The ability for computer technology to automatically create a society of smart, tolerant citizens may be more hype and hope than reality, according to a Penn State Altoona researcher.
"We have to rethink some of our most common assumptions about modern life and, specifically, we need to rethink assumptions that the information age will naturally lead to a society that is intelligent and scientifically literate," said Shaheed Nick Mohammed, associate professor of communications. (more)
"I had a full-time job at IBM and the biggest challenge in deciding to start my own company was convincing family and friends that this was the right choice for me. Most people hold back because they are afraid of failing. It is one thing to have a good idea, but you have to be prepared to put yourself in 150 percent and be passionate about what you're doing; If someone tells you, 'no,' or that they don't find value in your idea, you can't let that hold you back. My biggest advice for entrepreneurs is to stick with what you originally set out to do. It is easy to get distracted so figure out your niche and stay focused on your original idea."
-- Neilye Garrity, co-founder of Candid Career and IST alumna, who spoke April 13 on the final day of the College of Information Sciences and Technology's Start-up Week. For more information, visit http://ist.psu.edu/startup online. (more)
"This wasn't glamorous; this wasn't Hollywood. The first time we saw four people logged in was a huge moment for us because when we saw only three, we knew it was just the three of us sitting around at our desks. Twenty months after starting on Weebly, traction started to grow. The moral of the story is to stick around. It took three years to get us to this point - it doesn't just happen overnight."
--David Rusenko, a 2007 graduate of Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), who is the CEO and co-founder of Weebly, a tech start-up based out of San Francisco. Rusenko spoke at the University Park campus April 12 during IST's Start-up Week, a week-long celebration showcasing talented young entrepreneurs from around the country, including several Penn State alumni. More than 10 million people have created a website with Weebly, and 12 percent of the U.S. population visits a Weebly website every month. Rusenko was named to Forbes' "30 under 30" list in 2011, and is the youngest recipient of the prestigious Penn State Alumni Achievement Award. To learn more about Start-up Week, visit http://ist.psu.edu/startup. (more)
Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) has received a $400,000 gift -- the largest from a graduate in its 13-year history -- from San Francisco CEO and IST alumnus David Rusenko. The gift will create the David Rusenko Scholarship for Entrepreneurship, which will help IST students to launch their own companies while they are still in school.
"IST has done a tremendous job creating well-rounded technical graduates," said Rusenko, a 2007 graduate and co-founder of San Francisco firm Weebly. "I'm excited to help encourage students to think seriously about creating and joining startups." (more)
Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) has launched the first enterprise architecture (EA) program in North America and the first online EA master's program in the world. The program is in response to the rapidly increasing demand for professionals with a unique combination of skills and perspectives to align enterprise information systems and technology with business strategy and goals. (more)
Steve Huffman, co-founder of Reddit, a hugely popular social news website, will share his strategies for success during Start-up Week from April 9 to 13 at Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST). Reddit, which was acquired by Conde Nast, has grown to more than 2 billion page-views per month. (more)
Exceptionally talented young entrepreneurs from around the country, including alumni from Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), will be visiting Penn State to share their strategies for success during IST's Start-up Week, taking place April 9 -13. The week's events, many of which will be open to the entire Penn State community, will include classroom talks on various topics related to information technology as well as opportunities to meet and mingle with the featured speakers. (more)
Some people quit smoking on the first try while others have to try to quit repeatedly. Using such mobile technology as hand-held computers and smartphones, a team of researchers from Penn State and the University of Pittsburgh is trying to find out why.
"One thing that really stood out among the relapsers is how their urge to smoke just never dropped, in contrast to those who were successful in quitting for a month -- their urge dropped quickly and systematically -- almost immediately upon quitting," said Stephanie Lanza. (more)
At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 31, the exterior lights at Penn State's Old Main and other campus landmarks will be turned off for Earth Hour 2012, a global event focused on environmental conservation.
"We feel it is symbolically important to join in this worldwide effort to show the effect that many people, working together, can have on climate change," said Steve Maruszewski, assistant vice president of Penn State's Office of Physical Plant. In addition to the lights at Old Main, decorative floodlights at the Lion Shrine, the Nittany Lion Inn and the Information Sciences and Technology building will be turned off. (more)
Online privacy has become a hot-button issue in recent years, as people are increasingly sharing their lives and conducting business on the Internet. With $30,000 in funding from Google, two professors in Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology are investigating the factors that influence individual privacy preferences, and how they can be used to develop services that are in tune with consumers' needs. (more)
