By Catie Dandridge | Tableaux, Summer 2016
Science. Technology. Engineering. Math. STEM-related programs at Fontbonne University are stronger than ever, and that’s good news for students and the community at large. Here, we highlight a few initiatives that have put Fontbonne on the map.
It’s a tale many of us know all too well. You open your credit card bill to see several mysterious charges from stores you’ve not visited. You swipe your card at the grocery store only to have it declined. A friend calls to say she has received a strange email from your account.
Cyber attacks leave us feeling vulnerable, frustrated and angry.
It has become clear that the world needs specialized experts in the fields of computer science and technology. This new front line must learn to protect vital information and assets, analyze threats, and plan countermeasures in order to keep information safe and privacy intact.
In 2013, Fontbonne University partnered with St. Louis business leaders to develop an undergraduate cyber security degree, the first of its kind in St. Louis.
One of the professional advisory board members overseeing the maintenance of the program is Joseph Albitar ’91, vice president for corporate security at MasterCard.
“2012 was the tipping-point year where the number of connected devices worldwide exceeded the number of people on earth,” Albitar said. “We have all experienced the onslaught of headlines about major hacks and widespread new information security threats. This was bad news for the hundreds of millions of consumers who have seen their credit card numbers, email addresses, and other personal information exposed by online intruders. Globally, cyber crime costs exceed $445 billion each year, with the United States accounting for nearly one-quarter of that price tag. Cyber security has become essential for many organizations. The industry is growing and with it comes the need for a new generation of security professionals who are focused on combating cyber security crimes domestically and around the world.
“As an alum of Fontbonne, I wanted to help ensure that the university will continue to provide a first class education to the next generation of scientists,” he said.
Since the program began, Fontbonne’s cyber security students and faculty have begun to make an impression on the cyber world.
James Gall, who transferred to Fontbonne in 2013 because of the cyber program, interned with the Department of Homeland Security in Vermont in the summer of 2014.
“I went into my internship with textbook knowledge from the classroom,” Gall said. “But the things I learned from outside conversations with my professors really gave me a big step forward and allowed me to keep up a little more easily.”
Gall then began interning with Emerson, a global manufacturing company headquartered in St. Louis, with the likelihood of a job offer once he completed his degree. He is the university’s first cyber security graduate.
Senior Alex Jacobs, another cyber major, was one of only 10 students across the country chosen in 2015 to participate in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates, a prestigious internship at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“It was a great experience and my first in the field in which I am studying,” Jacobs said. “I learned a lot about the process of research in academia, met some good friends and co-authored a published paper. The best part was feeling that I accomplished something important, as well as knowing that the research is being continued and may possibly be a commercial asset to computing security.”
The success of the cyber program can be attributed to a passionate, knowledgeable group of professors.
“We have an extremely knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated core faculty,” said Dr. Mary Abkemeier, Fontbonne professor and chair of the mathematics and computer science department. “Our approach to the program is to prepare students for true, real-world experience.”
Dr. Yi Yang, assistant professor and director of Fontbonne’s cyber security program, and three students participated last October in the Central Area Networking and Security Workshop at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Seniors Aidan Begley, Alex Jacobs and Brazil Scientific Mobility Program student Eusebio Neto competed in a cyber-defense competition, taking third place.
“I am very proud of the students’ success and impressed by their achievement,” Yang said. “This shows that our students have gained practical and hands-on cyber security skills from our program and are able to win in a student cyber-defense competition. This not only verifies that our students are talented but also confirms that our program is strong.”
A former assistant professor of cyber security and now an adjunct instructor, Dr. Al Carlson encourages students to think creatively and work extensively to make their ideas a reality. While he was a full-time faculty member at Fontbonne, Carlson developed a number of cyber security patents. Some of his students assisted him in the development of the patents.
“At Fontbonne, the students are getting experience that’s truly unique at the undergraduate level,” Carlson said.
Patrick Doherty ’15, Gall and senior Isaiah Eichen presented this summer alongside Carlson at ShowMeCon, a St. Louis-based hacking and cyber security conference.
Their presentation, “The Collision Attack – Attacking CBC and Related Encryptions,” was based on research conducted at Fontbonne. Carlson and his students, along with other researchers, were the first to demonstrate a practical attack on cipher block chaining mode, a technique that is used to protect the strongest encryption algorithm in the world.
“It is highly unusual for undergraduates to present papers at peer-reviewed conferences,” Carlson said. “It really illustrates the caliber of Fontbonne’s students and the rigor of our program.”
While a few other schools have amped up their cyber security offerings in the past few years, Fontbonne remains the original.
“Our program definitely stands out from others,” Abkemeier said. “We aim to educate students in the defensive and offensive challenges in security and privacy. So, instead of just teaching them how to protect their future employers, we also teach them the offensive aspects of cyber security in our coursework.”
