Automotive Technology, Career & Leadership Readiness Institute, Data Center Operations, Engineering Technology, Information Technology, Internships, Student Success, Student to Workforce

NOVA Graduate Spotlight – Hispanic Heritage

Alec Vaca is a NOVA graduate who received an A.A.S. in Automotive from and an A.A.S. in Engineering Technology at NOVA. He interned for Micron and worked there for 3 years. Afterward he interned for Digital Realty and is now employed full-time as an Data Center Operations Engineer 1. We caught up with him at the end of Hispanic Heritage month to ask about his experiences getting to where he is now and how NOVA helped him achieve his goals:

How did you first learn about NOVA?
I heard about NOVA during my Junior (11th) year in High School. Much of what I knew originally came from rumors of being a lesser-university experience for a much lower cost.

How were you first inspired in STEM?
My fascination with STEM originated also in my Junior year in High School when I took an automotive basics class and following my senior year in High School with a trade class for small engines. I thoroughly enjoyed understanding each component’s purpose in the overall picture of manipulating energy for a specific task.

Since joining NOVA, describe your experiences?
I have learned from industry experts who teach students, such as myself, with a passion to equip the future labor force. My experiences made in each lab have been stelar thanks to NOVA cultivating a healthy culture empowering my professors to teach to their best abilities.

How has NOVA equipped you in your career path?
NOVA has equipped me through many opportunities to advance my career, ranging from a plethora of degree-specific scholarships to unique Internship paths with global companies such as Micron Technology and Digital Realty.

How have you balanced work needs while pursuing your education?
Balancing a work life while pursuing an education is admittedly my greatest weakness. I have learned early on that it is possible but sacrifice to some “me” time is required. An effective balance usually means I cut down on recreation on my down time to finish deadlines from both work and school. I have been blessed to have considerate managers and professors, so that also is a huge weight off my shoulders!

What excites you about the technology industry?
The fact that we are in a unique time in the world where competition for the “latest & greatest” is at its peak.

You recently started a new job, Congratulations! Describe how you were able to secure the opportunity?
Thanks! I put into practice my persistence in finding opportunities that would benefit me and my goals. My first step was focusing more on my classes I was taking and to see what would suit my future aspirations in the workforce. Following this I took advantage of the Career Learning Readiness Institute (CLRI) training modules, offered by NOVA, for seeking employment and had the tremendous opportunity to tour STACK Infrastructure, which sealed the deal on which industry I would love to grow into. Finally, after discussing my aspirations to my professors, I was made aware of an opportunity to intern at a leading Data Center in Loudoun, which resulted in said company knowing who I was as an individual and vice versa.

What are your ultimate career goals?
I believe my ultimate career goal would be, as my father says, “Bloom where you’re planted”.

Are there any professors or mentors who you want to recognize along your journey?
My top three professors/mentors I have been fortunate to interact with would be Reginald Bennett for his passion to teach, Laura Garcia for her counseling and Amir Mehmood for his care for us the students.

What have you most enjoyed about your time at NOVA?
My best moments at NOVA have been struggling with other students to understand the material we must learn and the relationships that have sprouted from our conflicts. Nothing says comradery like a class of students working together to get to the next part of the lab!

How does your life in the professional world differ from life as a NOVA student? What are the expectations?
Learning a topic at NOVA, with physical labs included, is different from learning in the workforce. My classes give me a great foundational understanding of STEM concepts and the ability to test controlled sections of an area being explored. In the workplace, I can develop my skills I have learned, usually without control found in labs I have done at NOVA. As far as expectations go, at work I am expected to do my best and if I do not, then my team suffers the most. In my classes, I am expected to learn and if I fail to, then I alone suffer the most.

What would you say to current NOVA IET students who would like to follow your example? What should they do and what should they expect?
What worked for me was building relationships with my professors and classmates so I could learn more about who I was as a person and where I wanted to end up at. I would not be where I am today without pushing myself out of my comfort zone to look for opportunities, to which many professors are eager to help those seeking.

Is there anything else you want to share?
My parents often say a variation of “Cherish the good times and learn in the hard times”, which I find fitting.

 

Bridge Programs, Career & Leadership Readiness Institute, Community Partnerships, Data Center Operations, DCO Tech NSF Grant, Engineering Technology, Externships, Industry Tours, Micron, NSF Grants

DCO Tech Advancing In-Demand Technology

NOVA’s DCO Tech Grant will be highlighted at the NSF ATE Principal Investigators’ Conference in October.

