Carnegie Mellon University
June 15, 2022

The INI looks to its changemakers to reimagine the future

Members of the INI community use their time, talents and resources to effect meaningful change in today’s complex reality.

By Deana Lorenzo

 
 
 The INI is fortunate to have a talented network of 2,400+ alumni who embody the spirit of what it means to be a changemaker. But at the INI, one does not have to wait to graduate to make a difference. This is a point that INI Director Dena Haritos Tsamitis drives home at the beginning of each academic year.

“You are developing knowledge and skills that have the power to change society and improve the lives of those who have been affected by this pandemic,” Haritos Tsamitis said in her fall orientation address to the MS33 class—INI’s largest incoming cohort. “I encourage you not to wait until graduation to have an impact—being a changemaker starts at the INI.”

Being a changemaker means embracing a changing world.

The pandemic has changed everything about the way we study, work and interact with one another. Graduate students were deeply impacted by the switch to virtual and hybrid modality, making an already challenging academic endeavor that much more difficult.

One of the formative aspects of grad school are the connections you make with faculty and peers. Even as campuses transition back to in-person modalities, navigating the highly collaborative nature of the graduate experience now requires a certain kind of creativity.

INI students are known for thinking outside of the box and engaging beyond the classroom. They do this by presenting research or leading workshops at diversity-focused conferences, taking leadership roles with WINI or GOINI or participating in Capture-the-Flag (CTF) competitions that help advance the field of cybersecurity training.

During COVID-19, many major events that would have otherwise been held in-person went online. Despite the challenges, INI students adapted to the virtual ecosystem and continued to pursue opportunities to engage and network, some even preferring the increased flexibility and accessibility that remote delivery allows.

MSIT-IS student Weijia Yan ‘22 had no idea what to expect when she decided to attend the Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS) virtual conference in 2020, but she was glad she did. “Despite being a virtual conference, the organizers did a great job making it interactive and fun,” she said. “I was able to connect with professionals throughout the U.S., meeting with them in person later on.”

WiCyS, which draws thousands of students and professionals of all genders and backgrounds each year, is one of those not-to-be-missed events in the tech community. It was at WiCyS the following year when Yan realized that she wanted to continue her studies at the INI. “I received a conference scholarship to attend WiCyS 2021 and met with INI students, staff and faculty,” she said. “When I received my acceptance letter, it was a dream come true.”

When WiCyS was held in-person the following year, a group of INI students and an alumna hosted a workshop for CyLab’s picoCTF initiative, a platform designed to make cybersecurity education more fun and accessible to people of all ages across the globe. The workshop was a hit at the conference, drawing over 150 participants.

“We understand the educational value that these [Capture-the-Flag] events offer to enhance and polish cybersecurity skills,” said INI Assistant Teaching Professor Hanan Hibshi ‘11, who serves as faculty advisor to picoCTF. “The CMU team made an impact during WiCyS and helped encourage many amazing, bright women to start using CTFs as a skill-building tool.”

WiCyS is just one of the 18 industry and diversity-focused conferences the INI sponsored in 2020-2021, which also included Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Cybersecurity Games & Conference (CSAW), BSides Pittsburgh and others. These community-oriented partnerships have always been central to the INI’s mission and values and will continue to grow under the strategic plan.

WiCyS is just one of the 18 industry and diversity-focused conferences the INI sponsored in 2020-2021, which also included Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, Cybersecurity Games & Conference (CSAW), BSides Pittsburgh and others. These community-oriented partnerships have always been central to the INI’s mission and values and will continue to grow under the strategic plan.

Responding to a new reality and a changing industry

For Haritos Tsamitis, the future of work and the future of the INI and its programs are closely linked. “The next generation of technology professionals are less likely to gravitate toward typical 9-to-5 jobs,” she said. “To be competitive, organizations must prepare for workforce disruption using lessons learned during this pandemic.”

One of the ways the INI is helping students prepare for the future of work is by expanding its faculty. This past year, three new faculty were hired, with a fourth starting in Fall 2022. They are not only increasing curricular breadth and depth, but they are also involved in building strategic opportunities to serve nontraditional students in the technology workforce.

Joanne Peca joined the INI in Fall 2022 as an associate professor of practice, assuming the role of INI associate director the following semester. As associate director, she will play a direct role in building INI’s industry-facing initiatives, such as the internship experience and practicum. Peca will continue teaching and advising students, while building relationships with the members of Pittsburgh’s technology community.

“It’s not often you find an intensely technical program that also appreciates the connection to other disciplines,” she said. “If you’re a CIO or CISO looking to hire someone who can understand policy and build the solution you’re looking for—INI students are a great fit.”

Prior to joining the INI, Peca served as Penn State Altoona’s Chief Information Officer and was named Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Non-Profit CIO of the Year in 2019. As an information security practitioner and former CIO, she understands what it takes to be a changemaker in this industry.

“INI students get that technology doesn’t exist in a bubble,” said Peca. “Our programs are rigorously technical but also infused with business concepts and risk management
so our students can speak both tech and business.”  

Through innovative faculty, adaptive curricula, unmatched support services and hands-on learning opportunities, the INI is helping the next generation of technology professionals thrive in a changing world. Our students and alumni respond to problems with thoughtful solutions, create and test bold new ideas and give back to their communities in meaningful ways. The world needs more changemakers and being a changemaker starts at the INI.

This article was originally published in the INI Annual Magazine, The Network.

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