About Us

It's an exciting time to be in the discipline of computing. Yes, job opportunities for programmers are vast, and it's true that pay is attractive, but the greatest attraction of computing is the impact it can have on society. Using modern technologies including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, networking, and mobile devices computer scientists can help solve problems large and small. As a computer science or computer engineering student at the Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science, you'll learn the technologies that shape the future.

So, what is computer science and how is it different from computer engineering? Broadly speaking, computer science is concerned with the design of algorithms (software) for processing data. Once you have a computer science degree you typically start working as a software engineer, web/mobile application developer, or a QA tester. A computer engineering program teaches you how to design computing devices and systems. It involves the design of the components (hardware) that make up the system, and the software to make it function. With a computer engineering degree, you might design embedded systems, sensing devices, control systems, etc.

Hofstra's Computer Science Department currently offers four undergraduate degree programs - a BA in Computer Science, a BS in Computer Science, a BS in Computer Engineering, and a BS in Computer Science and Math. We don't publicly highlight programs until they get state approval, so we can add a line here once that happens. Our department currently has 10 full-time faculty members, and we hope to increase that number to 13 within the next five years. All of our full-time faculty have PhDs and undergraduate education is our primary mission. We also encourage our students to participate with us in a wide array of research areas from artificial intelligent and cognitive neuroscience to data mining and data science, system and network security, programming language design, hybrid hardware design and more.

The department has six dedicated labs. The most impressive of these is our $1 million Big Data lab. This single lab has more computational power than the rest of the academic departments combined. It is a state-of-the-art lab with the ability to run 840 threads in parallel, with more than 3 TB of combined RAM, and more than 1 PB of storage space. And, it's open to use by undergraduate students! The other labs serve a wide range of other purposes.

You can find details about our programs, people, labs and more on our website. Or, feel free to reach out to me directly about anything related to the CS Department.

Krishnan Pillaipakkamnatt

David Antar is a true entrepreneur at heart, with over 30 years in the security industry. Over that time, he has started several successful high-tech companies based on a keen ability to understand the needs of his customers and the trends in the marketplace that drive business growth. David founded A+ Technology & Security Solutions in 1989 and today it has grown into one of the largest providers of IP Video Surveillance throughout the New York metropolitan area. A+ is headquartered in an 18,000 square foot facility in Bay Shore, New York with a 7,000 square foot New England operation in Bridgeport, Connecticut. David has founded two additional technology companies that operate from the Bay Shore headquarters. IPVideo Corporation is a security solutions manufacturer and software developer that sells award winning products like the HALO IoT Smart Sensor exclusively through a worldwide dealer network. A+ STEM Labs is an innovator in STEM teaching solutions and has over 1,000 mobile science labs in the New York City school system. In 2012, all business units were combined under the umbrella of a single holding company, Advance Convergence Group (ACG). David explains: “Having a customer centric philosophy is crucial to any successful business and it’s extremely important to stay on top of the latest technology in today’s changing marketplace. It’s all about exceeding your customer’s expectations each and every time.” David Antar’s success is a testament to the wisdom of this philosophy. David was inducted into the LI Technology Hall of Fame in 2016, was honored at the 2019 LISTnet awards, and is involved with several boards and organizations to help make Long Island a better place to live and work.

Manav Bhasin is a senior executive with over 20 years of experience within the information technology (IT) industry including over 12 years in senior management positions leading various IT organizations and business transformation programs. Manav has a proven history of delivering industry leading information technology solutions to business partners. These solutions have provided the foundation for revenue generation as well as cost containment decisions across both Fortune 100 large-scale and mid-size organizations. His ability to work collaboratively with business partners has proven to be successful in providing real business value. Manav has served as a Managing Director at SVAM International for over 10 years where he is responsible for managing business development and delivery of complex projects for key clients. Prior to joining SVAM, Manav served as Senior Director of IT for Avaya Inc., managing the business intelligence and data management teams across the enterprise. At Avaya he was able to establish their Enterprise Datawarehouse and Analytics strategies. Prior to joining Avaya, Manav served as the Director of IT at Motorola Inc. where he contributed in many different areas ranging from SAP ERP, business intelligence to architecture. During his 12-year tenure with Motorola/Symbol Technologies (acquired in 2007), Manav held various senior IT positions that involved management of multiple teams focused on the business application space, particularly within SAP. Manav also has extensive experience in establishing IT outsourcing programs and operationalizing such programs to ensure their long-term success and viability. Prior to his time at Motorola, Manav worked for Andersen Consulting (Accenture) and Ernst & Young covering Fortune 1000 clients such as Union Carbide during their global SAP implementation. Manav graduated from Hofstra University with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a concentration in Computer Engineering.

Luann Bridges is currently the Director of IT Vendor Management at Henry Schein, Inc. Luann is responsible for managing the IT Supplier Partner relationships, IT Procurement, Software Asset Management and Mobility functions. In addition to these responsibilities, Luann oversees contracts negotiations, performance measurement, and risk management as it relates to IT Supplier Partners. Prior to joining Henry Schein, Inc., Luann spent over 20 years working in the vendor management field, consistently earning greater responsibilities in the areas of IT asset management/software asset management, technology governance, global business operations management, and financial management. Luann is a Certified Software Asset Manager (“CSAM”), member of the International Association of Information Technology Asset Managers (“IAITAM”) and a member of LISTnet. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Global Management. Her career spans across several large companies besides Henry Schein Inc., including CBS Corporation, CA Technologies, Shearman & Sterling LLP., Symantec, and American Express.

