Information Technology and Web Science at RPI

In 2011 the idea of having a space for ITWS students to collaborate on different projects had begun to form. Through the work of the students, faculty, and staff, along with resources from the ITWS Advisory Board, that idea has now grown to become a place where ideas get created, fostered, and turned into something that students can call their own.

This year 22 Information Technology and Web Science students (both undergraduates and graduates) were inducted into Gamma Nu Eta(GNH) , the Information Technology Honor Society! More information about GNH can be found here .

Hi everyone! My name is Lindsay Poirier, and I love Africa! I should explain. About a year and half ago, I had an epiphany. I want to go to Africa. It was strange. I had never wanted to go to Africa before; I had never even thought of it. It was just this random urge that overcame me. I was signed up with a volunteer program by the end of the following day. Since that fateful night, I have spent two of my winter breaks providing care and education for the orphans at Living Water Children Centre (LWCC) in Arusha, Tanzania. As a volunteer, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the Tanzanian culture – eating the way they eat, sleeping the way they sleep, commuting the way they commute, living the way they live, and so on. Have you ever heard the term ‘culture shock’? Well, it’s real. When I landed in Tanzania for the first time, I could only think about how beautiful everything was. It looked exactly like the National Geographic pictures and travel documentaries....

Gilbert and Hendler Selected as 2011 AAAS Fellows  Two members of the Rensselaer science faculty have been selected as fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Susan Gilbert, professor and head of biology, and James Hendler, senior constellation professor in the Tetherless World Constellation and head of the information technology and web science program, are two of the 539 newly selected AAAS fellows. They were recognized for their efforts to advance science or its applications that are deemed scientifically or socially distinguished, according to AAAS. The announcement was made in the Dec. 23, 2011, issue of the journal  Science . “Professors Hendler and Gilbert represent two of the strongest and most innovative minds in higher education.” —President Shirley Ann Jackson In the announcement, AAAS cites Gilbert for distinguished contributions to our mechanistic understanding of microtubule-dependent molecular motor ATPases involved in cell m...

Last summer Lorena worked as an IT Business Analyst Intern for the Cisco LatAm Regional IT Team in San Hose, California.  She continued working as an intern part time when she returned to school in Fall 2011.   Congratulations to Lorena Valentin for winning the Cisco Team Spotlight   award at the CITS (Connected IT Services) Quarterly FY’12 Q2 All Hands meeting.  The award was presented by the V.P. of Information Technology, Guillermo Diaz in San Jose, CA on January 19, 2012. The project that received the award was started and organized by her Fall 2011 MITR team Effective Solutions, included Bill Wenrich, Steve DiPalermo, Michael Villeneuve, and Lorena.  It was supported, implemented and completed by the Latin America IT team (also known as LatAm IT) composed of Diego Barrozo, Yandhira Rosillo, Sandra Fiorentini and Director Ileana Rivera. Lorena will be joining Cisco full time after her graduation this May as an IT Business Analyst - CANSAC Business ...

The IT honors society is putting together a career coaching program for the ENTIRE SCHOOL. The event is on February 6th from 8pm to ~10pm in DCC 330. Why you should go: Members of GNH will be giving career tips and advice, specifically on the following topics: preparing for the career fair, applying for jobs, keeping in contact with recruiters, how to write a professional email, interview skills, and resume advice. But here's the best part: Students at RPI will also have the chance to "adopt" a member of GNH who will be their personal career coach. A coach and a student will exchange contact information, and for the rest of the semester, the coach will be available to students any time they have a question, and will assist students with every step in the job-getting process: resume critiquing, editing cover letters, preparing for the career fair/interviews. There will be a meet&greet and Q&A after the lecture.  Don't hesitate to email the event coordinat...

Severino Center Launches Foundry-RPI The  Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship  is launching Foundry-RPI, a working group where entrepreneurs can meet weekly, get peer feedback, and execute on ideas in an environment in which it is both expected that you are trying to do awesome things and it is okay to fail.  The Foundry-RPI program will continue through summer 2012. Student teams can engage in the program either for course credit or in an internship setting. Small grants are available for the internship option. The Foundry system was developed by an RPI graduate now at the University of Utah and includes a proven method for structuring business incubation.  A key advantage of leveraging the Foundry system is the weath of resources available online. For more information on the Foundry program,   view these videos . An information session will be held on Tuesday, January 24th at 6:00 pm in room 104 in the Lally Building.   RSVP to the Faceboo...