Information Technology and Web Science at RPI

Madeline is a junior at RPI majoring in IT & Web Science with a concentration in Management Information Systems. She chose the ITWS program because she was more interested in the interaction between people and computer technology instead of coding all the time. She thinks the emphasis of the ITWS program on group work and projects affords the opportunity to learn much about real world issues and values. Madeline thinks the ITWS program offers a good mix of courses from IT and management and this will definitely help her achieve a career in IT project management. Her leadership skills are also developed through the experience gained from project-work and meeting people from non-technical backgrounds. Madeline would like to see more women pursuing this program. When asked if she would recommend this program to her friends, Madeline said: “Absolutely I would recommend ITWS program to my friends, I think if you are not necessarily looking for a career in IT. In fact, y

Recently we had a chat with Michelle, who is pursuing the ITWS major in RPI. Michelle came to RPI as Computer Science major and switched to the ITWS program a year later to concentrate in Web technology. One of the reasons she made the switch to ITWS program was because it is a smaller program than computer science and it feels more like a family. She has a great adviser who is like a mother in the organization. There are only 120 undergraduates and she knows every person in the program, which makes it easier to reach out for help. Another reason to like ITWS program is because it offers a blend or mix between computer science and management. Students can get to develop business, social and presentation skills while also learning all about technology, like writing code or software. Moreover, Michelle considers all courses are of great value. When asked if she would recommend this program to her friends, Michelle said: “Absolutely, I will, it’s really across the board,

Recently we had a chat with Alex, a student majoring in ITWS at RPI with a dual major in Computer Science.  We asked him a few questions that we hope can help you learn a bit more about the ITWS program at RPI ( http://itws.rpi.edu ) [ITWS] Why did you choose the IT Web Science program? [Alex] First got accepted as a CS major, but later talked with Prof.  Hendler, who was the head of the IT program at the time, and found his research and classes interesting and decided to choose a dual major in CS & IT [ITWS] What features of the program do you like best? Or what is the value of the program? [Alex] One of the main values is that it is interdisciplinary and allows you to see the world outside of technology and see the big picture [ITWS] Give us a brief description about your career goals and how will the ITWS program help you achieve that goal? [Alex] My plans are to pursue a MS of PhD in Computer Science. In this respect the IT program has helped in givin

“What Are Climate Models Good For?” Dr. Gavin Schmidt, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Vollmer W. Fries Lecture Series Friday, April 19th 4 - 6:00 p.m., EMPAC Concert Hall The School of Science is pleased to welcome Dr. Gavin Schmidt , deputy chief at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, as part of the Vollmer W. Fries lecture series and in conjunction with the 2013 Rensselaer Earth Week Sensing Environments festival. Dr. Schmidt will present a lecture on the use of climate models to explain current climate change and predict future climate scenarios. He will also examine the performance, credibility, and limitation of the models related to the assessment of short-term climate variability, the response of the climate system to external factors, and paleo-climate information. As a leader in climate science and modeling, Dr. Schmidt’s research interests lie in understanding the variability of the climate, both its inter

The ITWS program went to NYC to visit alumni at Google and the new Deloitte offices at 30 Rockefeller.  We also took a walking tour and finished the day with a networking reception at Pete's Tavern.  Approximately 25 alumni came to meet us at Pete's. Thanks to everyone for making this a wonderful trip. All the photos from NYC can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/105498377668939317246/ITWSNYCTripApril2013?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKinxuDq_9xL&feat=directlink

Colleagues, friends, students in the CS and ITWS programs,   My congratulations to the ITWS Program for besting the computer science department in the "official" part of the Tug-of-war held today.  I have conceded defeat and with the losing of the bet, I will be sweating for hours in the summer sun helping Peter do his landscaping work instead of him coming to work on mine.   i wish I had known that Peter had been a tug-of-war team member when he was in school (he didn't mention that to me until after the bout :-))    Congrats again, and as the attached shows, it's an important Web Science result that you just cannot believe everything you read in wikipedia.    Cheers    JIm Hendler    CS Dept Head p.s. Wait until next year!!

Quick snapshot of the ITWS vs. CS Tug-o-War from this morning.  ITWS are the reigning champions.  Can't wait for next year's match!