UNO IS&T Points of Pride

UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBR A SK A AT OMAHA COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

ACCESS TO EXCEP TIONAL

POINTS OF PRIDE

AT I S T, Y O U H AV E

ACCESS TO E XCEP TIONAL AN IT REVOLUTION IN THE HEART OF THE MIDWEST

Our society demands innovation, curiosity, and progress. At the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T), we’re driving technology forward through impactful research, ground-breaking education, and global partnerships. As one of our faculty members put it: “We do cool stuff.” From programming a food computer so inner-city schools can

have a better connection to agriculture lifecycles, to creating virtual reality games for Parkinson’s survivors to regain dexterity, our “coolness” spans across our multi-disciplinary programs.

We pivoted quickly when a global pandemic arrived at our doorstep, and we continue to lead an innovative path forward during this new normal. IS&T is still learning, still teaching, and still progressing.

MAVERICK SPIRIT is taking the road less traveled, breaking away from the herd, and pursuing your own goals, despite expectations from others. My Maverick journey led me to leave a ‘stable career,’ learn the true meaning of interdisciplinary work, and reach out to participate in a master’s program.

MICH A EL M A Z G A J M.S. IN IT INNOVATION ALUMNI

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ACADEMICS Established in 1996, IS&T is the Midwest’s premier technology educational hub. IS&T is consistently keeping our ears to the ground and listening to employers’ needs. We started with 4 programs two decades ago, and now boast 13 multi-disciplinary degrees.

IS&T’S STRATEGIC GOALS • Foster State-of-the-Art Student Centered Educational Programs • Focus on Academic Excellence • Foster Collaborations and Increase National/International Visibility and Stature Project Management, IT Systems

NEW PROGRAMS • Master of Science in IT Innovation • Cybersecurity online degree • Data Science Graduate Certificate • Information Technology Ph.D. new concentrations: IT Project Management, IT Systems

IS&T’S ACADEMIC PROGRAMS Bioinformatics and Biomedical Informatics › BS, MS, PHD Computer Science › BS, MS Computer Science Education › MS Executive Masters of Information Technology › MS Bioinformatics and Biomedical Informatics › BS, MS, PHD Information Technology › PHD IT Innovation › BS, MS Management Information Systems › BS, MS Data Science › MS (joint degree with the Department of Mathematics)

80%

40+

210

29

Students rated their IS&T’s advising experience positive or very positive

Local companies hire IS&T students for full-time or internship positions

Tickets served by IS&T’s Computer Science Learning Center

Matched pairs in our IS&T Freshman and Women in IT mentoring groups

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COOL STUFF

IS&T hosts a variety of engagement programs for students in 5th grade all the way to 12th. We’re actively building the pipeline of the next generation of IT students, and having fun along the way.

iSTEM AFTER SCHOOL Funded by the Sherwood Foundation, our after school program engages IS&T students to teach elementary and middle school students across the Omaha metro hands-on lessons in IT.

2019/2020 DEMOGRAPHICS 20% African American Caribbean 4% Caucasian 14% 6% Central Asian Latinx/Hispanic 20% 24% Two or More Race 5% Native American 7% South Asian

5 786

34% No

Yes

Free/reduced lunch

OPS Middle (King, Monroe, Lewis & Clark, Marrs, & Hale)

Students served since 2014

66%

2 29%

OPS Elementary (Druid Hill, & King)

Identify as female

What I liked the most about this class was how we got to choose what game/ app we wanted to create out of the options given to us. That way, when we tested the app out, we were trying something that we considered fun.

86% Said after iSTEM After School they were interested in taking further computer technology classes in middle or high school

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UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBR ASK A AT OMAHA

90% Said the teacher helped make learning fun

HIGH SCHOOL INTERNSHIPS For eight weeks in the summer, high school students work directly in our labs under the mentorship of IS&T faculty and students. For the 2020 summer cohort, we hosted these students virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.

