ABOUT UAT
University of Advancing Technology is an elite, private college that serves its student body by fostering knowledge creation and academic excellence in an environment that embraces the young technophiles of the world. With three centers of research and a suite of technology-centered undergraduate and graduate degrees, the University is a recognized leader in technology education.
Software Engineer. It has a mysterious ring to it. And it should. Software engineers are the closest things to wizards we have these days.
Engineers, by nature and training, are problem solvers. Some engineers solve problems of a mechanical nature; others of a chemical or electrical nature. But a software engineer solves problems by telling computers—arguably the lowest form of robots we have (next to the toaster)—to solve a given problem for us. And while computers are able to do amazing things, they still need someone to tell them what to do, to whisper in their tiny computer ears. Like a computer whisperer. Someone who can speak the language of the computer to get the computer to behave. And before long, that computer is running through the obstacle course at the Westminster Kennel Club show, sliding down slides, leaping through rings of fire in Evil Knievel suits, and standing in as a stunt double for Tom Cruise. All because one person (or a team, at times) was able to whisper to a beautiful, young Alienware CPU with the latest Intel processor and make digital magic happen.
If this type of compu-wizardry sounds like your cup of soup, then continue reading. Just like there are all types of wizards, there are all types of software engineers. And if you are still reading this article, then one of them is likely right for you.
So, do you like programming languages? Like logic and math? Like challenges, solving problems, and creating solutions? Like not having to worry about ever finding a job again!? A career in the Software Engineering field could be for you and the Advancing Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, or Data Science degree will help you get there in less than 3 years. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, let’s look at each of these careers to see which one is a good fit for you.
*The following career descriptions and estimated median annual salaries - or midpoint of the reported salary ranges - are based on data and information collected by the linked sources (Glassdoor's user data and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys) reported as of May 23, 2022, and are not exact or guaranteed expectations.
Estimated Median Annual Salary Range: $69,000 to $117,000 per year (Glassdoor)
Ranked #8 on Glassdoor's Top 50 Best Jobs in America For 2022
Software Developers (computer programmers) and Software Engineers are those who make and test the applications, algorithms, and frameworks that need protecting. This career is one of the most secure and satisfactory careers in the tech field with a formidable 22% growth outlook over the next ten years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
These compu-polyglots spend their days in front of a computer, knocking out code like Floyd Mayweather Jr. And yes, I meant compu-polyglot (We just made that up, but you can use it.)
Software Developers will know several computer languages and are typically able to build programs using software development tools while software engineers are specially trained to build software tools from scratch, to make computers think for us, entertain us, or inform us. Basically, anything you can do on a computer, a software developer or software engineer wrote it and a quality assurance analyst checked it over to make sure it did all the right things and none of the wrong things.
It sounds like a broad description, but that’s because it is. There are several specialties that fall under the term “software developer” or "software engineer". For instance, Java Developers generally take on creating and maintaining java applications for startups to go to market and help fulfill customer orders. This position specifically ranked #1 on Glassdoor’s 50 Best Jobs in the US for 2021 list and currently has over 10,000 job openings in the US for this role alone.
Other software positions range in titles like full stack developer, front end developer, back end developer, UI/UX designer, cloud engineer, mobile engineer and many other niche developer or engineer positions that have specific roles on a software development team. Kind of like how some wizards specialize in shape-shifting and others in alchemy. At the end of the day, they can all cast a mana shield to protect their party. You understand.
To become a software developer, you must start with a computer science degree or similar software development degree program. To become a software engineer, you'll want to look for a software engineering-specific program like UAT's master's degree in software engineering. You will learn the necessary algorithms, complex software design, mobile, frameworks, and multiple programming languages required, and based on courses, projects, internships, and more, you can start to determine where you want to specialize in your career.
Estimated Median Annual Salary: $113,736 per year (Glassdoor)
Ranked #3 on Glassdoor's 50 Best Jobs in America in 2022
Data Scientists, Data Engineers, and the like are in high demand and will continue to be over the next decade. And, according to Linkedin’s last U.S. Emerging Jobs Report, this relatively new career field has seen a growth of around 35% for both data scientists and data engineers. But what do they do?
Governments and companies take in a massive amount of data. Like the relative amount of empty space in an atom kind of massive—only more so. But what do they do with that data once they have it? Well, they perform their most basic functions with it like billing and payroll and purchasing inventory.
But wouldn’t it be nice to have all that data collected in a meaningful way so that people who aren’t tech-savvy could actually use the data? Well, that’s part of what a data scientist does. Some go a step further and help to analyze the data and make recommendations to the company to optimize performance.
In short, as UAT puts it, a data scientist “transforms data into insights” and offers a whole degree plan engineered around this idea. (Check it out here.)
If you’re wondering what it means to “transform data into insights,” consider here how it’s used in what is being called predictive policing.
This sort of predictive policing is not without controversy and if even the thought of it bothers you, this may still be the career field for you. After all, if you are the one helping to make the predictive models and you are a just-minded person, you won’t be satisfied until the predictive technology is without bias and is a jewel of justice and not a tool of tyranny. You are just the kind of person who free people need to work in this field.
Estimated Median Annual Salary: $110,003 per year (Glassdoor)
Ranked #4 on Glassdoor's 50 Best Jobs in America in 2022
For salary, satisfaction, and plentiful opportunities, the DevOps Engineer role (and one of the coolest sounding IT gigs), is expected to grow at a rate of 21% over the next decade.
Rightfully so. This all-seeing, cross-departmental role is all about collaboration, efficiency, and improving productivity often through the form of implementing automation.
A DevOps Engineer generally works within IT, managing projects with various departments and teams including operations, software, and product development, and implementing better systems and processes along the way. This professional is an engineer by nature, a master coder in multiple programming languages, and has a deep understanding of software development lifecycles and lean, agile, and scrum methodologies.
