Computer Science faculty

Your Path to Tech event introduces new students to computer science, information sciences and technology

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 28 Aug 2023 16:05:34 +0000

Your Path to Tech event introduces new students to computer science, information sciences and technology Teresa Donnellan Mon, 08/28/2023 - 12:05

Last Friday, students new to the College of Engineering and Computing gathered in the Corner Pocket, a space in the Hub to attend Your Path to Tech, a daylong event hosted by Break Through Tech Mason. The event welcomed students new to the College of Engineering and Computing, especially women, interested in exploring computer science (CS) and information sciences and technology (IST). Students heard from accomplished speakers, practiced skills in hands-on workshops, and connected with both academic advisors and peer mentors.

Missy Cummings, one of the nation’s first female fighter pilots, former advisor for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and current ��AV professor and director of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center, gave a keynote address. Afterward, attendees heard from a panel of women with ample tech industry experience and a panel of Mason alumni now working in the field.

“All of their stories were so empowering,” said Pallavi Vegesna, who is starting a Master’s in Data Analytics Engineering this fall. She was inspired by the speakers’ unique paths to working in tech: One panelist majored in psychology before working for the CIA; two others immigrated to the U.S. to pursue their American Dreams.

“It made me emotional because I'm here today as a grad student. And I hope to ... make it like they've made it,” said Vegesna. “They worked really, really hard to be where they are today, and looking at them gives me reassurance that women can make it in tech—and women can make it really, really big in tech.”

“Looking at them gives me reassurance that women can make it in tech—and women can make it really, really big in tech.” —Pallavi Vegesna

Students received hands-on experience through workshops like “A Hands-On Introduction to the AI Pipeline,” led by assistant CS professor Antonis Anastasopoulos, and “Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Analytics,” led by associate IST professor Humaira Akhtari and Mason alumnus Elijah Bass. The event also offered attendees the chance to talk to CS and IST advisors and be matched with a peer mentor to help them navigate their studies at Mason.

“A Hands-On Introduction to the AI Pipeline,” led by assistant CS professor Antonis Anastasopoulos (Right), and “Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Analytics,” led by associate IST professor Humaira Akhtari and Mason alumnus Elijah Bass (Left)

“Students had a blast listening to our awesome speakers and being a part of those hands-on workshops – those were big hits!” said Shahnaz Kamberi, an associate professor of CS as well as the event’s organizer. She looks forward to the success of the Pathfindher mentorship program, which teamed upperclassmen with freshmen and transfer students who attended Your Path to Tech. “The mentor-mentee pairs were still in deep conversation even after we wrapped up and closed the venue,” she said.

“I hope the attendees learned a lot from the event,” Kamberi added. “The main takeaway I hope they gained is confidence in their decision to stick with tech. I hope through hearing from these powerful women in the industry, the students learned that even with obstacles and challenges, they can definitely succeed in their path to tech.”

Break Through Tech Headlines

Tech industry professionals describe “A Day in the Life”
March 25, 2024
Student Commencement speaker Shruti Sekar is destined to succeed, helping others along the way
December 14, 2023
Your Path to Tech event introduces new students to computer science, information sciences and technology
August 28, 2023
Break Through Tech Sprinterns collaborate, build community during micro-internships
February 13, 2023
Mason group relishes conference for women in tech
October 6, 2022

See how Mason is building the computing workforce

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Explore the School of Computing

In This Story

Shahnaz Kamberi

Antonios Anastasopoulos

Missy Cummings

Topics

computer science

Computer science; computing; School of Computing

Computer Science faculty

information sciences and technology

Break Through Tech

Students

Strategic Direction

Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

Giuseppe Ateniese

Tama Moni — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 20:05:54 +0000

Giuseppe Ateniese Tama Moni Tue, 02/14/2023 - 15:05

Professor and Eminent Scholar, Department of Cyber Security Engineering and Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Building: 339 Research Hall, Fairfax
MSN: 6B1
Phone: (703) 993-6758
Email: ateniese@gmu.edu

