Welcome to ITSO  
You are not Logged in! Log in to check your messages.

Kelly Fitzsimmons, Entrepreneur, co-founder of HarQen


When: Tuesday - October 27, 2009
Start: 5:30 PM
End: 7:00 PM
Where: 100 Todd Wehr
Contact Info: Mary Catherine Smith

The ITSO Club has invited Kelly Fitzsimmons, co-founder and CEO of HarQen, a leading web-telephony company, has gained great entrepreneurial experience by building and selling several companies. Under her leadership, HarQen currently powers VoiceScreener™, an HR solution that virtually eliminates the need to coordinate first round interviews. The title of her presentation will be "Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur: The Good, Bad and Ugly of Entrepreneurship."

Back to top

Xavier Helgesen, co-founder of Better World Books


When: Wednesday - September 30, 2009
Start: 5:30 PM
End: 7:00 PM
Where: 200 Marquette Hall
Contact Info: Mary Catherine Smith

The ITSO Club has invited Xavier Helgesen, co-founder of Better World Books - a company with a mission to create a better world, one book at a time to speak at Marquette. The company bills itself as a for-profit company with a philanthropic and environmental edge (money.cnn.com). In 2008, Better World Books generated revenue of $21 million dollars. Better World Books differentiates itself from other online bookstores with a focus on customer interaction and by making social and environmental responsibility the core of its business, not simply an add-on cause component.

Back to top

Biznet 2009 - Networking Event


When: Tuesday - October 6, 2009
Start: 5:30 PM
End: 7:30 PM
Where: Wisconsin Club
Contact Info: Mary Catherine Smith

This networking event will bring together IT and OSCM employers from the area to give you the chance to meet and greet IT and OSCM professionals. This is both a network event and also an event to help your search for an internship or full time job. If you are interested in attending, please provide a resume in .pdf format if possible, as a copy will be provided to all companies that attend. Please RSVP with a copy of your resume no later than Sunday, September 27th to mubiznet@gmail.com. Please also add your name HERE so that we can estimate the attendance.

Back to top

Note from MUITSO President


Hello everyone! Thank you for reading the ITSO Good monthly newsletter. My name is Mary Catherine Smith and I am your elected President of the Information Technology Student Organization for the upcoming school year. I sincerely appreciate the support of the ITSO E-Board and others that have put their confidence in me to serve as President. This year will once again be an exciting year for ITSO. In early October we will host our annual BizNet networking event at the Wisconsin Club for IT and OSCM majors. Also, we will have community service activities, member meetings, and speakers from the professional world.


I truly encourage all students interested in IT to join ITSO and participate in all the activities that are planned for you. ITSO and IT have helped shape my college journey. I currently am a senior majoring in Information Technology and International Business with a French minor) it has been filled with curiosity and wonder about the IT profession. However, when I came to Marquette University, I wanted to major in economics. My decision to switch to IT after the intro class has been a great fit because of the hands on, systematic yet creative characteristics IT has to offer. I love the fact that writing code will produce an application to help organize, list, calculate, or do many other necessary work in the business field. I encourage all those who share my passion for utilizing creativity and management skills together to better explore the IT field.


Outside of IT, I am involved in many other activities. An interesting fact about me is that I play the French horn in the MU Wind Ensemble as well as in pep band games. Feel free to try to find me when rooting on our MU basketball teams! Go Marquette! But not only do I play the French horn, I speak French. I recently studied abroad in Lille, France, which was truly an amazing opportunity. I was able to travel and improve my French speaking skills and make international friends. Also, I am on the club tennis team. I’ve played since early in my high school year and I know I will be playing it when I grow older. It’s a great way to get rid of stress by hitting the ball as hard as you can as well as just having fun with friends! One personality quirk is that I LOVE peanut butter. I will eat it plain, with ice cream, on bread, in cereal, on desserts, on fruit, you name it, I’ve probably paired the two. I can most likely go through a jar of peanut butter in a week – tops.


