Fordham University
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
Department of Computer and Information Sciences
8th Annual CIS Day, April 3, 2009

This year’s CIS Day consisted of (a) an open house for the Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory, (b) a distinguished lecture given by Professor Shinsuke Shimojo, Dept. of Biology and Computation and Neural Systems at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California and NTT Computer Science Laboratory in Kanagawa, Japan, (c) an alumni presentation and career forum, and (d) a reception followed by the annual dinner.

(a) The Robotics and Computer Vision Laboratory, one of the three research laboratories in the Department, is working with secondary school teachers to expand its outreach activities. In partnership with Fordham’s RETC and C-STEP, the RCVL has recently received a large grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy to acquire robots and establish a robotics training center. The Center aims to use robots to improve STEM education in secondary schools. The other two laboratories in the Department are Informatics and Data Mining Laboratory and Information Networking and Computation Laboratory.

(b) Professor Shinsuke Shimojo graciously shared his research results and experiences with over 120 students, faculty and researchers from within and outside Fordham (e.g. Albert Einstein College of Medicine and St. Barnabas Hospital) in Flom Auditorium, Walsh Library at Rose Hill Campus. In conjunction with the Interdisciplinary Faculty Seminar in Bioinformatics sponsored by FCRH Dean’s Office, his talk title is: Behavioral and Neural Correlate of Visual Preference Decision: Towards the Extension of Neural Computation and Neuroinformatics. Dr. Shimojo, a renowned neuroscientist with publications in Nature and in Science and exhibitions in art museums, also gave a talk entitled “Perceptual Illusions – Where Science Meets Art” to a group of 35 students and faculty at the Interdisciplinary Seminar in Design Conversation jointly organized by the Depts. of Computer and Information Science and Theater and Visual Arts in the evening of April 2 at Lincoln Center Campus.

(c) Mr. Andrew Hollander (GSAS’03) and Ms. Leanne Smith (FCRH’01) shared their expertise and experience in “Patent Law and Informatics-The Current Landscape, and Why it Matters” and “Applications of Informatics in Investment Management” respectively with current undergraduate and graduate students. Andy and Leanne, together with other alumni: Nerissa Heldridge, John Rakowski, Franklin Wong, Kevin Kelly and Lauriene Abila-Tschang, lead the Career Forum Panel and offered current students a most update of the career opportunities and employment situation for the computer and information science students.

(d) The CIS Annual Dinner: This year’s dinner was attended by over 60 current students, faculty members, and alumni. Twenty-five alumni (FCLC, FCRH, FCLS, and GSAS) attended the reception and dinner. They are Ying Andrews, Ashley Coventry, Jeremy Drysdale, Anthony Ferrante, Reginald Fluellen, Nerissa Heldridge, Andy Hollander, Kevin Kelly, Dom Levoci, Hideko Maeda, Kate McCarthy, Cameron McMunn, John Milner, Mike Palma, Thomas Palma, John Quarato, John Rakowski, Monica Rhodas, Michael Rogalewski, Christina Schweikert, Leanne Smith, Jonathan Tan, Ye Tian, Franklin Wong, and Lauriene Abila-Tschang.

(e) Dr. Damian Lyons, Chair of the Department, spoke to all attendees about the state of the Department. Current students have expressed their appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to meet and seek advice from the many alumni on April 3. Dr. Lyons also announced and presented the Herbert Bomzer Awards to graduate students and alumni. Four alumni: Joseph Kondel, Josephine Law, Gianna Migliorisi, and Jianfang Xie were not able to attend the dinner on April 3 due to last minute schedule glitches. We hope that they are well and look forward to seeing them, and all other twenty-five alumni who attended this year, at next year’s CIS Day (tentatively scheduled to be on April 9, 2010).

This year’s Bomzer Awards recipients are: Patrick Peralta (FCLC); Daniel Thomson and Daniel D’Addario (FCRH); Jin Weng and Hung-Da Shih (GSAS); and Anthony Ferrante (Distinguished Alumni Services). Congratulations to all the recipients and we wish them a distinguished career and happy life as they become CIS Dept’s new alumni after May 2009.