Creating the Research and Innovation Ecosystem

Stephanie Olson; Ioulia Rytikova; Thomas Winston; Mihai Boicu

doi:10.13021/G8B60S

Authors

Stephanie Olson GMU
Ioulia Rytikova
Thomas Winston
Mihai Boicu

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13021/G8B60S

Keywords:

STEM education, research experiences for undergraduates, graduate student mentoring, peer teaching, peer assessment

Abstract

Studies have found compelling evidence indicating the importance of mentoring in promoting the development of a scholar in higher education. Often it is viewed as a relationship between professors and graduate students or junior faculty members. It also assumes professors' influence on students' development through the courses they teach. The topic has been studied thoroughly but it still raises some concerns. As practice indicates, tenure-track/tenured professorsÃÂ mostly teach advanced courses, and term/adjunct instructors, who generallyÃÂ do not have extensive research experience, focus on undergraduate education. This creates a gap in how research and teaching are viewed and approached at different levels, and may have a negative impact on studentsÃ¢â¬â¢ success if they choose to pursue their education at a higher level.ÃÂ TheÃÂ Personalized Learning in Applied IT (PLAIT) laboratory offers a comprehensive approachÃÂ byÃÂ promoting a nourishing research environment in which professors (adjunct, term, tenure-track, tenured) and students at all levels are empowered in an innovative research ecosystem by participating in a wide variety of synergic research activities.ÃÂ This session gives an opportunity to PLAIT members to present their roles in the research process, describe how it helps them grow as a scholar, and discuss this replicable model.

Author Biographies

Stephanie Olson, GMU

Stephanie Olson is a first year PhD student in Information Technology at George Mason University, working under the supervision of Dr. Mihai Boicu and Dr. Ioulia Rytikova. She holds an M.S. in Applied Information Technology (High Academic Distinction) with a concentration in Information Sciences & Technology and a B.S. in Information Technology (Cum Laude) with a double concentration in Information Security and Databases & Programming from GMU. She is also a Java programming Teaching Assistant, Director of Communications and Graduate Researcher for the Personalized Learning in Applied IT Laboratory, longstanding member of the Honor Committee, and affiliate of the Community Adjudication Board in the Office of Academic Integrity.ÃÂ

Ioulia Rytikova

Ioulia Rytikova is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department ofÃÂ Information Sciences and Technology,ÃÂ George Mason University.ÃÂ She received a B.S./M.S. degree in Control Systems and her Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Computer Science from National University of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia.

In over 15 years of her career in higher education both in the US and Europe, Dr. Rytikova acquired significant work experience in providing leadership in the areas of innovative teaching and learning, instructional design, and distance education in a variety of STEM disciplines, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Dr. Rytikova designed and developed multiple interdisciplinary programs, concentrations, and courses in the emerging areas of data sciences and big data analytics, computer and information technologies, health information technologies, and statistical analysis.

Dr. Rytikova founded aÃÂ Personalized Learning in AIT lab (PLAIT)ÃÂ and organized several workshops, as well as published and presented on the topics of learning sciences and analytics, innovative teaching and learning, data sciences and big data analytics, and decision-support and expert systems for large industrial complexes at multiple workshops and conferences.

For her exceptional efforts in the classroom and her contributions to the educational process, Dr. Rytikova received recognition not only from her outstanding students, colleagues, and industry partners, but also from the GMU Volgenau School of Engineering when she received the 2008 Outstanding Teaching Award, one of the most prestigious VSE awards.

Thomas Winston

Thomas G. Winston is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology, and is a member of the Learning Agents Center at George Mason University.

Dr. Winston has a background in telecommunications, information systems security, and international relations. He has focused his career on analysis of cyber threats for Central Eurasia, South Asia and the Middle East. He served as liaison officer at the Department of State and has extensive experience briefing U.S. Government officials on cyber issues. In addition, he has experience as a forensic cyber crime investigator and analyst. Dr. Winston has publications on international relations, law, and critical infrastructure protection. He has published papers for the International Studies Association conference on foreign cyber threats, as well as cyber intelligence and has most recently published a prÃÂ©cis of his dissertation at the 49th HICSS conference.

Dr. WinstonÃ¢â¬â¢s research interests include critical infrastructure protection, social network analysis, information policy, telemedicine, and social and political impacts of technology.

Dr. Winston completed his Ph.D. in Information Systems at Nova Southeastern University. He has also earned his M.S. in Law, Policy, and Society at Northeastern University, Boston; an M.S. in Telecommunications from Boston University; an M.S. in Education, and a B.A in Linguistics/Russian from the State University of NY at Albany.

Mihai Boicu

Dr. Mihai Boicu isÃÂ the Associate Director of theÃÂ Learning Agents CenterÃÂ since 2002 and Associate Professor of Information Technology inÃÂ Information Sciences and TechnologyÃÂ since 2007. HeÃÂ received the Ph.D. degree fromÃÂ George Mason UniversityÃÂ in 2003. Dr. Boicu published over 90 scientific publications, including co-authoring two books, fourteen journal papers, and four book chapters.ÃÂ He was co-editor for workshop proceedings and a special issue of the Artificial Intelligence Magazine. Dr. BoicuÃÂ had contributions in several areas of Artificial Intelligence: Instructable Agents, Knowledge Engineering, Multi-agent Systems and Mixed-initiative Reasoning.

ÃÂ

Dr. Boicu received several awards for the research and educational activity performed. He received the Innovative Application Award at IAAI-2002, the Fourteenth Annual Conference on Innovative Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, July 30-August 1, 2002, for the paper Ã¢â¬ÅDevelopment and Deployment of a Disciple Agent for Center of Gravity Analysis,Ã¢â¬Â by Tecuci G., Boicu M., Marcu D., Stanescu B., Boicu C., Comello J., Lopez A., Donlon J., Cleckner W. He received aÃÂ Certificate of appreciationÃÂ awarded by Colonel Jeffrey P. Hightaian, the Director of the Warfighting Center of Air University, for Outstanding Service to theÃÂ Air War College Maxwell Air Force Base Alabama; severalÃÂ Certificates of appreciationÃÂ and theCentennial CoinÃÂ awarded by General Robert Ivany, the Commandant of theÃÂ US Army War College;ÃÂ Certificate of AppreciationÃÂ awarded by Prof. Douglas Campbell, Director of theÃÂ Center for Strategic LeadershipÃÂ of the US Army War College. Dr. Boicu also received Outstanding Graduate Student in Information Technology AwardÃÂ presented by Knowledge Consulting Group, George Mason University

**2015 GMU Teacher of Distinction**