Personal Websites

Professional Webpage

In the News

Mason professors are researching hacker psychology to defend against cyberattacks
May 2, 2024
Cybersecurity faculty participate in multidisciplinary projects
February 1, 2022

Biography

In addition to being a Professor and Eminent Scholar in Cyber Security Engineering, Giuseppe Ateniese is also a CCI Faculty Fellow in the Computer Science and Cyber Security Engineering departments. Ateniese was a Farber Endowed Chair in computer science and department chair at the Stevens Institute of Technology. In addition, he was with Sapienza-University of Rome, an assistant/associate professor at John Hopkins University, and one of the John Hopkins University Information Security Institute founders.

Degrees

PhD, Computer Science, University of Genoa (2000)

Research Interests

Cloud Security
Cybersecurity
Applied Cryptography

Google Scholar

Important Internet security service now housed in the Mason College of Engineering and Computing

Tama Moni — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:15:31 +0000

Important Internet security service now housed in the Mason College of Engineering and Computing Tama Moni Thu, 09/08/2022 - 10:15

In This Story

Eric Osterweil

September 6, 2022

This fall, ��AV will become the new home of one of the Internet's venerable monitoring and measurement services: the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC) Deployment Maps. This service plays a prominent role in chronicling the evolution of a critical part of Internet security and has been under the stewardship of the Internet Society (ISOC) since 2014. The maps were originally developed by Shinkuro, Inc. with sponsorship by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The transition to Mason is being facilitated with sponsorship from the Internet Society, The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), and Verisign, Inc.

Eric Osterweil, Assistant Professor in the Mason Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering and Computing, has been instrumental in bringing the deployment maps to Mason, reaching an agreement to host it at Mason’s Center for Assurance Research and Engineering (CARE, directed by J.P. Auffret) and the Measurable Security Lab (MSL) in the Computer Science department. “We are excited to provide a new home for this important activity,” Osterweil says. “People all over the world access the deployment maps and will now associate them with Mason.”

The deployment maps service tracks how DNSSEC has been deployed worldwide for top-level domains and has been a staple of the Internet security community for years. With almost 17 years of deployment, the maps database is fertile ground for conducting basic research and connecting students with real operational cybersecurity issues. Osterweil notes that the security DNSSEC provides to Internet users is incredibly essential, even if in the background. “The average person will never know about DNSSEC. It’s a lot like saying, ‘What’s the formula of the asphalt I drive on?’ It’s really important, but not important that I have any idea about it.”

DNS is the Internet’s de facto name-mapping system, translating domain names (like gmu.edu) into IP addresses and other identifiers. However, data from the DNS is not inherently secure, as “the IP address of a DNS response can be easily forged, or spoofed,” according to ICANN. DNSSEC enhances DNS with authentication protections, using public-key cryptography, so users can be confident that website visits and emails connect them to entities they want to reach. DNSSEC prevents attacks like cache poisoning and domain redirection, which can result in fraud, malware distribution, and theft of personal, confidential information.

“Internet administrators and researchers anywhere in the world receive weekly email summaries of the current DNSSEC deployment. New services will be added when the system is fully transitioned to George Mason,” says Osterweil. The maps are used by the Internet operations, standards, and policy communities as a resource for the current (and past) state of deployment. “We really want to take the deployment maps service and evolve it into an observatory for this critical infrastructure.” As part of the transition to Mason, Osterweil is establishing an external advisory board, composed of industry stalwarts and chaired by Stephen Crocker (an inductee into the Internet Hall of Fame, author/editor of RFC 1, and founding chair of the ICANN Security and Stability Advisory Committee, SSAC), to help steer and evolve the service. With their cooperation, the deployment maps will be evolved and integrated into a new holistic Internet Namespace Security Observatory in CARE at Mason.

