News

The strength of the College of IST is demonstrated through the successes and accomplishments of its students, faculty, alumni, and programs. Read more about how the college and its people are driving innovative change and taking on the challenges of the Information Age.

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Institute for Computational and Data Sciences opens 2022 Symposium registration

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences opens 2022 Symposium registration

August 30, 2022

Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences opened registration for its fall symposium, Oct. 12-14, aimed at exploring the role data science and artificial intelligence plays in creating a sustainable, resilient and equitable future.

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Art history, IST receive grant to continue collaborative research project

Art history, IST receive grant to continue collaborative research project

August 29, 2022

The collaborative research project conducted by the Department of Art History and the College of Information Sciences and Technology, titled “After Constable’s Clouds,” is Phase 2 of “Seeing Constable’s Clouds,” which was supported by a level 1 National Endowment for the Humanities grant.

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In the 'spirit': IST intern grows tech, interpersonal skills at Bacardi

In the 'spirit': IST intern grows tech, interpersonal skills at Bacardi

August 23, 2022

Ella Maquito spent the summer helping a major spirits brand increase its global reach. As an information technology intern at Bacardi, Maquito worked with the company’s brand homes software on the digital commerce team to conduct user interface and user experience testing.

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IST intern analyzes data, informs game plans for Giants' Arizona Complex League

IST intern analyzes data, informs game plans for Giants' Arizona Complex League

August 19, 2022

College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Mojisoluwa Awe spent her summer as a data analyst for two of the Arizona Complex League affiliate teams of the San Francisco Giants.

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IST student gains data privacy training through IAPP internship

IST student gains data privacy training through IAPP internship

August 16, 2022

This summer, College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Parker Kirby had the opportunity to gain hands-on industry training and gain more experience as a data scientist or analyst through his internship with the International Association of Privacy Professionals — the world’s largest i

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Deepfakes expose vulnerabilities in certain facial recognition technology

Deepfakes expose vulnerabilities in certain facial recognition technology

August 11, 2022

Mobile devices use facial recognition technology to help users quickly and securely unlock their phones, make a financial transaction or access medical records.

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IST intern fosters data science skills in middle- and high-school AI campers

IST intern fosters data science skills in middle- and high-school AI campers

August 8, 2022

Rising College of Information Sciences and Technology senior Nathan Reilly has taken his data sciences skills and knowledge to summer camp.

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IST intern builds career skills, improves community in Lowe’s summer program

IST intern builds career skills, improves community in Lowe’s summer program

August 5, 2022

As a software engineering intern at Lowe’s this summer, College of Information Sciences and Technology student Hannah Kern has been exposed to a number of new experiences and technologies while developing code — including learning new computer programming languages.

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Strong community support drives success for IST student marshal

Strong community support drives success for IST student marshal

August 2, 2022

When James Reese represents the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) as student marshal at the summer commencement ceremony this month, it will be, in part, thanks to members of the IST community who believed in him.

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IST student aims to improve airport experience for travelers with disabilities

IST student aims to improve airport experience for travelers with disabilities

August 1, 2022

Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology student Veronica Jenkins recently worked with real-world data to conceptualize improvements in airport operations for individuals with disabilities.

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Researchers get $2M NSF grant to develop Africa water-food-energy network

Researchers get $2M NSF grant to develop Africa water-food-energy network

July 29, 2022

A team of Penn State researchers has received a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation to lead a three-institution team developing the “SustainFood Network,” which will link scientists, communities and policymakers in addressing challenges at the nexus of water, energy and food sec

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IST intern aids in SiriusXM/Pandora user experience research

IST intern aids in SiriusXM/Pandora user experience research

July 27, 2022

Through a summer internship with SiriusXM/Pandora, Renkai Ma is studying how music listeners and creators interact with the company’s product features.

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IST surpasses fundraising goal in 'Greater Penn State' campaign

IST surpasses fundraising goal in 'Greater Penn State' campaign

July 25, 2022

The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology has raised $20,123,741 and helped the University achieve record-breaking success in its recently concluded campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.”

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IST intern assures tech systems quality at CVS Health

IST intern assures tech systems quality at CVS Health

July 25, 2022

Through her major of information sciences and technology with a focus on design and development, rising senior Rachael Gray has gained a deep understanding of core information technologies and how they can be used in practical applications in a diverse number of industries.

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Seed grants to fund projects that tackle huge scientific, societal challenges

Seed grants to fund projects that tackle huge scientific, societal challenges

July 21, 2022

Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences awarded this year’s seed grant program has awarded funds to Penn State scientists.

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College of IST professor earns fourth consecutive Amazon Research Award

College of IST professor earns fourth consecutive Amazon Research Award

July 20, 2022

James Wang, distinguished professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, has received an Amazon Research Award to advance his team's work on machine learning-based, emotion modeling that is geared toward enhancing the interaction between humans and artificial intellig

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Good, bad, fair: New algorithms could help fairly distribute goods or chores

Good, bad, fair: New algorithms could help fairly distribute goods or chores

July 1, 2022

When organizations need to divvy up indivisible items among multiple parties with different needs and preferences, how can they ensure that everyone gets their fair share?

