In a world where cyber-attacks continue to increase in both frequency and sophistication, the region’s digital defenders are preparing to fight back. Cyber security professionals, enthusiasts and students will converge at Canisius University on Saturday, June 7 for BSides Buffalo, a cybersecurity and information technology conference. The event takes place at Science Hall, located at the corner of Main and Jefferson streets, and runs from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The conference is expected to draw upwards of 200 participants.
Established in 2009, BSides is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing information security knowledge through events, conferences and seminars around the world. Each event is unique and organized based on the interests and skills of the local community but all foster collaboration, education and innovation in cybersecurity at a time when digital threats continue to evolve and impact organizations of all sizes.
Highlights of the BSides Buffalo conference include:
Specialized presentation tracks: Industry experts will deliver talks across a variety of security topics, including “Hacking is Art,” a track that explores the creative intersection between technology and artistic expression, and “Introsec,” a track that introduces newcomers and novices to the fundamentals of cybersecurity.
Hands-on learning: Amateurs can take their first steps in hardware hacking by learning how to solder electronic circuits.
Capture the flag competition: Advanced cyber sleuths can put their skills to the test in a friendly hacking competition, in which participants race to solve various security-related challenges that range from reverse engineering to web application security, cryptography and network security to forensics.
As part of this exciting partnership, Canisius and the University of Alberta co-hosted the inaugural Master’s Challenge Data Science Olympiad, a competition designed to replicate real-world data science challenges. The Olympiad brought together seven teams from each university, comprising students from Canisius’s data analytics program and Alberta’s master’s students in data analytics. Each team tackled a complex, real-life problem, working under conditions that mirrored the demands and pressures of the professional data science environment.
The competition was judged by a panel of industry professionals from both the United States and Canada, ensuring each project was evaluated from a diverse and rigorous perspective. In total, each team’s work was assessed twice by U.S.-based judges and twice by Canadian juries.
The Olympiad highlights Canisius’s growing reputation in the field of data science and reinforces the program’s commitment to providing students with hands-on, high-impact learning opportunities. With continued international partnerships and experiential learning initiatives, the future of data science at Canisius looks exceptionally bright.
Congratulations to all of our participating students on this remarkable achievement!
President Steve Stoute invites faculty and staff to attend a special State of the University Address on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Regis.
While the State of the University Address is traditionally held at the start of each academic year, this special session proved necessary to share important institutional updates with faculty and staff in a timely manner. Scheduling it for May 21 allows everyone to fully focus on end-of-year academic priorities and celebrations and ensures these important institutional matters receive the attention they deserve.
During the State of the University Address, President Stoute will provide updates on:
Recommendations from the Institutional Sustainability Task Force
Strategic guidance from our operational review consultants, Kennedy & Company
Strategic priorities for the upcoming fiscal year
Additional university updates and initiatives
A brief question-and-answer session will follow the address.
Everyone’s attendance and engagement are essential as the university continues on its path to a strong and sustainable future together. Click here to add the State of the University Address to your calendar.
Chemistry alumnus John Federice (’23) is the recipient of a Galileo Circle Scholarship from the University of Arizona, where he is currently in his second year in the Chemistry Ph.D. program. The Galileo Circle Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate exceptional potential in the physical, mathematical, environmental, cognitive, and life sciences. At Arizona, John is a member of Prof. Jon Njardson’s research group, which utilizes synthetic organic chemistry to create new materials, drugs, and organic reactions. John is currently working with other members of the Njardson research group on a total synthesis of Apomorphine, a drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease. He is also working on methodology project, where he is using anionic amino cope chemistry developed in the Njardson group, to build unique natural product scaffolds, as well as derivatives of the popular ADHD drug Ritalin. While at Canisius, John was a Frank Dinan Research Scholar. He conducted research in organic synthesis in the laboratory of Prof. Tim Gregg for three summers.
Submitted by: Phil Sheridan, Professor and Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
