August 2024

Four University of Scranton students placed in the top 10 in competitions at the 2024 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. In total, the four University students took home five trophies from the conference that took place from June 24 to 27.

Todd F. Monahan, Moosic, won second place in foundations of finance at the national FBLA conference. Monahan is earned his bachelor’s degree in finance, summa cum laude, from the University in 2024 and is currently pursing his MBA at Scranton.

Gary Mrozinski, a finance major from Taylor, won third place in foundations of economics. Mrozinski is a first-year student at Scranton.

Chaz G. DellaCorte, a finance major from Ridgefield, Connecticut, won two trophies at the national conference. He came in eighth place in the future business executive competition and ninth place in the future business educator category. DellaCorte is a junior at Scranton.

Joseph M. Kulikowski, a business analytics major from Moosic, won tenth place in sports management and marketing. Kulikowski is a first-year student at Scranton.

David Mahalak, D. Eng., a faculty specialist in the Operations and Analytics Department, serves as moderator for University’s FBLA collegiate student organization.

Eight University of Scranton students and physics and engineering faculty member Nathaniel Frissell, Ph.D., presented research at the National Science Foundation CEDAR (Coupling, Energetics, and Dynamics of Atmospheric Regions) Workshop in San Diego, California, in June. Additionally, four of the students joined Dr. Frissell to attend and present research at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado, in May.

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James P. Fox, Hillsborough, New Jersey, a computer science major at Scranton, presented his research titled “Detection of SuperDARN-Observed Medium Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances in the Southern Hemisphere” in poster and oral presentation formats at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop. He also attended and presented with Dr. Frissell at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.

Nicholas Guerra ’24, Scranton, who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science from Scranton in 2024 and is pursuing a master’s degree in software engineering here, presented his research poster titled “Implementation of the Revised SuperDARN MSTID MUSIC Algorithm in the DARNtids Analysis Toolkit” at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop. He also attended and presented with Dr. Frissell at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.

Michael Molzen, Bloomsbury, New Jersey, a physics major at Scranton, presented his research poster titled “MSTID Activity During January 2016 Detected by the SuperDARN MUSIC Algorithm” at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop. He also attended and presented with Dr. Frissell at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.

Cuong Nguyen ’23, Ashley, earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and computer science from Scranton in 2023 and is now pursuing a master’s degree in software engineering. He presented his research titled “Software Development for the Grape Personal Weather Station v2” in poster and oral presentation formats at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop.

Alexandros Papadopoulos, Scotrun, a computer engineering major at Scranton, presented his research titled “Analysis of the HamSCI Solar Eclipse High Frequency Time Difference of Arrival Experiment Observations Using Automated Techniques” in poster and oral presentation formats at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop.

Gerard N. Piccini, Monroe Township, New Jersey, an electrical engineering major at Scranton, presented his research titled “A Low-Cost Low-Power Chirp Ionosonde for Studying Eclipse Ionospheric Impacts” in poster and oral presentation formats at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop.

Thomas J. Pisano, Staten Island, New York, an electrical engineering major at Scranton, presented his research poster titled “Investigating Bias from MSTID Wavenumber Spectrum mapping within the pyDARN MUSIC Algorithm” at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop. He also attended and presented with Dr. Frissell at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in Boulder, Colorado.

Diego Sanchez, Basking Ridge, New Jersey, who is pursuing a master’s degree in software engineering at Scranton, presented his research poster titled “Possible Drivers of Large Scale Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances by Analysis of Ham Radio Contacts” at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop.

Dr. Frissell also presented his research at the National Science Foundation CEDAR Workshop and, along with students and volunteer scientist and University of Scranton benefactor Mary Lou West, Ph.D., Columbia University and Professor Emerita at Montclair State University, presented research at the NASA Living with a Star Interhemispheric Asymmetries Meeting at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.

In addition to Dr. Frissell, University of Scranton physics and engineering professor Robert Spalletta, Ph.D., mathematics professor Joseph Klobusicky, Ph.D., and computing sciences professor Mark Fenner, Ph.D., worked with several of the students on their research projects presented at the conferences.

