This series is brought to you by the Computer Science and Information Technology department at Virginia Western Community College. As part of our committment to community outreach and lifelong learning, this series open to the public at no charge.
All meetings are held on Monday evenings at 630pm! To join Spring 2025’s CS Scholars events, register at the link below. Registering one time gives you the information to join any and all meetings:
https://vccs.zoom.us/meeting/register/75zuZSLgSUy_HqRkqRm1cw
| Date (always Monday): | Presenter | Topic |
| January 27 | Courtney Palmer, Technical Recruiter at TEKsystems Video | Resume & Interview Tips: What Employers Look For |
| February 10 | Chloe Hausser, VPT Video | The Customer is always wrong: A day in the Life of an IT Support Analyst |
| February 24 | Monta Elkins Video | Why Industrial Control Systems are the Most Important Technology You don’t know about. |
| March 24 | Nathan Sprague, James Madison University Video | Deep Metric Learning for the Identification of Ancient Roman Coins |
| April 7 | Alfred Wicks, Virginia Tech Video | Autonomy and the Digital Twin |
Courtney Palmer
Courtney Palmer is a Technical Recruiter at TEKsystems, where she has been a part of the team for the past three years. Courtney graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in both Marketing and Business Management, providing her with a strong foundation in strategic thinking and business acumen. In her role, Courtney specializes in supporting a diverse range of development skillsets, focusing on the DMV area.
Monta Elkins
Monta is a recognized expert in OT cybersecurity with engagements around the world including France, Sweden, Qatar, UK, Oman, Australia, Finland. Monta was recognized as the OT CyberSecurity Professional of the Year 2018 by EnergySec. He is a Principal Instructor for the SANS Institute teaching OT cybersecurity. He has presented at over 70 security conferences and events including RSA, Defcon, S4, SANS ICS Summit, EnergySec, GridSecCon, ICS Cybersecurity, Hack the Capital, BSidesLV, ICS Village, Protect our Power, CrisisCon, PAINE, Hollywood Hackfest, Hardware.io, Hack-the-Railroad and many others. He has been interviewed on podcasts, the subject of news stories, referenced in Cybersecurity textbooks and featured on Hackaday and Wired.com. Monta is an ICS Cybersecurity U.S. patent grantee, and cybersecurity training class author, writing various classes including his most recent 5-day “Hardware Hacking Essentials” class.
Dr. Nathan Sprague
Dr. Nathan Sprague is a Professor of Computer Science at James Madison University. He completed his undergraduate degree in Computer Science at Brown University and received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Rochester. Dr. Sprague teaches and conducts research in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Robotics. He is the coordinator of the JMU Robotics Minor and serves as one of two faculty transfer advisors for the JMU Computer Science Department.
Dr. Wicks
Dr. Wicks received his Ph.D. from Michigan Tech University. Since joining the faculty of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Virginia Tech in 1986, Dr. Wicks has developed numerous techniques for applying scanning laser technology to dynamics measurements. He has taught numerous courses on signal processing, instrumentation, modal analysis and vibrations.
Wicks has lead the autonomous vehicle teams for the DARPA Challenges and continues his work leading the AutoDrive Challenge team. Funded research in unmanned systems involves sensing technologies, navigation strategies, and wireless communications in cooperation with the Marine Corp Warfighting Lab.
