A Message From Our Dean

As I write this welcome, the countdown continues to the opening of Hofstra’s new Science and Innovation Center. This impressive building (see pages 14-15) represents a major milestone for the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, as it will house all of our computer science programs, along with several of our engineering programs. At our founding in 2012, we had three accredited undergraduate programs and one graduate program serving about 350 majors. Today, we boast eight accredited undergraduate programs and four master’s programs serving nearly 900 students. This new building will accommodate our growth, both in student population and state-of-the-art technology.

This current issue touches the surface of what goes on in our school these days. You will find student profiles that point to the future of our professions, as well as tributes to two of the pioneers of our founding who passed away last year. We highlight three of our initiatives — W-SPiCE (Women’s Summer Program in Computing/Engineering), Hofstra in Silicon Valley, and the DeMatteis Co-op Program — to emphasize that there is far more to an educational

We also showcase our recently added graduate degrees in data science and cybersecurity. These areas are skyrocketing in the job market, but we know the landscape is changing fast. AI is both a challenge and an opportunity for educators, and we are committed to be adaptable with

As we celebrate more than 10 years of engineering and computer science education, I hope you enjoy this snapshot of the DeMatteis School. I invite you to tour our new Science and Innovation Center and explore the optimal features it provides for students and faculty for the coming decades.

Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science Highlights

Inspired teaching:

• Classes are conducted by qualified faculty (not teaching assistants).

Research opportunities:

• Supervision and support by faculty mentors.

• Opportunity to present work at scientific conferences and/or publish in scholarly journals.

State-of-the-art facilities:

• The new science and innovation building –grand opening fall 2023 – includes classrooms, laboratories, and technologies/equipment for computer science, bioengineering, and industrial engineering.

• Labs in two additional SEAS buildings range from aerodynamics to ultrasound, and mechatronics to soil mechanics.

On-the-job professional experience:

• Co-op Program – matching students with full-time salaried positions for 6-8 months.

• More than 200 corporate partners.

• Co-op experience often leads to direct full-time employment after graduation.

Well-rounded curriculum:

• Enhanced education in the social and natural sciences, and the humanities – an academic and professional asset.

Successful alumni:

• About 90% of recent undergraduate degree recipients* report being employed or planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation.

• Approximately 4,000 alumni are working in industry, government, and academia.

Insightful feedback and support:

• Three advisory boards composed of industry leaders work with Hofstra faculty and administrators to develop dynamic courses and programs.

*Data based on survey responses and information from reliable sources.

Program Options

Undergraduate Degrees

• BA, BE Engineering Science

(BE Options: Chemistry, Environmental, or Physics)

• BA, BS Computer Science

• BS Computer Science and Cybersecurity

• BS Computer Science and Mathematics

• BS, Bioengineering

(Options: Bioelectricity, Biomechanics, or Pre-Medicine)

• BS, Civil Engineering

• BS, Computer Engineering

• BS, Electrical Engineering

(Option: Computer)

• BS, Industrial Engineering

• BS, Mechanical Engineering

(Option: Aerospace)

Graduate Degrees

• MS, Computer Science

• MS, Cybersecurity (Technology)

• MS, Data Science

• MS, Engineering Management

Dual-Degree Programs

• BA/MS, Computer Science

• BS/MS, Computer Science

• BS-BA/MD: 4+4 Program

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Hofstra provides a wide range of tools that enhance our students’ education. For example, the Cybersecurity Innovation and Research Center supports the new bachelor’s and master’s programs in this rapidly evolving field. Students have access to equipment in all labs, which are used for both teaching and research.

Laboratories include:

• 3D Printer Laboratory

• Advanced Applications Laboratory

• Aerodynamics and Transport Phenomena Laboratory

• Big Data Laboratory

• Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory

• Civil/Environmental Engineering Laboratory

• Computer Architecture, Embedded Systems, and Mobile Computing Laboratory

• Concrete/Soil Testing Laboratory

• Cybersecurity Innovation and Research Center

• Electrical and Signal Processing Laboratory

• Gaming and Graphics Laboratory

• Linux Laboratory

• Materials Analysis Laboratory

• Networking Laboratory

• Research and Innovation Laboratory

• Robotics and Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory

• Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory

• Systems Laboratory

• Ultrasound Research Laboratory

Electrical engineering major Jamie McSorley has a summer internship that is out of this world.

McSorley will be working at Honeywell Aerospace in Arizona, in their internal controls department for the International Space Station. “My area of interest is aerospace or defense for the impact that it has on the general public. I’m super excited to live somewhere new – and explore something new.”

It’s only the latest opportunity to come her way since she began her studies at the DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, which has been recognized for its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

McSorley, who grew up in Seaford, New York, found a community of fellow female engineers at the DeMatteis School that offered her a chance to expand her skillset and her preprofessional network. Some of those opportunities include serving as treasurer for two different clubs: the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and HKN, the honor society for electrical and computer engineers; and as student manager of Hofstra’s women’s basketball team. She also participated in the W-SPiCE (Women’s Summer Program in Computing/Engineering) program as a first-year student.

“Hofstra has done a great job of having areas for women to feel welcome in. I wanted to end up in a challenging career that had a broader mission, and I feel like I found that with engineering. I never felt excluded or intimidated.”

“Hofstra has done a great job of having areas for women to feel welcome in,” she said. “I wanted to end up in a challenging career that had a broader mission, and I feel like I found that with engineering. I never felt excluded or intimidated.”

Last summer McSorley completed a summer internship at Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES), a defense contracting company that is one of the DeMatteis School’s corporate partners. The experience inspired her to change her major from mechanical to electrical engineering.

“In my first two years in the engineering program, Hofstra prepared me well with broad knowledge, so I was able to expand my interests and explore something new,” McSorley said. “There are so many applications for electrical engineering – there’s no playbook. You have to improvise with your basic knowledge and every day is a new challenge.”

McSorley is also looking to pay her experience at the DeMatteis School forward by being a peer mentor for other young women pursuing STEM careers. “We have a great mentorship program within the Society of Women Engineers that pairs first-year students with upperclassmen, and I have a mentee.”

“There is a spot for everyone in engineering,” said McSorley. And if you aren’t sure what that spot is, there are multiple organizations to immerse yourself in, and find your niche.”

“The point is to expose students through hands-on projects in architecture and engineering while they are still in high school,” Dr. Edward Segal said. “And it gives our Hofstra engineering students an opportunity to put what they are learning into practice, and to be mentors to younger students, even as they are being mentored themselves.”