On October 26-28, NOVA SySTEMic director Josh Labrie and Stack Infrastructure’s VP (and NOVA professor) TJ Ciccone will present DCO Tech at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Principal Investigators’ (PI) Conference in Washington D.C. The conference will bring together more than 850 NSF ATE grantees and their project partners to focus on the critical issues related to advanced technological education.

NOVA’s DCO Tech Grant supports NOVA’s Engineering Tech Programs and is designed to increase regional capacity for training in Engineering Technology (ET) and Data Center Operations (DCO) through expanded recruitment, employment, training, and increased collaboration between industry, K-12 educators, and faculty.

This year, as part of DCO Tech, NOVA SySTEMic conducted successful Bridge Programs for high school juniors and seniors (bridging the gap between HS and college), and introduced students to Data Center Operations and Engineering Technology. Bridge students toured 2 NOVA campuses, visited industry partners (Micron and STACK Infrastructure) and conducted hands-on activities at NOVA’s mechatronics and data center labs. The program featured guest speakers from NOVA’s student support offices, IET faculty members, and industry volunteers. 20 high school students completed the 2-week program and earned 1 college credit with the opportunity to earn their OSHA 10 certification. NOVA provided free transportation between NOVA campuses to reduce barriers to participation.

One of the hallmarks of DCO Tech’s Bridge programs is that they can improve attitudes towards STEM disciplines and awareness of career opportunities. One student reflected “I really enjoyed building connections and understanding the different fields of STEM. I never understood data centers in this depth. I’m very glad it’s in-person and we get to see NOVA campuses.”

In addition, DCO Tech helps provide career readiness for NOVA students through the Career and Leadership Readiness Institute (CLRI), which enhances leadership skills and develops career connections, teaching students how to interview, create a standout resume, network effectively, and manage interpersonal skills. Students who complete CLRI will receive priority consideration for paid internships with industry partners. New CLRI courses begin on Oct 18 and you can sign up for info sessions on Oct 4, 6, and 11. Applications are due on October 12. Find out more and sign up at https://www.nvcc.edu/career-services/clri.html

Another component of DCO Tech is the K12 Educator Externship, which raises awareness for Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations career pathways among secondary educators. This Engineering Technology Externship is designed to provide teachers, counselors, and administrators with first-hand knowledge of engineering technology and data center operations through industry site visits and engagement with NOVA’s related programs of study. This year we had 18 externship completers who visited Micron Technology, Stack Infrastructure, and NOVA’s Fab Lab to help inform them on creating an action plan to improve the pipeline of students entering the workforce as technicians for DCO or Engineering Technology. In polling, 100% of participants rated the overall externship as above average or excellent. All participants expressed moderate to very confident abilities in educating their colleagues on guiding students to ET and DCO careers.

One educator said “we were given a clear picture of the type of student that would succeed in this industry, the skillsets needed, along with the curriculum. This, along with actually touring the facility, increased my awareness and as such, I feel more confident in sharing this with students, parents, and teachers.”

**We will be continuing the Summer Bridge Programs and Secondary Educator Externship Programs in 2023. Complete this form to be notified when registration is live. You can also sign up for the monthly NOVA IET newsletter which will have details about the 2023 programs as soon as they are available.

To learn more about Engineering Technology at NOVA visit https://www.nvcc.edu/academics/areas/applied-technologies/engineering-technology.html

For more about Data Center Operations at NOVA, go to https://www.nvcc.edu/academics/areas/applied-technologies/data-center-operations.html

To learn more about the NSF ATE PI Conference, click here

 

Employee Spotlight, Hispanic Heritage, Student to Workforce, Tech Equity

Graduate Success Stories in Tech for Hispanic Heritage Month

Emily Reyna, a NOVA grad, recently worked as a STEM Support Specialist for NOVA SySTEMic before moving on to her dream job as a Tester at Bethesda Softworks, a AAA game studio. As part of her farewell she gave us some insights about her experience as a Latina pursuing an in-demand tech career.

How did you first learn about NOVA?

Growing up NOVA was a topic at all our family gatherings. My grandmother and grandfather worked here, close to their retiring my mom began working here, and now both my sister and I work here. In addition to work, I had the opportunity to see so much success come from our students as I grew up so I knew I would go to NOVA before finishing my degree at another institution.

How were you first inspired in STEM?