Being a fairly new philosophy, the DevOps position can have inconsistent role definitions depending on the organization. It's important for anyone venturing down this career path to seek a wide breadth of relevant skills and expertise in IT operations, IT security, and application delivery to boost qualifications.
For starters, a bachelor's degree in Advancing Computer Science and taking specific operations-focused courses from UAT's Business Technology degree program can get you on the right track for the DevOps field. With UAT's open curriculum, you can take courses outside of your major. So, why not take advantage of the opportunity to become uniquely qualified?
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Now for one of our personal favorites since we were the first university with an artificial intelligence degree, the Artificial Intelligence Specialist demand has grown 84% annually over the past 6 years according to LinkedIn’s recent Emerging Jobs Report. That is insane growth.
Artificial Intelligence Specialists, like Machine Learning Engineers (ranked #6 on Glassdoor's 50 Best Jobs in America for 2022) will be the ones who help to improve existing AI and create all-new AI. It’s not as spooky as it sounds (though it can be). AI is used in most mainstream gaming, business analytics, and machining operations.
But it can be spooky, too. Like maybe you’ll be the one helping Elon with the appropriate intelligence for his little androids. Or you can help the uber-wizards at Boston Dynamics in creating their animal-themed robots.
Estimated Median Annual Salary Range: $150,000 - $175,000 per year (Hired)
Surely you’ve heard of Dogecoin? How about Ethereum? If none of those, please tell us if you’ve heard of Bitcoin?
Well, the use of blockchain technology may be popularized there, but it is actually exploding into every market on the planet. Statista estimates spending on Blockchain technology to rise from 6.6 billion in 2021 to around 19 billion by 2024. At its core, it’s about decentralizing information, which kind of sounds wizard-ish. I mean, if the information isn’t centralized, then how can it be anywhere?
Enter the blockchain engineer. They help define protocols for the different blockchain technology, create apps to interface with the blockchain, and find the most effective ways of mining a blockchain.
While few universities offer a standalone degree for blockchain technology, UAT offers a Blockchain module where students learn to code Blockchain applications while studying its advancing trends and working within sandboxes to create prototype solutions. UAT’s Blockchain module can be taken within any of the master’s degree programs. So, while you’re earning your Software Engineering master’s degree, add on Blockchain and step into the world of decentralizing everything.
Estimated Median Annual Salary: $162,772 per year (Comparable)
Master software engineers typically have years of experience as a software engineer, boasting a portfolio of successful projects ... and a master's degree. Not simply satisfied with coding all the livelong day, no, this particular breed of software sorcerers looks at the big picture.
They solve the problems in an over-arching manner, sometimes directing the work of the developers and other engineers, to achieve specific goals. They use all the same languages as the developers, but they also design and lead projects, employ analytics, scaling, and find ways to communicate these big ideas to other departments, members of the team, or to prospective customers.
To get on track to becoming a Master Software Engineer, you'd want to earn your bachelor's degree in Advancing Computer Science and continue on for a master's in Software Engineering. You can achieve both of these together in as little as four years at UAT. In that time, your peers that chose the state school will still likely be working on their undergrad.
At this point, you're probably over debating whether the computer science field is worth it, so it should also be no surprise that a Master of Science degree in Software Engineering will help you go even farther in your career. The added education will potentially earn you qualifications for leadership positions offering higher pay within various organizations and help you stand apart from the competition like the master you are (or soon will be).
Already have your Bachelor’s?
Yes, but it's not in the realm of software development, computer programming, or computer science.
No fret. You can earn your Master’s in Software Engineering from UAT without prior experience.
With UAT’s innovative approach to master’s studies, as a student you will work through four modules, earning four professional certificates along the way. Two of these modules are required for the specific degree program of your choosing, but the additional two can be chosen from all other module options. Want to get a master’s in Software Engineering, but also want to add some Tech Startup expertise to your resume so you can be more qualified for your dream job at your dream company after you graduate? Dooooo it!
And getting there isn’t going to take you 6+ years. It does take commitment, time, effort, and energy, but you can have your master’s in as little as 15 months with UAT.
So, what are you waiting for? The future is waiting, but it needs people like you to help program it. Go be a digital wizard.
Change the world.
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jQuery and HTML5 are taking over the web.
The combination of both make it so easy to create dynamic websites that look like the heavier Flash websites of the past.
Base Creative UK has set up a website with a great tutorial on how to create a jQuery website in less than a day.
Using the jQuery Javascript Library, jQuery UI Widgets, and some jQuery syntax, you can create a nice looking website that can be built upon. Check out the tutorial on the jQuery Site In A Day website.
UAT attended CactusCon 2017 in the Robotics Village on Saturday, October 1, at Phoenix Convention Center.
UAT Professor Joseph Horen showed off robot demonstrations as well as Arduino programming labs for attendees to learn to program and see the results via the hardware.
The Robotics Village was a new edition to Cactus Con but turned out to be a popular event for 8-17-year-olds who wanted to learn about Cyber Security and Robotics.
On September 25, 2020, nine University of Advancing Technology (UAT) students started development of their own new apps, with less than a week to concept and complete their ideas before presenting to judges and peers on October 2, 2020, via Zoom.
Dr. Jill Coddington, UAT Program Champion for Advancing Computer Science, Robotics, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence, led the competition. “App-It-Up was a short sprint for mobile development,” she said. “The contest theme was a choice between time or recreation, and the participants had 4 days to develop an app based on those themes.”
