Computer Science

The Computer Science Department is pleased to host the 40th annual Spring Conference of the Pennsylvania Computer and Information Science Educators (PACISE) at our Westchester campus April 4-5, 2025.  PACISE is a professional organization representing educators in institutions of higher education within  the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are involved in courses or programs that are considered to be part of Computer and/or Information Science. The theme for this year's conference is Cybersecurity in Education.

The proceedings of PACISE 2025 will be available here when they are finalized.

PACISE 25 Preliminary Schedule

 

Instructions for Paper/Abstract Presentations

1. Presentation Duration: Each presenter is allocated 25 minutes, which includes both presentation time and Q&A. We recommend keeping your presentation to 20 minutes and allowing 5 minutes for questions and discussion.
2. Equipment and Setup:
   • • Bring your own laptop: Presenters are required to use their own laptops for the presentation
     • Projectors and Connections: A projector and standard HDMI/VGA cables will be provided. If your device requires and adapter (e.g., MacBooks or tablets), please bring your own.
     • Audio and video: If your presentation includes audio or video, ensure your laptop is set up accordingly.
3.  Check in and Technical Setup:
   1. • Arrive at least 15 minutes before your session to set up your laptop and test the connection.
      • A conference staff member will be available to assist with setup and technical issues.

Instructions for Poster Presentation:

• Size: 4 feet (width) x 3 feet (height) (48 inches x 36 inches)
• Orientation: Landscape (preferred) or Portrait if necessary.
• Format: Posters should be printed on paper, fabric, or lightweight material that can be easily mounted on a display board.

 

The theme for this year's conference is Cybersecurity in Education; however, submissions are not restricted to this topic. Topics in all areas of computer science, computer education, computer engineering, and related computing fields will be considered. Submissions are being solicited in the following areas

• Papers for peer review
• Posters (size of poster display space is 3'  by 4') 
• Special sessions (birds-of-a-feather)
• Abstracts (for your non-peer review consideration)

Please send your submissions to Dr. Naresh Adhikari via email at naresh.adhikari@sru.edu by the end of the day on the submission deadline.

We ask faculty to encourage graduate and undergraduate students who are involved in research and large projects to submit their work for consideration.

Paper Submissions 

Papers submitted (template for papers ) for peer-review are to be no longer than ten pages and must be in MS Word (preferred) or PDF format. A complete draft should be sent no later than Monday, March 10, 2025.  Author templates for MS Word and LaTeX are available to use as guidelines for submission. Initial submissions should not include author names, affiliations, or email addresses in the document. Please indicate whether you are submitting in the student-undergraduate, student-graduate or faculty category. 

Conference registration by at least one author is required for publication in the proceedings.

Poster Submissions

Those wishing to make a poster presentation should submit an abstract as no later than Friday, March 21st. An abstract template is available to use as a guideline for submission. The poster display size 3' wide by 4' tall.

Special Topic Proposals

Those wishing to propose special topics (birds-of-a-feather, workshops, etc.) should submit a one-page proposal in the form of an abstract no later than Friday, March 21st. A special topics template is available to use as a guideline for submission. 

Abstract Submissions

Those wishing to make a presentation, but without submitting a paper for the peer review process, should submit an abstract as no later than Friday, March 21st. An abstract template is available to use as a guideline for submission. 

Submission due date for papers for peer review: March 10, 2025

Author Notification: March 17, 2025

Early Registration: March 21, 2025

Camera Ready Version: April 2, 2025

PACISE April 4-5, 2025

Keynote Title: Technology, Leadership, and Growth: Insights from Experience

 Success in the world of technology and leadership is built on continuous learning, adaptability, and a willingness to embrace challenges. This keynote follows the journey of Kevin Partridge, from his early days as a student navigating the complexities of computer science to his current role as Assistant Vice President for IT Infrastructure Services & Deputy CIO. Through personal experiences, leadership insights, and an exploration of key technology trends—including AI, cloud computing, cybersecurity, quantum computing, and next-gen connectivity—this session will highlight the importance of lifelong learning, mentorship, and strategic decision-making. Attendees will gain valuable lessons on career progression, leadership development, and staying ahead in an ever-evolving tech landscape.

Liu Cui, Conference Chair, lcui@wcupa.edu

Richard Burns, Department Chair, rburns@wcupa.edu

Ashik Ahmed Bhuiyan, Programming Contest chair, abhuiyan@wcupa.edu  

Si Chen, Security Contest Chair, schen@wcupa.edu 

Naresh Adhikari (Slippery Rock), Editorial Chair

Lisa Kovalchik, (PennWest)) PACISE Board Chair

Margaret Connors, Department Administrative Assistant/Registration, mconnors@wcupa.edu 

Please follow this link to register for PACISE 2025

This link registers a single individual. At the conclusion of  the registration, you'll be shown a page to optionally submit credit card payment. Payment can also be made on-site via check or credit card, but payment in advance via this registration portal is preferred. Registration will prompt you to optionally choose to also register for out programming or security competitions (undergraduates only). Please reach out to our Computer Science Department Administrative Assistant, Ms. Margaret Connors, if you run into any difficulties.

