Utica College offers students cryptocurrency- crimes training

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UTICA, N.Y. — Utica College is providing its students training in financial crimes and money-laundering investigations through a partnership with Menlo Park, California–based CipherTrace, a cryptocurrency-intelligence company. Through the college’s partnership, undergraduate and graduate students had the opportunity to enroll in an eight-hour training course to become a CipherTrace certified examiner (CTCE), an industry-recognized designation. […]

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Through the college’s partnership, undergraduate and graduate students had the opportunity to enroll in an eight-hour training course to become a CipherTrace certified examiner (CTCE), an industry-recognized designation.

Utica College is “only the second” U.S. college or university invited to participate in CipherTrace Defenders League, a program that trains cryptocurrency analysts from colleges and universities around the world to trace funds lost through cryptocurrency fraud and theft, the college said in a news release.

“Once students have completed the training, they were able to work on a live, actual CipherTrace case to locate cryptocurrency assets that may have been stolen. CipherTrace receives many requests from individual victims of scams and other fraudulent activity to try to recover the funds,” Stephanie Nesbitt, dean of Utica College’s School of Business and Justice Studies, said. “The students, once certified, are responsible for completing their investigations, supervised and verified by CipherTrace, and writing the case report.”

She continued, “Our first student to complete the training and pass the certification exam was a female graduate cyber student. This is notable given that cyber and financial crime professions and academic programs remain predominantly male.”

Pamela Clegg, director of financial investigations and education at CipherTrace, said the firm chose to work with Utica College because of the college’s reputation for having “an outstanding financial crime studies program.” She added, “The school is renowned for providing anti-money laundering and financial crime talent to the world’s financial capital, New York City, and look forward to incorporating students from Utica’s cybersecurity program, as well.”

Suzanne Lynch, professor of practice in economic crime, arranged for two CipherTrace sessions at the college this past fall, as well as a series of dedicated two- and three-hour training sessions. So far, more than 70 cybersecurity and economic crime-students have completed the training, Lynch said.

Lynch has “extensive” experience in risk analysis, fraud-control implementation, and investigations in the financial services industry. Formerly VP for security and risk management at MasterCard Worldwide, she has held fraud-management positions at Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Comerica Bank. At MasterCard, one of her many responsibilities included conducting fraud-operations reviews on banks to determine the levels of existing fraud controls, global fraud investigations, and third-party processing system-risk controls.

The college’s fraud and financial-crime investigation program, formerly known as economic crime, “was the first of its kind in the country,” Utica College noted.

Leadership Greater Syracuse names OCC dean to board of directors

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DeWITT, N.Y. — Leadership Greater Syracuse (LGS), a nonprofit that offers a yearlong civic-leadership training program, recently announced it has added Scott Schuhert, dean of students at Onondaga Community College (OCC), to its board of directors. Schuhert recently relocated to Central New York for his position at OCC after previously having served as associate VP

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Cree awards scholarships to SUNY Poly students

Health Care, Manufacturing & Engineering, Regional News, Subscriber Only, Technology

MARCY, N.Y. — Cree, Inc. (NASDAQ: CREE) has awarded 11 students at SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) education funding as part of the newly established, merit-based “Cree/Wolfspeed Scholarship” program. The first group of recipients shared a total of $46,000. The commitment from Cree is part of a $2 million scholarship program over 10 years. Scholarship

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The first group of recipients shared a total of $46,000. The commitment from Cree is part of a $2 million scholarship program over 10 years.

Scholarship recipients must be interested in pursuing a position in the semiconductor industry upon graduation, Cree says. They must be “committed to working hard,” willing to collaborate, have a passion for innovation, and “reflect the Cree values of integrity and respect, ownership and accountability, and ingenuity and passion.”

The scholarships seek to benefit students who come from “historically underserved or marginalized communities, as well as those with significant financial need…. [and] help pave the way toward successful careers in tomorrow’s high-tech workforce,” per a Jan. 22 news release.

The students must be enrolled in certain SUNY Poly academic programs. They include computer-engineering technology, electrical and computer engineering, electrical-engineering technology, mechanical engineering, mechanical-engineering technology, nanoscale engineering, and network and computer security.

As part of the scholarship, the recipients — first-year and sophomore students — may be offered paid internships and will be assigned a Cree/Wolfspeed mentor. They’ll also be able to attend the annual SUNY Poly and Cree/Wolfspeed scholarship mixer.

The initiative also follows the recent announcement of the Dr. John Edmond and Dr. John Palmour SUNY Polytechnic Institute endowed faculty chairs. The five-year, $1.5 million funding underpins the “continued expansion” of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) opportunities for students at SUNY Poly, the university says.

“We want to congratulate and welcome the inaugural recipients of the Cree/Wolfspeed Scholarship program,” John Palmour, chief technology officer at Cree/Wolfspeed, said. “Cree is committed to providing students in our communities with the opportunity to excel through STEM education initiatives, and it is an honor to help support these students as they continue their educational journeys connected to rewarding careers in STEM and as we work to train tomorrow’s high-tech workforce.”