Abkemeier is eager to build more momentum for cyber security at Fontbonne.
“We are looking into offering specific tracks within the program,” she said. “We’re considering a number of options. Maybe business, maybe cloud security. We’re also excited to be welcoming new faculty members. Our newest professors, Dr. Bahareh Ramani and Dr. Zahid Anwar, have experience in data mining and practical issues within the consumer market. They may be able to take us down a path we haven’t yet explored. There are a lot of possibilities.”
GriffinHack 2016
Fontbonne’s mathematics and computer science department believes that community outreach and involvement is key to creating awareness and increasing enrollment. That’s why Dr. Guanyu Tian, assistant professor of computer science and cyber security, developed the university’s first community hackathon.
Dubbed GriffinHack, the all-day app design competition held in February featured 17 teams of area high school students vying for scholarship prizes.
The event was presented in partnership with the Mathematics Educators of Greater St. Louis.
“It was a very successful event,” Tian said. “The students really worked hard and had a good time. It was fun to see students from different high schools all working to create innovative solutions. I can’t wait to see how much it can grow next year.”
The next GriffinHack is scheduled for Saturday, March 4, 2017.
One Health
Did you know Fontbonne University teamed up with the nationally renowned Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine to develop an undergraduate certificate program called One Health.
Logically, you ask, “What is One Health?” Relatively new and rapidly growing, this field explores the intersection of human medicine, veterinary medicine and environmental conservation.
Diseases like avian flu and epidemics like colony collapse in bee populations are examples of why this field has emerged. One Health students take a close look at disease transmission, climate change, public health, animal health and more as they explore this increasingly critical field.
“Our One Health program allows our students to get laboratory and field research while working closely with faculty mentors,” said Dr. Kelly Lane-deGraaf, assistant professor of One Health. “It’s this personal connection with working scientists that sets Fontbonne, and the program, apart from other universities.”
Bioinformatics
Bioinformatics. It’s not a common term — the discipline is focused on the retrieval and analysis of biochemical and biological data using mathematics and computer science — but it’s gaining popularity in academic circles and in the workplace.
“Bioinformatics is a fast growing field with career opportunities at all levels,” said Dr. Samantha Warren, Fontbonne University assistant professor of bioinformatics. “The area of study falls in the intersection of three fields: biology, mathematics and computer science. This means you can customize your coursework and research field to fit your individual strengths and interests.”
Someone who is interested in studying infectious diseases such as ebola or the zika virus would benefit greatly from a degree in bioinformatics. “There is much work to be done out there,” Warren said. “Interest in this field is high and our students are eager to do groundbreaking work.”
Dedicated Semester
Cyber security will be in the spotlight this fall as Fontbonne University’s annual Dedicated Semester explores “Security, Privacy and Freedom.”
The semester will feature classes, speakers, events and other activities — all focused on the increasing needs for security while maintaining a balance between privacy and freedom. Visit www.fontbonne.edu/dedicated.
Engineering Partnerships
For Blake Welch, two degrees instead of one sounded more like opportunity than additional work.
Welch will graduate from Fontbonne University and Washington University in spring 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, and as part of the dual degree program, will also earn a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis.
“Receiving two different degrees from two different schools will make me extremely marketable after I graduate,” said Welch, who hopes to become a project manager for an engineering firm or run his own business. “The dual degree program has provided me with endless opportunities. I am currently working at Power Up Electrical as an intern for the summer. The work experience I’ve received has made me realize that my dual degree in electrical engineering and computer science will allow me to work in a variety of industries.”
Within the dual degree program, students may select either a 3-2 or a 4-2 plan, as well as an engineering school — either University of Missouri-Kansas City or Washington University. Coursework taken at Fontbonne contributes to the additional degree. Students like Welch receive the benefits of — and support from — both schools.
Scientists in Training
Summers are busy over in Fontbonne University’s biological and physical sciences department.
The faculty is laying the groundwork to prepare the next generation of scientists through a camp for middle school students.
Dr. Kelly Lane-deGraaf, assistant professor of biology, oversees Science in the City, a two-week camp in which girls in grades 7 – 9 become research scientists in training.
The students receive experience in experimental design and analysis, genetics and polymerase chain reaction, parasitology techniques, coding and model building, and animal behavior. They also explore technology in the lab and use 3D printers to create some of their lab equipment.
Medical Laboratory Sciences
This spring, the department of biological and physical sciences congratulated its first graduate in medical laboratory sciences (MLS), a major introduced in 2013. Emily Brennan ’16 double majored in biology and MLS, which included a rigorous year of training in the medical lab at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis. With these degrees, Emily had many career options — as well as a job in place before she even graduated. Although the year-long internship required for the MLS major is intensely competitive and not guaranteed, hard-working students who land one can learn concrete skills and earn a valuable degree at the same time.
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