I know we are all busy and have many interests, like I do, but I encourage you all to stay interested in IT and participate in activities. It’s a great opportunity whether you need to network or find an internship or a full-time position. Don’t think of it as an obligation, but a chance to be a part of a bigger picture. Whether this year is your first or last, it is a chance to expand your network, learn about what is going on outside of Marquette and prepare yourself for life after college.


My advice is to start thinking about your future now in order to prepare yourself. If not, you might just miss your opportunity! If you have any questions or ideas that you would like to bring to me, feel free to email the ITSO email address muitso@gmail.edu or my personal address at marycatherine.smith@marquette.edu. I appreciate all feedback and comments because it only helps improve ITSO to help reach its full potential. ITSO serves the students, members, faculty, and alumni. It is not just an organization, but a chance to start your future! Make the best of it!


- Mary Catherine Smith, President of ITSO (09-10)


Back to top

Congratulations IT Seniors Class of 2009


Sara Abdul Rahman • Samia Ahmad • Preetinder Biring • Erick Bratt • Kirby Brown • Ashley Carlevato • Joshua Connor • Allison Cooney • Zachary Davis • Jorge Domenzain • James Dooley • Brent Downs • Julia Egasti • Michael Eoloff • Adam Fisher • Melanie Fraenkel • Fanny Franco • Jennifer Fries • Alexander Frommelt • Colin Garrity • Erica Gelvan • Yiannis Glavas • Daniel Harcarik • Cassandra Haupers • Erik Hendrickson • Paaj Her • Jaspreet Kaur • Eileen Kapolnek • Jennifer King • Praem Kodiath • Jack Koepke • Kristie Kosobucki • Christina Kostecki • Jennifer Krall • Bill Langosch • Katherine Leenhouts • Katrina Lord • John Mazurek • Michael McGivern • Eric Meissner • Evan Montague • Anthony Montijo • Charlie Murawski • Craig O'Connor • Erik Olson • Michelle Ordoqui • Christine Peterson • Evan Roberts • Jonathan Robertson • Satbir Sandhar • Ryan Sellitto • Frederick Shamoon • Derek Stroobants • Theodore Stuebi • John Tate • Calvin Tessmann • Hien Vu • Christopher White

Back to top

Sign Up for Hunger Clean Up


ITSO has organized its community service event for this semester: Marquette's very own Hunger Clean-Up! If you're interested in joining the ITSO team, the event will take place on Saturday, April 18th. We'd like to gather a team of 15 people, so sign up early! The more people who are involved, the greater the impact will be. You can join by contacting Stephanie Rau at Stephanie.rau@marquette.edu or register online at: http://muitso.org/hcu and find the ITSO team under Stephanie's name.

Back to top

Are you looking to change the face of Information Technology?


We are now accepting applications for ITSO executive board. Application can be found here. Please submit the application along with your resume by April 13th to muitso@gmail.com if you are interested. This is a great way to get involved!

(Find out more about the detailed description for all positions under About ITSO tab)



Back to top

They're hiring!


As many big companies are announcing mass layoffs, these 20 top employers have at least 350 openings each right now. Which Best Companies to Work For are doing the most recruiting and what kind of candidates are they looking for?

> Read Full Article

Here are a few of the top hiring companies: (A number of which will be at the Java and Jobs and next ITSO General Meeting!)



Back to top

Java and Jobs 2009


When: Tuesday - February 10, 2009
Start: 8:00 AM
End: 10:00 AM
Where: Alumni Memorial Union (room TBD)
Contact Info: Erica Gelvan

This networking event will bring together IT employers from the area to give you the chance to meet and greet potential employers in your search for an internship or full time job. If you are interested in attending, please provide a resume in .pdf format if possible, as a copy will be provided to all companies that attend. Please RSVP with a copy of your resume no later than Monday, February 2nd to muitso@gmail.com. Please also add your name HERE so that we can estimate the attendance.

Back to top

ITSO General Meeting & Big 4 Presentation


When: Wednesday - February 4, 2009
Start: 5:30 PM
End: 7:00 PM
Where: David Straz 105
Contact Info: Erica Gelvan

This will be first general meeting followed by the Big 4 Presentation. The President will share with you the club goals for the semester and we have officers from Ernst and Young, KPMG, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers who will discuss the technology audit practice and opportunities with the company. There will be free pizza for served for this event. Please RSVP so that we can estimate the attendance.

