School of Computing and Design
STEM Conference and Career Fair
California State University, Monterey Bay's School of Computing & Design was honored to participate in the 12th Annual Expanding Your Horizons' (EYH) STEM Conference and Career Fair, held at Hartnell College in Salinas, CA. The conference, which aims to inspire young girls in grades 5 through 10, engaged over 200 participants in exciting math, science, and engineering activities.
Dr. Bui and Dr. Islam led a hands-on workshop focused on cybersecurity and cryptography, while Dr. Brammel and Dr. Lara guided students through the creative process of designing their own holiday cards. The School of Computing & Design had a wonderful time fostering interest in STEM fields and connecting with the local community. The workshops provided valuable learning experiences, and hopefully sparked curiosity in the next generation of innovators.
2024 GMiS - Rafael L.S. Reis Story
I’m thrilled to share that my team won 2nd place at the NASA-sponsored STEM Zone Competition at Great Minds in STEM! Working alongside such talented individuals was an incredible experience, and I deeply appreciate my amazing teammates for their hard work and dedication. I also had the honor of presenting my research, titled "Impact of Energy Consumption Awareness on Student Programming Efficiency and Ethics," which explores how making students aware of the energy impact of their programs can influence their programming practices and ethical considerations. This project was made possible thanks to the invaluable guidance of my PI, Dr. Joshua Gross, whose support and mentorship have been instrumental in shaping my research. Additionally, I am honored to have been awarded a scholarship as part of the prize.
A heartfelt thanks to my department chair, Dr. Bude Su, for making this opportunity possible through CAHSI funding, and to Apple Scholars for supporting and funding my research. The event was packed with incredible opportunities to learn, share ideas, and engage with inspiring individuals in STEM. I also got to attend several workshops, including one I particularly enjoyed on ethical programming. Not only did I deepen my understanding of this crucial topic, but I also had the chance to connect with professionals and researchers dedicated to this field. It was an unforgettable weekend of growth, inspiration, and collaboration!
Otter Jam 2024
Using AI to Secure AI
Join us online
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024
1:00PM - 1:45PM
Fourth Annual Computer Science Conference for CSU Undergraduates
Congratulations to the students who presented at the Fourth Annual Computer Science Conference for CSU Undergraduates on Saturday, April 13, 2024. This conference was created and facilitated by Dr. Glenn Bruns in 2021, and later co-sponsored by a team of CS professors from other CSU campuses.
2024 CSUMB Cybersecurity Hackathon
The first cybersecurity competition hosted by the School of Computing and Design and the Network Security Team student organization. From decoding cryptic messages to thwarting virtual attacks, competitors will face a diverse range of tasks designed to test their abilities in network security, cryptography, ethical hacking, and digital forensics.
Spring 2024 Admitted Otter Day
Spring 2023 Capstone Festival
Communication Design Capstone
Computer Science Capstone
SCD Summer Camp 2023
Capstone Festival Fall 2022
Communication Design Capstone Festival Fall 2022
Computer Science Capstone Festival Fall 2022
MIST Capstone Festival Fall 2022
Otter Game Jam Fall 2022 Winners
First Place: The Last Ranger
Created by Philip Guaracha, Everett Lomath, Jeremey Jacob Francisco.
"The year is 2072. As the last ranger of a struggling national park, it is your duty to help preserve what remains of the ecosystem however you can."
Second Place: Written in the Stars
Created by Dylan Leonard, David Jordan, Sean Brown, and Corinne Harris.
"Grab the seeds and plant them in the ice plant patches to grow a path across the sand. At the end, you need to find 3 seeds in the level and bring them to the door to win."
Third Place: Wanderlust
Created by Micah Iwata, Brooke Pope, Kia Carrion, Tyler Wilson, Jasmine Jubane, Chris Mendoza, & Moises
"Awakening within a sand-collapsed ruin, a contingency bot scavenges for traces of its origin."
Cross-culture Collaboration - Product Packaging Design Project
CST345 Visual Thinking students have engaged in a cross-culture design project, in which they teamed up with their peers from the Higher College of Technologies in the UAE to envision packaging redesign concepts for Starbucks coffee that represent and communicate cultural values. The project is part of the COIL activity that started in the summer. The project concluded with an exhibition held at HCT in Abu Dhabi in which a group of CSUMB students presented their project process to the audience which included representatives from the USA embassy in Dubai.