“We are glad that ��AV is taking on this important work,” said Dan York, director of online content at the Internet Society. “The maps have been a useful way to track the state of DNSSEC deployment over many years. We look forward to seeing how GMU evolves and improves the maps further.”

Osterweil is in talks with multiple industry partners and traditional sources to help support research using the Deployment Maps. Further, he is planning to leverage the service for its research value and use it to enhance teaching, as well as a hands-on experience for student researchers. “Analyses of historical datasets of critical infrastructure like DNSSEC are critical in understanding large-scale events and behaviors. The Internet Namespace Security Observatory will synthesize measurable properties of Internet naming systems (such as DNS, DNSSEC, DANE records, etc.) and provide measurable telemetry to evaluate how well dependent systems, protocols, and users are able to validate security protections.”

Osterweil and colleagues announced the transition of the maps publicly at the ICANN’s 74 meeting in The Hague, Netherlands in June.

Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society is a global non-profit organization working to ensure the Internet remains a force for good for everyone. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 130+ chapters around the world, the organization promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally-connected, and secure.

The College of Engineering and Computing at ��AV is a fast-growing force for innovation in technology and education. The college boasts over 10,000 students in two schools, 37 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs, including several first-in-the-nation offerings. As part of a nationally ranked research university, its research teams earned more than $61 million in sponsored research awards in the last 12 months. Located in the heart of Northern Virginia's technology corridor, the college stands out for its focus on emerging areas including big data, cybersecurity, healthcare technology, robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and machine learning, signals and communications, and sustainable infrastructure.

ICANN's mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you need to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or another device. That address must be unique so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a nonprofit public benefit corporation with a community of participants from all over the world.

Verisign, a global provider of domain name registry services and Internet infrastructure, enables Internet navigation for many of the world’s most recognized domain names. Verisign enables the security, stability, and resiliency of key Internet infrastructure and services, including providing root zone maintainer services, operating two of the 13 global Internet root servers, and providing registration services and authoritative resolution for the .com and .net top-level domains, which support the majority of global e-commerce. To learn more about what it means to be Powered by Verisign, please visit verisign.com.

Topics

internet security

College of Engineering and Computing

Computer Science faculty

Lishan Yang

Tama Moni — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:00:29 +0000

Lishan Yang Tama Moni Mon, 08/22/2022 - 16:00

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Email: lyang28@gmu.edu

Biography

Lishan Yang's research interest mainly falls in system reliability, including the reliable operation of GPUs, nonconventional sensors, autonomous driving systems, and neural networks. Yang is also interested in GPU architecture and software engineering efforts to accelerate reliability and system research processes.

Degrees

PhD, Computer Science, William and Marry (2022)

Binqian Yin

Tama Moni — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:33:34 +0000

Binqian Yin Tama Moni Thu, 08/11/2022 - 11:33

Assistant Professor (Teaching), Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Building: Buchanan Hall, Room D215J
Email: byin2@gmu.edu

Biography

Binqian (Bella) Yin will join the Computer Science Department at ��AV in Spring 2023 as an assistant teaching professor. Yin is currently a PhD student in Earth Science at the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas. Her research focuses on developing novel machine-learning algorithms for geological problems.

Degrees

MS, Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh

Missy Cummings

Tama Moni — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:29:20 +0000

Missy Cummings Tama Moni Thu, 08/11/2022 - 11:29

Professor and Director of Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC); First American Bank Chair

Contact Information

Campus: Fairfax
Building: Nguyen Engineering
Room 2705
Phone: 703-993-6969
Email: cummings@gmu.edu

In the News

Mason's new MARC focuses on autonomy, robotics, and responsible AI
April 16, 2024
New certificate program in responsible AI starting fall 2024
March 1, 2024
College of Engineering and Computing launches graduate certificate programs in AI, microfabriction, smart grid technology, and machine learning
February 29, 2024
Associated Press: Missy Cummings (CEC) quoted in story about Pentagon AI initiatives
November 27, 2023
AI's future discussed at roundtable
June 13, 2023

Biography

As one of the U.S. Navy’s first female fighter pilots and an engineer, Mary “Missy” Cummings is accustomed to breaking barriers and solving problems.

