Computer information systems adds three new minors
The Computer Information Systems and Technology program will launch three new minors/concentrations this fall.
The Computer Information Systems and Technology program will launch three new minors/concentrations this fall.
The areas, applications software development, cybersecurity and digital forensics, and systems and network administration, will be concentrations for students within the CIS&T major. With the addition of a few pre-requisite courses, each area can serve as a minor for students who are not majoring in CIS&T.
Dr. Shushan Zhao has been hired to direct the security and forensics concentration/minor. Zhao completed his doctoral degree at the School of Computer Science at the University of Windsor in Canada in 2012.
He has served as a lecturer at Bishop's University and Vanier College, both of which are located in Montreal. Zhao also has rich experience in the telecommunications and software industry, having worked as a software developer at VMWare, Mitel, Ericsson and Nuance in Canada and Finland, where he earned his Master of Science degree in telecommunications software from Helsinki University of Technology.
His research interests are in the areas of computer networks, telecommunications systems, information security, theory and application of cryptography.
Current faculty members Don Lewicki, associate professor of business management, and Dr. Ken Wang, associate professor of computer information systems and technology, will oversee the other two areas.
Lewicki, who is also program director, said that the three areas chosen are expected to be among the fastest-growing occupations in Pennsylvania and have competitive starting salaries.
Having a complete minor on students' transcripts will make them more marketable, Lewicki said. “Students have been clamoring for these.”
The applications software development minor will allow students to become a software programmer or developer. “This gives them additional depth” over the major alone, Lewicki said. “There are many jobs out there where you have to program.”
Cyber security and forensics are newer fields that are growing rapidly as companies realize that the possibility of a data breach is a huge liability. The digital forensics portion of the minor is expected to attract criminal justice as well as CIS&T majors.
Networking systems administration is for the behind-the-scenes people who keep all things technical up and running.
A new lab allows students in that program to build a small-business computer set-up in Advanced Systems Networking Practicum taught by Steve Ellison, technical analyst and instructor.
The new concentrations/minors, as well as the new lab, scholarships and a new summer program, are made possible through two $1 million gifts from President Emeritus Richard E. and Ruth McDowell and Zippo Manufacturing Co.
For more information on the programs, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/academicprograms/ or contact Lewicki at lewicki@pitt.edu or 814-362-0988.