📝 CS Undergraduate Newsletter: October 2025

Hello CS and Cyber Security majors!

Here’s what’s happening this month and how to stay connected with our student organizations and upcoming courses.

ACM (Association for Computing Machinery)

The UA ACM Student Chapter is the primary professional computing organization on campus. It offers tech talks, coding competitions, hackathons, and networking with peers and employers.

Meetings: Mondays at 5:30 PM in SEC 3437 (Schedule is tentative; any changes will be shared via the ACM mailing list)
Fall 2025 Dates: Oct 7, 14, 21, 28 • Nov 4, 11, 18, 25 • Dec 2

Programming Competition Team Meetings: Wednesdays at 5:30 PM
Fall 2025 Dates: Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 • Nov 6, 13, 20, 27 • Dec 4

Stay up to date: Subscribe to the mailing list ua-acm@listserv.ua.edu — announcements about employers, workshops, schedule changes, and special events are sent through this list.

ACM-W (Women in Computing)

ACM-W supports and celebrates women in computing and allies who want to foster a more inclusive tech environment. Meetings include professional development, social events, and workshops.

Meetings: Every other Monday, 5–6 PM, SERC 2009

October Events:

• 10/6 – CS Scavenger Hunt
• 10/20 – Spooky Debugging Roulette

Stay connected:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ua_acmw
• Discord: (scan the QR code on the flyer)

Cyber Defense Club

UA’s Cyber Defense Club helps students learn and practice cybersecurity skills — from penetration testing to network defense — and compete in cyber competitions like CCDC.

• Mailing list: Join via crimsoncyberdefense@gmail.com to stay informed about meetings, events, and competition sign-ups.
• Discord: Members use our Discord server to coordinate, share resources, and discuss cybersecurity topics. Email crimsoncyberdefense@gmail.com to join.
• Website: https://uacrimsondefense.github.io/ — details about our events, competitions, and resources.
• Events: Hands-on workshops, guest speakers, and cyber competitions.

Spring 2026 — Special Topics & Cyber Electives

CS 491/591 Offensive and Defensive Cyber Security Operations (counts as a cyber elective)

Instructor: Dr. Sudip Mittal — 8:00 AM

Develop advanced skills in modern cyberspace operations. Learn about threat landscapes, cyber kill chains, vulnerability assessment, defensive strategies (network hardening, IDS/IPS, incident response, threat intelligence), and offensive strategies (penetration testing, red teaming, exploit development) — all within ethical and legal boundaries.

Additional Cyber Electives Available Spring 2026:

• CS 407 – Software Interface Design
• CS 481 – High Performance Computing

Get Involved: Student Groups

Joining a student group is one of the best ways to gain experience, meet peers, and build your resume.

• ACM: General computing & tech events — ua-acm@listserv.ua.edu
• ACM-W: Support and networking for women in computing — Instagram & Discord (scan the QR code on the flyer)
• Cyber Defense Club: Security competitions, workshops — crimsoncyberdefense@gmail.com

Office Hours & Advising

Faculty and TA office hours are available and updated each semester.

View the Fall 2025 Office Hours schedule here: https://alabama.box.com/s/rkdph80rbspf2755abx9qapbhkslx4u7

Meeting your professors early is a great way to get guidance for internships, research, and advanced coursework.