{"id":1117,"date":"2018-05-11T15:05:46","date_gmt":"2018-05-11T19:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-csse\/news-events-monmouth-university\/"},"modified":"2025-12-15T16:02:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-15T21:02:35","slug":"happenings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.monmouth.edu\/department-of-csse\/happenings\/","title":{"rendered":"Departmental Happenings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To submit news items, please contact Christy Jenkins<\/a> or Joe Chung<\/a>. Also see our student blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Monmouth Announces Partnership Agreement with ISC2<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Monmouth University’s Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering proudly announces that it recently joined the Academic Partner program with the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2). ISC2 is the world\u2019s leading member association for cybersecurity professionals, dedicated to empowering the current cybersecurity workforce and recruiting new professionals to join the ranks. Monmouth University is excited to collaborate with ISC2 to enhance their cybersecurity educational offerings and provide access to the most recognized cybersecurity certificates in the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Through this partnership, Monmouth University is able to integrate ISC2 certifications, including the globally recognized CISSP, into its Cybersecurity curriculum. As a result, students gain verified, industry-standard competencies that enhance their job readiness. This initiative further positions Monmouth as a source of highly trained cybersecurity professionals for the regional and national workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We are very excited to partner with ISC2 and offer their industry-leading certifications to all students at Monmouth University. Our partnership allows us to be at the forefront of cybersecurity skills development, leading to better internship and employability outcomes. We look forward to working with ISC2 to welcome our Hawks into this exciting field.”, said Professor Brian Callahan, Ph.D., ISSMP, CISSP, CISM and Director of the Monmouth Cybersecurity Research Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ISC2 research states that the threat landscape is complex, with 75% of cybersecurity professionals viewing the present-day as the most challenging it has been in the past five years. ISC2’s research found that those who continue their training, education and certification reimbursement programs were far better prepared to weather times of economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n\n\n

Monmouth Cyber Hawks Earn #2 in National Cyber League Power Rankings<\/h2>\n\n\n
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The National Cyber League (NCL), a non-profit organization that educates students through practical experience solving real-world challenges, announced its National Cyber Power Rankings in late November. Monmouth University\u2019s Cyber Hawks earned the No. 2 overall position in the standard bracket<\/a>, just behind the team fielded by the United States Coast Guard Academy. These rankings highlight the top-performing schools in the National Cyber League competition. The NCL Fall 2025 competition concluded with participation from 9,200+ students and almost 800 high school, colleges and universities, nationwide.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The NCL competition is a bi-annual event that gives students the opportunity to test themselves against real-world cybersecurity challenges, such as identifying hackers from forensic data, pentesting and auditing vulnerable websites, and recovering from ransomware attacks. \u201cWe continue to see incredible engagement from students across the country and the feedback shows that NCL challenges are not only fun, but truly helping players build confidence and prepare for cybersecurity careers,\u201d said David Zeichick, NCL Commissioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This success is in no small part to Ikey Sasson\u2019s first-place individual finish and an 11th place team finish in two separate competitions in the fall. Although the newly established Monmouth Cyber Hawks entered their first year of competition in 2025, students and professors alike were impressed with their early success. \u201cTo say that I am incredibly proud of them does not say enough. In just a few months, we have turned Monmouth University into a wonderful place to study Cybersecurity and excel in this exciting field,\u201d said Brian Callahan, Ph.D., director of the Monmouth Cybersecurity Research Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Established in 2011 by an alliance of public agencies dedicated to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, the NCL<\/a> is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aiming to help students develop, practice, and validate their cybersecurity knowledge and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n

CSSE Announces Opening of Monmouth Cybersecurity Research Center<\/h2>\n\n\n
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Located in Howard Hall, this cutting-edge facility is dedicated to advancing research, education, and innovation in quantum computing and cybersecurity. This center will serve as a collaborative space for students, faculty, and industry partners to tackle today’s most pressing cybersecurity challenges, enhance workforce readiness, and drive forward-thinking solutions in digital defense.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In addition to research in cybersecurity and quantum computing, this space also houses the Monmouth Cyber Hawks, CSSE’s very own Capture-the-Flag (CTF) competition team. The Cyber Hawks will play in CTF tournaments and vie national and international ranking through the National Cyber League (NCL), where participants engage in solving real-world cybersecurity challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantum computing is poised to revolutionize a huge variety of fields including cybersecurity, medicine, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and finance. Quantum practitioners stand at the forefront of what is possible for knowledge development. At Monmouth, all students beginning freshman year can do real-world hands-on research with this exciting new technology that has global excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n

