IST Alumni Identity Talks series Sept. 15, 'Celebrating Hispanic Heritage'
September 10, 2021
Members of the Penn State community are invited to join alumni of the College of Information Sciences and Technology for IST Alumni Identity Talks — Celebrating Hispanic Heritage, to be held virtually from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 15.
IST alumnus and Latinx workers in tech advocate lands dream job at Twitter
September 10, 2021
Growing up in Philadelphia, Noel Claudio never thought that it was possible to work for a big social media tech company unless he lived in California or New York.
Overcoming homelessness and hardships to earn a Penn State degree
September 9, 2021
On his 18th birthday, Joel Seidel became emancipated from his parents and, in turn, homeless. He said Penn State equipped him with the tools and resources he needed to succeed, including support from scholarships.
Alumni sisters experience IST 10 years apart, advocate for diversity in tech
August 31, 2021
Many alumni can say that the Penn State legacy runs in their family, but few can say that they graduated from the same college as their sibling.
Honor code established at College of IST
August 20, 2021
The College of Information Sciences and Technology, in collaboration with IST student government, announced the launch of the IST Honor Code.
World Campus IST graduate heads security engineering for Disney+
July 12, 2021
Jacob Meissner never imagined he’d work in technology after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in English from Penn State.
IST alumnus creates scholarship to honor family legacy
July 2, 2021
As a member of the College of Information Sciences and Technology’s first graduating class and a long-time alumni volunteer, Steve Pipino has established the Pipino Family Annually Funded Scholarship in the college to benefit first-generation students and students with demonstrated need.
IST experience leads to alumnus’ work exploring breakups in the digital age
April 30, 2021
After a romantic breakup, there are often decisions to be made regarding the partners’ shared possessions, such as who takes the house and who gets the cat, and who keeps the friends.
After change of course, IST alumnus lands career in academics
April 28, 2021
When Porter Jenkins came to Penn State to pursue a doctorate in marketing, he never imagined he’d one day have a full-time career in academics, teaching and conducting research on data sciences and machine learning.
Educational equity scholarship honors family legacy for IST alumni couple
April 2, 2021
For Angela Govila and Ankur Tarnacha, the College of Information Sciences and Technology is the foundation for everything they have. The two first met as students in 2003, and Tarnacha soon after asked Govila out for a cup of coffee. The rest, they say, is history.
Lees establish educational equity scholarship at IST
March 15, 2021
Corey and Leteace Lee have established an educational equity scholarship in the College of Information Sciences and Technology to support students with financial need who are first-generation or from underrepresented backgrounds.
IST Alumni Identity Talks spark dialogue on diversity between students, alumni
March 11, 2021
“Be intentional.” “Remember your why.” “Be clear on who you are.” “You’re not alone.” Those were a few of the main takeaways shared by panelists with students during the first IST Alumni Identity Talks event, hosted virtually by the College of Information Sciences and Technology last month.
Student organization IST Diplomats celebrate 10 years
February 26, 2021
Ten years ago, the IST Diplomats student organization was founded to serve as ambassadors for the College of Information Sciences and Technology, to represent its academic programs, career solutions and student engagement opportunities.
Penn State IT staff inspires a future generation of professionals
February 22, 2021
Eight information technology professionals representing various domains at Penn State recently came together to educate College of Information Sciences and Technology students about their professions during the college’s IT Career Panel.
Schreyer Scholar alumni build business based on skincare, scents, nostalgia
February 2, 2021
Asia Grant and Alejandro Cuevas began their friendship when they were members of Penn State’s Presidential Leadership Academy. After graduation, the two founded Redoux, a thriving scent and skincare company.
Penn State alumni invited to participate in Cooking Classic
January 12, 2021
A series of webinars will bring alumni together to learn cooking skills and raise awareness of students experiencing food insecurity.
Alumnus Jacob Sisko makes an impact through Department of Army civilian career
January 12, 2021
When Jacob Sisko first accepted his offer from Penn State to study forensic science, he never imagined that he’d one day work for the Department of the Army and its Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.
