Category Archives: in the news

Dr. Steve Mancini – Best Podcast Host!

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The CIS department is thrilled to extend our warmest congratulations to our very own Dr. Steve Mancini on his recent achievement! Dr. Mancini has been recognized as the Best Podcast Host in the prestigious 2025 Communicator Awards for his engaging and insightful podcast, The Italian Impact.

This well-deserved win highlights Dr. Mancini’s dedication and passion for fostering connections both within our university and the local community. Through The Italian Impact Podcast, he skillfully brings attention to a diverse range of topics that resonate with students and faculty right here on campus, while also reaching out to the vibrant Italian community in Pittsburgh and beyond.

We encourage everyone to tune in and experience the award-winning podcast for themselves! You can find The Italian Impact Podcast on all your favorite listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also learn more and explore past episodes on the official website: https://italianimpactweekly.com/.

To see the details of Dr. Mancini’s award and all of the winners, click HERE

Let’s all celebrate Dr. Mancini’s fantastic accomplishment and continue to support his wonderful work with The Italian Impact Podcast! Congratulations, Dr. Mancini!


RMU Redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense

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RMU was redesignated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD) at a special ceremony during the national cybersecurity symposium in Charleston, SC on April 9, 2025.

The redesignation for RMU is based on the BS in Cybersecurity degree program and valid through academic year 2029. The current government sponsors of the NCAE-CD designation are DoD, NSA, CISA, and FBI.

RMU Provost Dr. Joseph Zimmer and NCAE-C Coordinator/PoC Dr. Ping Wang received the NCAE-CD certificate for RMU at the designation ceremony.

CyberHub Podcast with Dr. Karen Paullet: Key Skills Every Digital Investigator Must Have

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Dr. Karen Paullet was recently asked to be a guest on the Hub Cast podcast for The Cyber Social Hub with Kevin DeLong! Check out the episode where Kevin talks with Dr. Paullet about the latest trends in education for the digital forensics field:

Fortune Magazine Ranked RMU in Best Online Master’s Programs in Cybersecurity

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Fortune magazine ranks RMU 8th out of 20 universities in its inaugural Best Online Master’s Programs in Cybersecurity. The ranking is based on the average undergraduate GPA of its enrolled students; acceptance, retention, and graduation rates; and the size of the most recent graduating class.

TSC Donates $1,000 to the Craig Paullet Making a Difference Scholarship Fund

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Members of the Top Secret Colonials (TSC) collectively donated $1,000 to a scholarship fund at RMU. Pictured below are members of TSC presenting a check to Dr. Karen Paullet. The donation was given to the Craig Paullet Making a Difference Scholarship Fund which helps students in Computer Information Systems (CIS) majors who are academically talented and economically challenged. The scholarship fund honors Dr. Paullet’s late brother, Craig Paullet, by making a difference in the lives of students who might not otherwise be able to pursue their educational goals. This generous donation from this group of students will help a future CIS student pursue their academic career. 

Netflix Founder to Fund 20 Full Scholarships at RMU in Technology and Mathematics Fields

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Reed Hastings, founder and co-CEO of Netflix, will give $3 million to Robert Morris University to fund 20 full scholarships — including room, board, and textbooks — beginning with students entering the university in the fall of 2021. 

The RMU Next Century Scholarships will be open to applicants from underrepresented groups and others who demonstrate a commitment to empowering members of underrepresented groups, and are aimed at students who wish to pursue careers in technology or mathematics-related fields. Recipients will be able to choose from several degree programs at RMU, including:

  • Computer and Information Systems
  • Cybersecurity
  • Data Analytics
  • Actuarial Science
  • Mathematics
  • Statistics and Predictive Analytics
  • Computer Science
  • User Experience User Interface Design (UX-UI)

Excerpt taken from the full article, which can be found here:
https://www.rmu.edu/about/news/netflix-founder-fund-20-full-scholarships-robert-morris-university

Dr. Peter Draus Wins 2021 TRETC Innovation in Education Award

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Dr. Peter Draus was the recipient of the 2021 Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference (TRETC) Innovation in Education Award! The theme of this year’s TRETC Conference was Next Level EDTECH.

Dr. Draus was nominated for the award by an RMU student, Danielle Wicklund (’20), now a graduate of RMU, having earned her BS in Business Administration (Accounting) and MS in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance in December 2020 via RMU’s 4+1 program. Ms. Wicklund noted that “During this challenging semester, Dr. Draus went above and beyond his methods of teaching and made online learning interesting & enjoyable. Thus, I nominated him and submitted a letter of recommendation.”

The application for the award included a video that was produced by Ms. Wicklund and Dr. Draus. During the closing ceremony at the TRETC Conference on January 18, 2021, the video was showcased as Dr. Draus was announced as the recipient of the Professor – Innovation in Education Award. The video that was showcased can be viewed here:

Ms. Wicklund commented about the award, “Aside from acknowledging Dr. Draus’ mentorship skills, it also reflects the high caliber of professors at RMU (specifically in the Department of Computer and Information Systems and School of Informatics, Humanities, and Social Sciences). This award is for the Colonial nation. I am proud to be an RMU alum.”

Congratulations, Dr. Peter Draus, on this stellar accomplishment!

RMU Recognized in Best Online Cyber Security BS Degree Programs by Learn.org

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RMU was named as one of Learn.org’s 2020 Best Online Cyber Security Bachelor’s Degree Programs, ranking in at #7:
https://learn.org/articles/best_online_schools_for_cyber_security.html

You can learn more about RMU’s Cybersecurity B.S. program here:
https://www.rmu.edu/academics/undergraduate/cybersecurity-bs

Department of Defense Cyber Scholarship Program Grant

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Dr. Ping Wang

Congratulations to Dr. Ping Wang!

The Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). This grant will establish a new DoD Cyber Scholarship Program (CySP) at RMU to recruit and prepare cyber talent for the DoD cyber workforce and to enhance the national pipeline for qualified cyber professionals. The grant funding provides support for three (3) graduate student scholarships and for faculty research on cybersecurity education and mentoring. Students graduating from the CySP program will be placed and serve professional positions of cybersecurity within DoD agencies.

This award was possible as RMU is designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE) by NSA/DHS. This designation must be in good standing to apply for this competitive grant.

Dr. Ping Wang is the Principal Investigator (PI) of this grant project. The project period is 12 months and the grant is valued at $243,465. For 2020-21, three students have been awarded this scholarship. Each student will receive $68,660 (to cover full tuition & fees, living stipend, laptop computer, and textbook allowance) and is eligible to take up to 18 credits per semester.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Wang!