My teacher at Battlefield High School, Mr. Bishop, encouraged me to go into the STEM field by taking me through the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) program and encouraging me to participate and assist in the SeaPerch robotics initiative. Towards the end of my high school experience, I had a meeting to discuss my future with Mr. Bishop and he encouraged me to go the computer science and graphic design route because I had an interest in becoming a video game designer.

You worked alongside the NOVA SySTEMic team. Describe your experience:

I have obtained a better grasp on all that goes into 3D modeling, laser cutting, and the importance of visualizing your subjects. In video games and out, visualizing what the object is you are working with and then being able to create it in 3D adds even more meaning to what you have made.

Having the opportunity to be amazed by the fabrication equipment, assist in the planning of curriculum for students, and seeing that curriculum put into action has been an extremely rewarding experience.

How has NOVA and NOVA SySTEMic equipped you in your career path?

NOVA and NOVA SySTEMic have opened my eyes to all the possibilities of the STEM world. From Disney using 3D modeling and fabrication to visualize their characters, to Marvel using Unity, a video game creation software, to add in backgrounds and special effects to their movies, it is amazing what technology can do. The STEM field is ever expanding and NOVA and NOVA SySTEMic have done an amazing job connecting their students to the STEM workforce and all that STEM can do for them.

How have you balanced work needs will pursuing your education?

Working at NOVA has been a significant help. The one saying I have heard over and over in every department, even those I have not worked closely with, is education comes first. If I need a day to focus on my schoolwork, NOVA is always able to accommodate and ensure I can get my work done.

What excites you about the gaming industry?

With the innovations in technology, I am extremely excited to see what comes next. In my research for my degree, I have found that doctors are using virtual reality tech to train and perform surgeries. It adds an additional layer of health safety by not requiring someone to be directly in the room and allows for even more accuracy than before. Robots, technology, and specifically video games are the future. While video games have a stigma of being dangerous, what the technology that goes into video games can do is astonishing and even life saving for some!

You recently secured a new job at Bethesda Softworks – Congratulations! How were you were able to secure the opportunity?

I have always said since I was in high school was, I am going to work for Bethesda Softworks, a AAA game studio. When searching for full-time positions, I saw they were looking for entry-level game testers and thought while I do not have the exact experience they want, I enjoy their games and the video game community so I would give it a shot. When they called back and were giving me the opportunity to work for them, I could not say no!

What are your ultimate career goals?

My ultimate career goal would be to get into a AAA company, Bethesda Softworks or otherwise, and become a game developer. What is nice about being a tester is I get to work with all the departments to share my findings on issues that could arise for other players. Hearing and seeing the experiences of those in the game field currently, game development suits what I see for myself in the future.

Are there any professors or mentors who you want to recognize along your journey?

Mr. Bishop encouraged me to get into the STEM field. While I had an interest in game design, I do not think I would have gone further into pursuing that field had I not taken his engineering classes and learning all that computer science and computer engineering has to offer.

I also want to recognize and thank Carolee Cawthon, the NOVA Manassas IT Manager, for sharing her knowledge, time, and care over the years while working for the college. I was always willing to learn, and she was willing to teach, and I appreciate my time with her and the NOVA IT team.

How does your life in the professional world differ from life as a NOVA student? What are the expectations?

One of the most rewarding parts about life in the professional setting is the ability to collaborate with industry professionals and learn from their experiences. In an educational setting you have a disconnect from your peers and have temporary teams with little emotional connection towards assisting each other’s goals. In the professional setting you are all working towards a common goal but also collaborate to assist in each other’s personal goals and always strive for the best for one another.

What is your experience as a woman/Latina in the tech fields? What further steps for equality would you like to see in general in technology fields?

The Latino community in the STEM field is very small and comes with many hurdles to finishing your degree. To start there is a strong language barrier between professor and student. While a professor intends to teach, often they do not take into a student’s background, upbringing, and how they were previously taught. Latino communities are very hands on, constant high-fives, hugs, words of encouragement, and even using food to encourage and collaborate amongst peers. Whether being homeschooled or in a public setting, many teachers supported their students by performing this action, but in a university setting, many professors are hands off, often providing a textbook definition.

Additionally, since a STEM degree is a very tough but financially worthwhile degree, much of the Latino community struggles to get by daily, let alone pay for schooling. Latino families send their children to school to get these IT and computer related degrees in hopes of them making a lot of money one day but soon realize it is near impossible to financially support their children’s dreams. The Latino community still has the mindset of keeping the women home or working in jobs that primarily focus on “womanly duties” as one might call them.