Back to top

Computer SPAM-Out Event


When: Saturday - January 24 (McCormick Hall) & January 31 (Schroeder Hall)
Start: 10:00 AM
End: 4:00 PM (please bring your computer before 3 PM)
Fee: FREE OF CHARGE!!!
Contact Info: Josh Connor

ITSO will be offering our volunteer services to anyone with a laptop and is willing to part with it for an hour or so. We will install 2 or 3 programs on your computer to scan and remove any malicious software and hopefully prevent them from returning. The process will take roughly an hour and we will notify you via phone when your computer is ready to be picked up. Although we are offering this as a free service, we will be accepting donations for Marquette's 2009 Hunger Clean Up. Please bring your laptop's power supply and remove any screensaver password protection. We will stop accepting new computers at 3 pm. Also, we will not be able to do Macs, as they tend to be inherently resistant to malicious software.

If you're interested in volunteering, please send your details to Josh Connor. It is a good time to help students with your expertise. You get a chance to practice your desktop support skill in this event. Lunch with pizza will be served to those volunteering that day.

Back to top

Marquette IT Students Featured in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel


Marquette IT students taking the MANA 123 project management course were featured in the The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Students in Marquette assistant professor Monica Adya's class manage a virtual team project with student engineers and designers in Scotland, with the goal of designing games for children with cerebral palsy. The class ensures that MUIT students are prepared to work in the global IT environment by giving them real-world experience working with an offshore development team.

Read Article at JSonline.com


Back to top

IT Jobs Listed as one of the Top 10 Hardest to Fill


“One of the challenges that IT departments face is finding people who are well-rounded, can communicate with the lines of business and can manage,”

Read Full Article

Back to top

MUITSO Volunteer Activity - Ronald McDonald House


When: Saturday November 8th
Time: 9:00AM - 12:30PM
Where: Ronald McDonald House
Contact Info: Stephanie Rau or Erica Gelvan

Here's our chance to give back to the community! On Saturday November 8th the ITSO group is scheduled to serve a delicious brunch at the Ronald McDonald House. The Ronald McDonald House is a place where sick children and their families can stay while they get treatment at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.


Back to top

MUITSO Halloween Event - Haunted Cornfield Adventure


When: Saturday November 1st
Depart: Meet at ShAmu by 6:30PM
Return: 9:00PM
Where: Haunted Cornfield Adventure
Admission: $18 per person, $17 With group of 12 or more
Contact Info: Josh Connor

With Halloween coming up, the ITSO e-board thought it would be fun for all of us to go to a Haunted Cornfield. Lets all experience the Haunted Cornfield Adventure together - Over 3/4 mile of straw covered trails in 6 acres of a tall, thick cornfield jungle full of haunted scary scenes with action and sound effects, and almost life like creatures during the day - BUT MUCH MORE HAUNTED AT NIGHT!

Click here to learn more about the event and/or to RSVP for the event.


Back to top

Twitter from BlahGeeTsa


Who is BlahGeeTsa? Find out more about her here.


Back to top

BizNet 2008: Great Success!


The success of an event is not defined by the amount of people that attend, but by the quality of the people and the relationships formed. BizNet 2008 was an event worth noting due to the over 100 distinguished students and 30 notable companies in attendance. On September 23rd, the Wisconsin Club was filled with energy and excitement as students networked with companies in the hopes of starting a strong relationship in order to find an internship or full-time position.
[Read more]


Back to top

BizNet 2008 Reflections


"It was motivating to touch base with the graduates and hear about their success stories and the results that their Marquette education and the job search process has provided them. After hearing from these graduates--professionals that I can easily relate to and gain some insight from--I was able to make wiser decisions concerning the job search process and better gauge the sorts of companies that I desire to work for in the future. With insight into their experiences as emerging professionals, I left with a better sense of what I desire in a career."
- Michelle Ordoqui, Senior, IT and Human Resource

"Marquette's commitment to cultivating top IT talent was showcased at BizNet. The caliber, technical skills and professionalism of the students is why our Washington Metro office continues targeted recruiting efforts halfway across the country. The impressive candidates reflect the quality and relevant subject matter of Marquette's IT curriculum. This event shows Marquette cultivates the best intellectual capital for today's IT job market. PricewaterhouseCoopers looks forward to continuing our strong relationships with Marquette."
- Adam Bennett, PWC
[Read more]


Back to top

Note from MUITSO President


Welcome Back! This summer has been way too short as I am sure it has been for all of you, but it's time to get back into that routine. I am very excited for this year and look forward to meeting with you all. We have some great events lined up for this fall semester.


