Johnson County Community College

Computing Sciences and Information Technology Department November 2019 Update
The CSIT Reverse Career Fair was held Friday, November 15th in the CoLab with approximately 19 employers and 21 student participants. Both employers and students expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about JCCC students/programs and gain experience with interviewing. Each semester the Reverse Career Fair produces success stories of students receiving internships with potential job offers. We are very thankful for Linda Dubar, Jim Hopper and many others giving time and leadership for this relevant student and community event!

CIS – Computer Information Systems
Chair Perla Weaver served as a National Science Foundation grant reviewer in Washington, DC for those colleges submitting ATE – Advanced Technology Education grants.

IT – Networking
The IT-Networking department will be featured in the Community College Daily for an article on our successful completion of the MentorLinks grant. Through the grant, we developed a new Cybersecurity program and successfully met requirements for CAE designation in Cybersecurity.

IT chair Andrew Lutz was joined by CSIT assistant dean Dr. Deb Elder as he was recognized at the annual National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) conference in Phoenix on November 20th. NICE is led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. The mission of NICE is to energize and promote a robust network and an ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. NICE fulfills this mission by coordinating with government, academic, and industry partners to build on existing successful programs, facilitate change and innovation, and bring leadership and vision to increase the number of skilled cybersecurity professionals helping to keep our nation secure.

WEB – Web Development and Digital Media
Congratulations to Web chair Jim Hopper, a Distinguished Service Award Recipient. He will be honored at the BNSF Railway Award Ceremony on May 1st, 2020 and will also receive a $2,500 monetary award.

Jim Hopper is also a 2019 recipient of the John & Suanne Roueche Excellence Award for JCCC. He will receive his award at the League of Innovations Conference in Seattle on March 4th, 2020.

We are pleased to announce that Angela Reed, 2019 graduate Web Development and Digital Media, begins a full-time position as Search Engine Optimize Specialist January 2020 with Thruline Marketing.

Students Kevin Atherton, Alexander Tate, Aubrey Churchill, Baylee Delauier, Nathan Rowe are participating in a cross functional honors class for the Project: Kansas Solar System. The purpose of this project is to utilize Kansas’s geography to educate students and the public about the scope and scale of our solar system. For JCCC students, building the Kansas Solar System will be an experiential learning opportunity with professional application. This project will create a to-scale version of the solar system that maps over the state of Kansas. In its digital form (progressive web application), anyone could determine their position within the “Kansas Solar System” relative to any location in the state. JCCC will serve as the “Sun.” Via the digital form, users will be able to learn about the scale of the solar system from any location in the state, as well as the relative size of the solar system’s objects based upon that location. There will also be specified locations for the planets, Pluto, and other relevant objects. For example, Neptune, with a diameter of 3.4 meters, would be located at the Cosmosphere in Hutchinson (if Hayes was Pluto). In spring 2020, students will join professors from a variety of disciplines to create a design document and prototype (rudimentary) for a progressive web app (PWA) of the Kansas Solar System.

The Student Agency is in the process of proposing 4 projects from clients throughout the KC metropolitan area. This inter-department effort provides real-time experience for students across campus.

Professor Patrick Lafferty recently obtained certification in Creative Commons and open licensing. He serves on the OER Task Force representing CSIT Division. His professional commitment is appreciated.

We would like to recognize Web Professor and author Lisa Friedrichsen for her participation in the JCCC Writes event. Lisa has authored textbooks for several years and is sought out for national presentations as an expert in her field.

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