Tag Archives: events

Department of Defense Scholarship Winners

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Larry Luther and Jesse Marks are the latest RMU cybersecurity students who received a generous scholarship as part of a competitive grant award to RMU from the US Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy (DoD CSA) program. Dr. Ping Wang is the Faculty PI (Principal Investigator) of the grant. The DoD CSA scholarship provides full tuition, a stipend, book and laptop allowances, travel support, and future DoD employment for selected students to complete a cybersecurity-related degree at designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity (NCAE-C) institutions like RMU.

Larry and Jesse are among only 50 DoD CSA Scholars selected nationally this year. They both attended this year’s DoD CSA boot camp with PI Dr. Wang in Washington, DC, in July, participating in a realistic multi-challenge cyber competition.

Congratulations, Larry and Jesse! We are very proud of your amazing accomplishment!

Jesse (left) and Larry (right), with PI Dr. Wang (center), attended this year’s DoD CSA boot camp in Washington DC

SteelHacks XII Hackathon

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Unleash Your Inner Innovator at Steelhacks XII!

Get ready to dive into a world of innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration at Steelhacks XII, happening on September 20-21, 2025, at the University of Pittsburgh.

Steelhacks is more than just a coding competition; it’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, learn new skills, and connect with like-minded individuals.

  • 24 hours of coding, creativity, and collaboration
  • Speed Friending with various companies (networking opportunities) and Guest Speakers
  • Prizes for several different tracks
  • Free food and fun activities to keep the energy high

Mark your calendars and get ready to turn your ideas into reality.

Register now: at the Steelhacks website for registration and updates on all the exciting activities and more details as the event approaches!

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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!

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

RMU Datafest 2025

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The RMU Analytics Club had a spectacular time at the fifth annual ASA DataFest™!

Imagine a weekend fueled by caffeine, collaboration, and the exhilarating challenge of unlocking hidden stories within a massive trove of data. That’s the essence of the American Statistical Association (ASA) DataFest™! This isn’t your typical classroom exercise; it’s a dynamic event where teams of 2 to 5 students plunge into a large, intricate, and fascinating dataset, embarking on a quest to extract meaningful insights and share their discoveries. Think of it as a data scavenger hunt, a statistical hackathon, and an opportunity to flex your analytical muscles in a supportive and exciting environment.

Congratulations to Tula Sah, MS Data Science (pictured right), Bernard Dondo, MS Data Analytics (far left), and Prithvi Raju Mekala, MS Healthcare Analytics (center). Their team won the Best Overall Analysis Award at RMU DataFest 2025! This is a significant achievement and a testament to their hard work and analytical skills.

48 Hour TSC Gaming Marathon ~ October 16-18

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Top Secret Colonials (TSC) will be holding a 48 hour gaming marathon where all money raised will go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children’s toughest diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers. The hospital does not charge patients for their care and relies on donations to keep helping children. If you’re not able to attend the event, you can also donate directly via a GoFundMe page.

Steps to Sign Up for the Gaming Marathon

A donation of $10 and advanced registration is required to participate for both Non-RMU and RMU students. Before attending please make sure to review all rules and information here before filling out the registration form: Rules and Information

BEFORE REGISTERING, You are required to make a Discord Account or a Twitch Account whichever you prefer. 
Discord account can be created here: https://discordapp.com/register. 
Twitch account can be created here: https://www.twitch.tv/
If you need any extra help with activating/registering for Discord or Twitch please review the Rules and Information Presentation linked above!

Register Below!

Registration form: https://forms.gle/r7mXLtiQoNkJgbFN6