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Christopher Ramezan

A Test Above the Rest

A Test Above the Rest

When it comes to the cybersecurity industry, the CISSP – Certified Information Systems Security Professional – is one of the most sought after certifications individuals can receive. In fact, in Britain, the CISSP certification counts as a masters degree. That is how prestigious it is. 

Within the last two years at Chambers College, we have had three students take this exam and pass it. While it is a valued certificate to have, it is not an easy one to pass. Chris Ramezan, a teaching assistant professor of Management Information Systems and Cybersecurity, said it is not only a personal achievement for those students, but it is also one for our faculty who have helped prep and coach our students through coursework and additional study groups. “It is a very tough exam with very high stakes,” said Ramezan. “Students typically take two years to prepare for it. We wanted to make sure our students had the tools they needed, so we hosted a study group for those who were planning on taking it.” Andy Pritt, a 2020 masters of science in Business Cybersecurity Management graduate said he was grateful that the College helped him prepare for the exam. “Before I took the exam, everything that I had read about it online said that I would feel like I was failing it while I was taking it, and that was definitely true. It was the hardest exam I have ever taken, by a long shot. I honestly couldn’t believe it when the first word on the paper read “Congratulations”, said Pritt. Having students enrolled in our cybersecurity program, and graduating with the knowledge and skills needed to pass the CISSP exam (and others such as, Network+, Security+, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst+ (CySA+), AWS Cloud certifications and more) is just one of the ways our College is raising the bar for future cybersecurity professionals. 

Outstanding!

Each spring, the University honors selected faculty members with the WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching. Jody Crosno, the Joseph E. Antonini Chair and professor in marketing, was one of five faculty to receive the 2021 award. The committee was impressed by her seamless incorporation of experiential learning and technology into the classroom, exceptional student engagement, and innovative classroom assignments that require her students to engage with customers and clients, such as Camp Virgil Tate, to gain real-world experience.

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Roll Call

Four Chambers College alumni who trailblazed their way to success in the business world joined the 2020 Roll of Distinguished Alumni class. They include Tina Bigalke, chief diversity officer of PepsiCo; Glenn Carell, managing director of Global Trading Systems Designated Market Making Operations; Dan D’Arrigo, former executive vice president and chief financial officer of MGM Resorts; and Albert Lewis, owner and chairman of Glass Inc.

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Ignite!

The Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship continues to empower budding entrepreneurs across the Mountain State with the tools needed to flourish. The Encova Center is launching IgniteWV, thanks to $200,000 in grant funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.

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Get Hyped

How did a global megacompany decide to invest in the Mountain State in developing the transportation of the future? Well, we have the Chambers College, Vantage Ventures and its Executive Director Sarah Biller to thank for helping land Virgin Hyperloop. The company announced it would build a certification center spanning nearly 800 acres in Tucker and Grant counties. When completed, the Virgin Hyperloop system expects to carry passengers in pods through a vacuum tube at speeds breaking 600 mph. Read more about it in an upcoming feature story in 2021 in WVU Magazine. 

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Feminine Appeal

After graduating magna cum laude in finance and economics in 2008, Nesha Sanghavi launched UG Apparel, collegiate sports fashions for women. As a varsity cheerleader for the WVU football and basketball teams, Sanghavi noticed the lack of feminine appeal in WVU clothing. So she did something about it. How successful has she been? Enough to donate $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship and student enrichment fund in her name. She was named to the Roll of Distinguished Alumni in 2019.

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