Being a Latina woman in STEM, I want to encourage and be an example for the Latino community. There are many programs and scholarships that encourage the Latina community. If there is something you set out for and dream about, NOVA and our NOVA SySTEMic team are always willing to help, much like they have done for me during my years of schooling and after.

What would you say to current NOVA IET students who would like to follow your example? What should they do and what should they expect?

Computer science is a difficult field to fully grasp and get in to. While some go into computer science with the intention of getting a lot of money, make sure you enjoy what you are doing, have fun along the way, and really grasp the information. Understanding is always the first step so ask for clarification as needed but look at some topics like a puzzle to solve.

 

Community STEM Teams, Robotics, VEX Robotics

VEX Robotics Community Teams Are Back!

This fall our VEX Community teams are back and competing for the 2022/23 VEX Robotics season. These teams are for elementary, middle and high school students in Manassas and Loudoun who do not have a robotics team or program at their school. Registration is now open and due by October 15th for the 2022-2023 school year. Teams will start meeting the week of September 26th at both locations.

We’ll be using the VEX IQ Challenge (VIQC) and VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) platforms. VEX IQ is a platform that consists of robots assembled from plastic snap-together parts and consist of 2-3 members. The programming used is Graphical or Text-based. VRC robots are metal and put together with metal screws and advanced parts and consist of 3-5 members. The programming is Text-based.

Our goal with these teams is to introduce kids to STEM and instill in them a quality robotics foundation. On a robotics team, participants learn the design process as well as gaining problem solving and teamwork skills. It’s an excellent gateway into STEM and also teaches the soft skills needed to excel in higher Ed or a professional environment.

Sign up now at vexcommunityteam.novastem.us/register

 

AFCOM, Data Center Operations, Internships, Scholarships

AFCOM Interns Ready to Pursue Data Center Opportunities

For the second year in a row AFCOM Potomac Chapter, supported by NOVA through the Go VA DEEP IET grant, put students through a 10 week summer internship program. The objective of the internship is to engage undergraduate students from multiple disciplines having them observe and assist with projects within the data center community.

This year 12 interns participated, with 8 of them coming from the NOVA Data Center Operations Program (DCO). AFCOM has increased the number of internships offered year over year and won national recognition from AFCOM National at Data Center World 2021. By supporting the internship project, companies can actively participate in bringing up the next wave of talent in data centers. “We will be continuing this annually to help introduce and drive young talent into the data center space,” said Stuart Dyer, Global Data Center Strategy and Planning, IBM, and AFCOM Potomac Chapter Director of Scholarships & Internships. “Students return to school armed with good references, and a solid foundation of influence, and in some instances, land jobs with their sponsor companies.”

Additionally, AFCOM gives annually to the DCO program through the Wendy Darling Scholarship. This year AFCOM increased its support to $20,000 for course scholarships. “With NOVA sponsoring our internship program, it completes the circle of investing in these students’ future in the data center industry” said Dyer. This year’s donation demonstrated AFCOM’s commitment and support to making the NOVA DCO program a top generator for talent for the Data Center industry.

AFCOM, the interns and their partners celebrated the successful completion of the internships and the generous donation at Top Golf in Ashburn.

AFCOM is a professional association proven to advance the career of IT and data center professionals. For over 40 years, they’ve been educating, connecting & lifting our members to help them meet the growing demands facing the IT and Data Center industry.

More about AFCOM here

Computer Science, NOVA CS Faculty

Computer Science Faculty Spotlight

Kimberly Whitehouse

Born in Florida and raised in Georgia, Kimberly joined the Marine Corps upon graduating high school.  She served for several years as a jet engine mechanic until she was selected to attend college while on active duty. Kimberly attended the University of Florida earning a Bachelor’s degree in Finance.  Upon graduation, she was commissioned as an officer in the Marine Corps, serving as a Data Systems Officer until she retired after over 21 years of active service.  During her last few years in the Corps, she earned a Master’s degree in Computer Science from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.

After retiring from the Marine Corps, Kimberly has worked for a major defense contractor, owned her own business, and taught high school computer science.  Kimberly is excited to join the faculty at NVCC and loves spending time in the computer lab sharing her passion for computer science.  When she’s not in the classroom, you will likely find her enjoying one of her many other hobbies, such as quilting, reading, cooking, hiking, running (sloth-pace), attending baseball games, or riding her Harley-Davidson. The most cherished aspect of her life is her family.  Kimberly is married, has five children, two grandchildren (and another on the way), and two sweet Viszla puppies!