Dr. Coddington was very impressed with the results! “In my opinion, 2 of the apps are worthy of publication in the Google Play Store, even with the limited time frame,” she said. “This was such a fantastic way for students to do rapid development and hone their mobile app skills. The event was fast paced, the apps were fun, and there were lots of great results!” 📱
And the App-It-Up Mobile App winners are:
Jacob Dominski for Universal Time Zone
Matt Evans for Daily Tasks
Noel Castillo for NY trivia
Nathan Carr for Modern Art Clock
Watch the students present their apps, plus don’t miss the awards ceremony at the end!
Want to learn Software Engineering?
UAT has several degree programs to choose from!
→ Software Engineering (MS)
Start the process now! Fill out our Fast App at https://uatfastapp.com/.
What is network security, and why is it so important? Technology has become such an ingrained part of our society that securing it has become a necessity, but how do you secure a bunch of ones and zeroes? That is where network security comes in.
Security is needed in all parts of life. You need to feel secure in your home, so you have locks on your doors. Museums need to be secured from thieves, so they have security guards and cameras. And with the information age, the very information stored on our computers can be stolen, copied, or destroyed. Preventing this is the essence of cyber security.
When you consider network security, you need to consider every possible facet of what could happen to your data physically and digitally. Your computers need to be in a secure location and only personnel with the proper authorization should be able to access them. Your computers also need to be in a protected network with firewalls and any number of other security techniques.
It is known within the security community that given enough time and resources, any person that is dedicated enough can break through any security. Just look at popular heist movies such as Ocean's Eleven, those people had the time and the resources to break through or get around the security that would have prevented them from achieving their goal. This concept applies to digital information as well. Some hackers are novices and don't pose much of a threat unless you don't have any security. But some hackers are innovative and smart enough to get around higher levels of security.
This doesn't mean that we shouldn't try to secure our belongings, but it does mean that we need to be as prepared as we can for those who would do us harm. We should be proportionally prepared for a digital attack as important as the data we are keeping. Banks need extremely high security, but a website full of flash games doesn't need that same level of protection.
In short, because of the times we live in, and even more so now since most of us are working virtually from home, we need to protect our data. If you want to learn how to secure your network and the networks of companies and businesses, the University of Advancing Technology has the Network Security major just for you.
-Kody Mitchell
keywords: network security, cyber security, information security, security, hackers, hack, firewall, data, information, network, computer, computer security
Scott Velasquez
May 2000
For the past 18 years, Scott Velasquez has worked Gearbox Software in Frisco, TX, where he resides as a Lead Programmer. He’s had the pleasure of working on a number of different titles such as Counter-Strike, Borderlands, Brothers and Arms, Halo and many others. Most recently, he put his talents forward as the Online & Social Product Owner for Borderlands 3 which released on PS4, PC and Xbox One. Scott wore many hats on this project ranging from project manager, designer, programmer and a smidgen of business development. He was involved with the ECHOcast Twitch extension, vault hunter profiles, photo mode, player pinging and most elements relating to online and local player interactions.
Scott believes technology is important because it can scale to reach a large number of users to solve many types of problems. Scott likes tackling different problems each day and is a lifelong learner. Technology is always evolving and keeps him on his toes!
When Scott was researching colleges in 1996, he noticed that most colleges were teaching old languages like COBOL, FORTRAN, etc. As an avid reader of PC Gamer, Scott came across a UAT ad advertising courses in languages and techniques specific to game development. He applied immediately after visiting the school.
Moving from a small town in West Texas to Arizona, he appreciated the next gen UAT facilities (he was using 486DX and dial-up back home).
UAT’s curriculum and professors challenged Scott in the best way possible. He was extremely impressed that the faculty had game industry experience and unique industry experience, such as his ex-NASA scientist Calculus professor. Scott enjoyed the way UAT professors taught, because they did a great job of explaining not only the how, but the why. Working full-time at Compuware and later Rhino Internet, Scott attended school in the evenings.
While at UAT, Scott made many great friends, some of which he is still friends with to this day. Pushing each other to learn more, Scott and his classmates had fun trying to outdo each other on assignments.
Scott encourages UAT students to meet other students and staff and put themselves out there. UAT is a great place to foster connections—you never know who you’ll meet—they might become a co-worker, friend or someone who will help down the road. Scott urges students to dig deeper and go above and beyond what the professor is asking on assignments. He also recommends joining or creating a group and building projects that can be highlighted and shared with your resume.
Scott advises students to find companies in the area where you can shadow or intern. “Getting a better understanding of the role you want to have someday will help you start preparing sooner rather than later. Attend some game development conferences and meetups,” recommends Scott, and finally, “Enjoy yourself, college will be something you look back on fondly when you get old like me.”
Scott feels that UAT absolutely prepared him for his career. Before UAT and just for the heck of it, he applied at 3drealms (he was a huge Duke Nukem 3D fan at the time). He knew it was a long shot—the programming he taught himself and learned in junior college didn't involve 3D. As expected, 3drealms turned him down due to his lack of 3D experience.
UAT taught Scott many things about programming, 3D development, data storage and manipulation, mathematics, web development and working with others. The greatest thing UAT taught Scott was how to logically approach problems and formulate solutions.
While working full-time and attending UAT, he made time to help a friend create a 3D engine in Java, soon after Java added 3D support. They were both programmers, so the 3D models were created by hand in notepad! Scott created a DirectX/OpenGL engine in C++ with networking support and built demo apps like a multiplayer 3D checkers game, a chat client, etc. Later, when Half-life and Unreal Tournament came out, he started learning how those engines worked and built mods.
After graduation, Scott landed a job at Cinematix Studios in Tempe. There, he could immediately apply programming concepts and Calculus while creating an audio engine and complex camera systems for two platformer games on PS2.
Scott encourages students to contact him with any questions about UAT or if they need advice as they prepare to enter the game industry (@thereal_scottv on Twitter).
