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Top 5 Things You Missed in the College of Computing at GVSU in September
September 30, 2024
Over the course of September, the College of Computing was busy with conferences, guest speakers and more! Before continuing this exciting semester, reflect on some of the events and activities that you might have missed within the College of Computing!
1. Dr. VanDam Distinguished Guest Speaker
Dr. Courtland Vandam spoke to a packed room of students and faculty regarding artificial intelligence in relation to authorship with the intention to combat misinformation and plagiarism.
As a part of the Artificial Technology and Systems Group, Dr. Vandam and the Lincoln Lab conduct research about a variety of AI-related topics and security. Dr. Vandam said, “We focus on the most in-demand national security problems.” An example of this includes a recent research project aiming to take a deeper dive on AI and style change detection.
The Lincoln Lab and Dr. Vandam’s recent project aims to have AI systems scan text excerpts with different authors, with the goal to decipher between the authorship. As issues around misinformation have skyrocketed with social media, the project hopes to provide research and evidence of possible tools to combat misinformation.
2. Consortium for Computing Sciences and Colleges Midwest conference
The College of Computing recently hosted the Consortium for Computing Sciences and Colleges Midwest conference. The conference examines computing-oriented studies and effective uses of computing in higher education. Other universities such as Calvin, St. Xavier, UW Oshkosh, Ball State and more were present as well.
One panel held, titled, "What CS Students Need to Hear from Industry," and chaired by GVSU Assistant Professor Dr. Zachary Kurmas, talked about the transition from undergraduate student to full-time professionals. The panel featured an astounding three GVSU alumni: Vincenzo Pavano of Corewell Health, Kelsey Brennan of Atomic Object, and Tim Jaroch of EliteOps.
Kurmas said, “I was really surprised at how much I learned. I was expecting to hear the same things I'd heard over and over; but, it wasn’t like that at all. I was especially interested to hear what they said about wishing they had learned more about business as an undergrad.”
3. GrrCon
On September 26th and 27th, GrrCon 2024 held its annual conference and summit in Grand Rapids. Every year, the conference comes to Grand Rapids as a meeting place for individuals interested in cybersecurity and information security.
The event hosted presentations and workshops with a heavy emphasis on networking and connecting with the cybersecurity community. The presentations during the summit focused around trending topics within the cybersecurity world or innovative ideas within the community.
When arriving at GrrCon, attendees are able to walk around and meet with hundreds of different representatives from information security companies, startups, university programs and more. Many of the displays are interactive, allowing individuals to play games or interact with software applications. This is a great example to describe the environment around the conference, which is fun, relaxing and inviting.
The College of Computing held a display during the summit. Dr. Andrew Kalafut and Dr. Samah Mansour were present Friday to talk with prospective students, local cybersecurity professionals, and overall represent the College.
4. Confluence Festival
On Saturday, September 21, 2024, Dr. Samah Mansour and a group of cybersecurity graduate students highlighted cybersecurity and the College of Computing in the Future Innovators Zone at the Confluence Festival. This festival happens each year in conjunction with Tech Week Grand Rapids. The Confluence Festival is a free festival to highlight the intersections of technology, art, science, and music.
Children enthusiastically engaged in cryptography games and bracelet-making activities, sparking their curiosity and excitement. It was incredibly rewarding to see young minds captivated by cryptography and hands-on learning. Dr. Samah Mansour, cybersecurity graduate program director and assistant professor of cybersecurity, led an outstanding team that included Joyce Malicha, Eurydice Tracy Makena, Hilda Ogamba, and Mark Mutu. Their dedication and hard work made the event a great success!
5. Physique Pal
Preston Speidel, a sophomore Computer Science student, recently launched his own app on the Apple Store! The app is called Physique Pal and it is a weightlifting tracking program.
Preston began the project when he started going to the gym and wanted something to track his performance while also showing him how to properly engage different muscle groups. He said, “I noticed a problem where beginners often don't know how to perform certain exercises with proper form, and that people struggle to track whether they're improving over time. So, I set out to create Physique Pal to solve these issues.”
With this in mind, Preston designed Physique Pal to be easy to use regardless of your weightlifting experience. The building process of the application was heavily affected by his educational journey at Grand Valley. He said, “My time at GVSU so far has been instrumental in the development of my app Physique Pal.”
He credited the focus on proper development processes of quality softwares from his classes as a major takeaway that helped him. The College of Computing community recognizes Preston for applying his classwork into a project he is passionate about.
Readers can check out his app here. Physique Pal offers a one-month free trial for new users.
Article co-written by Maxwell Ritchie & Shelby Harrison.