A naval officer and military pilot from 1988-1999, Cummings was one of the U.S. Navy's first female fighter pilots. She is now the director of Mason's Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) and a professor at ��AV. She holds faculty appointments in the Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Computer Science departments. She is an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Fellow and recently served as the senior safety advisor to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Cummings received her BS in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1988, her MS in Space Systems Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1994, and her PhD in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2004.

ORCID: 0000-0003-2557-6930

Degrees

BS, Mathematics, U.S. Naval Academy
MS, Space Systems Engineering, Naval Post Graduate School
PhD, Systems Engineering, University of Virginia

Research Interests

Human-unmanned Vehicle Interaction
Human-autonomous System Collaboration
Human-systems Engineering
Public Policy Implications of Unmanned Vehicles
Ethical and Social Impact of Technology

Lisa Luo

Tama Moni — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 15:13:27 +0000

Lisa Luo Tama Moni Thu, 08/11/2022 - 11:13

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Email: lluo4@gmu.edu

Biography

Lannan Lisa Luo is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at ��AV. Luo received her PhD from Pennsylvania State University in 2017. Her research mainly focuses on software and systems security, including software analysis and verification, vulnerability discovery, IoT security, mobile security, and software engineering. She is also interested in applying deep learning to cybersecurity problems.

Degrees

PhD, Computer Science, Pennsylvania State University (2017)

Qiang Zeng

Tama Moni — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 14:39:08 +0000

Qiang Zeng Tama Moni Thu, 08/11/2022 - 10:39

Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Email: zeng@gmu.edu

Personal Websites

Professional web page

Biography

Qiang Zeng is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science at ��AV. Zeng received his PhD in computer science and engineering from Penn State University in 2014. His main research interest is computer systems security, with a focus on the Internet of Things and mobile computing. He also works on trustworthy deep learning. He publishes papers in Oakland, CCS, USENIX Security, NDSS, MobiCom, and MobiSys. He is a recipient of an NSF CAREER Award.

Degrees

PhD, Computer Science and Engineering, Penn State University (2014)

Hamza Mughal

Tama Moni — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 19:58:53 +0000

Hamza Mughal Tama Moni Wed, 08/10/2022 - 15:58

Instructor, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Email: hmughal2@gmu.edu

Biography

Hamza Mughal's research interests are in computer science education and computer systems. With the field of computing growing and diversifying every year, it’s vital to understand how to teach computing to diverse audiences such that it can be taught more effectively, thus Mughal hopes to find new and engaging ways to teach computing. He received a BS and MS in computer science from ��AV. He currently teaches undergraduate courses in systems programming.

Degrees

MS, Computer Science, ��AV
BS, Computer Science, ��AV

Sara Gopalkrishna

Tama Moni — Wed, 10 Aug 2022 19:51:54 +0000

Sara Gopalkrishna Tama Moni Wed, 08/10/2022 - 15:51

Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science

Contact Information

Email: slgopal@gmu.edu
Phone: 703-993-6936
Building: Buchanan Hall, Fairfax Campus
Room D217E

Biography

Sara Gopalkrishna is a teaching professor of computer science at ��AV. Gopalkrishna holds an EdD in education policy from George Washington University where her focus was on computer science implementation in high schools. She also completed an MA in secondary math education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and an MS in computer science from Portland State University.

Before coming to George Mason, Gopalkrishna taught both high school and university computer science. She was, also, a software engineer at a start-up and a journal editor at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. She is passionate about demystifying computer science and broadening the pipeline of computer science professionals. She believes that equity in access and excellent teaching at all levels are important for these goals.

Degrees

MS, Computer Science, Portland State University
EdD, Education Policy, George Washington University
MA, Secondary Math Education, Columbia University Teachers College