for individuals with disabilities.

IST intern aids in SiriusXM/Pandora user experience research
July 27, 2022
Through a summer internship with SiriusXM/Pandora, Renkai Ma is studying how music listeners and creators interact with the company’s product features.

IST intern assures tech systems quality at CVS Health
July 25, 2022
Through her major of information sciences and technology with a focus on design and development, rising senior Rachael Gray has gained a deep understanding of core information technologies and how they can be used in practical applications in a diverse number of industries.

FBI cyber squad head gained criminal justice, cybersecurity skills at Penn State
June 30, 2022
“Never give up.” Those are the driving words that motivated Chris Cope, a Penn State alumnus who has blended his education from the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the College of the Liberal Arts to bring his career full circle.

Heard on Campus: Alumni share diverse perspectives in IST Identity Talks series
June 9, 2022
More than 40 Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology alumni from underrepresented backgrounds have participated in IST Identity Talks panel conversations, where they shared their unique perspectives and experiences of navigating the significant diversity gap that exists in the t

Mark Campbell named associate vice president for Penn State IT infrastructure
May 18, 2022
After serving as interim associate vice president for Penn State IT Infrastructure, Mark Campbell has been named to the position permanently, effective June 1.
Penn State student-developed app aims to redefine Black motherhood
May 2, 2022
A group of Penn State students is working to support a global initiative to redefine Black motherhood. Blending interdisciplinary expertise from across the University, the students are building a mobile health application designed to support the mental and physical health of Black moms.

A flip of a coin leads to lifelong Penn State involvement for IST alumnus
April 28, 2022
Nikita Page’s decision to attend Penn State was literally left to chance. The now alumnus of the College of Information Sciences and Technology was intent on attending a different university in the region. But his mom suggested that he at least visit Penn State before making his decision.

Alumni Achievement Award recipient Noel Claudio inspires IST students
April 22, 2022
Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology graduate Noel Claudio was one of 11 prominent young Penn State alumni recognized at the Alumni Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 18.

Software company SAP joins College of IST’s Corporate Associates Program
April 12, 2022
SAP, one of the world’s leading producers of software for the management of business processes, recently joined the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology’s Corporate Assoc

IST Identity Talks series presents ‘Strength in Diversity’ on April 5
March 29, 2022
Members of the Penn State community are invited to join the College of Information Sciences and Technology for “IST Identity Talks – Strength in Diversity,” to be held virtually from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 5.

IST sets graduates up ‘to do well in life,’ says member of first class
February 28, 2022
For Maggie Sapovchak, one of the members of the first class of graduates of the then-School of Information Sciences and Technology who earned their degrees in 2003, the impact of being a part of a tight-knit group of students who worked together to grow a program has been life-changing.

Doctoral student draws on IST skills in startup for AI-driven diagnostic tool
February 23, 2022
Thanh Le, doctoral student in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, and his fellow Moichor co-founders are setting out to change old-school veterinary diagnostics through their software that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to leverage data-driven image learning to

IST Identity Talks series Feb. 28 presents ‘Women in Tech’
February 16, 2022
Members of the Penn State community are invited to join alumni of the College of Information Sciences and Technology for "IST Alumni Identity Talks – Women in Tech," to be held virtually from 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28.

NASA scholarship puts IST student on path to fulfill childhood dream
February 16, 2022
For Rajiv Thummala, a third year Schreyer Honor’s Scholar studying cybersecurity analytics and operations in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, his Penn State education, further supported by a recent NASA Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium scho