Durham, North Carolina–based Cree is developing the world’s largest silicon-carbide fabrication facility in Marcy, referred to as the Mohawk Valley Fab. It will be 200mm capable and the firm has committed to creating more than 600 new jobs within eight years along with providing internships for SUNY students.

Cree also notes that eight SUNY Poly students recently participated in internships with the company. ν

Genius NY director maps out 2021 program as application period remains open

Employee Benefits & Human Resources, Nonprofits, Small Business, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism, Subscriber Only, Technology

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Genius NY program continues accepting applications for its fifth round through the end of March. As of Feb. 2nd, 50 firms have applied to participate, says Jeff Fuchsberg, director of Genius NY. “Applications have grown every year. Last year, we were a little bit over 400. I expect the turnout to

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Genius NY program continues accepting applications for its fifth round through the end of March.

As of Feb. 2nd, 50 firms have applied to participate, says Jeff Fuchsberg, director of Genius NY.

“Applications have grown every year. Last year, we were a little bit over 400. I expect the turnout to be even higher this year,” he adds.

The applications have come from firms in New York, across the U.S., and internationally as well. Fuchsberg says he’s also had informational calls with startups from various countries during the first month of the application period.

Genius NY stands for Growing ENtrepreneurs & Innovators in UpState New York. Empire State Development (ESD) describes Genius NY as “the world’s largest” business accelerator competition focused on unmanned systems.

Tech startups focused on unmanned systems, internet of things (IoT), big data, and robotics can apply. Subsets may include precision and remote sensing, data collection and analytics, guidance or communication systems, and sensors, “among other technological categories.”

“Genius NY’s fifth round will continue to grow the Unmanned Aerial Systems [UAS] industry in Central New York,” Eric Gertler, acting commissioner and president & CEO-designate of Empire State Development, said in a Jan. 5 news release. “This unique business accelerator competition is drawing forward-thinking entrepreneurial ideas and innovators to the region, as well as top companies ready to take advantage of the area’s unmatched UAS assets and infrastructure.”

Narrowing the field

Fuchsberg explains that judging for Genius NY happens in two rounds beginning in April. The first round focuses on all the firms that apply, which includes an external panel of 45 people who review the applications. Eventually, those judging will narrow the field down to a group of 20.

“It takes about two weeks to do background checks before we go ahead and announce who the semifinalists are,” says Fuchsberg. “So, we would be looking at a semifinalist announcement on May 4 … our target date at the moment.”

Fuchsberg also notes that those involved in narrowing down the application field will be very busy during April.

Once the 20 semifinalists are chosen, Genius NY executive advisors will work to determine the five finalists. The process involves another round of applications, a video submission, and a video call with the judges.

“It takes about two weeks from that point to go from 20 to who the five finalists are, so we’ll be looking at an announcement on about May 19,” says Fuchsberg.

After the finalists are named, representatives from each firm will move into the Tech Garden in late May as Genius NY is planning for an in-person program this year.

“Every team must have two people in place in Central New York for the duration of the program year,” he adds.

The application process for the teams involved includes their plans for hiring in Central New York, which will be part of how they’re evaluated. Genius NY will also hold the teams to their hiring goals in order to claim their prize money, according to Fuchsberg.

The program will invest $3 million in the five finalist companies, including a grand prize of $1 million.

Genius NY is funded through the CNY Rising Upstate Revitalization Initiative, the region’s economic-development blueprint. The program also offers company stipends, resources, programming, and networking opportunities to assist innovative startups with the tools they need to take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Geopipe of New York City was named as the round four winner of the Genius NY $1 million grand prize in September 2020. Other round four winners that are now operating in Central New York include BotsAndUs from the United Kingdom; Droneseed from Seattle, Washington; Skyy Network from Australia; and Eget Liber of Syracuse.

What channel is the Syracuse basketball game on at Clemson?

Health Care, New York News, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

CLEMSON, S.C. — Syracuse basketball (10-5, 4-4 ACC) seeks a second straight win when the Orange visit the Clemson Tigers (11-5, 5-5 ACC) on Saturday

Tioga State Bank demolishing a Binghamton property for future development

Banks & Credit Unions, Construction, Design & Real Estate, Insurance & Financial Services, Regional News

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. — Tioga State Bank (TSB) announced that it recently began to demolish a property on the south side of Binghamton that the bank

St. Lawrence County man busted for stealing prescription drugs from Kinney Drugs stores

Health Care, Law, Accounting & Taxes, New York News, Regional News

ALEXANDRIA BAY, N.Y. — State Police in Alexandria Bay recently announced they arrested a man for stealing prescription medication from Kinney Drugs stores in Alexandria

Robert Congel, developer of Destiny USA, dies at 85

Construction, Design & Real Estate, Energy, Environment & Sustainability, Sports, Entertainment & Tourism

Destiny USA is New York’s largest shopping center and the 8th largest in the U.S., as noted on the Pyramid website. A spokesman for Pyramid

VIEWPOINT: Why You Should Consider a Digital Transformation for Your Company in 2021

Business Mentors, Small Business, Subscriber Only, Technology

As with every new year, it’s important to formulate, plan, and set your business goals. Have you considered how revamping your software solutions could help you achieve those goals? Here are just a few of the reasons to consider a digital transformation for your business in 2021. 1. Keeping up with yourself. Your goals most likely include

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1. Keeping up with yourself. Your goals most likely include some form of growth — more customers, more accounts, more revenue, and new service lines or products. The systems you currently have in place might be able to handle the business you’re doing right now, but what about when you achieve your desired growth? As your company grows, your internal processes can have a hard time keeping up. Outdated processes and systems will eventually cause issues and stall the growth you have worked so hard to achieve.