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IST students aid in development of AI mental health screening app

IST students aid in development of AI mental health screening app

July 1, 2022

Two College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) students are part of an interdisciplinary team working to create a health care application that can assist doctors with diagnosing schizophrenia in remote regions.

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Penn State announces non-tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2022

Penn State announces non-tenure-line faculty promotions, effective July 1, 2022

June 30, 2022

The following is a list of non-tenure-line faculty promotions at Penn State, effective July 1, 2022. 

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On the Bridge – June 2022

On the Bridge – June 2022

June 30, 2022

A compilation of recent news, highlights and achievements from the College of Information Sciences and Technology community.

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FBI cyber squad head gained criminal justice, cybersecurity skills at Penn State

FBI cyber squad head gained criminal justice, cybersecurity skills at Penn State

June 30, 2022

“Never give up.” Those are the driving words that motivated Chris Cope, a Penn State alumnus who has blended his education from the College of Information Sciences and Technology and the College of the Liberal Arts to bring his career full circle.

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Six named 2022-23 Big Ten Academic Alliance Academic Leadership Program Fellows

June 29, 2022

The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Academic Leadership Program will include six new fellows from Penn State in 2022-23. The BTAA is the academic consortium of the Big Ten universities and the United States’ preeminent model for effective collaboration among research universities.

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Why state funding matters: Affordability of in-state tuition is 'life-changing'

Why state funding matters: Affordability of in-state tuition is 'life-changing'

June 22, 2022

State funding allows Penn State to offer an in-state tuition discount that saves the average Pennsylvania resident student more than $13,000 per year. For student Nora O’Toole, attending Penn State wouldn’t have been possible without the affordability of in-state tuition.

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Heard on Campus: Alumni share diverse perspectives in IST Identity Talks series

Heard on Campus: Alumni share diverse perspectives in IST Identity Talks series

June 9, 2022

More than 40 Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology alumni from underrepresented backgrounds have participated in IST Identity Talks panel conversations, where they shared their unique perspectives and experiences of navigating the significant diversity gap that exists in the t

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Sharing source-backed information can help reduce COVID-19 misinformation online

Sharing source-backed information can help reduce COVID-19 misinformation online

June 9, 2022

If you see fake news about COVID-19 circulating on your social media feeds, say something — if you have a reliable source to back it up.

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Real-time, accurate virus detection method could help fight next pandemic

Real-time, accurate virus detection method could help fight next pandemic

June 2, 2022

A method of highly accurate and sensitive virus identification using Raman spectroscopy, a portable virus capture device and machine learning could enable real-time virus detection and identification to help battle future pandemics, according to a team of researchers led by Penn State. 

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DoD honors rising second-year IST, Schreyer student with SMART scholarship

DoD honors rising second-year IST, Schreyer student with SMART scholarship

May 31, 2022

Sydney Vachino, a rising second-year Schreyer Honors Scholar studying cybersecurity analytics and operations in the College of Information Sciences and Technology, has been awarded a Department of Defense Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship. 

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SSRI funding boosts interdisciplinary research

SSRI funding boosts interdisciplinary research

May 31, 2022

Three Penn State research teams were recently awarded Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) pilot funding to foster interdisciplinary research that addresses human and social problems.

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IST assistant professor Hadi Hosseini receives NSF CAREER award

IST assistant professor Hadi Hosseini receives NSF CAREER award

May 23, 2022

Hadi Hosseini, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, is the recipient of a 2022 Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation, which supports junior faculty members who exemplify the role of teacher-scholar through outs

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IST announces 2022 Dean's Circle of Teaching Excellence recipients

IST announces 2022 Dean's Circle of Teaching Excellence recipients

May 19, 2022

Five faculty members in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology have been selected as recipients of the college’s 2022 Dean’s Circle of Teaching Excellence award.

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Mark Campbell named associate vice president for Penn State IT infrastructure

Mark Campbell named associate vice president for Penn State IT infrastructure

May 18, 2022

After serving as interim associate vice president for Penn State IT Infrastructure, Mark Campbell has been named to the position permanently, effective June 1.

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Peer-led learning: IST course enriches academic experience

Peer-led learning: IST course enriches academic experience

May 10, 2022

After positive experiences as learning assistants in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, Erica Mi and Carrigan Morabito knew

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Institute for Computational and Data Sciences names new associate director

Institute for Computational and Data Sciences names new associate director

May 10, 2022

Penn State’s Institute for Computational and Data Sciences announced that Mahmut Kandemir, distinguished professor of electrical engineering and computer science and one of the world’s foremost experts on cyberinfrastructure, has been named an associate director of the institute. 

