Students

Capitol event celebrates scholarship recipients, honors benefactors

raherschbach2 — Tue, 31 Oct 2017 18:20:47 +0000

Capitol event celebrates scholarship recipients, honors benefactors raherschbach2 October 31, 2017

"Winning this scholarship has not only lifted my financial burden, but brought smiles to my family," Avrum Gudelsky Memorial Award winner William Shaw said Wednesday (October 25) at the university's annual Scholarship Appreciation Breakfast.

Shaw is one of 55 Capitol students who have been awarded a wide variety of scholarships for 2017-18. Many were at the breakfast event, which gives scholarship winners an opportunity to meet and mingle with benefactors, trustees, faculty, and administration.

A senior majoring in computer science, Shaw chose Capitol for his university degree after getting to know the university while a high school student at Charles Flowers High School, which has an ongoing student internship program with Capitol. His experiences at Capitol have helped him develop his computer science skills to the point where he has been able to mentor others, Shaw said.

"Instead of me going to people for help, people have started coming to me for help," Shaw noted.

Capitol's new president, Dr. Bradford L. Sims, was on hand to thank benefactors and highlight the essential role they play in sustaining the life of the university and helping students achieve their academic goals.

The event also featured a keynote address by Thomas Scholl, a technology entrepreneur and inventor who founded the Hal and Kay Scholl Family Foundation Scholarship in honor of his parents. He spoke of Capitol's unique attributes as a university, describing it as a "gem" in the DC metro area.

"As a student, if you want to get a degree in engineering, technology, computer science, or cybersecurity, it turns out your choices are actually quite limited when you take everything into account: location, school size, tuition, curriculum, on/near campus living, online/in-class courses, and so on." When all these factors are taken into consideration, Capitol "comes out very favorably and often at the top," Scholl said.

Scholl's son William, who received his B.S. in cyber and information security from Capitol in 2015, then took the podium to describe some of the reasons he chose the Laurel-based university for his degree.

"When I first visited Capitol I came to realize it was the place for me. The things I liked most were the fact that it was close to home, I could study in my dorm room without distraction, and the environment was centered around people helping me succeed,” he said.

The Scholarship Appreciation Breakfast, held each year in the fall, honors the hard work of Capitol’s scholarship recipients and the generosity of those who make the scholarship opportunities possible.

Capitol is the only independent university in Maryland with a specialized focus on engineering and technology. Undergraduate programs offered at the university include astronautical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, and cyber and information security. The university offers a wide range of scholarships, including the Avrum Gudelsky and Homer Gudelsky memorial awards, given each year to students who have earned high academic distinction.

For more information on how you can support Capitol students through donations and scholarships, contact Melinda Bunnell-Rhyne, assistant vice president for student engagement and university development, at mabunnell-rhyne@captechu.edu.

Categories: Students

Capitol student wins Grace Hopper research award

raherschbach2 — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 19:16:00 +0000

Capitol student wins Grace Hopper research award raherschbach2 October 25, 2017

Capitol Technology University may be a small, close-knit school, but its engineering students are making big waves.

At the annual Grace Hopper Celebration this month, senior Zalika Dixon came away with the third-place award in the ACM Student Research Competition, impressing judges with her UV radiation monitoring project.

The internationally recognized competition, held each year in conjunction with the Grace Hopper event, offers undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to present their original research during a poster session. A panel of judges selects three undergraduate students and three graduate students as the winners, awarding cash prizes to each.

Dixon said she was “extremely proud” of the award given to her project, which was aimed at increasing public awareness of the effects climate change has on UV radiation. To help accomplish this goal, she created a portable UV datalogger using an Arduino board, SD card reader, and battery back, using this device to monitor UV data over a period of 10 days.

“I noticed that interest in my project was strong, particularly in the later part of the poster session,” Dixon said. “It seemed that word was getting around about the project.”

Judges, she said, asked probing questions during the session. Were variations noted in UV intensity over successive days? Who designed the equipment for collecting the data? How long did it take to complete the project?

Although nervous, Dixon fielded the questions with professionalism and poise. Then, when the competition winners were announced, she was elated to hear her name called.

She says electronics courses at Capitol helped her build the fundamentals needed for her research. She also credits participation in TRAPSat, a student-led project at Capitol. “Through TRAPSat, I got hands-on experience with Arduino and microcontroller programming,” Dixon said. “I learned how to integrate hardware and software.”

“Since TRAPSat is interdisciplinary, I learned how to work with people from different majors,” she said. “And because we have ongoing collaborations with NASA, I’ve gained experience with working in a professional environment.”