17 60% Students served

Identity as female

2 OF THE 2020 INTERNS PREVIOUSLY ATTENDED CODECRUSH.

DEMOGRAPHICS 20% Black/African American Caucasian 40%

27% Asian 13% Two or More Races

53%

46%

Attend suburban high schools

Attend urban high schools

TECHADEMY Throughout the summer, Techademy has camps for 5th - 10th graders – all designed to show them how IT fits into subjects they’re already interested in. For the 2020 summer term, we hosted these sessions virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions.

2020 DEMOGRAPHICS 25% Black/African American Caucasian 43% 7% Other Asian Latinx/Hispanic 6% 12% Asian Indian 7% Two or More Races

55% 45% Female*

187

Students enrolled

Male*

*Identify as

12

School districts

I liked how we got to make games on a more advanced scale than at school.

It was also fun to make a game that functions well and to have a better understanding of the code.

5

States represented

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | CIST.UNOMAHA .COM

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CODECRUSH A series of events designed to show a more diverse student base their dreams can belong in IT. CodeCrush hosted an in-person Immersion Experience event for the Fall 2019 semester and moved the Spring 2020 Immersion Experience and Summer Summit programs to a virtual format due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Immersion Experience The CodeCrush Immersion Experience welcomes 8th and 9th grade girls and their teachers at IS&T for three days, where they enjoy workshops with our faculty and company tours with our partners as well as teachers and our IT business community.

100%

Of students said they want to try more computing activities after the Immersion Experience

100%

Of students said CodeCrush showed them that they could consider computing as a career

80%

Of teachers said they felt strongly that participating as teacher mentor was a useful experience for them

90%

Of teachers felt strongly that CodeCrush provided helpful ideas about how computing can be incorporated in the classroom

2019/2020 SCHOOL YEAR

64

Students accepted (NE, IA)

Identify as female

20%

30%

Of students are Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color

Of students have parents who did not complete a four-year degree

60%

17%

Of CodeCrush alumni have been admitted to an University of Nebraska institution

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UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBR ASK A AT OMAHA

99%

Of enrolled CodeCrush alumni have declared an iSTEM major

Summer Summit The CodeCrush Summer Summit hosted a week-long conference geared towards high school and college students, as well as teachers and our IT business community.

2020 DEMOGRAPHICS Caucasian 55% 12% Black/African American 12% Asian Indian 4% Other Asian Latinx/Hispanic 6% 2% Native American 9% No Answer

6

States represented

31% 69%

Identify as male

Identify as female

IT REFRESHED MY PERSPECTIVE SO I COULD GO BACK AND TEACH WITH A CLEAR, HOPEFUL MIND. My favorite thing about CodeCrush was to be immersed in a culture of learning with the goal of bettering ourselves, our students, and our society in the realm of computer science. It refreshed my perspective so I could go back and teach with a clear, hopeful mind.

C ODE CRUSH T E A CHER

iSTEM VIRTUAL TOOLBOX To help facilitate online learning in pre-college students, IS&T created the iSTEM Virtual Toolbox for middle and high school students.

1,393 571 32

Visits to the iSTEM Virtual Toolbox*

Clicks to access our materials*

Additional downloads of the materials*

We really looked at expanding how we were delivering our iSTEM lessons and made them useful for those learning at home, we didn’t want to leave any of our program participants behind.

D A NIEL S T O K E S ISTEM PROGRAM COORDINATOR

[ CIS T.UNOM A H A .EDU/ V IR T U A L-T OOL B O X ] COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | CIST.UNOMAHA .COM

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ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ARE IMPORTANT IN HELPING PEOPLE LEAD THEIR BEST LIVES. The essence of what I do is helping determine how information and communication technologies can assist in those development efforts.

UNO has been very supportive in giving me the opportunity to pursue what I do best. I am extremely grateful to the people of Nebraska for letting my students and myself implement the technology and training interventions needed to bring about improvements in Nebraska businesses and communities.

S A JD A QUR E SHI PH.D.

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RESEARCH

IS&T faculty are involved in innovative research all over the world. We’re leading projects in our own hallways; as well as collaborating with renowned researchers from nearly 80 institutions, including Stanford University, Rutgers University, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and National Security Agency.