Meet other UAT alum!
The US Army has now deemed that using the Chinese owned app TikTok, which the US Army was using it to recruit and promote their own branch of service, is a potential security risk that needs to be banned.
Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Robin Ochoa told Military.com, "It is considered a cyber threat… We do not allow it on government phones."
It's a no-brainer that China has raised a lot of security concerns since they don't have to abide by U.S. laws on data privacy and collection and consumers who request their data. So having a Chinese company collecting vast quantities of video footage and location data and IP addresses and other information from military personnel? Probably not the best for keeping things under-wraps from foreign espionage.
That being said, this is not the first app to be banned. In 2016, the U.S. military banned Pokemon GO due to it being too distracting. Banning TikTok as well is quite a reasonable response.
This is not, however, the first time TikTok has raised security concerns. U.S. senators wrote a letter to the U.S. Director of National Intelligence requesting a review of the app. In the letter, they stated "Security experts have voiced concerns that China’s vague patchwork of intelligence, national security, and cybersecurity laws compel Chinese companies to support and cooperate with intelligence work controlled by the Chinese Communist Party."
As well, it's not just the Army who has it banned, but In December 2019 the U.S. Navy also prohibited its personnel from using TikTok on government-issued phones. Violating the restriction threatened the users to face a block from the Navy-Marine Corps Intranet.
I feel bad for those service members who wasted time dancing in front of their phones 15 times to try and get it right. So don't go dancing in front of the boots recruiters.
UAT has been designated a military friendly school and offers degrees in Network Security, Cyber Security, Technology Forensics and Network Engineering.
The Network Security club here has been named THICC which stands for short The Hacking Informational Cyber Crew a clever name for the gang in the Network Security Class or Cave.
THICC first started out with the seniors that were at first freshman and created the club as they stayed late at school and figured why not make it into a club. The club was designed for students who just hang out in the cave and have a fun time. THICC do participate in a lot of different events and competitions such as CTFs (Capture the Flag). The club also does many different tutorials and sessions to educate the members and teach us different things such as a Linux tutorial, PicoCTF, and watch some videos on different things like Stuxnet.
THICC plans with all members on Discord! We have new students add the server to their Discord accounts and that’s where all information is housed about the club and Network Security Major events. There is a ranking system in THICC that goes from Members to Non-Skid to Admin then finally Council. It’s all measured on how often you’re in the Cave so if you become close to the Council then they have decided to include you in their ranks as long you have the passion.
So far THICC is averaging about 30 members every Friday for the meetings and events. Every semester the numbers change from a full house to just a handful of members.
THICC will still be around after I leave, and I have 2 years ahead of me. Future Network Security students I do recommend attending THICC and using the Cave as a place to work as it’s a valuable resource for new students. Many of the students who are in this club are very laid back and enjoy memes and just talking about what's in their mind. Slowly but surely I plan to be more attached to the club when I have more time to participate.
by Taylor Nakakihara
On Tuesday, October 8th we celebrate the achievements of women in STEM on Ada Lovelace Day. UAT takes pride in our support of girls and women in tech. We collaborate with the Girl Scouts of Cactus-Pine and the Boys and Girls Club on the development of STEM curricula for their organizations. It is our pleasure to continually support the events and efforts of Girls in Tech, Girls Who Code, Girls Rule Foundation, ISAACA She Leads Tech, Women Techmakers, Phoenix Women IT Unite, and more.
Held on the second Tuesday of October each year, Ada Lovelace Day is an international celebration highlighting the achievements of women in STEM and aiming to increase the profile of women in STEM, leading to the creation of new role models who will help lead more girls into STEM careers and support women already working in the field.
Who is Ada Lovelace?
Born in London, England, in 1815, Ada Lovelace was born to Romantic poet Lord Byron and Anne Isabelle Milbanke. Her mother, who preferred that her daughter be tutored in math and music at an early age, desired a more stable life for her daughter than that held by her poet father. Anne Milbanke, also known as Lady Byron, was also a mathematician herself.
By 17, Lovelace had begun correspondence with inventor and Cambridge Professor Charles Babbage on topics such as math and logic. This connection would prove incredibly valuable for Babbage, who in 1842 had found international support for his new project, the Analytical Engine. However, this support came in the form of a memoir from Italian mathematician Louis Menebrea , written in French. Initially, Lovelace was brought on by Babbage to simply translate these notes on the Analytical Engine.
Through her work as a self-identified “Analyst and Metaphysician”, Lovelace’s translation and accompanying notes over the course of 9 months would earn her enduring recognition by the tech community. Despite Babbage’s achievements with the Analytical Engine, he had failed to produce a compete program for the machine. Lovelace was able to write a computer program to prompt the Analytical Engine to generate Bernoulli Numbers, thus successfully publishing the first, most complete, and most elaborate program of its kind. Furthermore, Lovelace was the first to explain the creative potential of the Analytical Engine through the use of the right programming to expand the machine’s capabilities well outside of its ability to calculate numbers. Lovelace is a herald of the future of the general-purpose computer, and noted that the Analytical Engine was suited for “developing and tabulating any function whatever... the engine is the material expression of any indefinite function of any degree of generality and complexity.”
Playing online video games is like running through a minefield of curse words. Watch Your Language is a tool kit trying to make the gaming experience more family friendly.
This Student Innovation Project (SIP), created by duo Rocky Vargas and Michael Shepherd, monitors what players are saying and flags inappropriate words. Rocky explains, “Our innovation claim is that gameplay is intensified by turning to foul language gamers use into a mechanic for punishment.”
There isn’t anything for gaming that uses speech recognition this way. If Watch Your Language detects vulgar words, alarms sound and the monitor will display the word. This mechanic is meant to monitor in real-time and can be universally used because there is a coded element that can be written for any word.
