Top 8 from Westgate
Highlighting a year of enterprising students, innovative researchers, and engaged alumni.
AI Transformation
Announced in February, Penn State’s AI Transformation initiative focuses on human-centered literacy, interdisciplinary research, experiential learning, and workforce development. Strategic investments are building the foundation for an AI-ready future, including University-wide AI infrastructure, student AI literacy programs, faculty cluster hiring, and enterprise AI tools for employees. Through its transdisciplinary research strengths, a pioneering degree in AI methods and applications, and expanding industry partnerships, IST is playing a central role in shaping how Penn State educates, innovates, and leads in the age of AI. Adding to that momentum, IST’s own Vasant Honavar has been named the inaugural vice provost for AI.
Read Honavar's Announcement
20,000 Strong
In 2003, IST awarded its first bachelor’s degrees to 300 students. Those trailblazing graduates quickly established the IST Alumni Society, creating a way to stay connected with one another and the college. We’ve come a long way since then! Following spring commencement, the college now boasts more than 20,000 alumni around the world, and our graduates continue to take pride in their IST experience, strengthen our community, and inspire the next generation of information technology leaders.
IST Alumni Society
Department Heads Named
The college has appointed three faculty to lead its first-ever academic departments, effective July 1. Guoray Cai leads the Department of Human-Centered Computing and Social Informatics, with a focus on human-AI teaming, enterprise AI, and AI ethics. The Department of Informatics and Intelligent Systems is led by Sharon Huang, who champions responsible AI and data science. Dongwon Lee leads the Department of Privacy and Cybersecurity Informatics, tackling emerging threats in generative AI and cyber infrastructure.
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NSF CAREER Awards
In April, Assistant Professors Syed Billah and Aron Laszka received NSF CAREER Awards, the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious honor for early-career researchers. Billah’s work will advance programming environments that enable blind and low-vision individuals to fully participate in coding. Laszka’s project will develop AI techniques to improve the real-time management of large-scale infrastructure, including smart transportation networks and power grids. These awards bring IST’s total number of CAREER honors to 21, including 10 awarded since 2020. Today, 25% of the college’s current research faculty have earned this distinction.
BLK Men in Tech Honored
Penn State’s BLK Men in Tech (BMIT) chapter was named Collegiate Chapter of the Year at the 2025 BMIT Thrive Conference in October. Thirteen IST students attended the four-day event in Florida, where they also served on a panel advising high school students on academics, internships, and research. As BMIT’s first collegiate chapter, Penn State played a pivotal role in shaping the conference's growth—helping expand participation to 138 college students nationwide.
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Fulbright Recipients
Two associate teaching professors represented IST, Penn State, and the U.S. Department of State through the Fulbright Program. As a Fulbright Specialist, Betsy Campbell traveled to Novation City, Tunisia, where she conducted research, collaborated with colleagues, and supported capacity-building efforts in AI/IoT entrepreneurship while engaging with a new culture. U.S. Fulbright Scholar Joseph Squillace spent the fall semester at Széchenyi István University in Hungary, teaching graduate cybersecurity courses and participating in cultural exchange across Europe.
International Leadership
In May, Hadi Hosseini assumed the role of president of the International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, a nonprofit organization with leadership elected by the global research community. Hosseini aims to expand awareness of multiagent systems research—particularly how agents act with one another and in uncertain environments—and to continue strengthening public and undergraduate education on AI, helping people better understand both the capabilities and limitations of AI systems.
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New Advisory Board Members
The Dean’s Advisory Board recently welcomed Kim Brannon ’91 Sci and Glenn Finch to its ranks. The 18-member board of alumni, friends, and industry leaders provides strategic guidance and counsel to shape the future of the college. Brannon, who recently retired from SAP National Security Services, brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in information systems and business services. Finch, global managing partner for data and generative AI at IBM, adds technical expertise, industry breadth, and a passion for innovation to the board.
Read moreAlso in This Issue
Discovering How People and AI Work Together
IST welcomed the next generation of tech leaders during Penn State's Bring Our Children to Work Day.
A Different Kind of Talent
As AI transforms the world, IST is preparing students to shape what's next.
Submit a Class Note
Landed a new job or earned professional recognition? Got married or welcomed a baby? Earned a degree or simply crossed something off your bucket list? Share your news with the IST community!