RMU’s Data Science and Analytics Networking Event was a success!

RMU’s first Data Science and Analytics Networking Event, held on March 25, 2026, was a huge success! This event, organized by the Departments of Math and CIS, with the help of the Analytics Club, brought students face-to-face with data analytics and data science professionals, allowing them to learn about career options, skills needed in their field, problems they will face, and many other experiences. The event started with the introduction, where the panelists shared their bio, titles, and their job responsibilities, followed by the students’ questions. The second part included the roundtable, with networking and informal discussions between the students and the panelists. Overall, it was a great opportunity for our students to explore the job market and career expectations in their fields.

A big shout out to the panelists for taking their time to participate in the event:

·       Caleb Armstrong, Business Analytics Associate III, MSA

·       Koen Weichel, Assurance Associate, PwC

·       Nicole Arvin, Senior Business Analytics Manager, MSA

·       Dr. Mark Voortman, Chief Data Scientist, Liaison International, Othot Division

·       Yinxiao Wang, Performance and Data Analytics Analyst, Allegheny County

·       Dr. Ivan D’Souza, Lead Director, Technology Client Services in Digital, Data, Analytics, & Technology (DDAT), CVS Health

·       Cullen Engle, Assurance Senior Associate, PwC

·       Roger Kuo, Senior Director of Cloud Analytics, SAP

·       Suchitra Suvarna, Senior Data Architect, SAP

RMU Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition Team Competes at 2026 MACCDC

Our RMU Team of 8 students participated in the 2026 MACCDC (Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition) Regional Finals in Maryland during March 27-28. Students gained in-depth professional experience in the intensive 2-day hands-on activities of detecting and defending against cyber attacks on critical assets such as email, web, DNS, and other network services. The RMU Team achieved excellent results with the Overall Score and Performance in the upper half or top 4 out of 8 finalist teams, including University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State, and UMBC. The 8 students on RMU’s Team are:

  • Larry Luther (Captain)
  • Connor Quinn (Co-Captain) 
  • James Bonacci 
  • William Rebello
  • Mintas Ivaska
  • Max Barnes
  • Harlon Baker
  • Dylan Gollinger 

Dr. Ping Wang and Dr. Nader Kesserwan served as Co-coaches for the RMU Team. 

2026 Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE) Honor Society Induction Ceremony

On April 12, 2026, we held the 2nd annual induction ceremony for the RMU chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), the International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines. Congratulations to 27 inductees (undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students) recognized for ranking in the top 30% of their class! This was a proud moment with faculty sponsor Dr. Karen Paullet, Department Head Dr. Jamie Pinchot, and student officers Kelson Bowman (President), Jesse Marks (Vice President) and Sean Miller (Secretary).

Joel Barnett from Howmet Aerospace to Present on April 14

Joel Barnett is a Cybersecurity Analyst at Howmet Aerospace, specializing in Data Loss Prevention and cyber investigations. He graduated from Penn State in 2023 with a degree in Security and Risk Analysis and is now pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh, focusing on Security and Intelligence Studies within the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs.

His current work centers on the evolving intersection of AI/ML and security across both the private and public sectors. In addition to his analyst role, he contributes to Howmet’s internship program and leads initiatives within the company’s cyber awareness efforts, helping develop the next generation of cybersecurity talent while strengthening organizational resilience.

He will be presenting on April 14th at 4:30 PM in Wheatley 110, covering:

  • An introduction to his career path so far
  • An overview of today’s IT and cybersecurity landscape
  • Key cybersecurity career paths and how to prepare for them
  • A live demo of any tool the audience wants to explore, including malware analysis, data loss prevention, ethics and compliance tools, email security, or network tools
  • Open Q&A

This presentation is sponsored by the Top Secret Colonials. RMU Ready credits will be awarded and pizza will be served. All students are welcome to attend!

Cybersecurity Intern Position at Maxim Crane Works

The Cybersecurity Intern supports the security team in strengthening endpoint, identity, and detection controls by assisting with EDR, SIEM, vulnerability management, and security awareness initiatives. This role provides hands-on exposure to real-world cybersecurity operations while building foundational skills in monitoring, investigation, and risk reduction. Candidates must be currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related field. For more information, see here.

Cybersecurity Analyst Position at Maxim Crane Works

Maxim Crane Works is seeking a Cybersecurity Analyst to join their team in Canonsburg, PA.

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related field preferred. Equivalent relevant work experience may be substituted.

Experience:

1–5+ years in cybersecurity or IT operations, or equivalent hands-on experience. Candidates are expected to be comfortable working directly in security tools; depth of responsibility will align with experience. Preferred hands-on experience in several of the following areas:

  • EDR policy management, investigations, and containment
  • Alert triage, query development, dashboards, and runbooks
  • Vulnerability scanning, prioritization, and remediation
  • Azure Entra ID / Active Directory with MFA, Conditional Access, and privilege hygiene
  • Cybersecurity awareness training and phishing campaigns with metrics reporting
  • PowerShell: ability to read and modify basic scripts; advanced scripting a plus.
  • Familiarity with ticketing and change management
  • Clear incident documentation and concise stakeholder updates
  • Experience supporting audits or security questionnaires

Skills/knowledge:

  • Security Tooling (transferable): SIEM (Microsoft Sentinel, Splunk, ConnectWise), EDR (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender), vulnerability management (Tenable, Qualys), and security awareness platforms (KnowBe4)
  • Working knowledge of security frameworks (NIST CSF, 800-53/800-171, CIS Controls)
  • Azure and Microsoft 365 security fundamentals, detection tuning and automation using KQL and PowerShell
  • Comfortable learning new tools and techniques while working on real investigations.

Other:

  • Separates signal from noise and uses data to justify tuning and remediation
  • Drives incidents and vulnerabilities to closure with cross-functional teams
  • Balances security controls with user experience and operational impact
  • Translates technical risk for non-technical audiences

Language Skills:

Must be able to read and comprehend complex instructions, short correspondence and memos and the ability to write simple correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to other employees of the organization.

For additional details see:
https://myjobs.adp.com/maximcranecareers/cx/job-details?reqId=5001184499806

Research Graduate Assistant Positions for the CIS Department

The CIS department will be hiring up to 3 Research Graduate Assistants for the Spring 2026 semester, made possible through a grant.

The Research Assistant will be tasked with one of the following roles, as needed by the CIS department in the current semester in which the student is employed:

1. Assist with maintenance of Cybersecurity Labs under the supervision of the Lab Manager, including: installation/maintenance of hardware and software and related devices used in the lab environment, creation/maintenance of lab manuals, assisting students with using lab equipment, and other tasks as assigned by the Lab Manager

2. Assist with research and administrative needs within the department, including: reception duties in Wheatley Center, formatting and filing of electronic documents, creation of documents, spreadsheets, or reports, researching data online, writing and creation of blog posts and other media content, and other office tasks as needed.

Candidate must be currently pursuing a Master’s degree or doctorate degree at RMU.

Candidate must be available to work during daytime hours for at least two days per week, Monday through Friday, with schedule to be negotiated upon hire so that it does not interfere with class times.

You can apply here:

https://careers.pageuppeople.com/856/ci/en-us/job/498508/research-graduate-assistant

Applications will be reviewed starting on March 6, 2026. Applications will continue to be accepted until all positions are filled.