2. Smash inefficiencies. It’s common for companies to use many different applications to meet all their needs. While this may seem like the fastest or most-economical way at first, it can end up being unnecessarily convoluted and inefficient. A comprehensive software system can handle all of your business needs. A cloud-based system, such as NetSuite, eliminates the operational inefficiencies you’re bound to run into when working with multiple applications.

3. Smarter data. With NetSuite, all of your data is housed in one place and can be easily accessed. A comprehensive business-management system makes it easy to get a big-picture view of every aspect of your business and how each facet is working together. Accurate, real-time insights allow you to see precisely what is working and what needs attention.

4. Eliminate overhead costs. No more in-house servers or bulky equipment that needs to be replaced or repaired. Cloud-based systems are housed off-site on high-performance, scalable servers. This off-premise infrastructure means no setup or installation on your business’s computing devices.

5. Only keep what you need. When working with standard software systems, you might get the functionality you need, along with lots of other bells and whistles that aren’t relevant to your business. Or your current systems might do the job, but not as well as they could. NetSuite is a comprehensive, yet versatile enterprise-software package. You can tailor it to fit your exact needs, keeping what helps you succeed, and leaving anything else out.

These are a few of the countless reasons why a new and improved software system could transform your company. When you have the best possible tools to work with, you will always get better results.

Joel Patterson (www.JoelPatterson.com) is a workplace culture expert and founder of The Vested Group, a business technology consulting firm. He is the ForbesBooks author of “The Big Commitment: Solving The Mysteries Of Your ERP Implementation.”

VIEWPOINT: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Taking the Leap To Entrepreneurship

Business Mentors, Small Business, Subscriber Only

As COVID-19 causes layoffs and extends uncertainty about employment in 2021, many people are considering new options They’re thinking of reinventing themselves or trying to decide whether working for themselves is more desirable than finding another 9-to-5 job that might not last. Entrepreneurship brings a lot of freedom, responsibility, and risks. Before people commit to taking that

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Entrepreneurship brings a lot of freedom, responsibility, and risks. Before people commit to taking that big step, there are several important questions they should ask themselves.

Entrepreneurship is a career that offers a kind of freedom and personal satisfaction you simply cannot get from traditional 9-to-5 employment. You will never know if you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur unless you take the leap of faith and experience it yourself.

It’s a big decision, though, involving many factors and inherent risks. There is a lot to navigate and endure on the way to reaching your dream destination of professional and financial freedom. Many people don’t make it because they simply weren’t cut out for the challenge from the start.

People who are considering entrepreneurship should first ask themselves these five questions.

• Why do you want to do this? Let’s be honest: if the business endeavor is just about us, we will want to give up on ourselves when things get hard. Your why, which is your purpose, has to be much bigger than yourself. You must believe in a vision of why you want to be an entrepreneur and develop a plan for how you will involve others in your vision. Sustainable entrepreneurship requires the efforts of other people. It’s imperative to write down your “why” and keep it in front of you as a reminder when tough times come.

• Are you being realistic? One can get swept up in the emotion of starting a business, but it’s vital for all potential entrepreneurs to be realistic in their business projections for the first two years of the startup. Answering this question before you open can prevent some unpleasant surprises as you try to build your company.

• Do you have daily discipline? You are the boss, and only you can hold yourself accountable. If it’s hard for you to stay on task or stay motivated, and you think being an entrepreneur is a fast ticket to easy street, entrepreneurship definitely is not for you.

• Can your relationships survive the sacrifices? The time commitment to starting one’s own business and getting it running efficiently goes well beyond a typical 9-to-5 job. Relationships can suffer. All entrepreneurs have to understand that they are going to be forced to make sacrifices on a personal level with their family and friends. You have to stay focused without letting your dedication to your entrepreneurial pursuit harm your relationships with those to whom you are closest. Communicate with them and mutually come up with adjusted expectations as you build the business.

• Can you withstand the struggles? Rejection and failure are realities that new entrepreneurs have to get accustomed to and learn to overcome. You need to understand how many times you will fail before you succeed. You’ll get turned down by prospective customers constantly and your self-value will be tested on a daily basis. Is your why strong enough to keep you going?

Overall, deciding whether you are an entrepreneur or not boils down to how comfortable you are being uncomfortable. Only time will tell if you have the people skills and business skills to be a successful entrepreneur but rest assured that you will have to endure periods of real discomfort.

Tim Mercer (www.timtmercer.com) is founder of IBOXG, a company that provides technology services and solutions to government agencies and Fortune 500 corporations. He is also author of “Bootstrapped Millionaire: Defying the Odds of Business.”

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