Because of the code, this technology can expand into more than just the gaming industry. Software and other technologies written in code can apply Watch Your Language if it’s compatible with a microphone.
Rocky wrote the original code to detect specific words and activated the streaming portion of this SIP. Michael polished the code and hooked it all up.
Do you want to drive the future of games? Check out UAT’s Game Programming degree.
After experiencing the lengthy task of adding incoming, first-year students to a database by hand, Adam Morris took his experience working in the Cyber Warfare Range to improve administrative work.
Knowing there was a better way to complete this work, Adam commissioned his friend Kelvin Ashton to create a program script tool kit as their Student Innovation Project (SIP). Thus, Toasty Sec, named from a flying toaster screensaver that coincided with late night hunger, was created as a tool for security/system administrators.
Features like adding and deleting users, hashing files and port scanners were created through PowerShell. Improvements via Toasty Sec includes the ability to access the user’s hardware information.
A hash is a unique identifier found on every file. If the hash has changed, the file has been modified. When it comes to cyber security, a user wants to know why a file has been modified. This is where Toasty Sec comes in. This tool kit gives the user the ability to scan the entire disk in a few minutes and hash everything found within the file.
Port scanners are another important part of cyber security. Ports connect to everything on a computer. Your device may experience issues if an unwanted port is open. To keep your device secure, Toasty Sec catches and identifies which ports are open. Toasty Sec even detects SQL injections, the most common type of web-based attack.
Both students are graduating with a BS in Network Security and Technology Forensics, and Adam is also studying Network Engineering. Kelvin states, “It’s one project that we based around all of our degrees.”
Before their SIP, neither UAT student knew how to use PowerShell. After taking a scripting class to bring their understanding of basic programming structure up to par, they learned that the true challenge came with learning the different programming languages. Kelvin figured out how to transform one language to another through its methodologies by using object-oriented programming. This was the game changer for their SIP.
Learn more about UAT’s Cyber Security degrees.
Right now, there are 7,000 unfilled cybersecurity jobs in Arizona alone. Nationally, we need an additional 400,000 security analysts, network engineers, vulnerability researchers, pen testers and other professionals to fight cybercrime and protect data. The Obama Administration estimated that the US would have 1.4 million computer science jobs by 2020—but only 400,000 computer science graduates to fill them.
“The AZ tech community, like the tech community at large, is facing a huge talent shortage gap,” Carine Dieude, an entrepreneur and Arizona tech community advocate. “It’s not an easy career. It is crucial to provide support to a wider demographic interested in tech,” she added. That’s exactly what she is doing at Girls in Tech Phoenix.
Girls in Tech PHX partnered with a local Microsoft store to offer free YouthSpark Workshops for girls and boys ages 10–12. Students who attend these hands-on workshops learn about robotics, coding, public speaking, mixed reality and videography.
Middle schoolers and high schoolers who are ready to dive deeper into robotics, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things can check out Robot Factory. Robot Factory is an after-school program for students who want to break into the black box, build circuit boards, tinker with Raspberry Pi and learn real-world embedded systems programming skills with AZ Hyperloop Team Co-Founder Lynne Nethken!
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Lynne works as a robotics engineer at 10 Imaging, a technology company that brings awareness to everyday devices. The 10 Imaging team recently moved into UAT’s on-campus coworking space Perimeter83. UAT Robotics & Embedded Systems students have the opportunity to help Lynne with Robot Factory's STEM classes.
UAT also helps hundreds of Girl Scouts earn coding badges every summer. (And UAT faculty and staff buy all the cookies in the spring. UAT Bursar Renne Grauberger has the goods.) But how do we get more college students and working adults interested in computer science, keep them engaged and then get them ready for careers?
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Perimeter83 helps to close the gap between students and industry by bringing industry to campus. Insight Vice President of Global Business Transformation and IoT SME Curt Cornum just signed up for a designated desk space in the P83 Study. He brings an infectious energy to campus.
UAT professors proactively partner with industry on real-world projects, which students can often earn credit for as a special topics course. For example, Dr. Jill Coddington’s computer science and artificial intelligence students are collaborating on an AI transcription project with a neurosurgery organization. “There are fun challenges as some of the medical terminology is not standard mainstream English words used every day,” Dr. Coddington said.
Carine and the rest of the fabulous Girls in Tech PHX team do a lot to engage and support the next generation of devs while they are in school and after they graduate. “Mentorship is not an everyday activity…it is a support system we can call on when we need help, advice or a new skill set,” Carine said. Girls in Tech PHX makes it easy for young developers and computer science students to connect with professionals who are already killing it in their fields online and in person.
University of Advancing Technology Provost Dr. Dave Bolman has also been thinking about adults who want to get into tech (or would be a good fit and don’t even know it) but already have degrees in business, communications, history, biology or psychology. “If you have a degree, you likely already know how to think, problem solve and bring ideas together in ways that make sense to people. You simply need the technical skills involved with securing information and writing software,” Dave said.
UAT’s innovative graduate and certificate programs address the lack of education options available to individuals who have degrees but want to retool their knowledge. Students can complete tech-intensive, 8-week modules such as Cloud Computing, Big Data, Algorithms and Patterns, Social Engineering, Information Assurance or Change Management as stand-alone units or combine multiple modules to earn a master’s degree.
Want to fight the tech talent gap and future-proof your career? Apply today!
On April 27, 2018, North Korea and South Korea signed the Panmunjom Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula. Two electronic versions—one in English and one in Korean—have been stored on the Ethereum blockchain. The energy industry alone has invested $1 billion in blockchain.
And four of the world’s largest automakers want to put blockchain technology in your car.
