First Conference on Computing and Information Sciences at RIT, Jan. 21

In honor of Rochester Institute of Technology's 175th anniversary, the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences (GCCIS) will host its first annual conference on computing and information sciences on Jan. 21. The conference will bring together faculty, staff, students, alumni and industry experts in all areas of computing. Areas of interest to be discussed include: software engineering, artificial intelligence and vision, artificial tools, networking and security, data acquisition, control and scientific applications, and pedagogy. The conference will culminate with RIT presenting an honorary doctorate of science to Richard Cheng. Cheng founded RIT's School of Computer Science and Technology in 1971 and served as an associate professor until 1979.

The following is a schedule of events:

(NOTE: The keynote address, panel discussion and honorary degree ceremony will take place in the Golisano auditorium. The morning and afternoon sessions and demonstrations will be held in various classrooms within GCCIS.)

• 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
  
• 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Keynote Address by Dr. Rene Aerdts, a Fellow and chief technology officer at Electronic Data Systems Corporation. His presentation will provide insight into how emerging technology trends, such as voice over Internet protocol, nanotechnology, ubiquitous computing, smart cards, biometrics, real-time interfaces and embedded computing provide high impact changes to teaching methods.
  
• 9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Morning Sessions-15 minute sessions will focus on such issues as software engineering, networking and security, identity theft, instant messaging, and genetic programming for financial data regression.
• 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. Panel Discussion on Computer Security. Panelists are Joe Hennecky, Monroe County Sheriff's Department; Scott Lupfer, McAfee; and Luther Troell, professor of information technology at RIT. The panel represents three sectors vital to computer information security—the government, corporate and education sectors. Dean Jorge Diaz-Herrera will moderate the panel, which will discuss the past, present and future of computer security and what it means to each of the three sectors.
  
• 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. Afternoon Sessions will focus on such topics as artificial intelligence tools, data acquisition, and eye-tracking learning.
  
• 4:00 - 4:45 p.m. Demonstrations in computer music technology
  
• 5:00 - 5:45 p.m. Honorary Degree Ceremony for Dr. Richard Cheng, founder of RIT's School of Computer Science and Technology. This program evolved into RIT's eighth college and one of the largest computing and information sciences colleges in the country. In addition to RIT's program, he is primarily responsible for computer science programs at Old Dominion University, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Hunter College and the program at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia.

“I am most honored and deeply moved by this award, but the credit should go to the faculty and administration,” says Cheng. “Their devotion and excellence have contributed to the great success of the college and the entire Institute.”

"RIT and the scientific community at large have benefited tremendously from the pioneering spirit of visionaries such as Dr. Cheng,” states Jorge Diaz-Herrera, dean of GCCIS. “He was the founder of the computer science school at RIT back in the early '70s, at a time when most universities barely had computer departments, let alone a school. This bold move undoubtedly played a crucial role, thirty years later, in the creation of our great college of computing and information sciences."

NOTE: The media is welcome to attend any of the conference events. If you would like to interview any of the industry experts, an RIT faculty member, or Dr. Cheng please contact Gus Weber at 943-5349.