Message From Leadership
Director DIT Program: Brian Maeng
Hello students,
As the Program Director of the Doctor of Information Technology (DIT), I want to welcome you and hope you are off to a good start in this summer quarter.
In this Thursday Byte, let me introduce the DIT program and some of its characteristics. As one of the newer programs in the School of Technology and Computing, it is an interdisciplinary program targeting inventive and innovative working professionals who want to advance their knowledge, skills, and abilities in Technology and Computing and make changes in the workplace.
As the director, I have the privilege to interview every applicant, and there is one question I ask everyone. “Why did you choose CityU?” Everyone has different answers for choosing CityU’s DIT program, but their responses generally align with the value propositions the School of Technology and Computing focuses on. They are:
– Flexible schedule for working professionals
– Depth of study areas aligned with industry needs and their interests – Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Data Science
– Hands-on, relevant learning
Once students join the program, however, they find that there are many other features the program has to offer:
1. The curriculum is designed based on the ACM Body of Knowledge and NSA/DHS Center for Academic Excellence standards.
2. The DIT courses are taught by industry-based faculty who are seasoned IT managers and hold a Ph.D. degree in the field.
3. Students have the freedom to design their one-of-a-kind depth of study area based on their interests.
4. Students can learn the latest technology tool in every course they take.
Finally, the program is open to students from technical and non-technical backgrounds, which is my favorite feature. Students with domain expertise can make innovative changes in their workplace using knowledge, skills, and abilities from the DIT program.
I hope you have learned something new about the DIT program. If you have any questions, please reach out to me (maengjooyol@cityu.edu).
DIT Student Recognition - Interview with Jemell Garris
Morgan: Jemell, congratulation on being part of our inaugural Doctor of Information Technology (DIT) cohort and thank you for agreeing to be interviewed for the STC Thursday Byte. Let’s start off by telling us about your career path that brought you to where you are today.
Jemell: Well, I became interested in technology by participating in Year-Up in my hometown of Boston. After enlisting in the Army, I completed my bachelor ‘s degree at the University of Maryland Global Campus. After transitioning into the Washington Army National Guard working in IT, I completed my master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Leadership and took a job at Central Washington University. I am still serving in the National Guard, working and teaching at CWU, and advancing my career by enrolling in the DIT.
Challenges and Competitions
Throughout the year, opportunities to hone technical skills will be featured. There will be instances to compete individually or as a member of a team. Take advantage of these events. Include these events to your LinkedIn and resume. Find a way to work what you learn into your interviews. This coming month, consider participating in the Code Breaker Challenge sponsored by the NSA beings August 2nd. Registration is now open. Sign up, join the Community of Practice Discord room, and study the links on the Resources page.
Club Announcements
- STC Cybersecurity Club
- STC Tech Club
The STC Tech Club meet every Thursday from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM (PDT) via Teams: STC Tech Club Weekly Meeting – Summer Quarter. For students or faculty who would like to present, choose a date, and upload your presentation here.
Invited Talk: COL Scott Nelson
Cybersecurity and Information Warfare
The United States is engaged in the greatest global power competition in our history. Cyber is the global nervous system, which places many of our US institutions at risk. Successful competition requires a more dynamic, holistic view of information and cybersecurity and a close partnership between government, private industry, and academia. Learn what your role is to strengthen these partnerships.
When: Wednesday, August 11 4:00 PM PST
Career Tips
Competing for a New Job in a New Era – How to Win
Have you played competitive sports? How about online gaming, social sports or in-classroom settings? Yes, winning requires is a little bit of luck, but mostly skill. In this new era of job search, you need to be the best. To win a job today, you can have no unforced errors, you need practice and preparation, and you must be “on your game” at all times. Most job seekers forget the feeling, the emotion, and the discipline required to compete for employment. While there are jobs in the market today, more people are applying per job than ever before.
This Week in Tech History July 25th – July 31st
This week in Tech History is particularly auspicious in the Microsoft timeline of events. 
On July 27, 1981, MicroSoft purchased the full rights to 86-DOS, the operating system formerly known as QDOS, which stood for Quick and Dirty Operating Systems. The things we learn by reading history. Microsoft paid $50,000 to the Seattle Computer Products and renamed it MS-DOS. Within two weeks after the arrangement, Microsoft licensed MS-DOS to IBM as PC—DOS.
On July 25, 1990, nine years to the week after the 86-DOS purchase, Microsoft reported revenues over $1 billion. Whether or not there is a direct connection to this strategic purchase, one can only speculate. SPC sued Microsoft for fraud over the 86-DOS sale. While SPC ultimately received a $1 million settlement, the company did not survive past the early 1990s.
Tech Humor