CSSE Hosts Cyber and Quantum Seminar<\/h2>\n\n\n
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On September 22, Specialist Professor Brian Callahan hosted “Cybersecurity in the Age of Quantum,” a seminar to introduce cybersecurity and quantum computing research at Monmouth University. The CSSE Department is proud to announce opportunities in quantum computing, which is an entirely new class of computing that allows researchers to solve some of today’s biggest problems. Quantum computing is at the cutting edge of research in the areas of healthcare and cybersecurity, among others. Callahan was joined by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Shoshana Sugerman (’26) to discuss how opportunities in this research shaped her academic career. In addition, Callahan also announced the formation of Monmouth University Cybersecurity Research Center, hosting a student research group and Capture-the-Flag (CTF) competition team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Monmouth University Cybersecurity Research Center, part of the CSSE Department, is open to interested students from all majors. Under the Center, a student research group would explore quantum security, while a CTF team, the Monmouth Cyber Hawks, would compete for National and International ranking. CTF security competitions would be hosted through the National Cyber League (NCL). The NCL prepares students for careers in cybersecurity by testing their skills in real-world cybersecurity challenges such as identifying hackers from forensic data, pentesting, and recovery from ransom-are attacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information on our Cybersecurity offerings, or the Monmouth Cybersecurity Research Center, contact Dr. Callahan: bcallaha@monmouth.edu<\/p>\n\n\n

Welcome Brian Callahan, Ph.D.<\/h2>\n\n\n

Sept. 10, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We are excited for the start of another successful academic semester. To better support some of our new course offerings, the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering is excited to welcome Brian Callahan, Ph.D., ’14M, to our faculty. Callahan joins us from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he served as the graduate program director for and senior lecturer in the Information Technology and Web Science program (ITWS), and the director of the Rensselaer Cybersecurity Collaboratory (RCC), and was widely recognized for his innovative work at the intersection of cybersecurity, quantum computing, and generative AI. Callahan brings with him a deep commitment to student mentorship, hands-on learning, and inclusive pedagogy. His research spans topics such as reverse engineering, digital forensics, security education, and the use of BSD Unix systems in computer science instruction; areas in which he has published extensively and continues to contribute actively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Callahan lead a team of undergraduates in quantum cybersecurity research, winning the Best Presentation Award special prize at the 28th Colloquium for Information Systems Security Education (CISSE). At RPI, he also spearheaded efforts to integrate real-world, low-level systems work into the curriculum, helping students become more effective, security-conscious engineers. Callahan is a featured speaker at ISC2\u2019s Security Congress in Nashville this October. Most recently, his work on Quantum Kernels for Network Intrusion has been accepted for publication at the First AAAI Symposium on Quantum Information & Machine Learning (QIML).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An advocate for FOSS (Free and Open Source Software), Callahan\u2019s unique blend of academic rigor and applied practice makes him an outstanding addition to our department. We are excited for the energy, expertise, and collaborative spirit he brings to Monmouth University. Please join us in welcoming Callahan to our community!<\/p>\n\n\n

Introducing Two New Minors<\/h2>\n\n\n

Sept. 10, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering proudly announces two new minors, starting Fall 2025: data science, and cybersecurity. While new course offerings compliment these in-demand minors, the data science minor is designed to attract students across programs. For more information, please contact Office Coordinator Christy Jenkins<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

Data Science<\/h3>\n\n\n

The data science minor program will focus on harnessing the power of data, providing a foundation in data science techniques, along with hands-on experience. This minor exposes students from all majors to the growing field of data science, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Students will learn and develop applications across various domains, while fostering a comprehensive understanding of data analytics, machine learning, and ethics, as well as exploring cutting-edge topics and tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minor in Data Science<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Cybersecurity<\/h3>\n\n\n

The cybersecurity minor program will introduce students to information and network security and their related issues. By learning the fundamental principles of securing software systems and networks, through the introduction of cryptography, as well as the techniques of hacking and secure cloud computing, students will be able to design secure applications and systems, understand threat assessment using different detection techniques, and countermeasure security threats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Minor in Cybersecurity<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Data and Computer Science Students Present at the SRP Symposium<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

Aug. 7, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Undergraduates and graduate students had the opportunity to participate in Monmouth\u2019s School of Science Summer Research Program (SRP). This program is a 10-week paid research experience for students to work on collaborative research projects under the supervision of School of Science faculty, culminating in student presentations at the Summer Research Program Symposium on Aug. 7. In addition to the opportunity to present their work to faculty and professional contacts of the School of Science, students gained invaluable research experience that looks attractive to future employers and to graduate and professional school programs.<\/p>\n\n\n

Professor Wang Earns MU Distinguished Scholar Award<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n

June 4, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The newly implemented Monmouth University Distinguished Scholar award celebrates and encourages sustained excellence in scholarship and research. This year, Dr, Jay Wang was named as one of three co-recipients who are each exemplary in their scholarship achievements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Wang\u2019s scholarly interests include artificial intelligence, software engineering, formal methods, discrete event systems, and service computing. In particular, Dr. Wang\u2019s outstanding contributions to the field of artificial intelligence (AI) research has played a pivotal role in advancing AI applications to address real-world challenges, particularly in healthcare and emergency management.  His success in grant writing, and securing multiple IEEE grants for his AI research, are commendable.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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