Meet Professor Cindy Casey
Computer Information Science Program Coordinator
By: Deb O'Reilly
There ’s never been a better time to study computer
information science. Jobs in computer and information
technology are growing faster than average, and with
advancements in artificial intelligence, opportunities are
expected to rise. *
“In cybersecurity alone, there are
currently more than 500,000 job
openings in the U.S. – 14,000 in
Pennsylvania,” said Cindy Casey, who
runs GMercyU’s Computer Information
Science Program. “A degree in
CIS allows students the flexibility
to specialize in a number of fields
such as programming, game design,
web design and multimedia, digital
forensics, cybersecurity, and system
administration. Perhaps the most
compelling reason to major in CIS is that
today, every job is a technology job.”
Casey also feels strongly that CIS is a
field accessible to anyone interested.
“No student
should ever
be told they
can’t do
something
they dream
of doing,”
she said,
a belief
informed
by her own
personal
experiences.
Casey is
currently working on a doctoral degree,
and she offers her expertise to law
enforcement and the private sector
through consultation work – in addition
to her work at GMercyU. Yet the road to
where she is today was not without some
bumps.
“
Perhaps the
most compelling
reason to major
in CIS is that
today, every job
is a technology
job.
”
After completing the ninth grade,
Casey dropped out of school and began
working as a machinist. “As a child,
I liked to write with invisible ink and
make up secret codes. I was also always
fascinated by machines and electronics,”
she explained. She later obtained her
GED and continued on to community
college where she was in the honors
8
TODAY
program, then transferred to a four-year
college to study philosophy.
“I remember feeling so excited about
transferring, but it didn’t last long,”
Casey reflected. “The department head,
who was my advisor, looked over my
records and said he had to ‘question
the validity of my high GPA [from
community college] based on the fact
that I never went past the ninth grade.’
I was devastated and defeated. I later
applied to, and was accepted in the
honors program at La Salle University,
but never completed my studies because
of finances.”
Then, her youngest son was born with
disabilities. His care required her to
work from home, so she taught herself
web design and graphic arts. “Realizing
I could not prepare financially for
a future of care for him by working
from home, I went back to school.
After researching emerging careers, I
selected computing. I knew it would be
challenging, but with support from my
mother and children, I was determined
to achieve my goals.”
Despite life’s challenges, Casey earned
an associate, bachelor’s, and master’s
"Girls Who
Code"
Club at GMercyU
degree, in addition to two master’s-level
certificates (see sidebar). Today she is
working on her doctorate in Artificial
Intelligence.
No surprise, Casey’s students have found
her background and current workload
inspiring.
“She was, and always will be, my
inspiration,” said recent CIS grad Jenny
Kyoung ’19, who is now a Program
Manager for Gateway Ticketing
Systems, Inc. “The way she takes
on everything within her career is
incredible, and I’m always in awe of how
she manages it all. I knew I was learning
from the best, and I can confidently say
that my future proves that.”
Casey’s commitment to her students
has made her a great cultural fit at
GMercyU, where she has taught since
2017. “One of the exceptional qualities of
the GMercyU experience is the personal
attention we give to our students,” she
said. "The professors in the CIS program
bring real-world experiences to the
classroom and spend countless hours of
their own time helping students stay on
the cutting edge of technology. Students
are given opportunities to volunteer,
Know of a girl (aged 12-16) who wants to learn
how to code? Cindy Casey runs the popular
Girls Who Code after-school club at GMercyU.
The mission of Girls Who Code is to close the
gender gap in technology where females are
underrepresented.
The club meets every Tuesday afternoon from
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the CIS Conference Room,
St. Bernard Hall, Room 15. It is free and snacks
are provided. Students do not need their own
computer to participate.
For more information, contact Cindy Casey at
[email protected].