Computer Information Systems

The outstanding advisors are, top row from left, Todd Coburn, Alyssa Lang, Ann Lara, Gregory Carlton, Carolina Sanchez, Michelle (Myongjee) Yoo; bottom row from left, Cheryl Love, Claudia García-Des Lauriers, Pamela Adams, James Yokoyama and José M. Aguilar-Hernández. Not pictured: Bonny Burns-Whitmore and Wei-Jen Lin. Photo credit: Jay Ebue.

Outstanding Advisors Recognized at Awards Ceremony

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Cal Poly Pomona honored the 2016-2017 outstanding advisors for their dedication to student success at the annual awards reception on May 4 in the Bronco Student Center.

The awards recognized exceptional faculty and staff advisors, as well as one outstanding advising program.

Outstanding Faculty Advisors
Bonny Burns-Whitmore (Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture, human nutrition and food science)
Gregory H. Carlton (College of Business Administration, computer information systems)
José M. Aguilar-Hernández (College of Education & Integrative Studies, ethnic and women’s studies)
Todd D. Coburn (College of Engineering, aerospace engineering)
Alyssa Lang (College of Environmental Design, art)
Michelle (Myongjee) Yoo (The Collins College of Hospitality Management, hospitality management)
Claudia García-Des Lauriers …

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Johnathan McGowan and Kevin Li developed a product that allows students to take notes on their books and also protect the value of their texts.

Students Devise Note-Taking Product for Next Chapter of Education

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Kevin Li and Johnathan McGowan saw classmates jotting down notes on their textbooks. The only problem was that the pen marks ruined their costly books.

Li, who is studying computer information systems, and McGowan, a second-year management and human resources major, saw a niche and devised a product that allows students to take notes on their books and also protect the value of their texts.

The College of Business Administration entrepreneurs founded TakeNote Global, the manufacturer of ultra-thin sheets of plastic with a low-tack pressure adhesive on one side and a proprietary film that allows notes to be written on the surface.

McGowan says the sheets will be available …

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Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency, details current threats to the nation’s cybersecurity.

Nation’s Cybersecurity Commander Sheds Light on Intelligence Agency

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The commander of national cyber operations delivered a blunt assessment of threats against the United States while making a patriotic call for the next generation of digital specialists to join the government’s battle against hackers.

“You can pull out any media outlet that you like and on any day you’re going to find (reporting about) something (online that has) been penetrated, hacked, stolen, manipulated,” Adm. Michael S. Rogers, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency since 2014, told an engaged audience at the Bronco Student Center on Feb. 15.

“One of my challenges is being responsible for defending networks in the U.S. government …

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Cal Poly Pomona students Raissa Englehard, clockwise from bottom, Nate Hom, Joe Needleman and Jose Ybanez built a device that replicated the functions of a water-treatment plant for the Passcode Cup cybersecurity competition.

Students Build Device for Inaugural Passcode Hacking Competition

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The last thing that Joe Needleman expected at a cyber security competition was for the showdown to get shut down because of a real-life hacker.

Needleman and Nate Hom represented a team of Cal Poly Pomona students at the inaugural Passcode Cup hacking competition in Washington, D.C. The Passcode Cup aims to diversify and train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, and also offers networking opportunities for students and a recruitment venue for industry leaders.

Ironically, as Needleman and Hom were setting up a device they built for the competition, a major denial of service attack shut down the server that provides internet access to a wide swath of the …

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Computer science student Paul Chiou hopes to one day create more mainstream technology that offers people with disabilities the ability to excel.

Paul Chiou Hopes to Bring Computer Accessibility to the Ones in Most Need

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Joy is the first word that comes to mind when talking with third-year computer science student Paul Chiou. He has an infectious personality combined with a wickedly dry sense of humor. He’s also quadriplegic and spends his day in a wheelchair.