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26-year-old IST student to earn second doctorate this spring

26-year-old IST student to earn second doctorate this spring

May 5, 2022

This weekend, as thousands of Penn Staters earn their degrees, one 26-year-old graduate of the College of Information Sciences and Technology will be presented with not her first, but second, doctorate.

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Penn State College of IST experts showcased at 2022 CHI Conference

May 2, 2022

The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology is represented across multiple areas of the 2022 Association for Computing Machinery’s CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, the premier international conference of human-computer interaction.

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Penn State student-developed app aims to redefine Black motherhood

Penn State student-developed app aims to redefine Black motherhood

May 2, 2022

A group of Penn State students is working to support a global initiative to redefine Black motherhood. Blending interdisciplinary expertise from across the University, the students are building a mobile health application designed to support the mental and physical health of Black moms.

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College of IST announces spring 2022 student marshals

College of IST announces spring 2022 student marshals

April 29, 2022

The Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology will honor Schreyer Honors Scholar Kaitlyn Bridge as student marshal and Charles Hickey as the ROTC student marshal at spring 2022 commencement, which will be held at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 7, in the Pegula Ice Arena.

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A flip of a coin leads to lifelong Penn State involvement for IST alumnus

A flip of a coin leads to lifelong Penn State involvement for IST alumnus

April 28, 2022

Nikita Page’s decision to attend Penn State was literally left to chance. The now alumnus of the College of Information Sciences and Technology was intent on attending a different university in the region. But his mom suggested that he at least visit Penn State before making his decision.

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IST marks campaign achievements for ‘A Greater Penn State’

April 27, 2022

As the University celebrates the success of its current fundraising campaign, “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” the College of Information Sciences and Technology is thanking the 769 donors who have supported its students and programs since the

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Penn State Smeal team wins 2022 KPMG Ideation Challenge

Penn State Smeal team wins 2022 KPMG Ideation Challenge

April 27, 2022

A team of four Penn State Smeal College of Business students and another team member from the College of Information Sciences and Technology partnered to win the 2022 KPMG Ideation Challenge.

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Online marketplace for tenants wins top prize in IdeaMakers Challenge

Online marketplace for tenants wins top prize in IdeaMakers Challenge

April 27, 2022

A digital solution to problems faced by both tenants and property owners was the winning idea in the 2022 Bardusch Family IdeaMakers Challenge, held April 6 during Penn State Startup Week and hosted by the College of Information Sciences and Technology.

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Energy, environmental seed grants awarded to 21 interdisciplinary teams

Energy, environmental seed grants awarded to 21 interdisciplinary teams

April 26, 2022

The Institutes of Energy and the Environment awarded seed grants to 21 groups of interdisciplinary researchers for the 2021–22 cycle.

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Women in IST’s Wiki edit-a-thon aim to narrow the platform’s gender gap

Women in IST’s Wiki edit-a-thon aim to narrow the platform’s gender gap

April 26, 2022

A group of eight students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology recently set out to narrow this gender gap on the world’s fifth most popular website by hosting a Wiki edit-a-thon to increase visibility for one of the college’s most prominent female faculty members.

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Alumni Achievement Award recipient Noel Claudio inspires IST students

Alumni Achievement Award recipient Noel Claudio inspires IST students

April 22, 2022

Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology graduate Noel Claudio was one of 11 prominent young Penn State alumni recognized at the Alumni Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 18.

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Tech designed to aid visually impaired could benefit from human-AI collaboration

Tech designed to aid visually impaired could benefit from human-AI collaboration

April 19, 2022

Remote sighted assistance technology — which connects visually impaired individuals with human agents through a live video call on their smartphones — helps people with low or no vision navigate tasks that require sight.

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IST academic search engine awarded ‘Best Open Source Project’ by BCS

IST academic search engine awarded ‘Best Open Source Project’ by BCS

April 19, 2022

CiteSeerX, one of the world’s earliest open source academic search engines and co-created by C.

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Software company SAP joins College of IST’s Corporate Associates Program

Software company SAP joins College of IST’s Corporate Associates Program

April 12, 2022

SAP, one of the world’s leading producers of software for the management of business processes, recently joined the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology’s Corporate Assoc

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Penn State announces 2022 University-wide faculty and staff awards

Penn State announces 2022 University-wide faculty and staff awards

April 12, 2022

Each year, Penn State recognizes outstanding faculty and staff with annual awards in teaching and excellence. These awards highlight many of the faculty and staff who go above and beyond.

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IST Assistant Professor Linhai Song honored with NSF CAREER award

IST Assistant Professor Linhai Song honored with NSF CAREER award

April 11, 2022

Linhai Song, assistant professor in the Penn State College of Information Sciences and Technology, is the recipient of a 2022 Faculty Early Career Development award from the National Science Foundation.

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Ritter named recipient of 2022 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award

April 11, 2022

Frank Ritter, professor in the College of Information Sciences and Technology and director of the Applied Cognitive Science Lab, has received the 2022 Graduate Faculty Teaching Award. 

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