NYU Tandon released a unique marketing campaign at the end of last year to promote the groundbreaking work of its engineering and science faculty.  With a cheeky nod to several superhero franchises, it introduced 10 faculty members from a number of disciplines, along with Tandon Dean Jelena Kovačević, as “Agents of Optimism.” The initial trailer that dropped in early December on YouTube was followed by individual short films on each of the “agents,” along with a downloadable comic book.

The Center for Cybersecurity is represented in the superhero collective by Dr. Justin Cappos, an associate professor of computer science and engineering, and Dr. Siddharth Garg, Institute associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. Tagged as the “Hacker Halter” and the “Digital Defender,” respectively, the campaign touts their research accomplishments in defending systems and protecting digital infrastructure from attacks.

The campaign, which was mentioned in a LinkedIn article  as a “spark of inspiration” among higher education marketing programs, comes in the wake of an announcement by NYU last November 31 of a $1 billion investment in its engineering programs that included the purchase of 3 Metrotech.  In stating its plans for the new funds, the school affirms a special commitment to support research efforts in securing wireless infrastructures and supply chains, data science, and sustainability. These research disciplines are echoed in the selection of the “Agents of Optimism” team.  

To see the trailer and each of the individual superhero films, or to download the comic book, go to https://engineering.nyu.edu/tandon-agents-optimism.