Horizons Fall 2014

It was a hectic time as IBM, in an epic battle with Micro- soft’s Windows, worked feverishly to improve the operating system. When a new version of OS/2 was released in 1992, The Washington Post ran a story, accompanied by Simco’s picture, on the front of its business section, describing him as “one of a new breed of young IBM programmers.” Recruited by The Panda Project in Boca Raton, Simco was director of systems software and senior research and development engineer for the start-up that was working to develop an upgradable computer. The years working in industry were valuable, Simco said, allowing him to build on his theories by developing actual products. So too was the influence of his parents. “I attribute everything to my early foundation from the science of my father. My mother was very important to my understanding the pragmatic view of things. I got a very good balance.” When he’s not working, Simco spends his time working out and relaxing with his family. His wife, Marie, is presi- dent of their son’s parent-teacher organization. Max, 10, is in the fifth grade. While his main work is teaching and research, Simco said it’s important to take that to the next level by enhancing both computer science and the strength of NSU. That, Simco said, is the “greater good” that should be part of every activity. “Don’t just do one thing,” he said. “Look at how that can be used to support the other goals of the university.” n 27 HORIZONS around NSU NSU OFFERS Ph.D. in Information Assurance NSU’s Graduate School of Computer and Information Sciences is now offering the first Information Assurance Ph.D. for working pro- fessionals in the United States. NSU was recently redesignated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education by the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security. NSA’s goal in establishing centers of academic excellence is to reduce vulnerabil- ity in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in information assurance (IA) and producing more professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines. The Ph.D. in Information Assurance will be a comprehensive, multi- disciplinary, research program that prepares graduates for key positions in academia; federal, state, and local government agen- cies; and business and industry. The curriculum will combine both technically intensive and management-focused security courses to provide a comprehensive approach to the study of information assurance/information security. The first of its kind, the Ph.D. in Information Assurance will allow working professionals to earn the degree without career interruption. For more information on the Ph.D. in Information Assurance, visit www.scis.nova.edu/doctoral/dia.html . n NSU chosen for Federal Partnership Nova Southeastern University has been selected to be a member of the Federal Demonstration Partnership, a cooperative initiative among federal agencies and institutional recipients of federal funds organized to increase research productivity, streamline administra- tive requirements, and maintain effective stewardship of federally sponsored research. NSU joins 10 federal agencies and more than 115 other institutions across the nation working collaboratively to improve the national research enterprise. Through this involvement, NSU will be on the cusp of pending federal policy and regulatory changes, and it will be part of the national conversation on the future direction of federal research administration. n Greg Simco’s legacy in computer science may have started with his father, Edward (below left), who created NSU’s computer science program in 1975 and later became dean of the Center for Computer and Information Sciences. Below, Simco instructs the next generation of students, including Shamley Calliard, Andres Oritz, and Erich Von Hinken.