Since I may not have the opportunity to speak with you all face-to-face, I would like to give you a little background about myself. Throughout the past two years I have been at Marquette, I have switched between being an International Business, Marketing, Human Resource, and French major. But thankfully, I had the direction and help of Professor Ow who guided me towards Information Technology. So now, I will be graduation in May 2009 with a major in IT and International Business with a minor in French. Coming to Marquette I had never heard of IT and had no clue what it was and now, it's what I'm going to be doing for the rest of my life (well at least the next few years). The switch to IT has definitely been one of the best decisions I have made.


If at any point you have any suggestions or ideas regarding ITSO, wish to write an article for ITSO Good, or would like to discuss IT in a casual setting please contact me by e-mail at Erica.Gelvan@Marquette.edu. I hope you all have a great year and I wish you the best of luck!


- Erica Gelvan, President of ITSO (08-09)


Back to top

IT Student Spotlight: Preparing for an Interview


I've been stressing myself out thinking about internships since the day I declared a business major. From that day forward, I have been reminded incessantly by my parents and advisors that a good internship experience to put on my resume will greatly increase my chances of getting a job after graduation. When I was thinking about internships, actually performing the internship wasn't really an intimidation factor for me. With a little training and some instruction, I feel pretty confident that I can do whatever job is given to me. Landing the internship, on the other hand, is a much more nerve-wracking part of the experience to consider.
[Read more]


Back to top

IT Student Spotlight: Eileen Kapolnek


One of our very own has been dubbed Queen! That is right, Eileen Kapolnek was crowned Sunday, February 17, as the 2008 St. Patrick's Day Queen for the city of Chicago, Illinois. Eileen was selected from over 115 other contestants. She was chosen by a judging panel that included Chicagoans of Irish heritage.

Eileen will have the honor of being in the Chicago parade, followed by her royal court and all. She will also represent the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade Committee at public events on the day of the parade and throughout the rest of the year.
[Read more]


Back to top

"Java and Jobs"


The Information Technology Student Organization at Marquette started second semester off with a bang. Well, at least with coffee. The Breakfast Networking Event held on Tuesday, February 5th went off won-derfully. It was called "Java and Jobs." On the menu was hot coffee, great breakfast and lots of networking between IT professionals from companies and Marquette IT students.
[Read more]


Back to top

Global Technology Experience (GTE)


Namaste (Num-ah-stay)! That means Greetings in Hindi. While I do not speak the native language of most people in India I have come to learn a term or two. There are over 300 dif-ferent dialects in India, so English is spoken throughout the country as a more common language.

GTE is a new course that is being offered at Marquette University. The class is composed of a mix of gradu-ate and under-graduate IT students who travel to India to study a vari-ety of topics, from global outsourcing and Indian call centers, to Indian busi-ness schools, and grand tourist desti-nations such as the Taj Mahal. Here is a little taste of my experiences.
[Read more]


Back to top

Stung by Wisdom


SMACK! Who would have thought that an internet vertebrate would be one of the next new things on the web? I sure didn't, but it proves to be true. This past month, Mark McGuire (no, not the baseball player...), founder of Jellyfish.com, came to Marquette to talk about his journey as an entrepreneur. For those of you who don't know what Jellyfish.com is, (go check it out!), it's a shop search engine that shares back with its customers. It was founded by Mark and his business partner, because they felt there was a need for a search engine that not only searched, but enabled the customer to buy as well. Their business plan proved to be successful because they just sold it off to Microsoft (yup, it's that big of a deal).
[Read more]


Back to top