Kimberly can be reached at cboicu@nvcc.edu  

Cristina Boicu

Cristina is a new faculty member in Computer Science at the Annandale campus. Cristina has taught for more than 15 years in higher education, at undergraduate and graduate level, in multiple institutions. She designed and taught several information technology and computer science courses at George Mason University, Colorado Technical University, Northern Virginia Community College.

Cristina has performed basic and applied research in Artificial Intelligence and knowledge-based decision support systems (knowledge acquisition and refinement, knowledge engineering, multi-strategy learning, mixed-initiative problem solving) with applications in military, intelligence analysis, emergency response, financial, education and medical domains. She has advised students in their research and academic programs as well as assisting teaching several computer science and information technology courses at George Mason University, US Army War College and US Air War College. She has extended experience in computer related industries including programming in various languages, starting with assembly language, C, C++, LISP, Prolog, Java and Python, software design and development for industrial computers, intelligent agents, databases, and web development.

She holds a PhD, an MS, and a BS in Computer Science.

In her free time, Cristina enjoys photography, music and travel!

She can be reached at cboicu@nvcc.edu  

Bridge Programs, Computer Science, DCO Tech NSF Grant, Engineering Technology, Industry Tours, Information Technology, NOVA IET Career Pathways, STEM Careers, STEM Degrees

Bridge Programs Prepare Students For College

We just completed our first series of Summer Bridge Programs in #InformationTechnology (IT), #EngineeringTechnology (ET), and #ComputerScience (CS)! These programs are intended to “bridge’ the gap between high school and college with a pathway that leads to further technology education and in-demand, well-paying technology careers.

The IT Bridge Program performed hands-on activities such as cisco packet tracer and networking, the Virginia Cyber League and cybersecurity, and web site development.

The CS Bridge Program engaged in hands on programming activities such as using recurrent neural networks to generate text based on an input model, building games in Unity, and using the Virginia Cyber League to do the “password ripper.

Students in the Engineering Tech Bridge program worked on engineering cable termination, used the Fab Lab smart factory and other mechatronics equipment, and also had the opportunity to tour Micron and STACK Infrastructure’s Data Center.

One Computer Science Bridge student concluded that the most effective experience in the program was “learning the difference between IT and Comp Sci [and] what it takes to work in the Comp Sci field.”

An IT Bridge student reflected “the greatest takeaway of the program was seeing how people like myself think and how others don’t see the world. The skills in IT will be of great benefit. The instructors were excellent and I loved how they were caring, honest and used real world knowledge…”

Another Bridge student said “the greatest learning for me was about how to be successful in college.”

Bridge Programs are made possible through and NSF DCO Tech Grant, which is geared toward expanding regional capacity for training in Engineering Technology and Data Center Operations

Learn more about these pathways at NOVA:

Information Technology: https://bit.ly/3yJhEjf

Engineering Technology: https://bit.ly/3ONHJmD

Computer Science: https://bit.ly/3ye03ym

Rising High School Juniors and Seniors can apply for next summer’s Bridge Program starting in Spring, 2023.

Sign up for our newsletter (The IET Interface) for developing info or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

#WeDoSTEM #InDemandTech #EveryProgramAchieves #EveryStudentSucceeds #CollegePrep #BoldlyNOVA

Employee Spotlight, NOVA IET

Meet Our New IET Faculty

Welcome to our 6 new full-time IET faculty members for Fall 2022

NOVA IET is pleased to announce our new faculty team members: Ronnie Dasgupta, Aresgul Cuhader, Mike Hon, Abid Mahmoud, Bryce Summers, and Farzan Soroushi. Bios below:

Ronnie Dasgupta

Ronnie Dasgupta brings over 15 years of experience in Electrical Engineering and Control Systems to Northern Virginia Community College. He has transitioned from Control Systems to Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science.  Before joining NVCC, Ronnie founded a Tech Work Force Development company and contracted out with various academic institutions in the DC-Maryland-Virginia Regions. His objective was to coordinate industry and academia so that technical job training and employment placement are streamlined. Prior to his entrepreneurial venture, he worked as an engineer for the defense industry and has experience in intellectual property.

