Selected Coursework

Fall 2012

CSC 540B - Graduate Research Seminar

Students will investigate research and writing techniques in the field of computer science. Students must produce a formal document that demonstrates they have attained an appropriate understanding of professional ethics and research skills required of IT professionals. CSC 540 serves as the master's closure exercise and must be taken for a letter grade.

CSC 470C - Topics in Computer Science

Topic: Digital Forensics

This course is designed for students who want to learn about electronic evidence, including what types of evidence exist and where it may be found, and computer forensics methods available to examine the evidence. It is intended for those with basic knowledge of computers and networks. It is appropriate for students interested in a career in information security, criminal justice, accounting, law enforcement, and federal investigations, as well as computer forensics.

Spring 2012

CSC 470B - Topics in Computer Science

Topic: BioMetric Authentication

This course covers the theories and practice behind the use of biometrics as a means of identification and verification. Students will be exposed to a wide array of biometric markers, and their advantages and disadvantages for use in a biometric authentication system. System errors inherent with biometrics will be covered, and the potential security vulnerabilities of biometric systems will be discussed. There will also be discussions of the ethics and social issues involved with using biometrics for authentication.

CSC 570D - Advanced Topics in Computer Science

Topic: Information Security Policies

The course includes a discussion on security policies that can be used to help protect and maintain a network, such as password policy, e-mail policy and Internet policy. The issues include organizational behavior and crisis management. The course will also include a discussion of regulatory compliance as it relates to Information Security Policies.

Fall 2011

CSC 433 - Intrusion Detection

Intrusion Detections Systems (IDS) are an integral element in Information System Security designs. IDS require continuing development in both the manual and automated network traffic analysis techniques used to create signatures for identifying malicious traffic. This course discusses an overview of current network protocols and how misuse of these protocols can be systematically identified. This course also discusses tools to aid in the capture and analysis of network traffic (Windump/Wireshark), tools used to test an IDS (NMAP), as well as a popular open-source IDS (Snort).

CSC 570H - Advanced Topics in Computer Science

Topic: Threat / Management

Recent world events have brought to the forefront the challenge to discover situations that may threaten an organization’s future, and to prepare for the eventuality of computer system disruptions. Today’s threats require the creation of an on-going process to access and deal with Risks and Threats and plan for the protection or replacement of computer system assets. This course will examine overall risk assessment methodologies to identify risks and the decision process involved in choosing to avoid, transfer, mitigate, or accept those risks to computer systems. Of course all risks cannot be reduced to zero, so it important that an organization have a plan to deal with the inevitable minor disruptions and the rare major disasters that might occur. That is where a comprehensive process described as threat management, contingency planning, and disaster recovery is important. The course will examine the various techniques and tools to maximize the likelihood of continued business operation in the case of either a minor computer system disruption or a major disaster.

Summer 2011

CSC 570A - Advanced Topics in Computer Science

Topic: Computer Viruses / Worms

Course Overview

The purpose of this course is to demonstrate the current state of the art of computer virus/worm development and to teach the methodology of virus/worm analysis and protection. Students will learn malware strategies for infection, in-memory operation, self-protection, payload delivery, exploitation, and more. Previous programming experience is not required.

Course objectives

The goal of this course is to give the students theoretical knowledge of computer viruses and worms, specifically, how they function and how they can be prevented. The course begins with a short introduction, followed by more in-depth coverage of different virus and worm types. Upon completion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of the technologies behind viruses and worms; and should be able to analyze and evaluate protection measures.

Spring 2011

CSC 570E - Advanced Topics in Computer Science

Topic: Linux Implementation & Administration Practicum

Students will learn the skills necessary to install, customize and administer the Linux operation system. Emphasis will be placed on learning the professional and technical knowledge base required to implement and administer the Linux operating system in networked environments ranging from a small office to a large distributed enterprise architecture.

This was the the first graduate level course that I completed as a candidate for an MS in Computer Science

CSC 315 - ECCE: RoboEthics

An overview across time, continents and disciplines of robots and cyborgs, which are challenging the definition of “person”. Students will read contemporary literature in computer science, philosophy and science fiction, creating original works that explore policies/perspectives on potential communities that include humans and robots. Course Information: This course fulfills an Engaged Citizenship Common Experience requirement at UIS in the areas of Global Awareness or ECCE Elective.

