Category Archives: conferences

Reese Martin and Robby Pava Present Research at the NESDI Conference

Two NSF Scholarship for Service (NSF-SFS) students, Reese Martin and Robby Pava, presented their research project at the NEDSI conference this month. The Northeast Decision Sciences Institute (NEDSI) is one of five regions in the Americas Division of the professional society, the Decision Sciences Institute. This region encompasses the Northeastern United States. NEDSI holds an annual regional meeting each spring.

Their paper was presented in poster format and was titled, “Comparing Machine Learning Algorithms in the Context of Antiviruses: A Content Analysis of Decision Tree, Support Vector Machines and Neural Networks Research.” Authors were Reese Martin, Robby Pava, and Dr. Sushma Mishra (advisor).

Their paper presents a comparative study of three major machine learning algorithms and the impact they can have on antivirus detection and response. The three algorithms reviewed in this study were decision trees, support vector machines, and neural networks. They analyzed how these ML approaches effectively impact antivirus’s ability to locate and adequately block incoming malware. Implications are drawn, and future research directions are discussed.

Congratulations on this accomplishment!

Katrina Haberberger (’21) to Present Honors Research Thesis at 2021 John Hopkins University Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium

We would like to congratulate Katrina Haberberger, MS Data Analytics student, whose Honors thesis, The Impact of a Virtual Garden Experience on Caregiver Anxiety, was accepted to the Johns Hopkins University 2021 Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium. Katrina’s research was supervised by her faculty advisor, Dr. Jamie Pinchot. Katrina will present her research at the symposium on April 24-25, 2021.

She will also be presenting her Honors thesis at the RMU Intersections Undergraduate Research Conference on April 23, 2021. The Intersections Conference will be held virtually this year and can be viewed from the conference website.

Katrina’s research focused on studying the impact of experiencing nature virtually on self-reported anxiety. For her study, she collaborated with the local non-profit Hope Grows, featuring their various restorative and healing gardens. Hope Grows is a nature therapy organization in Moon Township, Pennsylvania that seeks to provide respite and recovery from stress to caregivers. COVID-19 has inhibited many caregivers from accessing their gardens, and some may never be able to visit the gardens in person due to the extent of their care receiver’s needs. There is some evidence that virtual experiences of nature can provide stress-relief similar to that experienced in-person, however this has not been well documented for restorative garden environments. The purpose of this research was to understand the way anxiety is impacted for caregivers who experience a virtual representation of the Hope Grows restorative gardens. The results of her study conclude that watching a short, 2-3-minute video of the Hope Grows restorative gardens produces a statistically significant decrease in self-reported state anxiety. As caregivers may experience high levels of anxiety and stress due to the nature of their responsibilities, watching a short video of restorative gardens could be a quick and easily accessible therapy to ensure that those caring for others are also cared for.

Katrina will be graduating in May 2021 with a BS in Statistics and Predictive Analytics, a minor in Alternative Energy and Sustainability, and an MS in Data Analytics. Her research has made an impact on our local community and has been recognized at a national, well-known research conference. Congratulations, Katrina, on this prestigious accomplishment!

Dr. Ping Wang wins Best Paper Award – Pedagogy at IACIS 2020 Conference

Dr. Ping Wang, Professor of Computer and Information Systems, and co-author Dr. Hossein Zare (Johns Hopkins University) received the Best Paper Award – Pedagogy from the 60th Annual International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) Annual Conference. The IACIS 2020 Conference was held virtually this year on October 7-10, 2020.

Dr. Wang’s paper was titled “Teaching Internet of Things (IoT) through Software Simulations with Packet Tracer.

Congratulations, Dr. Wang!

Dr. Davis, Dr. Sullivan, and Dr. Stewart Receive Best Paper Award at IACIS 2018

best-paper-iacis2018Dr. G. Alan Davis, Professor of Computer and Information Systems, Dr. Adam Sullivan, Manager, Instructional Design and Faculty Support Services, and Dr. John Stewart, Associate Professor of Computer and Information Systems (not pictured), were honored for excellence in research at the 58th Annual International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS) conference in Clearwater, FL.

On October 5, 2018, Dr. Davis, Dr. Sullivan, and Dr. Stewart received the Best Paper Award in the Pedagogy category, for their paper titled EdTech Effectiveness: Using Screencasts to Increase Learning Outcomes in Information Systems Curricula.

Academic research papers accepted and presented at the IACIS conference are published in the Issues in Information Systems (IIS) journal, a double-blind refereed, serial publication (ISSN 1529-7314).  IIS publishes research in both practice and pedagogical topics focused on the field of information systems.