While continuing her studies and participation in TRAPSat, Dixon now plans to expand her research project by designing a UV alert system for the Capitol Technology University campus.

Engineering professor Dr. Garima Bajwa, who mentored Dixon as she planned and implemented her project, says Dixon’s project was especially notable because of the commitment she demonstrated, and also because of its applicability to the wider world.

“She started it from scratch and saw it through with great dedication,” Bajwa said. “The project is also important because it involves outreach, in that she is seeking to bring awareness to the community about a critical issue. It’s important for young engineers to recognize that what we do has significance for society as a whole, and Zalika understands this very well.”

The Grace Hopper Celebration, produced by AnitaB.org and held in partnership with the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists. It was held from October 4-6 in Orlando, Florida.

For a video clip of Zalika Dixon receiving her award, click here.

Categories: Students

Capitol students ring in new semester, thrill to solar eclipse

raherschbach2 — Fri, 25 Aug 2017 20:41:58 +0000

Capitol students ring in new semester, thrill to solar eclipse raherschbach2 August 25, 2017

With a rare astronomical event coinciding with the first day of classes, the fall semester at Capitol got off to a memorable start Monday (August 21).

During the afternoon, students, faculty, and administration gathered outside for the solar eclipse that captivated viewers across the United States. While Maryland was outside the path of totality, viewers in the state were able to see the moon obscuring approximately 80% of the sun’s surface. University personnel were on hand to provide NASA-approved solar eclipse glasses for safe viewing.

Sharhonda Whitfield was among the students who turned out to watch the event. “It was my first time seeing an eclipse,” she said. “I grew up watching space shows on PBS, so I’d seen eclipses shown on TV, but I’d never witnessed one live. I really liked the way it brought everyone outside.”

The eclipse capped a busy day at the university, with a new school year officially under way. Incoming freshmen arrived on campus last week for orientation, and returning students were due back on campus on Saturday.

The enthusiasm among students – both new and returning – was everywhere to be felt, said Brandi McKee, director of residential life and student services.

“The students had a lot of fun at orientation, and the energy is still going,” she said. “We had over 50 students show up for the eclipse viewing.”

“Everyone seems very excited and happy,” she said.

Capitol's incoming freshman class is 65-strong, with applicants each year drawn to the university's diverse variety of business, engineering, and technology programs, as well as the close-knit, supportive atmosphere of a small campus.

Many graduates go on to work for agencies such as NASA and the NSA, as well as major companies such as General Dynamics, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, and Verizon. The university boasts a strong employability track record, with 80% of graduates landing jobs within three months of graduation, at salaries nearly double the national average, according to 2016 data.

Asked about their goals for the semester, students highlighted academics and career preparation, while some also said campus clubs and activities are important.

Cybersecurity major Raekwon Banks aims to maintain a high GPA and land an internship that can ultimately lead to a full-time job in the field. “I hope to work either at a company like Northrop Grumman, or for the federal government,” he said.

Elijah Therrien, who studies computer engineering, is beginning his first year as a resident assistant. For him, the first week of school is a time to relax after prepping the dorms – and after a demanding internship over the summer.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my friends and hanging out with them,” he said. He also hopes to maintain his current 4.0 GPA average while transitioning to mostly online classes as a junior this year.

For new students, he has this advice: although academics are crucial, it’s also important to get out and get involved.

“Interact with the community. Don’t just stay in the dorms. If there’s an opportunity to volunteer or help out with something, then try to do so,” he says. “That way, when you’re looking for a job down the road or need a letter of reference, you’ll have more opportunities, you’ll have more people who know you and know your work ethic.”

Photo: Student Annie Yang watches the solar eclipse at Capitol on Monday (August 21, 2017).

Categories: Students

Capitol senior Ryan Brown: Programmer, technologist, and future researcher

raherschbach2 — Thu, 17 Aug 2017 15:05:00 +0000

Capitol senior Ryan Brown: Programmer, technologist, and future researcher raherschbach2 August 17, 2017

What sets Capitol Technology University from other higher education choices in the region? Ask Ryan Brown and he’ll mention two attributes in particular: the focus on engineering and technology fields, and the close-knit, friendly environment.

Brown, a rising senior with a double major in computer science and electronics engineering technology, says he “fell in love with Capitol” during a high school trip to the university.

“The academic dean made a point of coming to visit my school,” he recalls. “Everybody at Capitol was so friendly – people went out of their way to answer questions and show me where to go. At the same time, it was really exciting to see the technological side – the students doing code, the projects in progress in the labs. I said to myself, ‘I really like this place!’”