Please click here for a map of our West Chester campus

Parking is available at :

• Sharpless Street Garage, 25 Sharpless Street, West Chester, PA 19383.  The cost is $1.50 per hour with a daily max of $9.00. 
• Student Recreation Center Parking Garage, 275 North Campus Drive, West Chester, PA 19383. The cost is $1.50 per hours with a daily max of  $9.00.
• On Saturday, April 5, free parking is available behind the Sykes Student UNion, 110 W. Rosedale Avenue, West Chester, PA 19383

For Warner Hotel reservations, please call 610-692-6920 and tell them you are attending PACISE 2025 at WCU for the special rate.

For the Holiday Inn Express and Suites please use this link to book a room for the special rate. Or, call the hotel directly at (610)399-4600 and mention PACISE 2025 when making your reservation.

Please click here for additional hotel and lodging options.

We will use our online judge system for the contest.  Each team will be provided with an account (ID and Password), which will be announced during the mock contest.

• Registration
  • Teams consist of 3 students.
  • Each institution may enroll up to three teams.
  • The application must be sent to Dr. Ashik Bhuiyan (abhuiyan@wcupa.edu) by March 28, 2025.  Late submissions will not be accepted.  Each team must provide the following details in the application email:
    • Names and email addresses of team members
    • Advisor/Coach name and email address
    • University name
• Contest Venue & Schedule
  • The contest will take place at West Chester University on 25 University Ave, Room 158.
  •  A mock contest will be held for one hour after the keynote speech on Friday, April 4 at 25 University Ave, Room 158.
• Problem Set & Programming Environment
  • Teams will be given 5-7 problems.
  • The problems will be derived from computer science and mathematics.
  • The supported languages are C++, Java, and Python.
  • Programs must read input from standard input and output to standard output as specified in the problem description.
  • No file operations are allowed.
  •  The contest will last 3 hours (from 9AM - 12PM).
  • Teams can use their own laptops or designated computers at the venue.
• Contest Rules & Scoring
  • Solutions will be evaluated based on test cases.
  • A solution must pass all test cases to be considered correct.
  • Solutions to the problems are judged as accepted or rejected. Participants are ranked according to the most problems solved. Participants who solved the same number of problems are ranked by the least total time, which is measured from the beginning of the contest until the submission was accepted by the jury, where each rejected submission adds 20 minutes to the penalty time. The team with the highest score and lowest time will be declared the winner.
  • Internet access is restricted; only wcpc.fun is allowed. Online compilers, AI tools, and external debugging services are prohibited. Unlimited hard copy materials, such as books, printed notes, and pre-written code, are allowed. No additional electronic devices, including phones, tablets, or smartwatches, are permitted.
  •  Plagiarism will result in immediate disqualification.

 For additional information, please contact Dr. Ashik Bhuiyan at abhuiyan@wcupa.edu

2025 PACISE CTF Contest

Welcome to the 2025 PACISE Security Capture The Flag (CTF) Contest! This competition offers students the opportunity to showcase and enhance their cybersecurity skills through practical challenges in real-world scenarios.

• Contest Format
  •  Teams consisting of three students will compete by solving four categories of cybersecurity challenges:
    
    • • Web
      • Web Security
      • Stack Overflow
      • Cryptography (Crypto)
  • Multi-Stage Exploits (Return-oriented Programming (ROP) and GOT Overwrite Attack). We will utilize our custom-developed Badger CTF online judge system to administer and evaluate the competition. Each student will receive unique account credentials (ID and Password), which will be distributed during the mock contest.
• Registration
  • The number of students per team must not exceed three.
  • Each institution can register up to three teams.
  • Registration emails must include:
    • • Names and email addresses of all team members
      • Advisor/Coach's name and email address
      • University name
• Contest Venue and Schedule
  • West Chester University, 25 University Avenue, Room, Room 147
  • Date and Time: The contest will be held on Friday, April 4, 3:00 -6:00 pm
• Contest Rules and Scoring
  • Each team is provided with cybersecurity challenges spanning four categories.
  • Teams must exploit vulnerabilities or decrypt hidden information to solve challenges and capture flags.
  • The team with the highest number of correctly solved challenges in the shortest total time will be declared the winner.
  • Flags submitted correctly will grant teams points based on challenge difficulty.
  • Rankings will be determined first by the number of solved challenges (highest to lowest), then by the shortest cumulative submission time.`
• Contest Environment
  • Teams may utilize personal laptops or designated computers at the contest site.
  • External resources such as online compilers, AI tools, or debugging services are permitted.
  • Participants are allowed unlimited use of printed materials (books, notes, and pre-prepared code snippets).
  • Plagiarism or cheating will lead to immediate disqualification.

For more information or questions, please contact: Dr. Si Chen: schen@wcupa.edu

We look forward to your participation and wish all competitors the best of luck!
 

More Information coming, check back soon!