The Pace/SkillPROOF IT Index (PSII), our online publication that reports on the status of the IT job market in both Manhattan and Westchester, showed the largest quarterly gain since 2004 in Manhattan (+47%) and dramatic growth in Westchester (+50%).  These findings were corroborated on dice.com, the "go-to" site for IT professionals seeking employment.

According to the July Dice Report, New York-New Jersey was ranked #1 across all major metro areas in the number of new jobs posted on their Web site with 8,200 openings.  And while the overall unemployment rate for New York City hovered around 9.5 percent in June, the rate for the high-tech industry is believed to be half of that, if not less.

These combined findings and their implications appeared in crain’s new york business.com (7/25/10).

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PSII Report	The Dice Report

Julie Gauthier and Brooke Ribelin with their LEGO robot

In early July, the Seidenberg School once again welcomed a group of gifted and talented high school students entering their senior year to the New York City campus for a very special Seidenberg Summer Scholar Experience.

Chosen from a pool of more than 130 applicants, 24 high school students who have expressed interest in studying computing – 8 young women and 16 young men – came to take part in a challenging, interactive and fun-filled academic experience that provided them with the opportunity to meet like-minded students and enjoy a taste of the Big Apple. The Scholars came from as far away as Texas and Oregon and as near as Staten Island.

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Dennis Goett, event co-chair, Constance Knapp, interim dean, Mark Lobel, keynote speaker, Jay Dweck, honoree, and Mark Kay, event co-chair

Nearly 200 people from the Pace and IT communities came together on June 9 to celebrate the Seidenberg School’s 15^th Annual Leadership and Service in Technology Award Reception.  The event, held at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ striking Midtown venue, is the school’s primary source of funding for its school-based scholarships.  More than $125,000 was raised this year.

Jay S. Dweck, Managing Director, Global Head of Strategies and Modeling at Morgan Stanley, was this year’s honoree and was cited for his visionary leadership and many contributions to the IT industry.  Mark Lobel, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, gave the keynote “Security, Social Networking and Identity Theft:  What it Means to You – and our World” that touched on increased risks relating to information security and privacy.  In addition, founding dean, Susan M. Merritt, PhD, was recognized for her many years of dedication, vision and leadership in growing the school.

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Beginning academic year 2010-2011, any student completing the MS in Software Development and Engineering offered through the Seidenberg School will be eligible to become a Certified Software Development Associate (CSDA) at the same time that they complete their degree.  This highly valued certification, made available by the Computing Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), establishes an industry benchmark and assures prospective employers that a Pace graduate has mastered a robust body of knowledge and is well-prepared for careers as a software developer.

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In addition to its already popular iPhone applications course, the Pace Computer Learning Center (PCLC) is offering two new certificate programs this fall:  Developing Websites Using Content Management Systems (CMS), and Android Application Development (for Google Phones). Both programs combine classroom instruction, development time, and outside assignments and projects, giving students an intense experience and preparing them for a job market where exciting opportunities exist for those with in-demand skills.

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In today's software industry, development teams no longer work side-by-side in the literal sense but are distributed over cities, countries and even continents. Communication and coordination challenges are amplified by distance, time zones and cultures. Over the past five years, Pace/Seidenberg School, through connections made by Professor Christelle Scharff, has been collaborating with international institutions in Cambodia, India, Thailand and Senegal to bring students together to work on realistic distributed software development projects. To-date, 210 students, seven institutions and four countries have been involved.

This spring, the focus of the global software development project was on the development of mobile applications to support student life.  Project roles were distributed among students in the U.S., Cambodia, India and Senegal.  Undergraduate students in CS 389 Software Engineering served as developers.  Graduate students in CS 777 Software Reliability and Quality Assurance were auditors.  And students in Cambodia, India and Senegal were the testers.

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Professor Scharff congratulating contest winner, Michael Rosa

Professor Christelle Scharff, an expert in mobile computing, strives to share her enthusiasm for the subject with Pace students.  Last April she conducted a week-long contest that required students to receive and respond to questions regarding computer science and the Seidenberg School via short message service (SMS), commonly known as texting.  The goal of the competition was to answer correctly as many questions as possible within the shortest amount of time.  Michael Anthony Rosa (BS/Technology Systems) was the lucky winner of this inaugural event.

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Professor Cathy Dwyer presented “Energy Literacy and ‘Green IS’:  Preparing Global Citizens for a Post-Carbon World” as an invited speaker at the Brazilian Symposium on Information Systems (SBSI) 2010 held in Maraba Para, Brazil in June.  The theme of this year’s gathering was The Challenge for Sustainable Development Supported by IT.

Constance Knapp, interim dean, was awarded the Kenan Award for Teaching Excellence at the New York City Commencement Ceremony on May 25.

The Seidenberg School, through the efforts of Professor James Lawler, has obtained additional funding in the amount of $15,000 from AHRC New York City for a new mobile computing initiative.  The project involves the evaluation of AHRC NYC’s information and management processes followed by recommendations for improvement through the application of mobile computing technology.

Professor Li-Chiou Chen, as principal investigator, was instrumental in obtaining a grant for $435,174 under the Federal Cyber Service Scholarship for Service Program sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).  The grant will provide scholarships for students interested in studying information assurance in the context of an interdisciplinary curriculum.

• Matt Knell Establishes "Internet is People" Program

  Initiated by Matthew Knell (BS/IS ’00), the Seidenberg School sponsored Internet is People:  Women and Entrepreneurship, a panel discussion and Q & A session featuring four innovative female entrepreneurs.  The event was held at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca’s “Main Space” on July 14.  Constance Knapp, interim dean, opened the program with remarks about Pace and the school’s commitment to supporting women in technology.

  Panelists included Christine Lemke, COO, Sense Networks, Inc.; Lindsay Ronga, CEO, Cork’d; Alexa von Tobel, founder and CEO, LearnVest; and Melanie Notkin, founder, SavvyAuntie who shared their stories as to how the Internet inspired them to start their own businesses and how it has helped those businesses to thrive.

  This event was the first in a series of bi-monthly programs.  This next one will be held in early September.  Consult www.internetispeople.com for details.

• "Are You Serious?"

  For feedback and potential funding of your start-up company, attend the next pitch event hosted by The Hatchery on Thursday, November 11.

  The first "Are You Serious?" event, co-sponsored by the Seidenberg School, was held on the downtown campus on July 15.  A panel of four experts with varying backgrounds critiqued each pitch.

• Attention Members of the Class of 2005, 2006 and 2007

  By now you should have received a survey asking about your career in computing and the impact that your Pace education has had on it.  If you have not yet responded, please do so today.

  If, for some reason, you did not receive the survey, please contact Andreea Cotoranu at acotoranu@pace.edu or (914) 773-3193.

• Seidenberg Curriculum Survey Due out Soon

  Also arriving in your inbox soon will be a survey asking about the goals of the particular major you pursued. Again, please respond as your feedback is invaluable in designing and modifying our curriculum.

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Help promising IT students prepare for the future by ensuring the availability of scholarships and key programs. Give a gift today through our secure Web site and remember to indicate that you want the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems to be the recipient of your generosity.