As a student, he soon came to appreciate being able to forge connections with his professors – easy to do at a small school like Capitol, but far more difficult at big institutions that crowd students into auditorium-sized lectures.

“Capitol has small class sizes, so the professors really have the ability to work one on one with students. For example, I’ve taken classes with Professor Andrew Mehri, and he knows my strengths and weaknesses in code. That’s true of the faculty in general – there’s the ability to understand a student’s strengths and help them in areas where they need to build up their skills,” Brown says.

That doesn’t mean the classes are easy or lightweight, though. On the contrary, he says, they can be “very hard. But you have the support of your professors. And you’ll end up learning so much.”

Brown remembers his C and Java programming classes as being among the most challenging – “and also the ones I ended up liking the most at the end of the day.”

“Learning new languages, learning new code – it still excites me to this day. Code is like a spoken language; there are always variations to it. I’ve been a CS major going on four years now, and I still get a thrill when I start writing code. I will always be grateful to Capitol for throwing me in the deep end on that one!”

Completing a double major is an ambitious endeavor for any student, but that hasn’t stopped Brown from also being active in student life. He is the president of the Student Leadership Advisory Board (S-LAB), an umbrella organization that oversees the various student clubs on campus.

“I’ve applied to graduate programs at four universities, Capitol being one of them, and I’m waiting for acceptance or denial as we speak. I want to do a dual master’s in computer science and business administration. Career-wise, I want to do research either in computer science or electronics engineering technology. I want to be able to travel, do research, do field studies."

“I like being in the mix of things,” Brown says. “That’s where I want my career to go.”

Categories: Students

Laura Black: Professional, parent -- and doctoral degree student

Anonymous — Wed, 03 May 2017 15:49:28 +0000

Laura Black: Professional, parent -- and doctoral degree student Anonymous (not verified) May 3, 2017

Doctoral students at Capitol Technology University typically are established in their careers and their goal is to deepen their expertise in order to advance further. Many are also raising families. Online programs such as Capitol’s eliminate the need to travel to another destination in order to achieve their academic goals, thus serving students who might otherwise be hampered by geographical constraints.

“There just aren’t very many doctorates in cyber,” says Laura Black, who is completing her DSc at Capitol. ”And the ones that exist are not near where I currently live. It wasn’t feasible for me to move someplace for three years. I have a house here in the DC area; I have a family -- I can’t just tell everyone ‘ok, let’s go!’”

“I needed to find something that was either DC-based or that I could do while remaining in the DC area.

Capitol’s DSc program, established in 2012, centers on online classes provided through an Adobe Connect-based, synchronous distance learning platform. Black says the interactivity of a real-time session adds an extra dimension to the learning experience.

“I’ve really enjoyed the classes that we have the most discussion in. I was surprised to find that the Adobe Connect infrastructure was that versatile in terms of, say, having a group dialogue,” she said. “Some of the professors really focus on getting people to talk, on fostering that discussion and banter and camaraderie, often among people with very different backgrounds. Because we have students from all over the United States, it’s been really interesting to see how people in say Texas or California look at things.”

Because the class sessions are recorded, she has the opportunity to review and reinforce important material from the lectures and discussions.

“I like the fact that I can go back and replay segments if I need to – that’s really useful. If the instructor says ‘this is what I want for homework next week,’ I can put down into my notes that he said this, say, eight minutes and twenty seconds into the session. And then later I can go back and scroll through that if I need to,” Black said.

“I still take notes, but it’s good to know that if I missed something – for example, if I had to step away for a few minutes to go put my son to bed -- I can always go back and review it.”

Pictured: Laura Black with son Robbie

Categories: Students, doctorate

New semester, new milestones: students reflect on their Spring 2017 goals

raherschbach2 — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 21:26:00 +0000

New semester, new milestones: students reflect on their Spring 2017 goals raherschbach2 January 19, 2017

Last week at Capitol we began our spring semester. We always wonder what our students are thinking at the beginning of a semester as well as what they expect to accomplish overall. Many students just want to earn good grades or have a relaxing semester, while other students are hoping to land an internship.

Gary Visser, a sophomore and lab manager in the electronics lab, said that “preferably, I would like to get all As this semester as well as get an internship. But really I’m using this semester to kind of calm things down as far as classes are concerned."

"Last semester was pretty hectic so I kind of took a little bit of a breather this semester. So, I’m just looking to have a nice time, get some good grades, and relax before next semester kicks off,” he said.

Another student, Alexander English, said “I’m applying for an internship with a deadline in February. Hopefully I will get it.” He also hopes next semester to “take the classes that I need because they were not offered this semester.”