Current teaching interests involve two graduate courses in Mechatronics, and Digital Signal Processing and undergraduate courses in Building Winning Teams, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies
He is also served the Technical Chairman of the International Modal Analysis Conference for 25 years
Fall 2024 Series
| September 9 | Jessica Engman Video Here | Habit, Tribal Knowledge, and Documentation: Good processes and checklists might sound boring, but they’re critical to enterprise stability and consistency |
| September 23 | Ben Lamb Video Here | What the Heck Just Happened? The Surprising Success of Machine Learning (AI) Algorithms |
| October 7 | Mary Nerayo Video Here Slides Here | Data Wars: Using and Abusing Your Personal Information |
| October 21 | Sunshine Richards Video Here Slides Here | Customer Experience in the Tech Industry: Why It Matters. |
| November 4 | Lizz Boice Video Here Slides Here | Cybersecurity Automation |
| November 18 | Canceled |
Sunshine Richards is a Project Manager at PowerSchool, where she manages strategic initiatives and communications for the Chief Customer Officer and Customer Experience team. With over a decade of teaching experience and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, Sunshine has a deep passion for education and communication. She has worked in curriculum development and project management roles in both education and corporate settings and is excited to bring that experience to Virginia Western.
Lizz Boice is a Senior Security Automation Engineer at Zoox with 14 years of experience in IT and Cybersecurity. She got her start as a high school intern doing desktop support at a defense manufacturing company, which has blossomed into a unique and exciting career. Before joining Zoox, Lizz worked as a cybersecurity consultant at MorganFranklin Cyber and Palo Alto Networks helping various organizations build, mature, and automate their cybersecurity operations.
Lizz holds a Master’s of Science in Data Analytics from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Security and Risk Analysis from Penn State University. She also holds the following certifications: GIAC Certified Incident Handler, GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, Lean Sigma Green Belt, and Professional Scrum Master. Lizz is a recent transplant to Roanoke and spends her time outside of work hiking, camping, baking, and crafting.
Ben Lamb, PhD, is a software developer, tech enthusiast, and wandering academic. With corporate experience as a Web Developer and Java Application Developer for a large enterprise, Ben blends industry know-how with a deep passion for all things computer science. In 2023, he earned a Graduate Certificate in Software Development alongside a Master of Information Technology from Virginia Tech. Currently, he serves as an adjunct instructor for multiple computer science courses at VWCC. On the side, he supports several therapists and local nonprofits with website design, maintenance, SEO, and hosting services.
Jessica Engman is the Director of Service Management Capability with 1901 Group, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos. She has a BA, double majoring in English and Education, and an MA in Human Resources Management, but has always gravitated to IT. Jessica started her career in academia and worked as a Novell engineer before pivoting to government contracting supporting Novell systems. After a 5 year stint teaching middle school English, she returned to government contracting, focusing on IT Service Management and good practice. Her current work centers around helping clients improve practice maturity and implement ServiceNow, an ITSM focused management system, in a best practice way.
Mary Nerayo is a Research Data Analyst at the Virginia Tech National Security Institute. She graduated with a degree in Business Information Technology from Virginia Tech. Since 2021, she has been involved in cyber-based open-source intelligence research and is now pursuing AI/ML and systems engineering research in Arlington, VA, post-grad.
Spring 2024 Lecture Series
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 5 | Michael Pratt (Apple) | Community College to Apple: How Community College Translates to the Workplace and Life. Video Handouts: Life Buckets Brainstorm Internship Brainstorm Resume Template Cover Letter Template Presentation |
| Feb 26 | Joel Yonts | Cyber Forensics: The Last Line of Defense Video |
| March 18 | Darryl Agee | More Better Technology: The future of work in the AI driven world Video |
| March 25 | Luther Blevins | Modern DevOps: How It Can Work In Any Enterprise Video Slides |
| April 1 | John Gray (ESI) | The Essentials: What You Should Know, Be, and Expect in IT Sales, even if you are sales adjacent. Slides Video |
| April 22 | Dr. Arindam Choudhury | Technology in Surgery/Medicine Video If you don’t hear the password, it is Hilltop. You are on your honor that you won’t submit for extra credit unless you watch the entire video. |
Michael Pratt
Michael Pratt is a passionate music lover working in the cross sections of music, technology, and the entertainment business at Apple. His journey began at community college where he then transferred to UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Today he leads a product team at Apple building the future of artist tools.