Fall 2010

CSC 438 - Systems Security and Information Assurance Capstone

This is the capstone design course for the Systems Security and Information Assurance concentration in the Computer Science Bachelor's Degree. This course will emphasize a group approach to information assurance system design and data collection. Students will be given case studies to design and implement a total IT security system.

Spring 2010

CSC 368 - Systems Programming Languages

Design principles and implementation of systems programming languages. Topics include but not limited to syntax data types, control structures, storage management. Four systems programming software language tools will be studied: shell scripts, Perl, PHP, SQL.

CSC 431 - Network Security & Computer Ethics

This course focuses on network security while emphasizing how the technical decisions associated with network security interact with the values of individuals, organizations, and society. The course includes methods of avoiding, detecting, and analyzing intrusions. Students will examine tradeoffs inherent in security policies, behaviors, and protocols.

Fall 2009

CSC 389 - Introduction to Operating Systems

Assemblers, macro processing, loaders, time sharing operating system, process control, I/O, primary memory allocation, and virtual memory.

CSC 430 - Foundations of Network Security and Information Assurance

Students learn to identify system resources at risk to malicious attacks. Network tools designed to detect and prevent unauthorized access are covered. Demonstrations of tools used to assess and identify vulnerability including penetration analysis, scanners and probes are covered. Case studies and exploit scenarios give students hands-on practice reducing network security threats.

Summer 2009

CSC 484 - Introduction to Parallel Processing

Familiarizes students with the broad field of parallel computing and parallel algorithms, while giving hands-on experience with computing on a parallel architecture.

Spring 2009

CSC 376 - Computer Organization

Introduction to elementary computer architecture and assembly/machine language. Emphasis on the fetch-execute cycle and CPU organization, binary information representations, combinational logic, and sequential circuits. An overview of the memory hierarchy and I/O interfaces included as time permits.

CSC 442 - ECCE: Internet in American Life

With far-ranging influences on commerce, education, news, entertainment, information, and more, the Internet has had an enormous impact on American society over the past decade. This course examines that impact with an emphasis on planning and public policy. Course Information: This course fulfills an Engaged Citizenship Common Experience requirement at UIS in the areas of U.S. Communities or ECCE Elective.

Fall 2008

CSC 385 - Data Structures and Algorithms

Object-oriented software design including sorting and searching algorithms. Implementation of trees, graphs, and other advanced data structures. Algorithm analysis of running times and storage requirements.

CSC 387 - Foundations of Computer Science

An overview of selected computer science topics: computers and society, software engineering, file structures, database structures, artificial intelligence, theory of computation, and human-computer interaction. Topics are selected to complement material in the core computer science curriculum.

Illinois State University

Selected coursework completed during my time at Illinois State University. The appropriate courses were transferred to University of Illinois Springfield to partially complete my undergraduate degree requirements.

Summer 2006

ITK 374 - Topics in Telecommunications (Dr. Tibor Gyires)

Topic: Simulation and Analysis of Internet Application Performance

This project-oriented course covers performance prediction and simulation-modeling methods and techniques in the design and proactive management of Internet applications.

Proactive network management models a network using traffic traces to simulate current and future behavior of an Internet application and predict the impact of the addition of new applications on the network performance.

For an information system developer, it is important to know how an Internet-based application will perform for the user prior to being implemented. Network managers need to know the impact of an application on the underlying network performance. Using modeling and simulation tools, system developers and network managers can change a model by adding new network connections, workstations, servers, and applications and perform "what-if" scenarios before the implementation of the changes. Throughout the course, students will use simulation modeling packages, various traffic analyzers and troubleshooting tools.

Spring 2006

ITK 261 - Systems Development I (Dr. Barb Beccue)

Fall 2005

ITK 352 - Multimedia Technology Applications (Steve Hilgenberg)

Curriculum Committee representation

_For the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 school year, I represented the Geography/Geology department as a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee.

Spring 2005

ITK 275 - Java as a 2nd Language (Terry Plickebaum)

Fall 2004

GEO 215 - United States Geography (Dr. Dan Hammel)

My project was a regional geography of Colfax County, New Mexico

GEO 331 - Cultural Geography (Dr. Beth Schlemper)

My project was a culteral geography of Mount Hope, Illinois

Spring 2004

GEO 201 - Physical Geography II (Dr. James Carter)

Introduction to geographic perspectives on the lithosphere and hydrosphere with emphasis on water balance.

Research Project: I researched Geography of the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee. We used the Lamont Doherty Earth Observation site to explore mapping elevations of the world.