Photo montage, Group introduction ice-breaker activity
CSUMB students: Sara Christensen, Faye Mensah, John Brandes, Anthony Lopez-Zamora, Josiah Bridegroom
HCT student: Salma Abdulla
Starbucks coffee package design mockups
CSUMB students: Tristan Ruiz, Kayla Lamar, Angelina Cortes, Arthur Soto, Juan Trinidad
HCT student: Rawdha Hamad ALjunaibi
Starbucks coffee package design mockups
CSUMB students: Stephanie Arteaga, Jonathan Castanon, Robert Eckhardt, Gabby Lazarcheff, Caleb Mcdonald
HCT student: Shama Alhammadi
Discover CSUMB Open House
CSUMB is hosting a Discover CSUMB Open House for prospective students and their families on Saturday, Nov 5. Professors at the School of Computing and Design will deliver the program information sessions in the Business and Information Technology (BIT) building as listed below:
10:30-11:10 am: Session 1
- Communication Design Presentation and Q & A: Dr. Attia and Dr. Lara, Room 113
- Computer Science Presentation and Q &A: Dr. Su and Dr. Ogden in Room 110, and Dr. Gross and Dr. Islam in Room 109
11:10-11:30 am: Building Tour and Student Project Demo in Room 105, Professor Green
11:30-12:10 am: Session 2 (same content as Session 1)
- Communication Design Presentation and Q & A: Dr. Attia and Dr. Lara, Room 113
- Computer Science Presentation and Q &A: Dr. Su and Dr. Ogden in Room 110, and Dr. Gross and Dr. Islam in Room 109
12:10-12:30 am: Building Tour and Student Project Demo in Room 105, Professor Green
Otter Game Jam Fall 2022
October 28, 2022 - October 30, 2022
March 2022 Newsletter
Otter Jam 2021
- Oct. 23-24 2021.
.png)
Feb 2021 Newsletter
- Check out SCD's Feb 2021 Newsletter.
Capstone Festival Fall 2020
Oct-Nov 2020 Newsletter
- Checkout SCD's Oct-Nov 2020 Newsletter.
September 2020 Newsletter
- Checkout SCD's September 2020 Newsletter.
Discover CSUMB Virtual Campus
Please join the annual Discover CSUMB Open campus event!
This is your opportunity to attend live sessions and learn more about Communication Design and Computer Science degree.
Feel free to register below for event reminders and important event follow up information.
October 7th - College of Science
| 12:00PM Schedule | Session & Activity |
|---|---|
| 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Communication Design LIVE Session |
| 12:00PM - 1:00PM | Computer Science LIVE Session |
| 5:00PM Schedule | Session & Activity |
|---|---|
| 5:00PM - 6:00PM | Communication Design LIVE Session |
| 5:00PM - 6:00PM | Computer Science LIVE Session |
Z Hacks 2020
This year's annual hackathon iiED is partnering with Santa Cruz Works to offer this unique hackathon. (September 19-25, 2020). Themes: Social Justice, Environment and Pandemic. For more information, check the Z Hacks 2020 website.
To help prepare our students for the upcoming semester of remote learning, the School of Computing and Design (SCD) created a set of guidelines. We hope all students can follow the guidelines to thrive and succeed in their online learning.
Congratulations to You Otter Iterate
Please join the School of Computing & Design in congratulating our three Communication Design, Web concentration students team “You Otter Iterate”: Anna Stubler, Calvin Norwood and Nicole Freeman for getting to the Top 10 finalists teams in the College + Netflix Creatie Jam with Adobe XD that started on June 22, 2020.
Please view this video at minute 7:44 to see our team announced!
You Otter Iterate competed against 2,300 students who formed 985 teams, representing 320 institutions from USA, Canada and UK. The challenge was to Design a third-party desktop web site or app (not Netflix-branded) where the community can celebrate shared stories together through communal and authentic experience.
You Otter Iterate’s project “Watch & Learn” is based on the idea that difficult conversations and shared stories from different backgrounds bring people to a better place of understanding. Watch & Learn is a shared streaming platform for young adults to learn more about social issues they are passionate about, and those that they have little exposure to. Users can explore and expand their perspectives through movies and television shows within a diverse community by creating and joining watch parties that offer interactive features to have meaningful conversations with others, and resources to take action. These shared stories allow users to create understanding through authentic experiences, and build upon them through recommended and personally curated content.
Congratulations once again to team You Otter Iterate!
School of Computing and Design Fall 2017 Capstone Festival will be held on Friday, December 15, 2017 in the Gambord BIT Building from 9:00AM – 12:00PM, room 104. Please join us to celebrate and see our students’ capstone project work.
ATTENTION: The Game Jam now takes place June 12-16
SCD's Summer Game Jam is taking place June 12-16, 2017. Each participant will leave with a demonstrated competency in game conceptdevelopment, project workflow, play testing and evaluation skills for analog and digital game design and production. Participants will build VR games and better understand the role of games in their lives and how to use interactive technology to create unique and expressive experiences.Each student participating will build a VR game for Oculus CV1 + Oculus Touch. To download example games, please visit csumb.itch.io
The planned schedule is as follows:
Day 1 (June 12):
9-11AM Students will play VR demos to familiarize themselves with VR games & technology
11-12 PM Students will participate in an introductory lecture "From Experience Goals to Game Prototype "by Krzysztof Pietroszek, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
12-12:30PM Lunch break (not provided by SCD)
12:30-2:30PM Students will be divided into groups participate in paper-prototyping session lead by Pat Watson, a game designer and artist.
