iConnect Spring 2013

Spring 2013

College of Information Sciences and Technology

#ISTstartup

iConnect, the magazine of the College of Information Sciences and Technology. David Hall, Dean

Editors: Julie Coughlin, Jaime LynchArt Director/Designer: Kelly BryanWriter: Stephanie KoonsAlumni Contributors: Paul HornPhotography: Nicole Cingolani, Emilee Spokus

iConnect [email protected]

Spring 2013

Stay connected with IST:

facebook.com/ISTatPennStatetwitter.com/ISTatPennState

Features 6 Student Spotlight Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (’13 IST), Balancing Academics and Athletics

8 Start-up Week Second annual Start-up Week gives students an inside track to entrepreneurial success

14 Corporate Associate Q&A Interview with Ray Mastre (’04 IST) of PricewaterhouseCoopers

18 AlumniProfile Catching up with Jimmy Mesta (’09 SRA)

Departments

3 From the Dean

4 Research News

7 Student News

16 IST Around the State

20 IST Alumni Society News

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Contents

From the Dean

I must confess that I had a number of sleepless nights, concerned with how well Start-up Week 2013 would go. After all, the inaugural Start-up Week last year generated much excitement, sparked energy from the visiting entrepreneurs, students, faculty, and staff, and set a high standard for all subsequent events. But I shouldn’t have worried; the IST team made this year’s event a huge success.

This year, IST collaborated with Penn State’s College of Engineering, College of Agricultural Sciences, and the Smeal College of Business to bring more speakers and event-goers to the week-long celebration. Details of the activities and events can be found at the website (http://ist.psu.edu/startup). The week ended with a Hackathon, which was covered by Chris Velazco on TechCrunch. I was very impressed by the dedication of our IST team as well as by the openness of our speakers who readily shared advice for young entrepreneurs as well as personal stories about their life journeys.

The volume of event coordination, marketing, and IT support needed to carry this out was immense. The attention to detail was impressive and was evident to all the speakers and participants. I recognize this has been a six-month process and that the IST team contributed many, many hours to coordinate and execute such a high-profile event. I am certain our college will see long-term benefits in the important areas of branding, development, and recruitment. #ISTstartup is a brand that is going to stick.

Dave Hall, Dean College of Information Sciences and Technology

Follow my blog! http://deanhallpass.wordpress.com

RESEARCH NEWS

Red Cell Lab on cutting-edge of security and risk analysisMilitary leaders understand that studying the adversary is an essential strategy to win the battle. Red cell analytics represents a framework for understanding the opposing point of view that can be applied to non-military areas such as politics, business, and crisis management. At the Red Cell Analytics Lab (RCA Lab) at Penn State’s College of Informa-tion Sciences and Technology (IST), students are developing solutions to a wide range of security and risk problems with the aid of cutting-edge technology.

The RCA Lab, directed by Col. Jake Graham (USMC Ret.), professor of practice in Security and Risk Analysis, utilizes a suite of analytic tools such as Arc-GIS, Analyst Notebook, 3-D visual analytics, Geo-Suite, Analysis of Competing Hypothesis and others, to explore and develop red-cell tactics, techniques and procedures.

The rise of online and distance education in recent years has brought quality learning to the masses but also presents challenges for educators and system designers. The shift from face-to-face interaction between instructors and students to computer-mediated forms of communication, according to Michael Marcinkowski, a doctoral candidate at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), highlights the importance of understanding how such interactions are affected by the way educational systems are designed.

How MOOCs are changing the natureof education

Read more research stories at

http://ist.psu.edu/news

Dr. Andrea Tapia, professor of Information Sciences and Technology was selected as a Distinguished Honors Faculty Fellow by the Schreyer Honors College for 2013-2015. Tapia will focus on further development of IST’s crisis informatics program and engagement events to draw in honors students from throughout the University who are interested in crisis informatics.

4 College of Information Sciences and Technology

RESEARCH NEWS

In recent years, social network sites such as Facebook have become hugely popular platforms that provide users with various features to facilitate social connectivity, information sharing and relationship development. However, the highly interactive nature of communication and data exchange on those sites has led to an increasing number of privacy concerns by users. Researchers at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) are studying interpersonal privacy issues on social network sites through the use of the Friendship Pages feature on Facebook.

“Friendly” privacy concerns on Facebook?

pva.org

Do veterans with disabilities have interest in IT careers? Dr. Eileen Trauth, a professor at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) has focused her research on the role of diversity and social inclusion in information technology (IT) and the IT professions throughout her career. She is now expanding her research into an area that has previously received little attention—the perceptions about careers in the IT field held by military veterans with disability.