Congratulations to the authors on their dedication to excellence in scholarship.

Russian Hacking Panel

The University of Pittsburgh will be hosting a panel on Russian Hacking on Thursday, February 2nd, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm. At this event, several panelists will discuss a variety of topics, including: Russian activities in cyberspace, U.S. and Russian views on cyber tool usage, U.S. response to Russian activities, and Russia’s possible effect on the U.S. presidential election.

There will four panelists at this event:

  • Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist and security services expert
  • Ellen Nakashima, a national security reporter for The Washington Post
  • Luke Dembosky, a former Deputy District Attorney General for National Security and former U.S. Department of Justice representative at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow
  • Keith Mularski, a Supervisory Special Agent for the FBI in Pittsburgh

The event will be streamed live at law.pitt.edu/cybertalk. Students can only attend the event at the University of Pittsburgh if they have already registered for it. Registration for the event closed yesterday, January 30th. However, everyone is welcome to watch the event live through the link above.

For more information, there is a flyer posted below.

Russian Hacking Panel Flyer

10th Annual Intersections Undergraduate Research Conference – Friday, April 22nd

Everyone is cordially invited to the 10th Annual Intersections Undergraduate Research Conference on Friday, April 22, from 11:45am – 5:00pm in Sewall 3rd Floor.

This is going to be an great event. RMU students are doing some incredible work. Over 100 students will be participating, with 14 panels and 19 poster presentations.  The schedule for the conference is here: http://honors.rmu.edu/urc/program

There will also be one presentation from the CIS department: “Mobile Security Threats: How Safe Is Our Data?”. This will be presented by John Weingartner, Sarah Pfabe, Jayson Phouthavong, Aaron Steinberg, and Brandon Adams. They will present in the Pennsylvania Suite from 4:00-4:45pm.

Professor Robert Skovira Named IACIS Computer Educator of the Year

Screen Shot 2015-10-08 at 12.11.39 AMRobert Skovira, Ph.D., University Professor of Computer and Information Systems at Robert Morris University, has been selected as the 2015 recipient of the IACIS Computer Educator of the Year award.

Professor Skovira has taught at Robert Morris University at both the undergraduate and graduate level for more than 30 years. His recent teaching focus has been Java programming, Ethical issues in computing, Web development and programming, and Knowledge management. Doctoral courses taught include Ethnography of Information Systems and Knowledge Management. Service to his university includes participating in the CIS Lecture Series and serving on the Graduate Curriculum Committee, the RMU Institutional Review Board, and the ABET task force. He also serves on several academic journal Editorial Review Boards, and supports students as faculty sponsor of Alpha Chi Honor Society and advisor for the student chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals. Over the years Professor Skovira has served as Visiting Professor at Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia on three different occasions, and as Visiting Professor at the Academy of Advertising, Bratislava, Slovakia. He currently serves as Co-host of The Doctor is In: A Medical Variety Show shown on local TV.

During his teaching career Professor Skovira has been awarded numerous Faculty Research Fellowships and grants, and his scholarly publications include more than 90 published Journal articles, numerous presentations at academic meetings, and more than 35 published Proceedings. Over the years he served many times as Track Chair for DSI and IRMA, as Chair of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the American Society for Information Science and Chair of the SIG Foundations of Information Science. In 2010 he was honored by being awarded University Professor status.

For over three decades Professor Skovira has brought his knowledge and insight into the Robert Morris classroom, challenging students, advancing knowledge through research and publication, and sharing his knowledge while serving as Visiting Professor at two European Universities. During his long and distinguished career, Professor Skovira has made a significant impact on Information Systems scholarship and education, and we congratulate Professor Robert Skovira on being selected 2015 IACIS Computer Educator of the Year.

Top Secret Colonials October Update

I hope all is well with everyone as we continue to move deeper into the semester.  Here are just a few updates with the club.

Everyone please remember to drop off jars of peanut butter and jelly in order to help the us give back.  Drop-off boxes are located near the admissions office, in Romo’s, and right outside of Dr. Paullet’s office.

In addition, the Top Secret Colonials are going to be hosting a 12-Hour Gaming Charity Marathon sometime in October.  The details on when and where are still being worked out, so be aware of updates happening soon.  If you are interested, please email jtwst256@mail.rmu.edu.

Also, please be aware of the cyber security awareness tips being posted throughout the month.  Continue to email ideas as you think of them.

Last, if you missed any of the meetings regarding the D.C. National Security Seminar Trip and you’re interested in going, please schedule a meeting with Dr. Paullet.

Thanks, and enjoy the rest of Cyber Security Awareness Month!