Student Profiles

Were you always interested in computer and technology? What made you decide to attend Hofstra?

I have been interested in computers and technology since I was a little kid. When I started, I didn’t fully understand exactly what I was getting into yet, but I knew that this was what I wanted to do, and this was what I was good at. I mean I was the kid who beat my big brother in video games with my remote controller upside down. If that’s not natural talent, then I don’t know what is. The main reason I attended Hofstra was because it was a well-connected private community that I wanted to be a part of. I met plenty of people, and the classroom sizes were very small. This gave me the opportunity to learn better from my teachers, and to know them on a personal level. The moment I started college, I jumped right into Computer Science with the intentions of developing and doing IT-related tasks on a daily basis.

What activities were you involved with as an undergraduate student?

As an undergraduate student, I was mostly working, and building my experience inside Hofstra and out. When I wasn’t working, I really enjoyed getting together socially with my friends. I was involved with the Computer Science Club, and Hofstra University Startups.

Can you explain Hofstra University Startups? What gave you the idea to start it? 

I truly enjoyed encouraging students of all majors to become more involved with technology and to meet other people. Going to college doesn’t guarantee you a job, but if you meet the right people and gain many experiences, your chances of getting a job seems to increase. One day I was getting a cup of coffee with a couple of close colleagues, who were young entrepreneurs like me. We noticed that at the time Hofstra did not have an active entrepreneurship club. That was when we took it upon ourselves to start the club because we are all young, bright students with great ideas, and we needed to share our ideas with other people. You never know who has the funding or holds the missing puzzle pieces to help you complete your dreams. Over time, Hofstra University Startups has increasingly become more successful because we are getting more students involved and helping students gain valuable experience. The club is constantly participating in competitions at other universities looking for investors to fund ideas. Sometimes we lose, but it is through our failures that we will eventually succeed. That makes us real winners.

Are there any professors who served as mentors to you during your years as a student? How did they help you along your educational journey?

The entire Computer Science Department was full of mentors and friends. During my journey, the professors always showed me new tricks on the educational side and business side. They always looked out for me – we were family. I am especially grateful to them because they provided me with job opportunities, which helped significantly build my resume. It was an honor to work alongside these incredible people. My favorite class was Advanced Programming Languages. Ironically, I did horrendous in that class, but it meant a lot to me because it was the most difficult and challenging class I have ever taken. Through this challenge, I was able to learn more about programming and about myself. Whenever a challenge is in front of you, you have to push your way through and never quit.

Can you give a short description of your company, CPUProdigy. What are your responsibilities? What are some examples of your clients?

CPUProdigy LLC is a New York IT consulting company that I founded and currently run as CEO. We work with a variety of businesses and clients to provide the best solutions and all the necessary tools and resources to run your business within budget. Some of my work includes – but is not limited to – maintaining computer networks and backup systems, designing websites, and developing software. We have been in business for about one year, and we’re growing with our clients.

What career advice would you give graduating and current students majoring in computer science?

I advise all students to gain a lot of experience working in the field that you like, even if you are not getting paid to do it! Nothing matters more than building experience, and finding ways to do what you love when you are out there looking for a job. It determines your entry point, starting wages, and how happy you are going to be. My next piece of advice is to meet with many people and to stay in touch! Sometimes after college people lose touch with one another, and this defeats one of the main purposes of going to college – networking and meeting people with similar goals or who are on career paths that may someday intersect with your own.

Dr. Steven Lindo, who earned both a BS and MS in Computer Science from Hofstra, currently works for Wolters Kluwer, a global information services and publishing company that provides products and services for professionals in the health, tax, accounting, corporate, financial services, legal and regulatory sectors

Were you always interested in computer and technology? What made you decide to attend Hofstra?

I was always interested in computers.  In high school I took my first programming class, and it was a natural fit for me.  Hofstra was my first choice because it offered computer science as a major with a business option.  I felt that it would be the right complement of technology and business applications.

What activities were you involved with as an undergraduate student?

As an undergraduate I played a lot of intramural sports and hung out in the Rathskeller [a Hofstra dining facility]. The soccer games and basketball games were fun rain or shine.  It was always packed in the Rathskeller. The food didn’t look good, but it tasted great.

