News
SCI Ph.D. Student and Professor Author Paper on Dynamic Spectrum Access
SCI Ph.D. student Pedro Bustamante and professor Martin Weiss contributed to a research article titled “Federal Communications Commission’s experimental radio service as a vehicle for dynamic spectrum access: An analysis of 10 years of experimental licenses data.” The article was recently published in Data & Policy, a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press, and was co-authored with Douglas Sicker and Marcela M.
Associate Professor Featured in Pittwire Article About Educational Video Games
Even before the pandemic, people with cystic fibrosis (CF) were advised to keep at least 6 feet from each other. The danger of cross-infection has been a threat they’ve had to keep in mind throughout their lives. That mandated distancing has impeded commiseration and played into the high rates of depression and anxiety experienced by teens with CF. (Their parents are affected, as well.)
Computer Science Undergraduate Student Selected for Brackenridge
Current SCI Computer Science student Evan Kozierok was recently chosen for the University Honors College’s Brackenridge Fellowship. This fellowship offers $4,000 to students to conduct an independent research or creative project over the course of the summer. Fellows complete the project under the guidance of a faculty or graduate student mentor and deliver a presentation about their work once the fellowship has concluded.
MLIS Alumna Honored with 2020 University Libraries Award
Emily L. Mross (MLIS ’14) was recently honored with Penn State University’s University Libraries Teaching Award. This annual award is given to a Penn State librarian who has excelled in teaching and introduced innovative instruction into the university’s library programs over the past year. Mross is currently the Business Reference Librarian at Penn State Harrisburg. She received a Master of Library and Information Science degree in 2014 and has previously worked in library settings at Duquesne University and Northampton Community College.
DINS Chair and Professor Featured on Pittwire Panel About Protecting Computers from Viruses
The recent surge in remote instruction and working from home has brought new threats to computers. In fact, a chaotic event like the COVID-19 pandemic can create a perfect storm for bad actors to attack vulnerable devices.
A Message from Dean Cohen to the SCI Community
Dear SCI Community,
As the nation continues to respond to the senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and the many other African Americans whose lives have been lost to hate and injustice, we at SCI want to acknowledge the impact that this has on our community.
To our African American students, faculty, and staff who must carry this constant burden, know that we stand with you.
MLIS Student Selected for National Library of Medicine's Associate Fellowship Program
Current MLIS student Amanda Sawyer was recently chosen to be part of the 2020-2021 class of the National Library of Medicine (NLM)’s Associate Fellowship Program, which is the world’s largest biomedical library and part of the National Institutes of Health. The Associate Fellowship is a residency program for recent library science graduates who are interested in a career in health sciences librarianship.
Two SCI Faculty Receive Grant to Form AI System to Debunk False COVID-19 Information
Yu-Ru Lin, associate professor, and Adriana Kovashka, assistant professor, as well as Wen-Ting Chung, research assistant professor in the School of Education, have been awarded a RAPID Grant from the National Science Foundation for their project titled, “Countering COVID-19 Misinformation via Situation-Aware Visually Informed Treatment,” which aims to develop a debunking system for COVID-19 related misinformation.
SCI Film Festival Winners Announced
We are excited to announce the winners of the first SCI Film Festival. All eight submissions were incredibly well-done and insightful, and we are proud of the work and creativity that each student put into their video.
First place winner: "Homebound" by Caela Go
Argo AI CEO and Co-Founder Delivers Keynote Speech for SCI Virtual Graduation Ceremony
On Sunday, May 17, SCI held a virtual recognition ceremony to celebrate the achievements of more than 360 undergraduate and graduate students who have completed degrees this academic year. Recognizing the unique challenges graduates faced this semester in the wake of COVID-19, SCI Dean Paul Cohen said in his graduation address, “I admire all of our students. It’s not easy to earn degrees from our program.
Assistant Professor Discusses how the Work of Computer Scientists is Keeping us Connected During COVID-19 Pandemic
Amy Babay, assistant professor, was recently featured on PittWire to discuss her work and how computer scientists have been able to meeting the increased technological needs of society due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
PhD Student Wins First Place in University-Wide Three Minute Thesis Competition
J. Stephanie Rose, a PhD student in Information Science with a concentration in Telecommunications, recently won first place in Pitt’s Three-Minute Thesis competition for her thesis titled, “Telecommunications Policy, Regulation, and Enforcement: A 20 Year Retrospective of FCC Adjudication.”
“I still can’t believe I actually won and I am super re-energized to keep working on my dissertation,” said Rose of her win.
Please join us in congratulating Rose!
SCI Represented in Three Recent Accelerator Grants from Pitt Cyber
Projects by SCI faculty and one PhD student were selected as part of he Pitt Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security’s 2020 Accelerator Grants. These grants provide support for projects that aim to establish or reinforce Pitt and Pitt Cyber as places of distinction and excellence in cyber studies and practice.
Associate Professor Interviewed by WTEA
Kostas Pelechrinis, associate professor, was interviewed by WTAE to discuss how Google data is showing that people in Allegheny County are practicing social distancing and what that could mean for the spread of COVID-19.
Professor Martin Weiss Interviewed in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Excerpt from Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s In response to COVID-19 — and shift to remote work, school — tech services firms change policies:
To help make sure no one misses a video conference call from their boss or a timed virtual test from their teacher, Comcast moved last week to offer free internet service for low income individuals and to give all of its customers two extra months of unlimited data for no additional charge.