Clark goes on to state that earlier this year, Konak received the Penn State Open and Affordable Educational Resources Champion Award for creating original materials for his courses, including five interactive e-books with labs.
His contributions to teaching and learning are many. He helped develop and enrich the three of the college’s programs: information technology, cybersecurity analytics and operations, and security and risk analysis degree programs. For example, Konak created the Collaborative Virtual Computer Laboratory (CVCLAB) at Penn State Berks to provide students with active learning experiences that involve collaborative hands-on experimentation. Students can access the CVCLAB’s resources and perform activities that are impossible to complete on campus or on their personal computers. In addition, the CVCLAB is used in youth outreach programs, including summer camps and K-12 cybersecurity activities.
Konak also created the Artificial Intelligence, Modeling, and Simulation Laboratory (AIMS Lab) to inform and educate the community about emerging issues in AI, provide research-guided assistance to organizations, and educate and support the next generation of AI experts.
“Throughout the years, he has provided unwavering support to students, guiding them in undergraduate research and honors projects and securing Erickson Discovery Grants. His students have co-authored research papers with him as well as successfully transitioned to graduate school and industry positions. Dr. Konak’s commitment to challenging and nurturing his students has been instrumental in their substantial learning,” stated Clark.
Describing his collaborations with colleagues and students as some his most meaningful work at Penn State Berks, Konak said, “I am thrilled to work with a dynamic group of colleagues and students passionate about research and teaching. I appreciate the collaborations that I have established both within and outside Penn State. Over the years, I also collaborated with many exceptional undergraduate research students, which has made my work incredibly enjoyable and fulfilling. Without these collaborations, my work would be impossible.”
In addition, Konak serves as the faculty adviser for the Penn State Berks Cyber Lions student organization, whose aim is to raise awareness of cybercrimes and scams targeting seniors and to help protect them from scammers and criminals. The group visits retirement communities regularly to teach the residents about online security.
Konak’s community engagement efforts were recognized in 2022 when he was honored with the INFORMS Volunteer Service Award, which recognizes exceptional volunteer service, engagement and impact. Konak served as vice president, treasurer, secretary and council member in the Telecommunications and Network Analytics section of INFORMS. Additionally, he was a key member in organizing the Telecommunications and Network Analytics Conference.
Internationally known in his field, Konak has published highly cited papers in the most prestigious journals and has received grant funding for his work. In September 2023, he served as a panelist at the United Nations Research Summit. He is a co-investigator on the NSF-funded AccelNet-Implementation: US-Africa Sustainable Food Systems through Water-Energy-Food Nexus Networking (SustainFood), a University-wide collaboration among multiple departments and campuses, as well as the NSF-funded Cultivating Innovative Thinking Skills in STEM Education grant.
Konak has been a visiting professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Cornell University and Lehigh University. He is a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Konak earned his doctorate in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh, his master’s degree in industrial engineering from Bradley University, and his bachelor’s degree from Yildiz Technical University in Turkey.
