IBM honors iSchool professors for computer-technology education efforts

SYRACUSE — IBM (NYSE: IBM) last week recognized two faculty members at the Syracuse University (SU) School of Information Studies (iSchool) for their contributions to the field of mainframe computer-technology education.

The tech firm honored David and Susan Dischiave, associate professors of practice at the iSchool, in a faculty meeting for their work with IBM and its mainframe-computer business, SU said in a news release issued today.

The Dischiaves are among 14 educators from institutions around the globe that IBM is honoring in this year’s Faculty Awards program, according to SU.

IBM executive Kevin Cleary formally presented the Dischiaves with two faculty awards during that session.

Cleary presented an award of $10,000 for their work on assessing performance attributes of distributed data and an award of $20,000 for modern-enterprise computing, according to the school.

The $10,000 award will support a new research project involving a multi-school, multi-disciplinary student team composed of students from SU’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management, the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science, and the iSchool, along with students from Telecom Bretagne, a university in France, who will participate virtually, SU said.

SU’s Global Enterprise Technology Center will administer the project, the news release said.

The project team will examine data streaming and the process of examining and assessing data in motion as it’s transmitted and transferred, rather than as stored data.

The project is designed to simulate a “large enterprise class server” and form into a “Z Enterprise security showcase,” David Dischiave said in the release.

Students will first build the software and controls, then implement audit and monitoring procedures. Once that work is done, the students will then hack their own system in order to assess and document vulnerabilities and to create the appropriate solutions, Dischiave explained.

The $20,000 modern-enterprise computing award will allow the Dischiaves to address the needs of the new mainframe-technology manager by providing a massive open-online course (MOOC) that will explain the technical and management architecture that comprise enterprise-computing environments.

The MOOC will focus on identifying and solving “large complex problems” by using enterprise-computing technologies and will include the basic architecture and technology principles that comprise enterprise-computing environments, according to the release.

The IBM Faculty Awards program is a “competitive worldwide initiative” intended to encourage collaboration between researchers at universities worldwide with those in IBM’s research, development, and services organizations, SU said.

These awards are a subset of the company’s University Awards program, which supports basic research, curriculum innovation, and educational assistance in focus areas that are fundamental to business and technology innovation, according to the release.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

PHOTO CAPTION: Kevin Cleary (left), vice president of sales-transaction support at IBM, presents David and Susan Dischiave, associate professors of practice at the Syracuse University iSchool, with a $30,000 check for their contributions to mainframe education.

PHOTO CREDIT: Syracuse University iSchool