19M

$

78%

Of tenure-track or tenured faculty are leading and/or participating in funded research.^

2015-2020 NEW AWARDS FUNDING DOLLARS $5.9M Big Data Analytics $3.9M BMI $3.6M Cybersecurity

303

Grants and contracts in the past four years were led and/or participated in by IS&T faculty*

2015-2020 AWARDS BY FUNDING SOURCE

64%

Total funding for grants and contracts in the past five years

$1.4M VEO $3.0M iSTEM $1.2M Next Gen/AI

15%

Department of Defense

47%

Of funding was from federal agencies

10%

Industry/Other (Includes U of NE)

368K

$

Granted for Fuse Grants, Graca, UCRA and Other Student Awards+

13%

National Science Foundation

Foundations

6%

National Institutes of Health

9%

Other Federal

[ CIS T.UNOM A H A .EDU/R E SE A RCH ] ^ 2017 to 2020 + 2015 to 2020 *external and internal

IS&T STUDENT PROFILE

1,274

IS&T Total enrollment including graduate and undergraduate students Fall 2019

IS&T STUDENT ENROLLMENT (2010-2019) 1600 1,274

1400 1200

1,003

1000 800 600 400 271

200 0 Fall 2010

Fall 2011

Fall 2012

Fall 2013

Total Undergraduate

Fall 2014

Fall 2015

Fall 2016

Total Graduate

Fall 2017

Fall 2018

Fall 2019

Total Fall Term

IS&T ALUMNI PROFILE

63K

$ 12

UNIVERSIT Y OF NEBR ASK A AT OMAHA

Median salary for master’s students+

56K

$

Median salary for bachelor’s students+

85%

78%

Of graduating students had one or more semesters of internship experience +

IS&T retention rate (freshmen to sophomore year)^

20% 25% 38% Of IS&T students identify as female*

70% Of IS&T alumni stay in the region2

Of IS&T undergrad student population is ethnically diverse*

80-90% Of students are highly satisfied with their experiences at IS&T1

Of IS&T graduate student population are international students*

91% Of IS&T alumni are employed in their field of study2

2 IS&T alumni data using the EMSI database over ten years | 1 Office of Institutional Effectiveness | *UNO Enrollment Data | ^OIE repor t, Fall 2018 | +IS&T Exit Survey COLLEGE OF INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | CIST.UNOMAHA .COM

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SERVICE LEARNING IS VERY REWARDING WORK. I cannot see not teaching without [service learning]. The students have an enriched college and learning experience. Knowledge has a stickiness to it when you incorporate service learning. The joy that it brings students that they’ve given something of themselves to the community and the work that they do benefits the community, that is something to behold.

S A CHIN P AWA S K A R PH.D. Faculty Service Learning Award

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FACULTY AND STAFF AWARD-WINNING FACULTY & STAFF

NEW HIRES

During the 2019/2020 school year, IS&T members were making moves on and off campus.

As of July 2020, we’re welcoming several faculty and staff members to IS&T!

S A JD A Q UR E S HI } Ph.D. • University of Nebraska Innovation, Development, and Engagement Award NU System President’s Excellence Awards

K E L V IN C HIN } Web Developer

V A NE S S A H AT F IE L D - R E E K E R } Advisor

J O R GE F A ND INN O } Assistant Professor, Computer Science

• November 2019 “Awesome Advisor” • Academic Advising Council A M A ND A R U C K E R } Communication Specialist

M A R T IN A C L A R K E } Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Informatics, Biomedical Informatics

D E A NN A H O U S E } Assistant Professor, Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis

• The Joyce Crockett “Promoting Women in STEM Staff Achievement Award

K E L I M A N Z } Executive Associate

• WiSTEMPro

HIN A P AT E L } CodeCrush Coordinator

S A C HIN P A WA S K A R } Ph.D.

D A NIE L S T O K E S } iSTEM Coordinator

• 2020 Outstanding Faculty Recipient • Faculty Service Learning Award, UNO L A UR A S HE R W IN } Proposal Development Specialist and Technical Editor • Employee of the Month, September

J A NI C E F IN K } Business Manager • 2020 Above and Beyond Award • Staff Advisory Council

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The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its programs, activities, or employment. Last Updated 02/2021 All facts and figures presented in this book are based off of statistics obtained from the 2019-2020 academic year.