FSU Computer Science Students Excel at CCSC Eastern Regional Conference

FSU Computer Science Students Excel at CCSC Eastern Regional Conference

Nov 3, 2025 8:00 AM

Frostburg State University's Department of Computer Science and Information Technologies (CSIT) made an outstanding showing at the Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC) Eastern Regional Conference, hosted at Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.

The CCSC Eastern Regional Conference is an academic conference focused on computer science research and pedagogy and is highly inclusive of student participation through research presentations, poster sessions and competitions. This year's event brought together more than 250 attendees from over 25 regional colleges and universities, creating a vibrant environment for sharing ideas and advancing computing education.

The FSU CSIT Department fielded a Cybersecurity Capture the Flag (CTF) team and three collegiate programming competition teams, with one programming team placing 5th out of 37 registered teams-a remarkable achievement in a highly competitive field of student programmers.

FSU also hosted the CTF competition on its own U.S. Cyber Range platform, which the University has been part of for just over a year. This collaboration highlights Frostburg's growing leadership in cybersecurity education and its commitment to providing students with authentic, hands-on learning experiences.

In addition to the competitions, three undergraduate research posters were presented by FSU students, showcasing innovative projects that bridged classroom learning and applied computing. Lucian Rectanus and Nathan Schoffstall earned runner-up for Best Student Poster among more than 35 submissions, a testament to the quality and creativity of student research emerging from the department.

A faculty panel from the CSIT Department also led a session on integrating Artificial Intelligence into the computer science course sequence, sparking engaging discussion among attendees about the evolving role of AI in computing education.

"It's inspiring to see Frostburg students fully engaged in such a rich academic environment," said Dr. Michael Flinn, CSIT Department Chair and CCSC Eastern Representative. "Their technical growth is rapid, their confidence is rising, and their professional networks are expanding with every event like this. CCSC Eastern provides the perfect balance of academic rigor and student inclusion."

The Consortium for Computing Sciences in Colleges (CCSC) promotes excellence in computer science education through regional conferences that emphasize faculty scholarship, teaching innovation and student engagement. The Eastern Region serves institutions across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, offering a collaborative forum where educators and students alike exchange ideas and strengthen the future of computing education.