“Blockchain is right up there with the invention of the Internet,” said Damian Chung, Sr. Director of Cybersecurity Engineering and Development at Dignity Health. Chung thinks blockchain has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, empower businesses to bypass the middle man and even safeguard democracy. “We can apply it infinitely, so it’s here to stay,” Chung said.
Blockchain may lead to unprecedented business agility and help companies save time and money, but few people know how to harness the power of this emerging technology. According to TechCrunch, 14 blockchain job openings exist for every one blockchain developer.
The talent shortage prompted Chung to develop and teach a blockchain course at the University of Advancing Technology, where he is an adjunct professor in the cyber security department.
Students who take Chung’s Summer 2018 blockchain class will be able to:
The 15-week course will cover blockchain transactions, keys, miners, distributed ledgers, blockchain wallets, hash functions, pseudonymity, Solidity, Go, private blockchain on Ethereum, Hyperledger Composer and MultiChain. Even though the class will incorporate some coding, students do not need to be strong programmers to do well.
Chung recommends starting with Blockchain Revolution by Don and Alex Tapscott and watching some YouTube videos.
Students should also capitalize on the power of the magic words, “I am a college student, and I need help.” Reach out to professionals who are already doing cool things with blockchain. Tweet to SEMs who tweet about blockchain. Ask questions on blog posts. Utilize LinkedIn. Create your own internship.
Search for and join Meetups such as Desert Blockchain. Professionals go to Meetups because they want to connect with other innovators, give back to their communities and meet and mentor (and possibly hire!) curious students.
Learning how to develop blockchain solutions will prepare students for careers as disruptors. Studying how blockchain is transforming industries such as banking and real estate will also help students to forecast, visualize and implement change in other industries such as energy, gaming, HR and cosmetics.
Interested in collaborating on a blockchain project with UAT or hosting a blockchain event on campus? Reach out to Ashley: amurry@uat.edu.
Voice recognition is a prominent technology that is being used in more and more places today. There is voice recognition for recognizing the speaker. This type of voice recognition is used for security (physical access and access to files in computer network).
This is also evolving to give specific instructions/information to the speaker as well.
There is voice recognition for translation, as well. This allows for written transcripts of audio events. The benefits are not limited to ADA compliance but useful for translating into other languages and to have a searchable transcript of an event.
In both cases, artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized to have the computer learn and improve on its success of voice recognition.
While everyone has heard of Siri or Alexa for voice recognition, there are innovative uses far beyond the home or smartphone. One recent example is in forensics. A voiceprint can be created in less than two minutes of speech. Crime experts are now using voiceprints for identity of voices from wire taps. This application is unique in that it uses the sound of one’s voice rather than the shape or pattern. That means that a voice match can be found regardless of the language or accent of the person.
At UAT, we implement both of these types of voice recognition in our classes, such as AI, machine learning, and deep learning. Some of the examples of what our students have done are:
Voice recognition is just one of the technologies that UAT students master – because we excel at implementing new technology as it occurs. UAT is truly a University of Advancing Technology.
The UAT Cyber Warfare Range (AKA "The Cave") is the main hub for network security, network engineering and technology forensic students at the University of Advancing Technology. All of our classes take place in this room, and we also host cyber security events in this collaborative space.
The room itself works differently from traditional classrooms because it was designed to promote hands-on learning. Students work off an isolated network and have access to Forensics Evidence Recovery Devices (FREDs).
In entry-level classes such as Foundations of Systems Administration, students build a virtual network composed of Windows Server 2016. In another class, I got a work order and had to complete the tasks on it by the deadline, just like in the real world. I used the cluster to make a network comprised of virtual machines, which helped me complete tasks such as setting up an active directory and giving different users different permissions.
In Computer Forensic Essentials, the professor gave us a hard drive image and tasked us with writing a case report. In order to accomplish this task, we utilized the FREDs. These devices enable students to image a flash drive or hard drive for forensics recovery software. One of the main focuses of the class is ensuring that evidence remains valid and useable in the court. The emphasis on validity is important because digital evidence can be easily tampered with.
But we don't use preserve evidence and data, we also document everything.
In forensics, correct documentation enables the examiner to adequately describe how the evidence was handled. Documentation also helps law enforcement and lawyers effectively present the evidence.
Many different moving pieces work together to help an enterprise network function. That's why it's so important to document what changes you make, so another person can use that document when they need to troubleshoot or use a reference.
Outside of classes, we also host events in the UAT Cyber Warfare Range. For example, the Information Security Organization holds weekly meetings in the Range, where students showcase what they are working on or explore topics together.
Jackson Nestler is the club president and a UAT Cyber Warfare Range intern. “We host two primary activities outside of our typical classes in The Cave: the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) meets on Tuesdays at 6:30 pm to prepare for upcoming competitions, train and discuss strategy. And on Saturdays at 6 pm, we have our Information Security Organization (ISO), which is a casual meetup for students interested in learning real-world security applications, expanding on the knowledge that they receive in classrooms and meeting like minded peers. Right now, we’re working on bringing guest speakers to ISO as well," Nestler said.
To learn more about The Cave or our Cyber Security program, visit our website.
The gaming industry continues to grow, but there are still more game developers than game development jobs. So, it’s a good thing that game developers have tons of transferable skills in programming, UX design, graphic design, project management and more. We wanted to learn how game dev majors forged successful career paths in other industries, so we invited a software engineer, 3D artist, frontend developer and UX designer to campus to share their career stories.
WebPT Software Engineer Jasmine Hegman thinks her game design degree gave her a leg up. “If anything, I think games are a little more difficult because they often have a run loop and all these other things that other developers don’t have to worry about,” she said. “Programming at the end of the day, whether it’s for a game or not, works equally,” she added.
