information sciences and technology

More than 500 students, nine sponsors, and 50 volunteers gathered on George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus for the fifth annual PatriotHacks hackathon from October 6-8. After working for 36 hours straight, student teams presented 70 projects to a panel of judges from the tech industry. 

New students heard from accomplished speakers, practiced skills in workshops, and connected with both academic advisors and peer mentors at the Your Path to Tech event on August 18. Event organizers aimed to welcome women interested in tech and set them up for success in coming years.

The Mason Nation’s strength was undeniable at several hackathons in spring 2023. Computer science, cybersecurity engineering, information technology, and mechanical engineering students won challenges on March 25 at the University of Virginia, on April 7-9 at the University of Maryland, and on April 29-30 at Drexel University.

With two new recently added concentrations in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) at George Mason University, graduate students have a cutting edge in machine learning and user experience (UX) design.

At a Computing Career Reception, juniors and seniors in CS and IST networked with tech industry representatives from companies such as Appian, Brillient, and Verisign.

Vo will complete a three-week long micro-internship at a local tech company as part of Break Through Tech Mason's 2023 Sprinternship program. "As a third-year student, I want to gain as much experience in technology as possible before graduating and entering the workforce," she says.

Jin will complete a three-week long micro-internship at a local tech company as part of Break Through Tech Mason's 2023 Sprinternship program. "Since technology is constantly changing, my goal is to not be afraid of change and to explore my curiosity," she says.

Baskar is one of fifty-four George Mason students participating in Break Through Tech's 2023 Sprinternship program. She will complete a three-week long micro-internship at a local tech company.

Watch a brief video about students' experiences at Break Through Tech Mason.

Research Interests: Human-Computer Interaction, Natural Language Processing, Security and Privacy, User Interface Design