Senior Cloud Practice Manager, CCSI

Hy Goldstoff founded InterSoft in 1986, growing it from a one-person consultancy to the organization it is today. Hy’s technical staff is US-based and housed in InterSoft’s Lynbrook, NY office. Over the years he has found that working with a domestic staff yields far greater benefits for the success of a project than working with overseas personnel and is often less expensive on a project and life-cycle basis. Throughout his career, Hy has been instrumental in the strategic vision, design, and development of numerous software solutions for industries such as book publishing, financial services, manufacturing, and health care, among others. His expertise in business management, workflow optimization, and decision-support analysis has been a major force in providing consulting services and successful software solutions to clients across a wide range of industries. Hy holds degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science from New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

Jeremy Kahn is an innovative technology consultant, CIO, and attorney with over 25 years of experience. His leadership and consulting experience has crossed the private, public and government sectors. Jeremy has spent the past few years building a consulting organization focused on cybersecurity focusing on the financial, healthcare, and hospitality vertical markets. Jeremy is an attorney and member of the NY State Bar Association. He has spoken at a numerous industry events on cybersecurity, disaster recovery and enterprise architecture and conducted CLE classes on cybersecurity. He earned his JD from Brooklyn Law School and his BS in Policy Analysis from Cornell University. Jeremy currently lives outside of New York City with his wife and children where he serves on the school board as their "technology consultant" for the past 15 years.

Narayan is VP of Wireless Technology at Siden, leading systems architecture and wireless innovation efforts, wireless network integration strategy, and technical engagements with ecosystem partners. Narayan is an engineering leader and technology expert in the wireless industry, having pioneered the development of core wireless technologies across multiple generations of wireless technology – ranging from 2G to 5G, and Wi-Fi. Previously, he was CTO and Engineering VP at Fon Wireless. Narayan was Founder and CTO of XCellAir (started in 2015), which pioneered cloud-based Wi-Fi network optimization (SON) technology. XCellAir’s team and product were acquired by Fon, and more recently, by Nokia. Prior to XCellAir, Narayan was VP of R&D at InterDigital, driving all next-generation wireless R&D initiatives – covering R&D and standards efforts in LTE and pre-5G areas, spectrum sharing, cellular - Wi-Fi integration and IoT. He has an Engineering bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and an Executive MBA from Hofstra University, and has over 30 wireless patents. In his spare time, Narayan teaches graduate and undergraduate data communications classes, plays chess, and avidly follows football, cricket, and soccer.

Barbara joined FragranceNet.com in January 2010 as the Chief Technology Officer. She is responsible for all aspects of technology within the organization (application development, hardware, handheld, network, telephony, virtual and cloud environments) and oversees the business intelligence and project management functions. She plays a major role in the operational evolution of the company – identifying opportunities for cost reductions and streamlining critical business flows. Prior to joining FragranceNet.com she worked for 1800flowers.com for 10 years, initially as the Manager of Web Development, then as the Director of Customer Application Development (managing 13 ecommerce websites, a retail point of sale application, and a multi-brand call center application) before transitioning to the operations side of the organization as the Director of Enterprise Initiatives – chartered with identifying and sponsoring projects for operational improvements throughout the organization that would reduce costs and/or increase customer satisfaction. Prior to 1800flowers she worked in the petroleum industry for 11 years in various roles including accounting, purchasing, marketing and administration. Barbara has a Bachelor of Science in computer science with a minor in electrical engineering from the New York Institute of Technology, and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. She is currently enrolled in the Cyber Fellows program at New York University, pursuing a Master of Science in cybersecurity. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and is Six Sigma Black Belt trained. She is an adjunct business school professor, and an active volunteer as a technology adviser on PMI’s TechMAG, and with IEEE’s Long Island New York section as the Chair of the Computer Society, Vice Chair of the Technology and Engineering Management Society, and Vice Chair of the Women in Engineering affinity group.

Dominic is an Offensive Security Engineer on Facebook’s Red Team, where he plans, designs, executes and leads operations aimed at strengthening the company’s security infrastructure. As a red teamer, Dominic fully embraces the concept of adversary emulation and thinking. Before Facebook, he amassed seven years of experience at multiple cybersecurity consultancies, where he developed many of the skills he relies on today to perform red team operations.

Richard Teed is President and Chief Operating Officer of LBi Software. He has over 30 years of application development and project management experience. Richard has managed several large HR ERP upgrades and installations. He has also managed several large multi-year custom application projects in Sports Technology. As COO and President Richard has led the transformation of LBi Software from a custom development shop to a product based firm, launching flagship solutions, LBi HR HelpDesk and LBi Dynasty. He is also a two-time graduate of Hofstra University, with a B.S. in Computer Science and MBA in Finance.

Paul Trapani is an entrepreneur and consultant experienced in executive management, software design and development, business operations, and technology planning and strategy. He is President of Long Island Software and Technology Network (LISTnet) and runs software consulting company PJT Consulting. LISTnet serves as a chamber of commerce for the tech industry on Long Island and works to create a strong technology ecosystem for all companies on Long Island. PJT Consulting helps clients translate business requirements into software. Paul holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and master’s in Computer Science from Hofstra University. He enjoys food and cooking in his free time and helped to create the app Eat Everywhere.

Darragh Fitzpatrick, Partner & EVP, at Tabush Group, lends his technical knowledge and expertise to help innovate, while also bringing his passions of helping and connecting people. His focus is to be a leader, build and grow the business, look for new ways to add services to the business, and make sure clients' needs are always top of mind. Originally from Ireland, Darragh relocated to New York in the early 2000s. He now lives on Long Island with his wife and their two sons.