Mazen Akkam Professor/Chair, Information Technology

Mazen AkkamProfessor/Chair, Information TechnologyWhat was your college major?I received a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering—both fromKansas State University.Did this major lead you to your current career?Yes. Electrical Engineering is related to Computer Engineering and Information Technology—IT—which allowed me to make an easy transition.What are the characteristics that your most successful students possess?Students need to enjoy technology, hands-on work with computers and innovations. Theyhave to be able to utilize skills in critical thinking and problem solving.Name three things a student should know when exploring this career.This is a dynamic, fast changing field, so be prepared to continually update your skills to keepup. IT serves as a common denominator to lots of fields, so combining your IT skills with

another area of expertise would greatly enhance your job prospects (for example, IT +manufacturing or IT + healthcare). This gives you a powerful combination. Also, IT is verybroad, so you have to build a broad foundation and then focus on a specific area, such asCyber Security or Wireless Technology.What skills will a student learn when pursuing this career?We prepare students to become Network Administrators, so you will learn how to design,build, manage, and secure a computer network.For a student needing part-time employment while in college, what types of jobs providethe best experiential learning opportunities?Students are encouraged to apply what they learn in a job setting such as an internship or jobshadowing program.If a college student is unable to find related work experience in this career field, how do yousuggest he/she prepare for the workplace?Students are expected to spend significant time doing lab work. We provide one of the bestfacilities in our area with the latest equipment to allow students to practice simulating a reallife experience.Is there a selection process for entering this program?No.November 2010