My presentation will be focused on my academic journey having gone from community college to a 4 year university and then making the transition to big tech. I will be reflecting on what I’ve learned during each inflection point of my career and how having gone to CC played a pivotal role in my success. I will also be diving deep into what helped me most while I was at CC and why I think it’s such an amazing opportunity to hone in on what you love and find what you are truly passionate about.
Joel Yonts Principle Scientist & Cybersecurity Strategist Secure Robotics Inc.
Cybersecurity thought leader, researcher, author, and strategist, Joel Yonts is a seasoned security executive with more than 30 years of technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence experience. His credentials include active certifications in digital forensics, incident response, malware reverse engineering, application penetration, security leadership, ethical hacking, and artificial intelligence engineering. Yonts has nearly 20 years of experience building and leading multi-national Fortune 500 cyber programs as an executive CISO. His contributions to the research community include fundamental research in protecting emerging platforms and mapping future attack strategies of cyber adversaries. His newly published book, Secure Intelligent Machines: Protecting AI from Cyberattack, expands the boundaries of traditional cyber programs by merging leading AI risk mitigation insights with decades of practical cybersecurity experience.
CS Scholars Fall 2023
All events are held online from 6:30pm to 8pm.
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 18 | Jay Foster | How CS is driving the 5th Industrial Revolution and hope for a better future Video Link |
| Oct. 2 | Dr Drew Danzell, Ph.D. JMU | Cyber Incidents Challenges: Analyzing Ransomware Trends & Event Deconstruction Video Link |
| Oct. 16 | Rob Schadey | National Security Challenges of the 21st Century Video Link |
| Oct. 30 | Tyler Byrne | Safeguarding Our Future: Technology and Business Risk Mitigation for US Firms Operating in China. Video Link |
| Nov. 13 | Kelly Wiggins | Code Once, Translate Everywhere: Technologies and Design Patterns to Launch Software Globally Video Link |
| Dec. 4 | Randy Lowman | Intelligent Automation Unveiled: Harnessing the Power of RPA, AI, and Low Code / No Code Tools Video Link Slides |
Jay Foster
As CTO and Founder of Flex-Metrics, Jay has earned a reputation as a subject matter expert on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) with the award-winning Flex software being found in global manufacturing facilities ranging from Energizer and Solo-Cup to 5 Star Notebooks to Armor All across five countries.
Mr. Foster is past President of the RBTC Technology Council. He also served as a Regional Commissioner for the 5th District Planning District of Virginia as well as advisory boards for RAMP business accelerator, the Dean’s Advisory board at the VTC Medical School, Roanoke Career & Technical (CTE) Education and the international board for the Book Manufacturing Institute association.
Jay is a third generation Virginia Tech Hokie with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the Pamplin Business School. Jay enjoys traveling with his family, as well as playing tennis and guitar in his spare time.
Orlandrew E. Danzell, Ph.D.
Greetings.
I am an Associate Professor in the Intelligence Analysis (IA) program and Director of Cyber Intelligence Graduate Certificate Program at James Madison University, Editorial Board member of the journal of International Interactions, and the former Chair of the Department of Intelligence Studies at Mercyhurst University.
I received a Ph.D. in Security Studies from Kansas State University in May 2011, an M.A. in Political Science from Kansas State University in 2007 and B.As in History and Political Science from Cameron University in 2003 (Summa Cum Laude).
My research focuses on cyber intelligence, international/domestic terrorism, military interventions, African conflict, intelligence theory & application, and a range of conflict processes. I use quantitative and qualitative methods to develop and test new theoretical insights on these themes.
My scholarly work has appeared in journals such as Journal of Conflict Resolution, Social Science Quarterly, Women & Criminal Justice. Terrorism and Political Violence, Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression. I have several other projects under review. I am currently working on research related to African terrorist groups, Cyber-attacks on African states. private military contractors on the African continent, and a textbook on intelligence analysis.