Trauth received a grant to support her project, “Modeling IT Career Choices of Persons with Disabilities: The Case of Military Personnel and Veterans.” The grant is from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development, Research in Disabilities Education Program. The three-year project, in collaboration with Trauth’s colleagues at Washington State University, will involve about 500 to 600 veterans with disability who attend Penn State University, Washington State University, San Diego State University, Columbia College in Missouri, and other academic and veteran’s institutions.

5Spring 2013

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Playing for a Division 1A football team undoubtedly requires a lot of time, focus and dedication. How have you been able to achieve a balance between football and academics?

Initially it was definitely a struggle to balance football and academics, but with time I was able to familiarize myself with the time-management skills that were necessary to be successful.

What skills/lessons have you learned on the field that you have been able to transfer to your studies, or vice versa?

I’ve learned to apply discipline to things that are needed. On the field, discipline is needed to become a successful athlete. You must be able to train yourself to do the things that the average player wouldn’t do. This same discipline can be applied to the classroom when dealing with assignments and exams.

What drew you to the College of IST? At first, the College of IST wasn’t my initial choice. I wanted to be an architectural engineer but being that I attended a high school that specialized in technology, I felt as if I already had the upper hand in that area. I did a little research and found IST, which was something I was always interested in.

What did you gain from your summer internship at Minitab, Inc., a statistical software company?

I gained the experience of working with real-world issues. During my internship I worked with the marketing department to investigate various Digital Asset Management (DAM) products. I interacted with vendors and demoed multiple solutions so communication and the ability to work with other people was key. Being that this was my first job, the tasks that I

was required to complete instilled confidence in me.

What are your plans after you leave Penn State?

I would love to pursue my lifelong dream of making it to the NFL, but if that doesn’t work out I am more than happy with focusing on my IST career.

How do you think your IST education fits into your future goals?

My IST education most certainly helps me with my future goals of becoming a successful individual in the future. Ultimately I would like to make a lot of money loving what I’m doing, and I feel IST can put me on the correct path to attain that goal.

Balancing Academics and AthleticsiConnect sat down with Penn State Safety Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (IST ‘13)

to talk about balancing schoolwork, athletics, and his plans for the future.


STUDENT NEWS

IST THON's 2013 Corporate Associates competition winner announcedPricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is the winner of this year’s IST THON Corporate Associates competition. IST THON invited our 15 Corporate Associates to encourage their employees to donate to THON. The company with the highest contributions to IST THON by dance weekend were declared the winner. The support of PwC and all of our Corporate Associates propelled IST THON to be ranked ninth of 240 other student organizations in the “general club” category.

PwC was on campus to receive a certificate recognizing their winning efforts in supporting THON.

Thank you PwC, and all of our Corporate Associates, for your participation.

The IST student marshal for the Spring 2013 commencement, Benjamin T. Dodge, and the ROTC marshal, Douglas P. Tiffany, both have made their marks at the College of IST and the wider University community during their undergraduate years.

Dodge, of Reading, Pa., graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in IST, Software Design and Development Option, with a minor in German. He was also a university scholar in the Schreyer Honors College. At Penn State, he was a member of the IST Academic Committee, Penn State ACM, and German Club. He earned the President’s Freshman Award, the President Sparks Award, and the Evan Pugh Scholar Award. He completed internships at NAVTEQ and Microsoft. Following graduation, Dodge will be starting his career at the Next Century Corporation in Columbia, Maryland as a software engineer.

Tiffany, of Johnstown, Pa., graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in IST. Actively involved with the Penn State’s Air Force ROTC, he received the Military Order of the World Wars Award, which recognizes cadets at each Air Force ROTC detachment who demonstrate military/scholastic excellence and an outstanding desire to serve AFROTC and the United States. Tiffany earned dean’s list honors throughout his college career and held an internship with IBM. Following graduation and earning his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant, he will be working full-time for IBM as a public sector IT consultant until he enters active duty on Sept. 30, 2013. Once on active duty, he will attend specialized undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi to become a pilot in the Air Force.

IST recognizes student marshals

IST dean announces $50,000 gift to

establish scholarship David Hall, dean of Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), says he feels indebted to Penn State for the opportunities it has provided him, and would like to show that appreciation by easing the financial burdens of future IST students. To solidify that commitment, he recently finalized the documentation for an estate gift of $50,000 for the David L. Hall Scholarship in IST.

The $50,000 that Hall has pledged will be incorporated in his will, and will be dispersed as an endowment. The funds will be available to any undergraduate student in the College of IST.