Day 2 (June 13):
9-10AM Students will participate in an Introduction to Unity and VR Framework lecture by Krzysztof Pietroszek
10AM-12:00PM Students will work in groups on digital prototypes of their game. Each group will have access to a high-end VR workstation. However, we advise students to bring their laptops to work on other aspects of the game, such as UI design.
12-12:30PM Lunch break (not provided by SCD)
12:30-2:30PM Students will continue to work in groups on digital prototypes of their game.
Day 3 (June 14):
9-10AM Students will participate in an Introduction to Collision Detection and Score Counting in Unity lecture by Krzysztof Pietroszek
10AM - 12:00PM Students will continue their work on digital prototypes with the help of game development and game design TAs
12-12:30PM Lunch break (not provided by SCD)
12:30-2:30PM Students will continue their work on digital prototypes.
Day 4 (June 15):
9-10AM Students will participate in an Introduction to Sound and Video Effects in Unity lecture
10AM-12:00PM Students will work towards completing their work on the digital prototypes with help of game development and game design TAs. At the end of the day, students should submit their games for voting
12-12:30PM Lunch break (not provided by SCD)
12:30-2:30PM Students will complete their work in groups on their digital prototypes.
Day 5 (June 16):
10-12PM Demo day - everyone will play each other's games and vote on their favorites
12-1PM Vote counting break
1PM Award ceremony - announcement of the winners of Best Game, Best Graphics and Best Implementation Awards
This year the School of Computing & Design Capstone Festival will be taking place Friday, May 19th, with the Plenary Session hosted in the Tanimura & Antle Family Memorial Library in room 1188 from 8:30am to 9:30am and the presentations & poster sessions in the Gambord building from 9:30am to 12:00 pm. Please see our SCD Capstone Festival website for more information on our graduating students and their Capstone projects!
Learn about School of Computing & Design's new faculty, exciting projects and wonderful stories from our graduates.
California State University-Monterey Bay and the School of Computing and Design were well represented at the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Fishackathon 2016 April 22-24th, 2016. Fishackathon is a public-private partnership that challenges participants to address developing world fishery challenges through the use of mobile phones and internet usage. Coders and science enthusiasts globally come together to create new applications and tools for use on mobile devices to aid the fishing industry in safer & wiser sustainable fishing.
Nearly 600 participants from 40 cities around the world participated this year. The winning local team was recently announced as the Fish Ops Team, consisting of many CSUMB & SCD students; Joshua Kling, Sarah Anderson, Ryan Green, Bryan Huynh, Zach Leids, Andrea Perez, Gregory Greenleaf, Nate Pincus, and Karen TafollaAyala. The Fish Ops team are eligible for the overall grand $10,00 prize, as well as $25,000 that would be used in implementing their winning project. The winner will be announced on June 8, 2016. Visit the Fishackathon site and Monterey Bay Aquarium tumbler for more information!
Santa Cruz Tech Beat showcased the Startup Weekend
CSUMB's 4th Annual Startup Weekend Monterey was showcased in the technology focused news source Santa Cruz Tech Beat.
The SCD TA++ coordinators are hosting a Computer Science social event at Water City Skate, located at 2801 2nd Avenue in Marina, CA. The CS Skate Social, open to Computer Science students and friends, is just one of many events that will be hosted this year to generate a sense of camaraderie among native and transfer students as well as generate funds for additional project and events this spring term. The CS Skate Social takes place on Saturday, February 13th, from 2:00PM-5:00PM. Tickets can be purchased for $9.00 from a TA++ coordinator or from Katie Cunningham in the BIT building, room 205. The price includes three hours of skating and an in-line or roller skate skate rental. See you at the rink!
The School of Computing and Design will be hosting its first Hour of Code this coming Friday, December 11 from 9AM to 12PM in the BIT building rooms 117 and 118. Forty high school students from King City, Soledad, and Gonzales will participate in this event, which is coordinated by Dr. Lara and Dr. Seetharam. The Hour of Code is a world-wide initiative that takes place from December 7 to 13. Its main goal is to expand the participation of students in Computer Science and increasing the participation of women and underrepresented minorities.
Students meet with lynda.com founders
On December 2nd 2015 at the Colligan Theater in Santa Cruz a small group of Communication Design students were given the rare opportunity to hang out backstage before the CSUMB President's Speaker Series with Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin, founders of lynda.com. Spouses, business partners and visionaries, Weinman and Heavin were pioneers in web design and online learning. Their advice to the CD students: Follow your passion, never stop getting better at what you do, and learn how to draw!
CSUMB CS Program featured in Santa Cruz Tech Beat
Capstone class and capstone student are profiled in Santa Cruz Tech Beat, a news digest that focuses technology in Santa Cruz.
- The hackathon provides very good experience for the students because it helps them get ready for the job market. When you are working in the job market you have to work under stress, very difficult situations and you have to be very creative to come up with an idea with a solution.— Dr. Miguel Lara