World Campus graduate overcomes three decades of challenges to get degree
December 11, 2020
Ryan DeGrendel, 45, first enrolled in college classes while he was still in high school and playing junior hockey in Detroit. Three decades, 17 surgeries and one near-death experience later, he is earning a degree in security and risk analysis through Penn State World Campus.
Alumnus' software gift to help train Penn State cybersecurity students
December 10, 2020
Mark Viglione, a 2015 graduate and founder of Enigma Networkz, has finalized a software licensing agreement with the University to make his company’s security information and event management platform, Enigma Glass, available to students at all Penn State campuses.
IST alumna aims to impact social justice issues through video game design
October 30, 2020
With the video game industry expected to near $200 billion in revenue by 2022, game designers have expanded their reach to interest different types of players.
New app aims to help bring community to underrepresented students
October 30, 2020
Penn State students now have an easier way to connect with campus organizations that match their backgrounds and interests through a new app designed by a team of students, Vybrnt, which was launched to help students from underrepresented backgrounds to build community on campus.
IST cybersecurity program helps meet a global security demand
October 7, 2020
The College of IST is helping to fill a global demand through the cybersecurity analytics and operations bachelor’s degree program, launched in 2017.
Six educational equity scholarships established at the College of IST
October 5, 2020
Six educational equity scholarships have recently been established to benefit students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.
Researchers aim to motivate family conversations about health
September 29, 2020
If you haven’t recently talked with your family about health topics like sleep or medication, you’re not alone, according to a study by researchers in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology.
IST alumnus helps drive a major city's data during COVID-19
September 18, 2020
As chief data officer for the City and County of San Francisco, Jason Lally carries the daily responsibility to help each of the city’s approximately 50 departments make the best use of its data. And that responsibility becomes especially critical in the middle of a global pandemic.
IST alumna Isabella Webster named 2020-21 Young Alumni Ambassador
September 7, 2020
Isabella Webster, a 2020 graduate of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, was heavily engaged on campus during her time at Penn State — with leadership roles in Homecoming, Movin’ On, and the University Park Undergraduate Association.
Summer Founders program showcases record number of teams
September 1, 2020
Invent Penn State’s 2020 Summer Founders program, a 13-week student startup accelerator, wrapped up Aug. 12 in a virtual showcase after funding seven student-startup teams with $15,000 each to work on their startup, nonprofit, or social good full time over the summer.
Alumna works behind the scenes at fast-food company on third-party integration
August 31, 2020
The last few months of pandemic-stricken quarantine have been anything but monotonous for 2013 Penn State alumna Lindsay Langley, as she has been staying busy with two new roles: working virtually in a new position at a new company and becoming a first-time mother.
The symbol of our best: Penn State Nittany Lion mascot revealed
August 26, 2020
For three years, Class of 2020 graduate Zach Sowa lived a double life: He was a College of Information Sciences and Technology student and the face of Penn State — the Nittany Lion mascot. How did he balance his time and manage to keep one of the University's best-kept secrets?
IST alumnus, student partner for virtual pet-adoption-internship experience
July 30, 2020
When College of Information Sciences and Technology alumnus Kurt Heslop needed to update the website for an Oregon-based animal shelter, for which he serves on the board, he sought out a Penn State student to help complete the task.
Building an image classifier to aid in disaster response
July 28, 2020
This spring, students in the data sciences capstone course at the College of Information Sciences and Technology worked with a team of MIT Lincoln Laboratory Beaver Works researchers to make real-world contributions toward improving image classifiers for disaster response.
Nonprofit provides STEAM education to underserved youth in Atlanta
July 28, 2020
Joe Lewis, a 2010 graduate of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, created a nonprofit organization to give children in underserved communities in Atlanta the opportunity to learn about and experience technology after noticing disparities that existed in the city's school syst
Project-based learning leads to leadership role for College of IST alumna
July 22, 2020
Shara Beach Ryan’s list of career experiences is quite extensive — she has worked as an advertising campaign manager, front-end developer, business analyst, project and product manager, marketer and user-interface designer.