Are there any professors who served as mentors to you during your years as an undergraduate and graduate student?

My Algorithms professor [Thomas Parsons] was my favorite. For his class I spent most of my time in Calkins Lab writing code and testing, and waiting on VAX printouts.

What are your responsibilities at Wolters Kluer?

Currently I am the Director of Platform Technologies in the GPO [Global Platform Organization] where I am responsible for researching new technologies, harvesting new capabilities, and implementing them as platform competencies. I lead the Data Analytics and Insights team whose goals are focused on improving the platform in the areas of: Search, Big Data Analytics, Business Intelligence and Reporting, Text Analytics and Natural Language Processing.

Although technology has changed tremendously since you were a Hofstra student, what career advice would you give current students majoring in computer science?

Technology has changed dramatically since I graduated and no doubt will continue to transform businesses and industries.  The exciting news for technology professionals is that it will continue to create new opportunities for everyone in the field.  Big Data Analytics is the most recent example giving growth to the data analysts, and data scientists.  Going forward, new areas like “The Internet of Things” and Software Defined Networks [SDN] will do the same. 

My advice to students is to learn as much as they can so that they are well read in technology and always think about or look for the application.  I think students in Computer Science or any technology field have a bright future ahead.

Were you always interested in computer and technology? What made you decide to attend Hofstra and did you start out as a computer science major? What were your career goals at the time? 

I don’t think I’ve always been interested in computers and technology. I was raised in a very poor neighborhood in Peru where having a phone or TV was an incredible luxury. I had very few toys that I remember, so most of my days were spent drawing and fiddling around with a toy music keyboard we had. I came to this country when I was 8 years old, and as I grew older, I envisioned myself either being some sort of illustrator (I loved comic books) or composer. During the end of middle school I started taking computer classes and got curious about how computers could enhance my drawings and music. By 9th grade, I was already well-versed in Photoshop and various music-creation software, and I started thinking I could be some sort of movie or video game producer. However, it wasn’t until I saw my older brother taking computer architecture classes that I was inspired to study computing itself, especially programming. The idea of creating software that powers creativity is really exciting. So I signed up for computer science, and that’s how it all started.

I knew Hofstra was a great school with a matching reputation. Several teachers I respected went there and had wonderful things to say. I think I made the right choice.

What activities were you involved with as an undergraduate student?

By the end of high school I had already created a few web sites. I liked showing off my music and drawings, in addition to keeping a blog. However, I still felt there was so much to learn, so I wanted to get more exposure to move my skills forward.

I approached the computer science department chair at the time, asking if they needed any services. He gladly took me up on it and put me in charge of redesigning/programming the Hofstra computer science web site. When that project was over, I signed myself up as a student assistant web developer at McEwen Hall. Lastly, I took the “Independent Studies” CSC courses, led by a chosen professor, who guides you as you tackle a topic of your choosing. My area was databases and web development. I feel like all these activities, on top of my regular course work, created the foundation for my current role as a software developer.

Are there any professors who served as mentors to you during your years as a student? How did they help you along your educational journey? What were your favorite classes?

There certainly are! To start, I have to give great thanks to Dr. John Impagliazzo. One day he glanced over my screen in the lab and saw that I was working on my website, and he asked me if I wanted to help the university. He was the one that encouraged me to approach the department chair. He also connected me to the job at the McEwen computer center, along with many other internships and job interviews. He really believed in me.

The next person is Dr. Simona Doboli. It was through the course work I did with her that I realized that I wanted to hone in on the Web and databases. My first “real” project was an e-commerce web site, where she acted as my project manager, in addition to professor and mentor. Aside from being extremely knowledgeable in databases, she was very patient and inspiring.

My favorite classes included "Algorithms and Data Structures" and "Computer Operating Systems."

Can you give a short description of what your responsibilities are at Ogilvy & Mather? How has your education at Hofstra helped you professionally?

Ogilvy & Mather is an international advertising, marketing and public relations agency that works with many famous brands. In a nutshell, through them, I develop web applications for American Express, Costco, Jim Beam, Ford, Lowe's, Heineken, and FEMA, to name a few. Technologies I use are .NET/C#, HTML/CSS/JavaScript, and T-SQL. There's a lot of database work involved, and sometimes I still refer to my notes from Dr. Doboli's class.  