UX Designer Nick Reed and 3D Visual Artist Michael Licavoli encouraged all design and art majors to master programming and Photoshop while they are still in school. Nick noted that a lot of students choose game design because they want to become the "idea guy.” “Unfortunately, the idea guy doesn’t get hired. As [Professor Hue Henry] used to say, ‘That’s usually one of the developer’s kids,’” Nick said. Adding strong coding and digital art chops to your skillset will make you more marketable.
Michael mastered AutoCAD out of necessity and encouraged game art students to pick it up too. “It’s really not scary at all. It’s like the base of 3D,” he said. A lot of industries need CAD developers, including architecture, aerospace, manufacturing, mapping, transportation, interior design, facilities management, education, engineering and more. Excel also makes Michael’s life easier.
Everyone agreed that communication is key. When Nick interviews UX designers, programmers and graphic designers, he always asks how candidates did what they’ve done. “You can show me a portfolio piece, but be prepared to talk about it,” he said. Practice explaining your thought process, how you reached certain conclusions and how you research.” Jasmine added, “If you have to Google something, that’s OK.”
All four panelists landed at least one job from a referral. In order to build a large, engaged network, you have to talk to people. Each of them has also worked with at least one recruiter, so remember to be kind to recruiters.
In summary, if you can make games, then you can develop mobile apps, design user interfaces and create graphics. Diversify your skillset, and get out there and talk to people.
UAT alumni can audit classes for free for life. Check out our catalog to learn more about programming, digital asset creation and other classes at UAT here.
“Follow your passion.”
“Take this personality test.”
“You will make $75,000.”
“Add an objective statement to your resume.”
“Just keep applying to jobs online.”
“Never give up.”
Traditionally, higher education moves slow. But the job market does not. How can university career services departments adapt to better prepare students for the job search grind?
Build community.
It’s tough to get a job that you actually want by submitting applications into the internet void, even if you optimize your resume with keywords.
According to Glassdoor, each corporate online job posting attracts 250 applications. Of those applicants, four to six get interviews. That’s about a 2% shot at success, which is why human beings remain the best job search resource.
Career services teams should spend more time drinking coffee with hiring managers, inviting engineers to campus and hosting networking events than conducting resume-writing workshops or updating internal job boards, which are often hard to find and difficult to navigate.
In order to build a large, engaged network while they are still in school, students need to learn how to say, “I need advice” instead of “I need a job.” Their goal should be to hear, “Call me when you graduate” multiple times every semester, not to write the best resume.
Most students do not recognize the value of the magic words “I am a college student.” Instead of sending students to online job boards, career services advisors should direct them to Meetups and community groups like #yesphx. Advisors should be less concerned about placement stats and more focused on empowering students to conduct successful job searches.
Of course students need resumes, but the ability to write clever cold emails and the confidence to ask a professional to grab a coffee can actually transform the trajectory of their careers.
Collab on campus.
According to a 2017 Gallup survey, less than 20% of undergrads turn to career services departments for advice on applying to jobs or graduate school. “A major factor that contributes to the underutilization of traditional career services is their passive approach,” said University of Advancing Technology Dean of Student Affairs Dana Frasca.
“Universities should proactively integrate career development into the academic experience. Career services departments can’t stand alone,” Frasca said.
Students often turn to faculty first for career advice. To capitalize on these established relationships, career services teams should train and partner with faculty to ensure consistent messaging.
In today’s digital age, students may be less inclined to go out of their way to visit a brick-and-mortar career center. Advisors can reach these students by utilizing social media and hosting events in the dorms.
Other less obvious campus partnerships can help enhance the department's credibility. For example, the UAT career services team recently moved from Student Services to HR. They regularly collaborate with the marketing team and share employer feedback with the provost, who uses that information to make hiring decisions and curriculum changes.
Set realistic expectations.
A lot of students think that graduating with good grades is good enough.
They don’t actively contribute to open-source projects on GitHub. They did not revamp their church’s website, teach 5th graders how to code or start a club. They didn’t spend time outside of school to make something awesome. They do not belong to a community. They think LinkedIn is for losers.
These students will most likely start their careers in help desk, customer service or admin jobs. That’s a harsh reality for people who just spent thousands of dollars because they want good jobs, which is why 80% of them go to college.
Talent Branding Specialist Carmen Cannon has encountered a few recent grads with impractical salary goals. But she says it goes beyond wages. “Some of them have an unrealistic perspective of the type of positions available and the type of work they should be doing.”
This disconnect between reality and expectations prompted UAT Manager of Faculty Ally Videtic to ask the career services team to overhaul the English 101 labs. Now English 101 students—who are mainly 18-year-old freshmen—learn how to network effectively and write cover letters that don’t suck!
Pay your people.
A lot of well-meaning career services professionals clock in at 8 am, update the job board, meet with a few students, conduct a one-size-fits-all resume-writing workshop and then clock out at 5 pm.
Their LinkedIn profiles sound like this: “Career Services Professional with 10 years of Higher Education experience. Excellent communicator with proven track record of leading teams and meeting goals.” Boring!
These advisors haven’t applied for a job in years, and some of them have never worked outside of higher education. They don’t venture off campus much. They do not teach their students to think outside of the job description box. The community would not miss them if they quit.
They also take home $600 a week.
Want to join the team of forward-thinking educators and advisors at UAT? Check out our current opening at www.jobs.uat.edu.
The Collegiate Cyber Defense class is a "Choose your own adventure" type of course. Instead of providing a predetermined set of lessons, the instructor encourages students to explore their own interests. The class also encompasses preparation for and participation in a Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC). We play capture the flag, give weekly presentations and mentor other students.
Before students can get into the CCDC class, they have to get approval from the professor and current CCDC team members. Students who get into the class must contribute to CCDC competitions and capture the flag events. The professors and CCDC team members proactively recruit self-starts to join the team and take the class.