The scholarship that Hall has established is in line with the goals of a campaign by the University to keep a Penn State degree affordable for students and families. For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students is directed toward a shared vision of Penn State as the most comprehensive, student-centered research university in America.

Hall says that he understands from personal experience the difference that a scholarship can make for a college student. As an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa in the mid-1960s, a scholarship helped him complete his education.

L-R: Brittany Hetzel, 2014 IST THON Committee Chair, Dustin Bartolomeo-Damon, Pwc Penn State Recruiter, Eric Brandman, Pwc’s Corporate Associate THON competition point of contact, and Adam Krempasky, 2013 IST THON Committee Chair

7Spring 2013

IST students get on the inside track to entrepreneurial success at Start-up Week

Start-up Week


Visionary entrepreneurs from around the country visited IST the week of March 18-23 to share their perspectives on creating cutting-edge products and services during the college’s second annual Start-up Week. The event, which was open to the public, featured more than 25 speakers and visitors from trailblazing companies such as Weebly, Reddit, Sincerely, Dropbox, Scribd, Socialcam, and SongSplits Solutions.

Start-up Week was conceived by the College of IST in 2012 as a celebration highlighting the success of young entrepreneurs and innovators in technology and security, and showcasing the possibilities that exist for enterprising students in the college to pursue their business ideas.

The speakers for this year’s Start-up Week provided lectures in IST classes, conducted workshops and hacking sessions, interacted with students, faculty and staff, and held town hall meetings. All presentations and discussions were video streamed live and recorded for access through Justin.tv (http://www.justin.tv/CollegeofIST). This year, IST collaborated with Penn State’s College of Engineering, the Smeal College of Business, and the College of Agricultural Sciences to provide an even more robust experience for event-goers.

“IST gave a lot to me and this is the least I can do, to come back and brag about it,” said Jimmy Mesta, a 2009 graduate of the College of IST with a degree in Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) and a senior

security engineer for Redspin, a security auditing and penetration testing company based in Carpinteria, California.

This year’s event kicked off with a presentation by Tripwire’s Rod Murchison (’91 Engineering), followedthroughout the week with lectures and exercises by Mediabarn’s Keith Deaven (’90, Liberal Arts) and Heather Gay; Innoblue’s Kathleen Warner (’14 Theatre and Advertising); Pamela Sorensen of Pamela’s Punch (’94 Liberal Arts); Redkite’s Brennan Burkhart (’99 BUS); Bryson Nobles (’04 Liberal Arts) of SongSplits Solutions; Digital Globe’s Todd Bacastow (’05 IST); Bob Morgan (’89 EE) of MorganFranklin; Brightly Digital’s Mark Tufano (’99 IST); David Rusenko (’07 IST), Chris Fanini (’12, IST) and Dan Veltri (‘07 BUS) – all of Weebly; Jimmy Mesta (’09 SRA) and David Carlino (’09 IST) of Redspin; Justin Kan of Justin.tv and TwitchTV; Rajiv Eranki, formerly of Dropbox; Steve Huffman of Reddit and Hipmunk; Tikhon Bernstam of Scribd and Parse; Socialcam’s Michael Seibel; and Matt Brezina (’03 EE) and David Hua (’04 Bus) of Sincerely.

9Spring 2013

O v E R H E A R D

“It’s just important to start some-thing — you learn a lot, it’s an im-portant process, and your first at-tempt most likely isn’t going to be your last attempt. Starting a com-pany is probably the best thing you can do for your résumé. In the early days one of the toughest things is choosing who you’re going to work with. Your company is truly defined by the people you hire. Ifyou get people passionate about your product one way or the other I think that’s a good sign.” — David Rusenko, (’07 IST) Weebly

“It’s pretty important that once you have an idea, to be able to execute that idea. No matter how cool your technology is, it doesn’t really matter if you can’t convince people to buy it. There are three kinds of stories to master: Stories that recruit, stories that sell, and stories that inspire. Facts tell, stories sell.” — Bryson A. Nobles, (’04 LIB) SongSplits Solutions


“I was honored to be asked to speak during Start-up Week,” said Tufano, founder of Brightly Digital, a digital studio based in New York City that creates and implements digital strategies to connect brands with their audiences. “I wish they had [this event] when I was here. I just think it’s the coolest concept.”

The speakers who came to Start-up Week stressed the importance of encouraging aspiring young entrepre-neurs to pursue their passions and advising them on how to achieve their goals.