Benjamin Tyler Byrne
Benjamin Tyler Byrne manages the IT Infrastructure Department at VPT, Inc., a Blacksburg based company that manufactures DC-DC military and aerospace power converters. He is also a Professor with VWCC in the CS department.
Outside of working, Tyler owns 2 local businesses,
Byrne Capital, a private debt and equity company. Primary investment strategies include Venture Capital for startups and small-market direct lending, real estate private equity, and structured credit.
ColeByrne, a real estate company focusing on Single Family Rental Property and Management in the Roanoke Valley Area.
When not focused on business and teaching, he is the FBI InfraGard sector chief for Critical Manufacturing in Virginia and the Treasurer of the FBI InfraGard Richmond Chapter. Tyler is also the current president of Endless Oaks, a 501c3 specializing in helping Non-Profits receive sustainable monthly funding. He is also actively involved in multiple local Masonic organizations.
Kelly Wiggins
Code Once, Translate Everywhere: Technologies and Design Patterns to Launch Software Globally
Kelly Wiggins is a Sr. Principal Engineer at Amazon with an impressive 17-year tenure. Kelly hails from Roanoke, VA and even attended some classes at VWCC taught by Dr. Diane Wolff. Kelly attended Dartmouth College where she earned a B.A. in Computer Science as well as Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literature. Her focus for the last 13 years has been on internationalization and translation, and she has built many high-scale systems that enable Amazon developers to write software once and operate globally.
Rob Schadey
Rob Schadey is the Assistant Program Executive Officer at Enterprise Information Systems; Rob is the lead change agent responsible for synchronizing and integrating programs across product delivery efforts of 36 program offices and 71 acquisition programs through stakeholder engagement, resourcing, and agile delivery of all capabilities. Rob began his career as an enlisted computer and network system specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he served for six years. He then joined MITRE Corporation, where he supported the Army’s Computer Emergency Response Team. Rob launched his government career in 2002 when he was selected as a group leader for cybersecurity engineering at the Communications-Electronics Command’s Information Systems Engineering Command. Rob then returned to the private sector as vice president and chief information security officer at a cloud startup before resuming his work in civil service in December 2017 at PEO EIS. We are very lucky to have Rob as part of our CS/IT adjunct team at Virginia Western.
Randy Lowman
Randy is the Founder and Managing Director of LakeTurn Automation, a Virginia-based professional services firm providing Intelligent Automation Solutions to the SME/SMB market segment.
Before starting LakeTurn Automation, Randy spent over 25 years in leadership roles across a diverse range of industries, including consulting, manufacturing, construction, distribution, and retail. In addition to starting and running multiple small businesses, he has led corporate teams responsible for IT, HR, payroll, purchasing, supply chain, and risk management.
Randy holds a BS in Accounting Information Systems from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He earned a certification from PMI as a Project Management Professional and is Certified in Production and Inventory Management with APICS, and has been awarded the Certified ScrumMaster designation by the Scrum Alliance.
Since completing his first “Hello World” program on a TRS-80 in elementary school, Randy has been captivated by computers. (And if you know what a TRS-80 is, then welcome to the world of endless AARP mail solicitations). He continues to leverage his passion for technology by helping individuals and organizations reach their full potential through the immense power of AI and digital transformation.
Randy lives in Southside VA with his wife April. When not partnering with clients on intelligent automation projects, Randy enjoys spending time outdoors and is an avid backpacker, mountain biker, and fly fisherman.
CS Scholars Spring 2023
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| February 6 | Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. | Using Computer Modeling and Machine Learning to Engineer Biological Tissues Video |
| February 20 | No Lecture this date. | |
| March 6 | John Wenskovitch, Ph.D. | Lagrange Points and the James Webb Space Telescope Video |
| March 20 | Dr. Michael Messina | Scientific Programming in Excel and the Real-Time Interactive Visualization of Chemistry (or “Excel Might Surprise You”) Video |
| April 3 | Gretchen L. Matthews Professor, Department of Mathematics Director, Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Southwest Virginia | Defending against hackers of the quantum future Video |
| April 24 | Rob Garbee, CISSP | Health Information Technology -How did we get here? Video |
Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D.