Students are also encouraged to attend networking events and join the cyber security community. We learned quickly that even though Phoenix is the fifth biggest city in the country, the cyber security community is pretty small and engaged.
Students get to choose an area of network security, network engineering or technology forensics to explore and present on during weekly class presentations.
The open-ended nature and repetition of these weekly presentations helps students think outside of the box, take ownership of their education and improve their presentation skills. Students can also do live demonstrations, which helps them think on their feet and multitask.
The diverse nature of these presentations help students learn new ideas and provide refreshers on old concepts.
Capture the flag involves a team or individual finding a hidden file on a computer. These exercises teach creative problem solving and help student develop their technical skills.
Some of the capture the flag events focus on teaching students how to break into a computer while others can teach the basics of using a Linux command prompt.
Students in the class are also required to complete one hour of mentoring every week. They can mentor students in 100-level cyber security classes or anyone interested in learning more about cyber security. The mentorship sessions reinforce what students have learned in class. The teach-backs also help students retain more information.
The class also has a competition requirement, so everyone in the class gets to compete in a local or national competition and write a paper about the experience. These competitions challenge students in unique ways and make them meet new people.
My favorite part of the class is training for the competitions and then being able to use the skillset that we gained in training during the competitions.
The capture the flag part of the class is also another assignment I liked doing because of how they are set up it is more like a puzzle. It involves trial and error with methods of getting to the file and then finding the solution which is rewording.
The reason that I work well in this class is it is almost entirely hands on which is my favorite way to learn a new topic.
The class also offers the freedom of looking to very specific topics that interested the student which is also another way I like to learn.
The Collegiate Cyber Defense Class is a good class for students who do a lot of research in their free time and likes to test the skills they learned throughout the semester.
Learning Python this semester has been one of the most engaging educational experiences of my life. Somehow, Professor Gose manages to teach Python—a basic programming language—in the most intuitive way. His lessons are less of a lecture and more of an immersive experience. He constantly engages students and tailors his lessons for different learning styles. That's why Introduction to Python is my favorite class.
Even though Gose is a computer science professor teaching a programming class, he always attempts to make the information relevant for every student in the class. He can easy tie Python programming back to cyber security, robotics or business. But it's his pure excitement that got me excited about Python.
Why should someone learn Python? "It's fully integrated into the scientific community and imperative to AI and IoT," says Gose.
Professor Gose
Professor Stephen Gose is one hell of a character. His laugh is loud and contagious. If you can't hear him coming, then you can see him coming in his uniform of bright dress shirts and wacky ties. He has been making video games since 1972. He speaks multiple languages. He may or may not have been a spy.
If you have the opportunity to take one of Professor Gose's classes, do it. Just be forewarned: You will have fun, and you will make mistakes. Gose purposefully makes multiple mistakes during class to test our knowledge and attention spans. When you catch him in the act, you feel this adrenaline rush and morale boost.
Class Structure
Each class project has a main goal that the entire class works together to achieve. Professor Gose also offers "side goals" that we can tackle for bonus points. The points system rewards effort and keeps students engaged. We also keep a weekly journal. The journals help students retain information because they have to explain how and why they did what they did.
We also work on a lot of group projects, including games coded in Ren'Py, Pygame and other game engines built on top of Python.
"We do our homework," Gose states. "But there are also plenty of opportunities for self-guided assignments and fun."
Help on Assignments
Professor Gose helps students solve problems, no matter what their learning style is. His advice typically enables you solve your current problem and simplify or diversify your code. UAT Programming Tutor Kenneth Vorseth also helps out. Kenneth is a passionate programmer who enjoys teaching people Python.
Professor Gose continues to share helpful information and links throughout the week. This excess of content ensures that we understand the subject from different perspectives and helps keep what we learn during class fresh.
One week Gose posted a link to Ren'Py, a visual novel engine that creates stories with user-friendly terms that are easy to memorize. Ren'Py also has the ability to use actual Python code.
I wouldn't have discovered Ren'Py if it wasn't for Professor Gose. I'm currently creating my final project on this engine and have spent the past three weeks grinding out assets and code for my game. My team and I are excited to show Professor Gose what we have created!
Classmates
You might think that most of the people who take a Python class are computer science majors, but you'd be surprised. My friend Andrew is in the class with me, and he studies art! The diverse mix of majors showcases how useful Python is to all professions. Learning any kind of programming language will benefit you in the future.
Everyone in my Intro to Python class is friendly and excited to work together as a team in order to accomplish homework. My friend Darin and I help each other out when we get stuck. We work on homework assignments and take breaks together.
Conclusion
I never expected to have this much fun in a programming class. I also thought that Intro to Python would be my first and last programing class, but I am going to take other programming classes just because Professor Gose teaches them.
Opportunities in Cyber Security heat up during the summer with well-known industry events like Black Hat and DEF CON!
Each summer, UAT Cyber Security students can apply to work as paid volunteers at the iconic Black Hat Briefings in Las Vegas. No, they aren't there to party! At Black Hat, they gain industry experience in setting up networks, WiFi connections, routers, switches, and much more. This internship alone can open so many doors for students looking to network and break into the industry upon graduation.
The day after Black Hat ends, DEF CON begins and many students stick around to attend or work at DEF CON, as well. Occasionally some lucky students who showed promise at Black Hat have been asked to work as DEF CON Goons, aka security, which is an honored privilege.
DEF CON is full of hacking activities like Capture the Flag (CTF), Pentesting, and the Lock Picking Village as well as vendors and companies from all aspects of the Cyber Security world. While at Black Hat or DEF CON, students may find solid job opportunities by simply immersing themselves in the industry and networking with professionals in the field. Don't miss out!
