[ad_1]
Blockchain, a new “open-ledger” digital technology, has the potential to play a role in everything from developing digital cryptocurrencies to changing the way a range of industries operate. For Bryant students, exploring this innovation is a perfect opportunity to investigate new ideas and gain a major advantage. A powerful partnership between courses and co-curricular activities helps them understand how to turn their interest in technology into a path to success.
“We have the opportunity not only to anticipate other students from other institutions, but also to stand out in front of entire sectors,” notes Bennett Stefanowicz ’21, graduate in actuarial mathematics and president of the BryantBlockchain club.
Led by students
Two years ago, Kevin Mentzer ’91, assistant professor of Information Systems and Analytics, was approached by students who had heard of blockchain and were interested in learning more. In response, Mentzer, who has conducted his own research in the area, has developed a special course to provide students with a more comprehensive understanding of how technology works and how it is used.
“The course is about students who think beyond what’s feasible today and realize they can push the next thing. It’s about realizing it’s not all been done before and thinking about what’s going to happen next. “
The class also offered opportunities for hands-on learning. Discussing the equipment that digitally “mines” cryptocurrencies, Mentzer remembers asking students, “How many of you have already built a machine?” Since no one had done that, it made building a mining rig a ‘ learning experience.
“The course is about students who think beyond what’s feasible today and realize they can push the next thing,” Mentzer says. “It’s about making it clear that not everything has been done before and thinking about what will happen next.”
Inspired by the class and eager to continue learning, Tobias August ’19, now a project control engineer at Bechtel National, Inc., founded the BryantBlockchain club to explore further, with Mentzer as a faculty advisor. In fall 2019, the club was officially recognized by the University, joining more than 100 other Bryant clubs and organizations that help students explore their interests, build invaluable bonds, and prepare for their future.
“All of this was very student driven,” Mentzer notes. “It’s always exciting to see students excited about a topic.”
“There is no textbook to learn about it. Everything we are learning, we are learning from experience “.
Exploring the future
BryantBlockchain has attracted students from a range of majors, from actuarial math and finance to accounting and global supply chain management. “We have a variety of backgrounds that come together across the club,” notes Stefanowicz. “This offers us some advantages, both in terms of being able to understand the different elements of the blockchain and in doing new research.”
In addition to learning the technical aspects of blockchain and how it is adapted to different industries, students are also learning more about the life cycle of new technologies. Blockchain is still a developing technology, Mentzer notes, and it’s too early to tell if it will really change the world. The process of student discovery in learning emerging innovations, however, is still vital. “It’s enlightening to students when they realize there are questions that just can’t Google,” Mentzer says.
“There is no textbook to learn about it,” agrees Stefanowicz. “Everything we are learning, we are learning from experience.”
Finding new ways to help others
The club has also found ways to adapt their studies to new areas. Over the summer the group used its new mining platforms, built with University funds, to assist the Folding @ Home project, which relies on a decentralized network of machines around the world to conduct scientific research on a variety of diseases and illnesses, including COVID-19.
“I think it’s a huge opportunity for students to be at the forefront of technology.”
Through the donor machine network, Folding @ Home has amassed more computing power than the world’s largest supercomputer, and BryantBlockchain’s contributions have been in 2.2% of the best teams worldwide. “It’s a great feeling to be part of this effort,” says Stefanowicz.
While not the original purpose of the rigs, Mentzer sees the club’s involvement with Folding @ Home as an extension of the club’s mission statement: exploring where new technologies can take us beyond the way they are originally imagined.
An important advantage
Developing information on where the future might be headed offers students a key advantage. “I think it’s a huge opportunity for students to be at the forefront of technology,” says Stefanowicz. “It is helping us prepare for our future and I have already benefited from my experience with BryantBlockchain.”
“When students show interest in learning new technologies and can demonstrate what they have done to explore that interest, it puts them at the top.”
His knowledge of blockchain concepts helped Stefanowicz stand out during his actuarial internship at Liberty Mutual Insurance during the summer of his junior year and helped him secure a job as an actuarial assistant at the company. “They were very impressed with my knowledge of how blockchain could potentially impact the industry,” he explains.
“Companies will now hire people like Bennett and say, ‘We don’t really understand why, what is it about?'” Mentzer says. “When students show interest in learning new technologies and can demonstrate what they have done to explore that interest, it puts them right at the top.”
The future, Mentzer notes, is constantly evolving and with the evolution of the BryantBlockchain club, he imagines it will too. Imagine the focus expands to other emerging technologies, offering more exploration possibilities. It is also considering adapting the special course to focus on a different idea that promises a brighter tomorrow.
“It depends on where the students want to take it,” he says. “This is the beauty of this.”