Abstract:
The most prevalent, devastating, and complex diseases of our time, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, involve the interactions of heterogeneous cells with one another and with their dynamic environment. However, the drugs that we use to treat diseases typically target a single protein and disregard the fact that cells within tissues have individualized responses to networks of interacting proteins. And, it is the collection of these cellular responses that underpins changes in tissue structure and function. To bridge the gap between proteins and tissues, my lab develops agent-based computational models and uses them in combination with experiments and machine learning approaches to predict how individual cell behaviors give rise to structural and functional changes in tissues. We have developed models to simulate blood vessel growth, skeletal muscle regeneration, and lung tissue fibrosis. Our research has identified new approaches for controling the dynamic and heterogeneous interactions between different cell types in order to regenerate tissues and slow disease progression.
Biography:
Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. is Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering with secondary appointments in the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA). Dr. Peirce-Cottler received Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1997. She earned her Ph.D. in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2002. Dr. Peirce-Cottler develops computational models in conjunction with experiments to study structural and functional adaptations of tissues in order to develop therapies for inducing regeneration in injured tissues and restoring homeostasis to diseased tissues. Her lab combines multiscale computational modeling with in vivo imaging of murine experimental models to examine and control the multi-cell interactions that underpin inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis. Dr. Peirce-Cottler has published over 125 peer reviewed papers and book chapters, and she is an inventor on two U.S. Patents. She is a fellow in both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows (AIMBE) and in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES).
Dr. John Wenskovitch
Abstract:
The James Webb Space Telescope is currently parked in solar orbit roughly 1.5 million kilometers away from Earth. But why it is so far away, when other space telescopes like Hubble have been placed in Earth orbit for convenient (and needed!) repairs? This presentation provides an overview of Lagrange Points, a collection of gravitational balancing points that accompany pairs of massive objects in the solar system. We’ll look at the history of these points from the time when they were just mathematical curiosities up until the present when they have significance to modern astronomy. Likewise, we’ll explore what other secrets of the solar system can be found at these locations.
Biography:
Dr. John Wenskovitch is a Visual Analytics Research Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and an Adjunct Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech. He also received his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2019. His current research focuses on Human-AI co-learning and teaming, trust in machine assistance, human-in-the-loop data science, analytical provenance, and the application of data visualization to the sciences. He teaches courses on information visualization, data analytics, computer graphics, and human-computer interaction. He is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the American Astronomical Society (AAS).
Michael Messina
Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. University of North Carolina Wilmington
Abstract
The Excel Spreadsheet has been used as the “beast of burden” for decades in chemistry laboratories; to plot data, fit “trend-lines, do regression analysis and other types of tasks related to the collection and analysis of chemical data. But, if you can code, Excel can do so much more. We describe how the “developer” capability in Excel allows for high-level scientific computing, which can be naturally coupled to the visualization capabilities in Excel allowing for real-time visualization of quantum chemical phenomena. We will describe several Modules that we have built in Excel that allows for chemistry (and physics) students to visualize these quantum mechanical phenomena in real-time. We will describe a Module that allows students to visualize the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle from the “particle-view”. We will then describe a Module that students can use to visualize quantum dynamics on any potential energy surface (by coding the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation in Excel). We also describe a Module that allows students to visualize the excitation of a molecule by IR photons and IR the genesis of an IR spectrum. Finally, we demonstrate a Module that allows students to visualize vibronic transitions in UV spectra (by coding non-adiabatic quantum dynamics in Excel.