Although technology has changed tremendously since you were a Hofstra student, what career advice would you give graduating and current students majoring in computer science? I would think that students choosing this field have to be prepared to stay flexible and keep learning throughout their working years.

Don't just do what you're told. Go beyond that. The technology market is very competitive, so you can't just get by on the basics. Besides working on your degree, look for internships or some pro bono work. If you can't find either, find a project to work on so you can apply what you learn in the classes to the real world. If you can't find a project, ask a teacher. Never stay idle and keep moving.

Whatever area you're in, stay in touch with the current trends in your field. Read a book a month that is related to your specialization. Listen to podcasts and follow the Twitter feeds and blogs of experts. Technology is a moving target, so don't rely on your current job as your only source of knowledge.

Were you always interested in computers and technology?

I was interested in robotics and mechanics when I was younger and had no intention of going into the field of computer science until high school. My mom was a high school computer teacher and she also ran computer coaching classes, which I found fascinating.  She helped people maximize their business profit and maintain their daily store balance sheets by using software as simple as Excel. I decided that I wanted to study computer science so that I could learn how to write this type of software.

What made you decide to attend Hofstra?

I was so impressed with Hofstra’s Big Data Lab and the faculty were very helpful and supportive.

How long did it take for you to complete the MS in Computer Science program?

I completed my degree in two years and took classes both online and on-campus.

Was there a professor, mentor or administrator who inspired you?

I would say Dr. Krish (Dr. Krishnan Pillaipakkamnatt professor and chairman of the Department of Computer Science) was the person who inspired me the most. He guided me through every step of the program and was always responsive and available to answer my questions.

How did Hofstra prepare you for your career at Google?

The availability of classes, opportunities for hands-on experience and the support I received from my professors prepared me for my current position at Google. I did a summer internship while I was pursuing my degree and (with the help of Co-op Director Philip Coniglio) I also did a 6-month co-op internship at Oerlikon-Metco, a global technology firm providing equipment surfacing solutions, which helped me gain industry experience. 

Also, for a year I had the opportunity to work as a research assistant which helped me strengthen my understanding of data science and machine learning concepts.

What career trends do you see for computer science students?

Most of the people I graduated with are working in machine learning and artificial intelligence but there is also a big demand for network and security specialists and application developers.

How should students prepare for a career as a software engineer?

Data structures and algorithm skills are most in demand.  Computer science students should focus on strengthening their knowledge in these areas.  Also, industrial experience and in-depth knowledge of programming languages are helpful.

MS, Computer Science
BS, Computer Science with a Concentration and Leadership and Innovation in Computing

Were you always interested in computer science?

Yes, no question. I always wanted to learn how to develop software and am very happy I chose Hofstra and got to learn and be challenged every step of the way.

What programs at Hofstra that helped you identify your career goals?

Dr. Xiang Fu and I started the Facebook Program at Hofstra and I believe that really helped define my career goals in both cybersecurity and software development. Having the opportunity to interact with engineers from major tech companies such as Google, Apple Microsoft and Facebook really gave us a valuable perspective on the industry and how we can make an impact on it.

Was there a professor, mentor or administrator who inspired you?

I worked with Dr. Xiang Fu for five years both as a research assistant and a teaching assistant in addition to numerous research projects.  I am so grateful for Dr.Fu’s guidance.  I don’t feel like I would have landed my current position without all his dedication and hard work and the support I received from the department overall.

You’re currently enrolled in the MS in Computer Science program and received the Presidential Scholarship. What did this recognition mean to you?

The Presidential Scholarship was a tremendous honor and it made it a much easier choice to advance my education at Hofstra. It really made the MS in CS more affordable and attainable.

What career trends do you see for students interested in pursuing Computer Science related careers?

Besides the standard ones like blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation, the biggest trend seems to be just clean code. I think the industry has realized how much of a struggle it can be to not have clean code and I know several major companies (tech and non-tech) that are definitely making that a priority moving forward.

What career advice do you have for current students?

Be open to anything. You never know where your skills will fit best in an organization.