“It’s great to get entrepreneurship into the minds of stu-dents,” said Veltri, chief product officer and co-founder of Weebly, a San Francisco-based company that offers simple tools to create a website, blog, or online store. Since its founding in 2006, the company has grown to more than 15 million users and powers more than two percent of all websites on the Internet.

“It’s really helpful to meet the students and to share those real-world experiences,” he added.

“I just had to say yes to this,” said Sorensen, founder of Pamela’s Punch LLC, a website that provides informa-tion for the “who, what, when, and where” of Washing-ton, D.C.’s elite social, professional, and philanthropic scene. “I’m at Start-up Week because I think that men-toring those that are interested in advancing themselves is completely important.”

O v E R H E A R D

“Never underestimate ‘working for the man’ as long as you have to. What really fed my soul was working for a smaller company. I saw where my input actually had output, and I liked that. I believe that one of the most important assets that you have is your relationships with other people. The way that the world works is referrals; utilize them. Learn from your past, embrace the present, anticipate the future.” — Pamela Sorensen, (’94 LIB) Pamela’s Punch

“People become experts as soon as a product is done and the first thing that goes off the budget is user research. As much as you think you know your audience and products, user research can in-crease your adoption rate if you do it right. Spend a small amount of money on user testing, figure out if people want and can use your product.” — Keith Deaven, (’90 LIB) Mediabarn

11Spring 2013

Start-up Week concluded with HackPSU’s 24-hour Hackathon that was held March 22-23 in the IST Building. The event, which is held once a semester, is organized by Innoblue, an interdisciplinary entrepreneurship group that helps individuals learn business and technical skills, launch their ideas, and develop as entrepreneurs.

The most recent Hackathon had about 160 participants who had 24 hours to “build whatever you want,” said Kathleen Warner, president of Innoblue. The teams built prototypes of mobile apps, websites, and hardware technology that they presented to a panel of judges that included Start-up Week speakers Matt Brezina, cofounder and CEO of Sincerely, a mobile gifting start-up whose mission is to “help the world be more thoughtful,” David Rusenko, co-founder and CEO of Weebly, who was named to Forbes’ “30 under 30” list in 2011 and 2012, and David Hua, head of platform at Sincerely.

There were 36 demonstrations at the Hackathon, Warner said, with attendees from Penn State as well as the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pennsylvania, among others. The first-place-winning team, which was comprised of students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Pitt, devised a smartphone application that enables them to take 3D pictures, and were awarded with a free trip to California.

“I like seeing the collaboration between all these schools,” Warner said. “This (event) has put Penn State on the map for Hackathons.”

O v E R H E A R D

“While you’re on campus, you have a ton of people who are willing to give you advice. Take advantage of it.” — Todd Bacastow, (’05 IST) DigitalGlobe

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with a team.” — David Hua, (’04 BUS) Sincerely

“Ideas are nothing without great execution.” — Tikhon Bernstam, Scribd and Parse

“The day I stop learning stuff in my job is the day when I stop doing it.” — Matt Brezina, (’03 EE) Sincerely

“It doesn’t matter who you are; it’s all about the value you can add.” — Kathleen Warner, (’14 THEA) Innoblue


13Spring 2013

As a consulting manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in New York City, Ray Mastre, a 2004 graduate of the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at the New Kensington campus, helps to reduce corporate risk by ensuring that employees are only doing what they should in large computer systems such as SAP. As an IST alumnus, he is dedicated to nurturing talent and building future leaders by recruiting for PwC through career fairs, individual mentoring, and speaking at Penn State New Kensington, Penn State University Park, and other Penn State campuses.

Q: What drew you to the College of IST?

Mastre: I always knew that I was interested in a technology career. Unfortunately, I was in a personal situation that prevented me from leaving home for college. Penn State New Kensington was close to home (Plum, PA) and offered me an opportunity to get a nationally known degree and personalized instruction close to home.

Q: What was your overall experience in IST?

Mastre: Extremely positive. Especially at New Kensington, where you have the opportunity to work closely with professors – it was a rewarding experience to work with professors that are extremely talented. I learned a lot from them. New Kensington

provides a very individual experience. The largest class I ever had was around 24 people.

Q: You are a consulting manager in the SAP Security/Governance Risk and Compliance Group at PwC. What do you like most about your job?