Although Chiou’s journey has been filled with significant detours and curves, he remains enthusiastic about life and passionate about learning. Many would crumble under the weight of his challenges, but he handles his life with a positive demeanor.

It’s a weight Chiou has carried since 2000 when he, then a sophomore in high school, was hit by a car while riding his bike home. His injury left him with …

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Jose Ybanez monitors network traffic during Cal Poly Pomona’s first place finish at the Western Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition on March 18-19 at Fairplex.

Cyber Defense Team Advances to National Championship

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The Cal Poly Pomona cyber defense team has earned a coveted spot in the 2016 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition after winning the western regional finals.

Cal Poly Pomona students defeated teams from universities that included Stanford and UC Berkeley in a two-day competition on March 18 and19 at Fairplex.

At the competition, student teams were tasked with securing and maintaining servers and workstations, managing data, administering users, and performing common business-related and administrative tasks while fending off attacks from a live opposition team.

These are the same kind of headline-making attacks that have infiltrated computer networks at major retailers, corporations, social networks and financial institutions.

“It is critical that …

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The"Women in IT:Why You Should Become One" symposium is set for Jan. 29.

Symposium on Jan. 29 Targets Female Students in High-Tech Majors

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Educators, students and IT industry experts will convene at Cal Poly Pomona’s College of Business Administration for the “Women in IT: Why You Should Become One” symposium.

Hosted by the Mitchell C. Hill Center for Applied Business Information Technology (MCHABIT), the one-day event Friday, Jan. 29 aims to explore trends in tech fields for women.

“Research has shown the disparity of women in professional computing gets worse each year,” says Drew Wang, director of MCHABIT. “We know there’s a problem and, hopefully, events like this help in finding a solution.”

The symposium will feature testimonials from industry insiders about the benefits of working in the tech sector and …

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Avanade, a leading global provider of innovative digital services and business solutions, has pledged nearly $400,000 to Cal Poly Pomona over the next five years for five scholarships for women.

Avanade Pledges Five $15,000 Scholarships for Women in Information Technology

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Efforts to bolster the ranks of women studying information technology at Cal Poly Pomona received a tremendous boost after Avanade, a leading global provider of innovative digital services and business solutions, pledged nearly $400,000 over the next five years for five scholarships.

The $15,000 Avanade Women in Information Technology Scholarships will be awarded in the fall quarter to students majoring in computer information systems or computer science. The scholarships are renewable for up to five years, and funds can go toward tuition, fees, books, parking, and room and board.

Cal Poly Pomona is the only university in the United States selected by Avanade to participate in the scholarship program. …

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Susan and Paul Lebowitz, holding a photo of their son, James, with scholarship recipient Thomas Sedlak.

Computer Science Scholarship Honors Life of James Lebowitz

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A crusade by parents to establish a scholarship in the memory of their late son has been achieved with the inaugural James Lebowitz Memorial Computer Science Scholarship.

Thomas Sedlak, a sophomore computer science student, was awarded the $2,000 scholarship at a ceremony in the College of Science on July 8. The scholarship will be awarded annually to an undergraduate.

The scholarship drive began after the death of James Lebowitz, a freshman computer science student, in January. His parents wanted to honor his memory and give back to a campus community that welcomed their son with open arms. In 100 days, the parents raised $50,000 to endow the scholarship.

Between twinges …

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Vaughn Lucas

In Memoriam: Vaughn Lucas

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Longtime Cal Poly Pomona employee Vaughn Lucas died Monday, Jan. 19, after battling cancer. He was 60.

An instructional support assistant in academic technology, Lucas worked for the university for 27 years. He also served as a lecturer, teaching classes in computer and management information systems in the College of Business Administration.

In addition, he spent seven years as the California State University Employees Chapter 319 labor representative for Bargaining Unit 9. And he served as the chapter vice president for the last three years.

Lucas is survived by his wife, Dorian; their six children; and four grandchildren.

A funeral will be held on Saturday, Jan. 24, at 11 …

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