EMU Today

YPSILANTI – A group of Eastern Michigan University Computer Information Systems students recently competed and excelled in the fifth annual Detroit Chapter’s ISACA scholarship competition.

With over 23 competing teams from a variety of universities in the metro Detroit area, two EMU student teams placed third in the competition, which is by ISACA, an international professional association focused on IT governance.

The two teams were Master of Science in Information Systems students Paridhi Sethi, Jis Thomas, YunTing Yeh and Bachelor of Business Administration-Computer Information Systems majors Lena Basata and Lauren Rinkus. Each team received a $1,500 prize.

The annual competition, which ran from  March 16-18 at Oakland University, allows participants to gain real-world experience by providing competitors with a case study project. Students search for ways to approach the case study in hopes of finding a solution. When finished, they present their findings to a panel of industry professionals for judging and critique.

“This year, the case study topic was about password decryption,” EMU student Jis Thomas said. “We, as a group of three, made an approach to tackle the case study and worked based on the approach we developed. There is no right or wrong answer in the case study. Instead, everything depends on the approach and time you invest to make it a reality.”

The students who placed highly said they took away more than just scholarship money from the competition, They said it helped to shape their field experience and aided their career goals by providing them with a one-year ISACA student membership to attend chapter events, network with peers and future employers and gave them access to the ISACA e-library database.

“Participating in this year’s competition was a truly enjoyable experience,” Lena Basata said. “Not only was it an honor to compete with like-minded peers, but it was also truly validating to present our work to local leaders of the industry.

“This competition has been an important part of my journey, introducing me to great colleagues in the field and giving me the confidence to know that my journey will be challenging, but successful.”

About Eastern Michigan University

Founded in 1849, Eastern is the second oldest university in Michigan. It currently serves more than 20,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 300 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. EMU is regularly recognized by national publications for its excellence, diversity, and commitment to applied education. For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the University's website.