Mastre: A few things. First, my job changes daily. The problems companies face in my industry are always changing; therefore, what I’m asked to do is

Interview with Ray Mastre (’04 IST) of PricewaterhouseCoopers

Corporate Associates Q&A


rarely repetitive. Second, you’re able to build relationships with people from around the world. I started working with PwC in NYC in 2004. I was then offered a position with PwC Switzerland to help build an SAP Security practice in that market. I spent three-and-half years in Zurich, Switzerland, involving myself in everything from recruiting, to training, to delivering detailed security design work. My international experience has made me a much more diverse person. Most importantly to me: I’ve gotten fat from foods from all over the word!!

Q: What challenges do you face in your job?

Mastre: The biggest challenge is going where your clients are. I’m on the road a lot. You must learn to live within the lifestyle where you’re in a hotel three to four nights a week. And while it sounds like work/life balance may be an issue, PwC does a great job of allowing you to create your own path and focus on both your personal and professional life equally.

Q: How did you get to be so involved with your alma mater?

Mastre: I was student government president for two years at Penn State New Kensington. After I graduated, I served as an advisor to current students in NYC, served on the Penn State New Kensington Advisory Board, and was heavily involved with development.

I currently support the Penn State leadership fund at the New Kensington campus, which is geared towards building future student leaders through unique leadership experiences. Developing leaders is my passion, and providing opportunities for the talented students at the New Kensington campus is a priority.

Q: What attributes do you look for when you’re recruiting students?

Mastre: The ability to learn is the most important. This is normally reflected by GPA, which always

needs to meet a certain criteria. People and communication skills are next. Can you convey your ideas in an efficient and effective manner? Third is determining if the individual is a good fit for PwC. Individuals who are looking for an innovative, dynamic, and ever-changing environment where they will interact with some of the best and brightest consultants in the business will thrive at PwC.

Q: What advice would you give to students?

Mastre: In the working world, there is a great emphasis on public speaking, negotiation, and interviewing skills. If you can express yourself well, and you have a solid IT background, you’re going to be a very interesting candidate for any organization looking for young and innovative talent.

Q: What inspires you to recruit for PwC on Penn State campuses?

Mastre: I’m a first-generation college student. My family did not have the means to pay for my degree and I consider myself lucky to have such a great education. Getting an offer from PwC was above and beyond what I ever imagined would occur in my career. When I return to campus, I want to help the students I speak with to achieve the same level of career opportunity.

Additionally, while my career is still in full swing, I love being able to share lessons learned with current students and encourage Penn State IST graduates to aspire to work for one of the world’s top professional services firms. PwC is a highly regarded brand in the market and a great place to work.

To learn more about the IST Corporate Associates program, contact: Maureen T Kilian, Director of Major [email protected]

Corporate Associates Q&A

15Spring 2013

IST Around the State

Frank and Denise Marcos, parents of Penn State Worthington Scranton graduate Michael Marcos, ’10 IST, have established the Marcos Family Program Endowment in Information Sciences and Technology at the campus.

This new endowed fund will enhance the academic and educational environment for students within the IST discipline by helping to fund support of the IST Scholars’ Series and other visiting speakers; mentoring activities; special projects and programs; and faculty and student involvement.

Funds can also be used for joint undergraduate research, as some members of Worthington Scranton’s IST faculty are involved in both IST and interdisciplinary research that involves undergraduate students; participation in and attendance at conferences so students can travel to program conferences to share their research experiences and participate in conference activities; the IST Future Forum and Pro Expo, which are recruiting events that allow students to explore career and

internship opportunities; as well as corporate field trips.

“The faculty and students express our appreciation to the Marcos family for their thoughtfulness and generosity,” said Dr. Debra Smarkusky, IST program coordinator and associate professor. “The Marcos IST Endowment will provide academic and professional

opportunities that will enhance the learning and experiences for current and future IST students at Penn State Worthington Scranton.” —Amy Gruzesky, Coordinator of Community Relations and Communications, Penn State Worthington Scranton

Denise and Frank Marcos, seated, were recently presented with a traditional Nittany Lion statue for their establishment of the Marcos Family IST Program Endowment at Penn State Worthington Scranton. Standing, from left, are: Dr. Mary-Beth Krogh-Jespersen, PSWS chancellor; Mike Marcos, a 2010 PSWS IST alum; PSWS Director of Development Maria Russoniello; and Dr. Deb Smarkusky, PSWS IST program coordinator and associate professor of IST. Photo: Deb Johnson

Marcos family establishes IST program endowment


IST Around the State

For the last four years Lisa Reeves Bertin, instructor of IST, and her students at Penn State Shenango have been giving back to their community.

The Shenango Info Tech Club hosts two computer recycling events in the fall and the spring collecting old machines from the public.

