Category Archives: Uncategorized

AI in Action Hack-a-Thon

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The Massey Center is launching the  AI in Action Hackathon: Solutions for Small Business Success! Students from RMU and other universities will team up with local businesses and industry leaders to build real-world, AI-powered solutions. the deadline is September 22!

Friday, September 26th – Virtual Launch Day

Saturday, October 18th – Pitch Day at Field Day Co-working space in Lawrenceville

This initiative invites students of all academic backgrounds and schools to develop AI-enabled solutions for 4 founders in the region.  Adopting a human-centered approach, teams meet with founders and mentors during the innovation process. The Grand Prize is $1000 for the winning team,  with additional recognition categories.

Special thanks to visionary, Data Science Major William Fullerton, in partnership with Duquesne student, Benjamin Irwin,  and Faculty Champion and Massey Center Advisory Board Member, Dr. Albena Ivanova, for your energy and big thinking! 

Content provided by The Massey Center.

To register, visit: https://apicspgh.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=76&ts=1757623402

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!


Dr. Peter Draus Wins 2024-2025 Teaching Excellence Award

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Congratulations to Dr. Peter Draus on receiving the inaugural College of Business and STEM Teaching Excellence Award! Dr. Draus was honored with the award at the UPMC Events Center on May 13, 2025. The teaching award, presented by Dr. Daria Crawley and Dr. Sushma Mishra, is given to someone who demonstrates a deep commitment to fostering a positive and engaging learning environment.

Dr. Peter Draus, Dr. Sushma Mishra, and Dr. Daria Crawley

Thank you, Dr. Draus, for going above and beyond to guide and empower the students at RMU. Way to go!

Dr. Kassa Wins Best Paper Award at ACMSE

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Dr. Yonas Kassa has been honored with the Best Full Paper Award at the 2025 ACM Southeast (ACMSE) Conference, which took place from April 24-26, 2025, at Southeast Missouri State University. As the oldest continuously running annual conference of the ACM, ACMSE serves as a vital platform for students, faculty, researchers, and industry professionals to share their latest research across all facets of computer science.

Dr. Kassa’s award-winning paper, a collaborative effort with four other researchers, is titled “Secure Edge Computing Reference Architecture for Data-driven Structural Health Monitoring: Lessons Learned from Implementation and Benchmarking.” You can access the paper here.

Congratulations to Dr. Kassa and his co-authors on this significant achievement!

The FBI Honors Internship Program

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The FBI Honors Internship Program will be opening Summer 2026 applications starting soon.  This program is ideal for undergraduate students between their junior and senior years, as well as graduate students pursuing a Master’s degree, JD, or Ph.D. This paid internship can be a direct pipeline to full-time employment after college.

The program is highly competitive. You can set up a job alert on the website to be notified when postings open. The link to the website can be found here.

Celebrating Excellence: Welcoming Our New UPE Honor Society at RMU

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The air was filled with excitement, a few nerves, and a sense of accomplishment this semester as we held our first-ever induction ceremony for the RMU Chapter of Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), the international honor society for computing and information disciplines. It was a truly inspiring event, celebrating the hard work, dedication, and exceptional talent of our charter members.

The Wheatley Atrium was filled with bright minds – the inductees themselves, their proud families and friends, and esteemed faculty members.

We were also honored to have Dr. Ioan Raicu, our guest speaker, deliver a brief welcome. Dr. Raicu is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at Illinois Institute of Technology and is a National Council Member of UPE. We are thankful for his being able to join us and help guide us through our first UPE induction ceremony.

The heart of the event, of course, was the formal induction of our members. One by one, their names were called, and as they stepped forward, you could feel the collective pride in the room. Each inductee has demonstrated outstanding scholastic achievement and a passion for the computing sciences, making them truly deserving of this recognition. It was a powerful moment, symbolizing the passing of knowledge and the welcoming of these bright individuals into the UPE family. Three CIS faculty members were inducted as charter members of the chapter as well: Dr. Karen Paullet, Dr. Sushma Mishra, and Dr. Jamie Pinchot. Dr. Paullet will serve as the Faculty Advisor for our UPE chapter.  In addition, student officers are: Kate Shannon (President), Kelson Bowman (Vice President), Sean Miller (Secretary), and Jesse Marks (Treasurer).

Pictured, left to right, Dr. Sushma Mishra, Dr. Jamie Pinchot, Kate Shannon (president), Kelson Bowman (vice president), Sean Miller (secretary), and Jesse Marks (treasurer), Dr. Karen Paullet, and Dr. Ioan Raicu.

A huge congratulations to all our newly inducted members of UPE! We are incredibly proud of your achievements and look forward to seeing the great things you will accomplish.