Gretchen L. Matthews
Abstract:
How do we store private information? How do we communicate information securely? Answers to these questions are changing as computational capabilities change. Addressing them is vital not only to our national security but also our everyday existence, impacting commerce, healthcare, and the ways we interact with one another. Quantum computing poses a threat to current encryption schemes, such as RSA and elliptic curve cryptography, which underpin nearly all digital transactions. Public key encryption as we know it succumbs to Shor’s Algorithm, making a replacement necessary. For this reason, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issued a call for cryptosystems which are post-quantum secure, meaning are resilient in the face of quantum algorithms. We survey the landscape of what is known as postquantum cryptography.
Biography:
Gretchen Matthews is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Affiliated Faculty of the National Security Institute at Virginia Tech where she also serves as Director of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) Southwest. Matthews earned her B.S. in mathematics from Oklahoma State University in 1995 and her Ph.D. in mathematics from Louisiana State University in 1999 and recently completed an M.B.A. at Virginia Tech. Her research program in applications of algebraic geometry and combinatorics to coding theory has received over 20 years of federal support by agencies such as NSF and NSA. She is passionate about building inclusive research environments and was designated a Fellow of the Association for Women in Mathematics “for service to the profession in fostering collaborative research groups with junior faculty and postdocs; and for excellence in mentoring,” among other contributions.
Fall 2023
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 12 | Darryl Agee | Your Technology Journey – Meet your Future! Video |
| Sept 26 | Skylar Gay | The Applications of Bioinformatics in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond Video |
| Oct 10 | Emma Berkel | Thoughts from an Unlikely Computer Science Major Video |
| Oct 24 | Caleb White | Astrophotography: A Union of Software and Art Video (starts 12 minutes into the discussion) |
| Nov 7 | Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. | CANCELLED Using Computer Modeling and Machine Learning to Engineer Biological Tissues |
| Nov 21 | TBD |
Presenter Subject and Biographies:
Darryl Agee, PMP®, PMI-ACP®
Abstract:
As an Information Technology student at Virginia Western, you are undertaking a journey – a trip – a destination.
But where will it take you?
In this talk, we will explore the parts of this journey – to assist you in developing your roadmap.
From “Picking a Path“, “Picking a Degree“, “Picking a Network” or maybe “Picking a Credential” – the choices are up to you BUT you have so many resources to help in your selections.
Biography:
Darryl Agee is a certified project management professional, and the PMO Practice Lead for More Better Technology , a Roanoke start-up technology company that delivers digital transformation solutions for their clients.
He has over 25 years of experience managing a wide variety of software development and systems implementation projects. His experience spans a variety of projects and business initiatives, including healthcare, retail, supply-chain and includes both waterfall and agile projects and initiatives.
Darryl is an experienced instructor and educator of project management including both the PMP® and PMI-ACP® Prep courses – teaching PMP® prep courses for the past 15 years, teaching project management for the local colleges including Virginia Western Community College and James Madison University’s Workforce programs.
His passion for project management is also shared with his local PMI Chapter (the Southwest Virginia PMI Chapter) where he has been a board member for the past 15 years, serving as President, VP of Marketing and Communications and currently as the VP of Programs. He is often a presenter, facilitator and coordinator of project management events and outreach with the chapter and the southwest Virginia community.
Darryl became a PMP® in January of 2006, a PMI-ACP® in 2017, and holds an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery, an MS in Computer Info Systems from the University of Phoenix, and BA in English from the Virginia Military Institute.
Skylar Gay
Abstract:
From the first case of SARS-CoV-2 on December 31, 2019, to where we are today, Bioinformatics has shaped the way we view our data. As the COVID-19 pandemic raised questions of controlling and tracking viral transmission, public health officials turned to Bioinformatics to understand the need for new procedures in masking and travel. Utilizing phylogenetic techniques such as coalescent and migration simulations for verification, the first computational method to estimate transmission rate using genomic data was created. This novel method is ideal for large datasets with numerous populations regardless of their equilibrium status. Join Skylar Gay to explore this new methodology and its applications during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
Biography
Skylar Gay is a Botetourt native and Virginia Western Community College alum. As the founder of e-FIT: Educating Females In Technology, she teaches young women introductory coding and hacking skills while educating them on STEM career opportunities. Her passion for biology and computer science emerged during her time in the SEA-PHAGES program at Virginia Western, in which she contributed to the discovery and genome annotation of novel bacteriophages. She was a Virginia All Academic Team Member and is a former President of Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society and the Virginia Western Community College Diversity Club.