Through the IST 225 PC Hardware Basics course machines are refurbished by students and then donated to a local charity that provides a basic technology skills course. Attendees that successfully complete the course, can keep their refurbished computer. To date over 100 machines have been donated.

Computer recycling events benefit community

Berks student learns about federal security during beltway internship

Scott Lohin, a student at the Penn State Berks campus double-majoring in Information Sciences and

Technology and Security and Risk Analysis, got a taste of working in high-level government security during an internship this spring in the Executive Office of the President (EOP), a federal agency in Washington, D.C.

The EOP was created in 1939 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide the President with the support that he or she needs to govern effectively. Overseen by the White House Chief of Staff, the EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President’s message to the American people to promoting U.S. trade interests abroad.

Within the EOP, Lohin worked in the Office of Administration, specifically, the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), which provides unclassified technology services to all components of the EOP.

“I have been assisting the Deputy CIO, so I have been able to see IT from more of a business perspective,” said Lohin, who expects to graduate in 2014. “It has been

interesting, because I’m used to the hands-on work. This has given me an entirely different view of it.”

While interning at the EOP, Lohin said, he has also had the opportunity to work with all the different branches of the office.

“For example, there have been a few projects where the OCIO has been interested in implementing changes to either products or processes. So, I gathered information from branch chiefs and pieced together what they were all doing,” he said. “And then I threw in some of my own research and knowledge into that and reported to the Deputy CIO.”

His internship also included working part of the week in the Security Operations Center (SOC), where he assisted with network monitoring and analysis.

“That has been a great learning experience,” he said. “Learning about security and using it in a real environment can be two very different things. Most times that you add security you remove usability or add costs. Seeing how they deal with that has been very interesting.”

17Spring 2013

An alumnus reflects on Redspin, a life-changing internship, and hands-on hobbies.

Catching up withJimmy Mesta (’09 SRA)

For Jimmy Mesta (’09), a senior security engineer for Redspin, an auditing and penetration company based in Carpinteria, Calif., majoring in Security and Risk Analysis (SRA) at the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) was a natural fit. Mesta, who was a featured speaker at this year’s IST Start-up

Week, says that his lifelong interest in technology was nurtured and developed at the College of IST, which led to enriching experiences and career opportunities.

Mesta, who grew up outside of Pittsburgh and started off building websites as a hobby in high school, says that he was drawn to

Alumni Profile


the College of IST out of an “interest in technology at a pretty young age, and having family that could identify it and help me pick a major that helped me suit my needs.” He decided to major in SRA when the major was first introduced.

“SRA was just a new challenge,” he said. “Seeing people who could hack things and find vulnerabilities, offensively, was pretty cool. And I knew it was very new and upcoming and just a good position to be in.”During his college career, Mesta was an executive board member of the SRA Club, a member of the Future Forum Committee, and a contributor to the Magazine of IST. While reflecting on his time at IST, Mesta said he remembers “lots of group work, lots of clubs, and just becoming more mature and savvier with my time management.”

During the summer of 2007, Mesta had the opportunity to do an internship through IST in Grenada, which he called “one of the most uncertain things to happen in my life.” While he was on the island, he was part of a team of five that taught the JAVA programming language to secondary school students.

“Grenada had a problem of outsourcing IT jobs,” he said. “Nobody on the island knew how to program. We went to every single secondary school in Grenada in three months, teaching a crash course. It was a crazy experience.”

Following graduation and a summer internship with the company the previous year, Mesta accepted a full-time position with Agilent Technologies in Colorado Springs, Colo. He then spent the next two years working in network and application security.

Mesta then decided to take a more focused approach on web application security testing and moved to Santa Barbara, where he now works for Redspin.

In contrast to Agilent, which has about 15,000 to 17,000 employees, Redspin employs 15 people. As a senior security engineer, Mesta performs technical vulnerability assessments on web applications for banks, hospitals, and Fortune 500 organizations. When dealing with clients, Mesta said, the company will typically ask Redspin employees to assess the security of an application.

“I use a number of different tools and techniques to break the application,” he said. “I package that information and give a report to the client and they’re either happy or sad. We don’t fix stuff. We’re a team of super highly technical people, and that’s it.”

Recently, Mesta said, Redspin has “made a huge push towards doing HIPAA risk assessment.” The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its regulations (the “Privacy Rule” and the “Security Rule”) protect the privacy of an individual’s health information and govern the way certain health care providers and benefits plans collect, maintain, use, and disclose protected health information.