Many students have decided to relax this semester because during the fall semester they took six classes, or they had three or more classes in one day. Some other students are excited to be taking certain classes that interest them, such as Introduction to Astronomy, Game Theory and Design, Horror Fiction, or Psychology. This breather will also allow them to be able to apply for many more internships and apprenticeships.

Getting an internship seems to be what many students want this semester. To help students out with this task, Capitol is hosting a Career Conference on Friday February 17th that will give students the chance to meet and talk with employers from different companies and organizations like the NSA and Northrop Grumman and perhaps have them look at their resume.

Also, Career Services has started a discussion board on MyCapitol where students can find out about available internships and full time positions.

We hope that our students accomplish what they set out to do this semester. Welcome back Capitol staff, students, family, and faculty for another great semester.

For more information concerning career services contact Sarah Alspaw at careers@captechu.edu.

By Sharhonda Whitfield

Pictured: Alexander English (right) and Gary Visser. Photo by Sharhonda Whitfield.

Categories: Students

The Journey of My Life

raherschbach2 — Wed, 04 Mar 2015 18:00:00 +0000

The Journey of My Life raherschbach2 March 4, 2015

I’ve made a multitude of decisions in my life, but the most significant decision I’ve made thus far would have to be my final choice of a major. I didn’t always want to major in Cybersecurity. I wanted to be a veterinarian or a pediatrician so I could help children or animals, but that quickly changed when I found out I’d often see them in pain. After much thought, I decided that I wanted to be an Ultrasound Specialist. For a few years, I was very set on my career choice. I had Old Dominion University in Virginia on the top of my college list and had toured it twice with my parents. It seemed perfect -- that is, until I took an after school class in my junior year of high school called Cyber Patriots.

In Cyber Patriots, we were able to use Virtual Machines to figure out the security flaws of Windows 07 servers and Linux machines. I was so amazed that I could secure a remote computer from another computer. I don’t want to say I was obsessed, but I was definitely impressed with the technology beneath my fingertips. I took home the information that we were taught and secured my home desktop. The feeling I got when I was finished was unlike any other I’ve experienced. I was excited, proud, happy, and having fun at the same time. It was at that point that I knew I would never experience a fulfilling feeling like that in any other field, so Cybersecurity was my final decision for a major.

A visit to Capitol's campus

After explaining my new choice to my family, they were happy I had found something I was passionate about. Knowing that I had support from my family fueled my desires even more than I could have imagined. I explained to my club teacher that I wanted to major in Cybersecurity and he helped me find colleges in the area that offered bachelor’s degrees in that field. I had my top three; the University of Maryland, UMBC, and AACC. A few months later, I took the opportunity to visit Capitol College in Laurel.

Stepping off of the bus and touring the school, my heart nearly burst through my chest. I’ve never wanted to go somewhere so badly, except maybe Universal Studios, but that’s a story for a different time. I was all smiles during the entire tour. I remember looking around thinking, “Wow, every table here is the nerd table!” I was hooked.

When senior year came around, I made sure to apply to Capitol first. I've never told anyone this, but I never finished the application for UMBC, I never applied to the University of Maryland, and I only glanced at AACC’s application. Capitol College (now Capitol Technology University) was the only school I finished the application process for and I’m glad I made that decision.

Applying for a scholarship

A month later, I got my acceptance letter. It was such an amazing feeling to know the only school I truly wanted to go to had accepted me. Then, few months later I got a letter in the mail explaining that I could come to the school to give a presentation and try for a full tuition scholarship. I don’t think my heart could’ve beaten any faster. I circled yes, filled out my information, and sprang head-first into creating a PowerPoint about my life and why I wanted to major in Cybersecurity.

When the day came to present, I was a mess. I had a touch of bronchitis, could barely talk, and had heavy bags under my eyes. I pulled myself together, explained my illness and excused myself when presenting, and went home. I received a large envelope from the college and opened it before sighing heavily. Remember how I said I didn’t think my heart could’ve beaten any faster? I thought wrong. My heart could have exploded into a million pieces when I saw my acceptance for the full tuition scholarship.

After I graduated from high school, I was placed in summer classes for the scholarship. There, I met an amazing group of people I’m proud to call my friends. We bonded over the three weeks we had with each other and the time we’ve shared since our freshman year started. I learned to establish my independence by living on campus, enhance my communication skills by speaking to fellow classmates, and find plenty of friends. Thinking back on my life, it’s hard to believe that my decision to study Cybersecurity has led me to become the person I am today. I will always be grateful of the opportunities I’ve been able to have and I will never regret the choice I made junior year.

By Destinee Martin

Categories: Students