Skylar completed computational biology research in the Jonathan Arnold lab at the University of Georgia. Her work includes qualitative and quantitative analysis of the early COVID-19 pandemic and her program, transRate, which is the first genomic based transmission rate estimation tool. She also contributed to a breast cancer research project during her time at the university.
Skylar is now at the University of Virginia and utilizes her passion for biotechnology and computational biology. She is a member of Virginia BIO.
Emma Berkel
Abstract:
As a young IT professional, it seems like sometimes we have endless opportunities for jobs and IT pursuits. I don’t think there has ever been a time in human history when, with one skill, you can work for a three-letter agency or work remotely coding from your van-home. With lots of possibilities come lots of questions!
Believe it or not, I remember not too long ago being overwhelmed and terrified because I was forced to take Java 1 as a part of the Math degree at Virginia Western. I thought I would hate it and that it was going to be too hard for me and really boring. Thanks to the wonderful Math and Computer Science professors at Virginia Western, I am now a Software Engineer with the Department of Defense, and I even have a favorite problem in Computer Science theory!
My name is Emma Berkel, and while I certainly don’t have all the answers, I would like to offer some insight into the crazy world of being a young professional in IT. I studied at Virginia Western and the University of Virginia (yes, you have other options than Virginia Tech!) I have worked in the private sector and also for the federal government, and I have many passions that range from Cybersecurity to making Computer Science more accessible for women and minorities.
On October 10th, I would like to describe what my journey has been like and answer any questions you might have about Computer Science, college at a four-year university, and working in the intelligence community in general.
Caleb White
Abstract
With the proliferation of digital imaging came a new way to manipulate and process them. An image is digital data and software is used to interface with and manipulate it.
While software has been used to process and edit images for years, one genre of photography tops the list as one of, if not, the most technical: astrophotography. Join us to get a glimpse of how software, written both by large corporations and freelance hobbyists, is used to create nightscapes: photos of beautiful landscapes under the night sky.
Through this melding of computer science and art, you’ll see pictures of the Milky Way from stunningly dark locations and how something as simple as taking a photo can be so reliant on software to reach its final result. Some of the most crucial software tools were written by individuals in the hobby who saw a need and capitalized on it. Perhaps someone just like you!
Biography
Caleb earned his bachelors in Computer Engineering from Virginia Tech in 2019 and is currently working as a software developer at Altec Industries in his home county of Botetourt. With much newfound time after graduating and beginning his first in-career job, he took up hobbies such as wedding videography, learning to ride a motorcycle, and flying a powered paraglider. Yet astrophotography has remained top on his list and become a key part of his identity.
Having purchased his first camera in 2016 and taken his first Milky Way image with it, he was instantly hooked. This pastime became a serious hobby. As his skills developed it became apparent how reliant his craft was on software. Software written by, not only the likes of big companies like Adobe and Skylum, but passionate individuals in the hobby.
Caleb loves the adventure, challenge, and process of finding and being under increasingly threatened dark skies where he captures the many wonders of the night sky to share with others.
Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D.