Alumnus-driven startup aids IST students seeking internship experiences
July 20, 2020
When the novel coronavirus pandemic struck, and many College of Information Sciences and Technology students faced challenges in securing summer internships due to public health guidelines, an IST alumnus rose to the occasion to help students get the experience they needed.
Hacker bootcamp: Alumnus creates cybersecurity experience for IST students
June 29, 2020
With students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology having offers rescinded from their internship placements, one alumnus launched an eight-week virtual hacker bootcamp to give a group of students professional experiences this summer.
Alumni Association announces 2020-21 Young Alumni Ambassadors
May 18, 2020
The Penn State Alumni Association has selected 11 recent graduates as 2020-21 Young Alumni Ambassadors. These young alumni will share a yearlong experience aimed at developing their skills to become the University's future volunteer leaders.
Mentorship program strengthens professional network for IST students
May 14, 2020
Sometimes, the greatest lessons come from someone who has lived them. That’s why the College of IST has revitalized its alumni mentorship program — to give students meaningful, real-world and professional guidance from alumni who have experience in the industry.
IST student creates app to help underrepresented students find community
May 11, 2020
A College of Information Sciences and Technology student has created a way to help new students, particularly those who are underrepresented, discover community on campus at the touch of a button.
Using data to maximize hospital resources
May 1, 2020
As a student in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology, Steve Ney learned critical skills, from coding to data design and architecture.
College of IST announces spring 2020 student marshals
April 22, 2020
The College of Information Sciences and Technology will honor two graduates as student marshals at spring 2020 commencement.
Following footsteps on the IST path
April 21, 2020
Being apart from family is a tough part of college for many students, but Kelly and Kevin Costello are two Penn Staters who were able to spend two years in Happy Valley together — not only on the Penn State campus, but in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.
Additional details announced on virtual commencement for the Class of 2020
April 16, 2020
At 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, Penn State will host its first virtual commencement. The ceremony will be livestreamed, and available internationally, at https://spring2020.commencement.psu.edu/.
'Ahead-of-the-trend' College of IST prepared security adviser for his career
April 15, 2020
The experiences that Chris Eggerman, a 2017 graduate, had while at Penn State gave him a glimpse of the challenges and rewards he would enjoy in a career, and, paired with his education in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, equipped him with the skills he uses in his current prof
Penn State to recognize class of 2020 with virtual commencement ceremony
April 6, 2020
In response to the growing coronavirus pandemic, orders from the state government and recommendations from global public health organizations, Penn State will hold its spring 2020 commencement ceremony via livestream on May 9.
Women across IST at Penn State are creating a 'culture of empowerment'
March 2, 2020
The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology recently hosted a “Sit With Me” initiative, which was held as part of the global campaign powered by the National Center for Women & Information Technology to recognize and validate the important role women play in creating future
Making drones a part of everyday life
February 28, 2020
As a staff research associate in the Homeland Protection and Air Traffic Control Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Penn State alumnus Andrew Weinert focuses on enabling drones to be safely and efficiently integrated into national airspace.
Profit-prediction system may lower suicide rates among indebted Indian farmers
February 27, 2020
Researchers from the College of Information Sciences and Technology are taking steps to address the alarming rate of suicides among indebted farmers in India, by developing a deep-learning algorithm as the first step in a decision-support system that could predict future market values of crops.
Disrupting the sleep market was all in a day's work for alumnus JT Marino
February 20, 2020
Every parent knows college students like sleep.
Former Marine awakens entrepreneurial spirit through Penn State's Online MBA
February 4, 2020
In May 2018, former Marine Robert Bussey enrolled in the Penn State Online MBA program, led by the Penn State Smeal College of Business and delivered by Penn State World Campus, to ultimately build a company from scratch after taking courses in the corporate innovation and entrepreneurship concen