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Eleven University of Scranton Students participated in a study abroad program in South Korea that provided an in-depth exploration of the criminal justice systems in both South Korea and the United States and allowed the students to compete with international teams in a cybercrime investigation challenge.

Through the course led by professors in the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., and Sinchul Back, Ph.D., who previously served as a captain in the South Korean Marine Corps, the students visited several key institutions to gain a comprehensive understanding of South Korea’s criminal justice and national security systems. Students visited the Blue House (South Korea’s presidential residence akin to the White House), Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Demilitarized Zone at a Republic of Korea Marine base camp, the Korean National Police Agency, Korean National Police University, Korean Supreme Prosecution Office and the Korean Defense Counterintelligence Agency.

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Highlighting their trip, the students participated as a cybercrime investigation team in the 2024 International White Hat Conference, hosted by Boston University. The conference, themed “AI and Robotics Frontier: Mastering Cybercrime Defense in the Digital Age,” focused on advanced applications of AI and robotics in cybersecurity and cybercrime defense. Scranton teams excelled in the cybercrime investigation capture-the-flag (CTF) challenge, securing fifth, sixth, and eighth places among the international teams participating, including many teams of professionals currently working in the field of cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity.

In addition, four Scranton students were invited to present their research and projects related to cybercrime investigation at the student poster session of the conference that provided a platform to engage with experts and showcase their work, as well as a way to learn about the latest developments in cybersecurity. Dr. Back was the faculty co-author on the research studies presented.

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University students who participated in a study abroad program in South Korea were:

Justin K. Bauer, a criminal justice major from Staten Island, New York, and member of the University’s class of 2025;

Jacob Haley, a cybercrime and homeland security major from Pembroke, Massachusetts, and member of the University’s class of 2026;

Anthony M. Knof, a criminal justice major from Pompton Plains, New Jersey, and member of the University’s class of 2026;

John F. Mahoney, a criminal justice major from Rockaway Point, New York, and member of the University’s class of 2026;

Victor A. Romanek, a criminal justice major from Hampton, New Jersey, and member of the University’s class of 2025, who also presented his study titled “Cyber Bullying and Offender age” at the student poster session of the 2024 International White Hat Conference;

Brigida M. Sarcona, a criminal justice major from Staten Island, New York, and member of the University’s class of 2026, who also presented her research titled “Exploring Criminal Offender Age and Motivation in Cyberstalking: An Application of Cyber-Situational Crime Prevention Theory” at the student poster session of the 2024 International White Hat Conference;

Jessica M. Sommo, a cybercrime and homeland security major from Commack, New York, and member of the University’s class of 2026;

Adam J. Steidle, a history major from Stewartsville, New Jersey, and member of the University’s class of 2026;

Colin A. Straub, a cybercrime and homeland security major from Royersford, and member of the University’s class of 2025, who also presented his study titled “DDoS Attacks: Motivation and Accomplices” at the student poster session of the 2024 International White Hat Conference;

Christopher G. Villa, a biology major from Abington in his senior year at Scranton, who also presented his research titled “Exploring Criminal Offender Age and Geographical Location” at the student poster session of the 2024 International White Hat Conference;

Finnbarr D. Whittaker, a cybercrime and homeland security major from Scranton, and member of the University’s class of 2027.

Two University students also attended the 2024 International White Hat Conference. They participated in a similar study abroad course to South Korea in 2022. The students attending the conference were:

Andrew P. Cupo, a cybercrime and homeland security and criminal justice double major from West Orange, New Jersey, and member of Scranton’s class of 2025; and Bradley W. Rausch, a cybercrime and homeland security major from Byram Township, New Jersey, who graduated from the University in May of 2024.

The University began offering a bachelor’s degree in cybercrime and homeland security in the fall of 2020 and master’s degree in cybercrime investigation and cybersecurity in a fully online format in the fall of 2022.

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