Marist College hosted its first Marist Computing Conference (MCC) on Friday, bringing together students, faculty, and industry professionals for a day of discussions on technology trends and research. The event was organized by the School of Computer Science and Mathematics and supported by the Enterprise Computing Community (ECC) and the Richard Foy Endowment.
Industry leaders from companies such as IBM, Broadcom, Swiss Vault, NYC Cyber Command, Google, Sentricus, Pyxcloud, and others participated alongside Marist faculty and students. Topics covered included quantum computing threats, cryptographic foundations, generative AI, machine learning in education, blockchain security for Internet of Things devices, cloud data safety strategies, and monitoring AI models on enterprise systems.
Scott Tunmer from New Era Technologies delivered the keynote address focusing on risk mitigation in cybersecurity. “The Marist Computing Conference is the only major technical conference of its kind in the Hudson Valley region,” said Dr. Casimer DeCusatis, Director of Cybersecurity Education. “Building on a long tradition of events formerly funded by the National Science Foundation, this conference brings Marist student research to the world and some of the industry’s leading figures to Marist.”
Dr. Ron Buckmire, Dean of the School of Computer Science and Mathematics at Marist College, expressed his vision for expanding engagement with experts: “I was very pleased to see such a robust turnout for our first edition of the MCC, which is intended to be one of our School’s signature events to engage with members of the Mid-Hudson Valley community who are professionals, students, and faculty involved in the computing sector.”
A session led by Dr. Eitel Lauria addressed advances in machine learning. Other presentations highlighted joint research between Marist College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on quantum algorithms for cybersecurity.
The event also included the 2nd Annual Mid-Hudson Valley TechMeet—a poster session where students from various regional academic institutions presented their research projects to judges from tech companies. The day ended with an awards ceremony recognizing student achievements.
David Galindo Delgado ’27 shared his experience: “The event was an incredible opportunity to showcase my work to industry professionals and connect with peers who share a passion for technology and innovation,” he said.
Marist’s School of Computer Science and Mathematics offers programs that blend technology education with liberal arts principles. Its Cybersecurity program has been validated by the National Security Agency’s National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Education (NSA CAE) and completed final designation as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) as of August 2025.