Abstract:
The most prevalent, devastating, and complex diseases of our time, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, involve the interactions of heterogeneous cells with one another and with their dynamic environment. However, the drugs that we use to treat diseases typically target a single protein and disregard the fact that cells within tissues have individualized responses to networks of interacting proteins. And, it is the collection of these cellular responses that underpins changes in tissue structure and function. To bridge the gap between proteins and tissues, my lab develops agent-based computational models and uses them in combination with experiments and machine learning approaches to predict how individual cell behaviors give rise to structural and functional changes in tissues. We have developed models to simulate blood vessel growth, skeletal muscle regeneration, and lung tissue fibrosis. Our research has identified new approaches for controling the dynamic and heterogeneous interactions between different cell types in order to regenerate tissues and slow disease progression.
Biography:
Shayn Peirce-Cottler, Ph.D. is Harrison Distinguished Teaching Professor of Biomedical Engineering with secondary appointments in the Department of Ophthalmology and Department of Plastic Surgery at the University of Virginia (UVA). Dr. Peirce-Cottler received Bachelor’s of Science degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1997. She earned her Ph.D. in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia in 2002. Dr. Peirce-Cottler develops computational models in conjunction with experiments to study structural and functional adaptations of tissues in order to develop therapies for inducing regeneration in injured tissues and restoring homeostasis to diseased tissues. Her lab combines multiscale computational modeling with in vivo imaging of murine experimental models to examine and control the multi-cell interactions that underpin inflammation, angiogenesis, and fibrosis. Dr. Peirce-Cottler has published over 125 peer reviewed papers and book chapters, and she is an inventor on two U.S. Patents. She is a fellow in both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows (AIMBE) and in the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). She is also Past-President of The
Spring 2022
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 21 | Kevin Kochersberger | UNMANNED AIRCRAFT DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS AT THE UNMANNED SYSTEM LAB Video |
| Feb 28 | Lee Doughty | WORKING IN DEVOPS BUILDING A CLOUD-BASED CYBER RANGE Video |
| March 7 | Annie Cekada | TECHNOLOGY MILKS THE COW Video |
| March 21 | Dan Alberghetti | OVERVIEW OF THE NEW DEVNET ASSOCIATE COURSE IN NETACAD Video |
| April 4 | Robert M. Perry | FIVE REASONS NOT TO PURSUE CYBERSECURITY Video |
| April 18 | Rob Schadey | SO YOU WANT A JOB IN IT. HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF SEEN Video |
Fall 2021
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 20 | Tracey Dudding and Amanda Tolman | Optimizing Blood Bank Inventory with Machine Learning Techniques COMBATING SOCIAL LIES: Placing Trust Back in Social Media Video |
| Oct 4 | Tyler Bamberg | Hacking What you Eat Attack on US Food and Agriculture Video Example FBI Private Industry Notification |
| Oct 18 | Dr. Alfred Wicks | Who’s In the Driver’s Seat? NO ONE. Autonomous Cars Drive Themselves Video |
| Nov 1 | Steve Cresawn | Drawing with Data: What Data Science and Data Visualization Are Teaching Us about Virus Genomes Video |
| Nov 15 | Katrina Koomey | Capabilities within Commercial Clouds (AWS, Google, Azure) for automation as it related to cost controls Video |
Spring 2021
| Date (Mon) | Lecturer | Topic |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 8 | Aimee Arias | Tips and Tricks on a Successful Resume and Interview Experience Video | Aimee Arias Transcript Customer Service Certification discussed: HDI-CSR |
| Feb 22 | John Cornthwait | How to Start Your Own IT Business Video |
| Mar 8 | Randy Marchany | Click Here to Kill Everyone: Security in a Hyper-Connected World Video |
| Mar 22 | Caleb Bradberry | Are You As Smart As a Machine? Lessons from Machine Learning Video | ML talk VWCC |
| Apr 5 | Rob Schadey | Cloud 101 Video |
| Apr 19 | Rick Whitner | Blockchain == Crypto.? |
Contact Us
B Bagby
Head of the Center for Cybersecurity Education
bbagby@virginiawestern.edu
VWCC Alerts
We use the VW Mass Notification System to immediately contact you during a major crisis or emergency. Get more info and register!