Ronnie holds multiple certifications in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Cornell University. He also has an industrial FE Certification from South Carolina State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers. He obtained his MS in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, MS in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University, BS in Electrical Engineering from Clemson University, and BS in Physics from College of Charleston.

Ronnie is Honorably Discharged from the US Marine Corps Reserves. During his free time, he enjoys competitive tennis and cross-fit.

Aresgul Cuhader

Dr Aysegul Cuhadar received her Doctor of Philosophy in Electronic Systems Engineering from the University of Essex, UK. She has extensive subject matter expertise in data science, machine learning, computer vision and high-performance computing, and has published several papers on these fields. She was a full-time faculty of computer engineering at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada teaching both undergraduate and graduate courses in the department and supervising students for their research projects. She serves as an Adjunct Professor of data analytics and provides consulting services to a cybersecurity and IT company as a program manager.

Aysegul is a senior member of IEEE and volunteers as the Vice Chair of Washington section promoting both academia and practice, and managing the local section’s special award process at high school Science Fairs.

In her free time, Aysegul likes to read, hike with her dog, and travel. 

Mike Hon

Professor “Mike” Hon has worked with many law enforcement and intelligence government agencies across security domains ranging from computer forensics to completing successful white hat vulnerability exploit with over 20 years of IT experience and 16 years of teaching at NOVA, UVa, and GMU. Published in IEEE, Professor Hon focuses on practical, hands-on tools and examples to make cybersecurity practical to students. He also leads a team at a non-profit science and technology company that focuses on Cloud Security, FedRAMP, Data Forensics, and Big Data Analytics.

CISSP, CSSLP, SANS GLEG, EIT, PMP
mhon@nvcc.edu

Abid Mahmoud

Abid is a first-generation immigrant, and a proud graduate of NOVA.  He started his U.S. educational journey at NOVA in 1987 taking English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. He went on to earn two associate degrees at NOVA, one in information technology and the other in computer science, a bachelor’s degree in business and has earned two master’s degrees, one in Business and the other in Information Technology Management from Western Governor’s University.

He was offered an opportunity to work at NOVA 23 years ago as and Open Computer Lab Coordinator where he taught classes alongside working in the Computer Lab.  Prior to Coming to NOVA, Abid worked in financial centers’ IT departments.

Amid enjoys seeing his students progress and succeed in life.

Bryce Summers

Trained as a Computer Scientist and Artist, Bryce enjoys teaching programming classes, where he builds supportive learning environments, and creating art, where he tries to make abstract concepts more visible. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from Carnegie Mellon University and a M.S. degree in Integrated Digital Media from New York University.

Bryce has been actively involved in programming education since 2015 and joined NOVA’s Information And Engineering Technologies (IET) department as an Adjunct Professor in the Spring of 2019. At NOVA, he has taught a variety of programming courses in software design, C++, and Python. He enjoys developing authentic assessments and automatic testing programs for student written code.

Outside of his work at NOVA, Bryce has been running a private consulting practice since 2016, where he primarily solves computational geometry problems, writes compilers, and other algorithm design tasks. His clients range from individuals to large companies like Autodesk.

In his spare time, Bryce enjoys lake kayaking, hiking with a companion, watching the land roll by on long train journeys, spending time with friends and family members, creating portraits of people he cares about, building castles and dog bone sculptures out of sand, crafting theme parks in the Roller Coaster Tycoon computer game, playing his bassoon, visiting his friends who have moved throughout the country, playing the power grid board game on his birthday each, reading comics from South Korea and Japan, and reading fun books on compilers and data structures.

When blending work and play, Bryce enjoys creating illustrations related to programming and has created some comic pages over the years. His most recent story was a narrative about a buffer overflow attack where gold is stolen from a passenger on a train due to a faulty protocol.

Farzan Soroushi

Farzan has 35 years of experience in higher education teaching/administration and IT industry. He started his career as CEO/owner of a software development company focusing on development of applications for the higher education industry.

He has extensive hands-on experience in programming languages, database systems, data analytics, and software engineering. His passion is education and he takes pride in seeing students succeed in their educational and professional goals. His hobbies are walking and playing tennis. In his spare time he provides math and computer tutoring to special needs students as a volunteer in his community

Farzan has a B.S in Applied Mathematics, an M.S in Computer Science, and has completed Ph.D. requirements in Information Technology at George Mason University.