For the immediate future, Mesta says that he plans to “stick with Redspin for a while,” and may pursue security research as a consultant or speaker. When he’s not hacking web applications or writing code, he runs a coffee roasting business with his girlfriend, Lindsey. He and Lindsey are also board members of the Santa Barbara Mountain Bike Volunteers, and make leather goods for people. “I like doing stuff with my hands,” he said.

As for advice to current students in the College of IST, Mesta says that they should get a foot in the door in their chosen field by following a security/IT professional they admire on blogs and/or Twitter, and asking that professional about his or her work. “Just do your own little interviews,” he said.

Alumni Profile

19Spring 2013

First and foremost, let me personally congratulate all of our newly graduated IST alumni, and invite you to be a part of the greatest alumni association in the world. For those who attended the IST graduation ceremony at University Park, you may recall that I gave each of you one free year of membership in the Penn State Alumni Association. This is not done lightly, and you should not take this for granted. This membership has many great advantages for new graduates including: access to career services after graduation for as long as you are a member, a subscription to the Penn Stater magazine to help you stay connected with your fellow alumni, Penn State license plates, and much more. Try taking the free year of membership for a spin, and see what you think. I’m always happy to help out if you have any questions. Once again, welcome to The Pride!

The past few months have been quite busy for the IST Alumni Society. March saw the arrival of IST Start-up Week, and the return of alumni who have chosen an entrepreneurial career path. We featured some incredible IST alums including Todd Bacastow (‘05), David Carlino (‘09), Chris Fanini (‘12), Jimmy Mesta (‘09), David Rusenko (‘07), and Mark Tufano (‘09). In addition to these IST Alums, the 2012 Penn State Alumni Association Alumni Achievement Award recipient for IST, Dan Veltri (Bus ‘07), presented to students. Lastly, two of our biggest advocates, and IST Advisory Board members, Bob Morgan (EE ‘89), and Rod Murchison (Eng ‘91), spoke to students across the University during the week. The turnout of IST friends and alumni at IST Start-up Week is a shining example of how committed and successful our graduates are.

In April, we enjoyed the annual return of a Penn State tradition: Blue & White Weekend. This year’s Blue & White tailgate was quite possibly the best in our society’s history. We had a record turnout from alumni, advisory board members, students, faculty, and staff. In my 9-year history with the society, I can’t remember a better-attended tailgate, with the amount of networking, good food, and games that we had.

I’d like to personally thank our Alumni Relations Committee, as well as the IST Staff who supported this event, for their outstanding work! Even with the most bizarre weather we saw all month (it was sunny, then rained, snowed, and hailed, with blowing wind all morning), our team came together to produce a great event. On Sunday of Blue & White Weekend, we held our annual spring meeting, hosting alumni and IST seniors at the IST Building, as well as in a virtual capacity. I’m very happy to be able to announce our two newest IST Alumni Society Board members, Garrett Miller as our Alumni Relations Chair, and Adam Krempasky as our Current Students Chair. We expect great things from both Garrett and Adam in the next few years to come! I would also like to officially announce our new THON chair under the Fundraising committee, Colleen Cwenar. Colleen led IST Alumni in an outstanding effort over the last few months to help IST THON achieve record-breaking results. I’m very excited about the great things we have done, and that we will do over the next year!

As you look back on your spring, most of you reading this likely attended at least one of these events. Being a part of the Penn State Alumni Association and IST Alumni Society afford all of us with these incredible experiences. As always, if you are interested in becoming more active in the IST Alumni Society, please reach out and let me know. We would love to have you on our team!

Paul Horn ('04 IST)President, IST Alumni Society

IST Alumni Society News

Looking Back


Chris Catalano, (’04 IST) was promoted to Global Program Manager for the Information Technology Leadership Program (ITLP) at General Electric (GE). Chris will be responsible for driving the strategic direction of ITLP to ensure alignment with the changing needs of GE’s IT organization as they develop the future pipeline of IT Leaders.

Nick Giacobe, (’07 IST) passed Ph.D. examination and graduated with his second IST degree in May. He is continuing at IST as a faculty researcher and instructor (non-tenure track), and teach-ing SRA 231 (Decision Theory) in the classroom and IST 220 (Networking) online. Nick will continue studying social media in extreme events and cyber security situation awareness.

David Merida, (’07 IST) is now a System Administrator with Dynamics Research Corporation.

Joe Esteves, (’10 IST) announced his engagement.

Interested in a Penn State Alumni Association Life Membership?

