information sciences and technology

George Mason’s EAGLE program, funded by a $3.9 million NSF grant, will support cybersecurity students aiming to work for U.S. government agencies after graduation. The program offers substantial financial support, expert guidance, and hands-on experience through internships.

From degrees in engineering and geoinformation science to her current role as a director in AI and machine learning, Adjunct Professor Aisha Behr brings a wealth of industry experience to the classroom, inspiring students with real-world knowledge and innovative teaching methods. 

Ashish Hingle’s research examines how students develop an understanding of artificial intelligence (AI) through coursework and activities both inside and outside the classroom. He states, "As we prepare our students to be informed users and developers of algorithms and AI, we must align their learning with their interests." 

The Virginia Cyber Navigator Internship Program (VA-CNIP) has equipped students with the skills to strengthen the cybersecurity posture of election infrastructures. As an intern last summer, information technology major Duong Thuy Nguyen helped secure a rural county’s technology for the upcoming presidential election alongside two George Mason peers. 

Several faculty members in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology received a planning grant from the National Science Foundation to work on developing effective support mechanisms for low-income students. 

Long Jiao, who received his doctorate in electrical and computer engineering in 2023, is finishing up his first year as a college professor. As a faculty member in the Computer and Information Science Department at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Jiao has continued his research while learning the ropes of curriculum design and student engagement.

Information sciences and technology doctoral students Sajad Kargar, Ashish Hingle, and Julia Hsin-ping Hsu won first, second, and third place awards at George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing Innovation Week 2024 graduate poster contest in February.

IST’s Myeong Lee received a  $150,000 grant from the Virginia Board of People with Disabilities for the Mapping Information Ecology project. “We want to provide information systems strategies, [structural] recommendations, and related policy recommendations to the state. That's our goal," said Lee.  

On March 21, 2024, Break Through Tech Mason hosted "A Day in the Life: Tech Jobs Unveiled," a panel event featuring Jamie Bowers, Site Reliability Engineer at Microsoft; Veeraj Modi, Security Analyst at Microsoft; and Cassandra Rothrauff, Senior Computer Engineer at Booz Allen Hamilton. Each panelist discussed their path in the tech industry as well as advice they would offer students just starting out.

At "Strategies for Success in Navigating Male-Dominated Industries,” hosted by Break Through Tech Mason, students heard from a panel of four women working throughout the tech industry.