Design Thinking, Fabrication, Fellowships, Grants, Making, Professional Development, STEM Camps

Makers By Design NSF Grant

3D printing in progress, a real hand is touching a 3D printed-hand

Supporting Instructors to Embed Design Thinking in Digital Fabrication Courses

Makers By Design (MBD) will strengthen the engineering technology pathways by providing professional learning for K-12 teachers, running digital fabrication summer camps, and hosting design challenges. The project is aligned with NSF and aims to broaden participation in STEM through community outreach and engagement. Makers By Design seeks to create a community of practice among engineering educators involved in community-based makerspaces at public libraries, private organizations, public school systems, colleges, and universities.

Outcomes:

Each Year, the MBD grant provides 5 days of professional learning focused on Design Thinking for 12 educators, digital fabrication summer camps for 96 middle and high school students, bi-annual design challenges for secondary and post-secondary students, and a digital lesson plan repository focused on design thinking and digital fabrication.

MBD Grant Flip Book

Design Thinking Fellowship:

NOVA will be recruiting for their second cohort of Design Thinking Fellows later this year. This NSF-sponsored program is open to college faculty, middle and high school teachers, and informal STEM learning professionals.

Complex problems require innovative and creative solutions. Design Thinking is the key to challenging assumptions and approaching problem solving in a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and non-linear way.

During this 9-month fellowship, participants will learn how to integrate design thinking into their pedagogy through a professional learning institute, teach during a 1-week summer camp, and lead their classes through a design challenge. Fellows will receive a stipend of $2,200 for participation.

Applications will be available in late Fall 2023. Contact systemic@nvcc.edu with any additional questions.

You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter, The IET Interface, at http://newsletter.novastem.us to keep up with application information and other fellowship opportunities at NOVA.

Makers By Design Grant Abstract:

Supporting Instructors to Embed Design Thinking in Digital Fabrication Courses Award Abstract #2055324

Manufacturing and engineering industries face a looming gap in skilled workers, with an estimated 2.4M positions projected to go unfilled by 2025. This project aims to help fill this gap by improving the preparation of the needed technical workforce. To do so, it will establish a Professional Learning program in design thinking pedagogy for secondary and postsecondary educators. The curriculum will focus on design thinking projects that involve digital fabrication techniques, including 3D printing, laser engraving, and Computer Numerical Control milling. The Professional Learning program is expected to improve the educator’ teaching practices and enable them to update existing curricula and lesson plans to better align with industry-relevant skills and techniques. The project also intends to create a community of practice around design thinking in digital fabrication that will build a beneficial network among secondary teachers, community college faculty, makerspace educators, and regional employers. It is expected that the project will support 36 secondary and post-secondary educators who will teach more than 3,000 K-12 and undergraduate students in the northern Virginia region. These students will have a greater interest in and be better prepared for technical careers in manufacturing and engineering.

The overarching goal of the project is to use Professional Learning to move digital fabrication instruction beyond the reproduction of simple objects. Instead, the project will train educators to use pedagogy and cognitive strategies to embed design thinking into their digital fabrication lessons and courses. As a result, students will learn to use design thinking to build complex, useful objects. The project’s specific aims include: (1) create a professional learning institute; (2) host digital fabrication summer camps at NOVA and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington; (3) host a semiannual design and digital fabrication challenge; and (4) establish an online resource library of projects and lesson plans created and refined by educators in the community of practice. The project is expected to advance: understanding of the pedagogies that help to develop student interest in manufacturing and engineering; the capacity for Professional Learning to facilitate the integration of design thinking into classrooms and makerspaces; and the extent to which a capstone design challenge may foster sustainable change in instructional practices. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation’s economy.

 

Internships, STEM Camps

Internships

Paid Summer Internships for STEM Camps

NOVA SySTEMic is recruits high school and college students interested in STEM education for PAID summer internships in support of our summer STEM Camps. During these two-week programs, interns will support camp instruction, contribute to curriculum development, and learn to teach technical skills in a low-stress, fun environment.

Summer Internship applications for 2022 are currently closed, but you will be able to apply for next summer’s internship slots in March, 2023.

Receive updates on STEM Internships as they become available by filling out this interest form.

For more info contact SySTEMic Program Manager Aleksander Marthinussen at amarthinussen@nvcc.edu

You can also sign up for our monthly newsletter, The IET Interface, at http://newsletter.novastem.us to keep up with application information and other frequent internship opportunities at NOVA.