Starting July 1st this year, life membership in the Penn State Alumni Association will go up in cost, for the first time in over a decade. If you have been thinking about becoming a life member, please contact Paul Horn ([email protected]) ASAP for more information. Costs for both single and joint life memberships will be increasing, to cover the increasing costs of some of the great benefits you can receive as a member. Additionally, the Penn State Alumni Association has contributed almost $2 million in student scholarships over the past 6 years, with some of your membership dues making this possible. This great cause will help pave the way for future Penn Staters to afford the outstanding education we have all been so fortunate to receive.


21Spring 2013

Berardi receives Penn State Outstanding IST Alumni AwardSince graduating from Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) in 2003, Nick Berardi has made his mark in the areas of open source software development, consult-ing and cloud-based computing. In honor of his achievements, he was re-cently recognized by the College of IST as the first recipient of the Penn State Outstanding IST Alumni Award.

“I feel humbled to receive the award because I had such a great time at Penn State and IST in particular,” said Berardi, owner of Managed Fusion, an information technology consulting firm based in Collegeville, Pa. that serves clients throughout the U.S. “It’s sort of icing on the cake.”

In commemoration of the 10-year an-niversary of its first graduating class, the College of IST recently established the Penn State Outstanding IST Alum-ni Award to recognize graduates who have reached exceptional levels of pro-fessional achievement. The purpose of the Penn State IST Alumni Society Award is to recognize and reward out-standing IST alumni for their success as leaders in their professional field and for the impact they have had and will continue to have on society and their profession. Eligibility for the award is limited to individuals who have grad-uated from the University at least 10 years prior.

“Nick is the epitome of what being an IST alum is all about,” said Paul Horn, president of the IST Alumni Society. “This 10-year anniversary is monu-mental, and shows the longevity and impact that the IST program has had.”

Horn, a 2004 IST graduate, is the HP/Microsoft Private Cloud Sales Manager for the Americas at HP.

In 2012, Horn said, Berardi and his wife, Melinda, created the Open Source Scholarship for the College of IST, “showing their support of the great program we have, while keeping the needs of future generations in mind.”

Berardi, who received a Microsoft MVP award in June 2012, has over twelve years of experience developing soft-ware and over ten years of experience developing applications for the web. Following graduation from the Col-lege of IST, he moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for Lockheed Martin and Yellowbook. In 2005, he founded Managed Fusion, where he works by himself and specializes in helping com-panies scale the cloud and creating cutting-edge retail point-of-sale and e-commerce applications. Previously, he served as CTO and co-founder of Idea Pipe, a social collaboration tool that allows members to share ideas and track their progress across their enterprises. He has also worked for Vo-veo as director of technology services.

“I’m really about helping companies achieve what they want to achieve,” Berardi said.

Berardi said that consulting leaves him a lot of free time to focus on his passions. To fill some of that time, he writes on his blog, Coder Journal (www.coderjournal.com), which receives about 25,000 page views monthly. He enjoys writing about cloud computing, scalable computing, software usability and anything that captures his interest on a given day. In addition to writing on his blog, he hosts a bi-weekly podcast, Seriously Open (www.seriouslyopen.com), with some other hosts, includ-ing Phil Haack of ASP.NET MVC fame, Dale Ragan, and Justin Rusbatch. In the podcast, they “discuss open-source software development with some of the industries’ brightest developers.”

Berardi was honored with the Penn State Outstanding IST Alumni Award at a luncheon on June 2 at the Nittany Lion Inn, during the Penn State Alum-ni Association’s Traditional Reunion Weekend.



Outstanding IST Alumni Award c e l e b r a t e s milestone

Outstanding IST Alumni Award c e l e b r a t e s milestone

1. IST Open House, held April 5th. IST welcomed over 100 prospective familes.

2. Women of Distinction award ceremony

3. IST Alums enjoy Blue-White weekend

(Photo: Paul Horn Photography)

4. IST Future Forum, held January 30th

5. Finals Week

6. IST for the Kids raised $56,512.79 and ranked 9th for “general organization” fundraising

7. Students celebrate at IST Honors Ball

8. Commencement Ceremony, May 4th (Photo: Adam Stavely)

9. Professor of Practice Jake Graham is the receipient of the 2011-2012 George J. McMurtry Excellence in Teaching and Learning award. (L-R: Margaret and George McMurtry, Jake Graham, and Dean Dave Hall)

10. IST Advisory Board Member Robert Bardusch and daughter (Photo: Paul Horn Photography)

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23Spring 2013

Produced by the College of Information Sciences andTechnologyOfficeofCommunicationsandOutreach.

The Pennsylvania State UniversityInformation Sciences and Technology BuildingUniversity Park, PA 16803-6822http://ist.psu.edu

Documents

iConnect Spring 2013