Spring into Success

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RMU’s Career Center hosted an internship showcase on April 23, 2025 called Spring into Success: A Professional Experience Celebration in the UPMC Events Center.  A number of students in the department participated to highlight their amazing internship experiences.

Nana Akua Osei-Sarfo, Applied Mathematics, Data Analytics (M.S.), Capital One

Kendall Battles, Criminal Justice, Organizational Leadership (M.S.), Defender Association of Philadelphia

Peyton Lutchkus, Cybersecurity, Cyber Security (M.S.), University of Maryland (ARLIS)

Connor Gitzen, Criminal Justice, Zimmer Kunz PLLC

Nasia Edwards, Criminal Justice, Fiffik Law Group

Aaron Picon, Criminal Justice, Cyber Investigations & Intelligence (M.S.), Allegheny County Youth and Family Services

Payton Hostetler, Cinema and Photography, Stephen Mancini Productions

Emma Cantwell, Criminal Justice, Charleston, SC Police Department

Sean Miller, Cybersecurity, Cyber Investigations &  Intelligence (M.S.), Calgon Carbon Corporation

Robert Pava, Cybersecurity & Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity (M.S.), 38th Engineering Squadron

Sai Naga Mallikharjun Yerra, Data Analytics (M.S.),  Body by AIM360

Let’s give a huge round of applause to our incredible students who’ve just wrapped up some truly valuable professional experiences and internships! We’re so proud of the skills they’ve gained and the hard work they’ve put in. A massive thank you also goes out to the amazing employers, dedicated staff, and supportive faculty whose guidance and mentorship are absolutely essential in shaping these future professionals. Keep shining!

SGA Engagement with Students Award 2024-2025

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Dr. Karen Paullet, nominated by student Katherine Shannon, won the RMU 2024-2025 Student Government Association Engagement with Students Award. Dr. Paullet was recognized at the Student Excellence Awards Program on Tuesday, April 22.

Katherine Shannon, left, pictured with Dr. Paullet, right, with the SGA Student Engagement Award for 2024-2025.

An “Engagement with Students Award” from the SGA (Student Government Association) recognizes individuals, often faculty or staff, who demonstrate exceptional commitment to student engagement and well-being.

Thank you, Dr. Paullet, for recognizing the importance of faculty-student interaction and the role it plays in building a strong, vibrant, and inclusive campus community. Congratulations!

SDIT Student Recognition Awards Ceremony

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RMU honored a select few SDIT students at the SDIT Awards Ceremony in the Wheatley Atrium on April 16, 2025. Opening remarks were delivered by Dr. Daria Crawley, Dean, College of Business and STEM, as she highlighted the dedication and hard work of the students being recognized. Awards were presented by SDIT faculty members. Dr. Crawley presented the Dean’s Scholar Awards. Closing remarks were made by Dr. Joseph Zimmer, Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs. Congratulations to all the deserving students!

GRADUATE STUDENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS:

Alexandria Moreland, Robert Pava, William Challingsworth, Reed Greco, Nikil Settipalli, and Chelsea Horne

OUTSTANDING COMPUTER & INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENT AWARDS:

Computer Information Systems Endowment Award:

Sean Miller

Sean Miller, left, pictured with Dr. Jamie Pinchot

The Computer Information Systems Student Award:

Isaac Arnold

CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENT AWARDS:

Errisa George and Michele Russell

Dr. Rob Ambrosini, left, pictured with Erissa George, right.

CYBERSECURITY STUDENT AWARDS:

Reese Martin, Robert Pava, Steven Zalenski, and Brent Rose

DEAN’S SCHOLAR AWARDS:

Peyton Lutchkus, Reese Martin, Rylie Milanovich, Robert Pava, and Trey Reichenfeld

Peyton Lutchkus, left, pictured with Dr. Daria Crawley, right.


Thank you to all the students, faculty, and staff for their hard work and never-ending RMU spirit!

More pictures from the recognition: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCaCwD

Come Support the Top Secret Colonials Fundraiser at All Star Sports Bar & Grill

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The Top Secret Colonials will be hosting a fundraiser from Monday, March 31st through Saturday, April 5th from 4:00 pm to close at the All Star Sports Bar in Robinson located at 6302 Robinson Centre Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. Funds will be used to support the club. 

The owner of the All Star Sports Bar and Grill has agreed to give TSC 10% of all sales from now until April 30th with receipt. If you stop during the fundraising week please remember to drop off your itemized receipt to the club members at the table before you leave. 

There will also be prize baskets, signed Steelers and Penguins items and gift card raffles, plus food and drink specials each night!

Spread the word, and stop by if you have a chance!