IT Student Sam Itman Helps Modernize Optum

Some might say that Sam Itman’s direction in life was preordained by his last name, as this “IT man” has had a passion for technology since childhood. He states that he became infatuated with technology because “it presents a world of opportunities to those who are willing to discover them.” As a senior B.S. in Information Technology student (with a business minor), he has already been successful in implementing phase two of his professional goals – literally – as part of an international team of interns who developed ways to optimize Optum Technology’s pharmacy benefit and health care provider services.

Itman is a dean’s list student in the Ying Wu College of Computing and member of the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service program, part of the NJIT Secure Computing Initiative. The competitive scholarship program provides him the opportunity to pursue a Master of Science in IT Administration and Security with full tuition paid and a $25,000 annual stipend along with other expenses for professional development. In return, he must commit to work for a U.S. government agency in a cybersecurity-related position for each year of scholarship received.

Itman was offered the Optum internship through a NJIT career fair and was paired with seven team members; two from NJIT, one from Rutgers University, and four from Trinity College Dublin. The project would modernize the organization’s existing database system by upgrading security and consolidating it into a single dashboard.

The new, modern dashboard was built on React Javascript (also known as ReactJS), a platform for building user interfaces maintained by Meta (formerly Facebook). Since Itman had no prior knowledge of this system, his first challenge was to master it. The databases and “green screens” Optum used to interact with the databases were very outdated and resembled old computer terminal screens.

“Working to experience how projects are executed in real-world environments definitely prepares you for the workforce,” Itman said. “You learn to survive in a fast-paced environment with no professor there to hold your hand.” He credits Matt Toegel, university lecturer in the Department of Informatics, with helping to prepare him through Toegel’s “intense, project based” instruction. 

As a former competitive swimmer, one could assume that Itman developed an early knack for diving head first into difficult situations with a goal in sight. He notes, “I don’t swim anymore so I can completely focus on school. But I don’t miss the early morning practices!”

The end goal of the project was to develop web applications to aggregate data from several areas into one provider central portal, improve the UI to make it more user friendly, and create secure, single sign-on access for internal users.

The intern team would ultimately develop three web applications that were deployed to Kubernetes using their CICD deployment pipeline.

Part of the process involved Optum’s version of a Shark Tank style review where the team would be tasked with presenting pitches every two weeks. This was an area in which Itman excelled, and he was awarded the designation of Optum’s top intern presenter.

As a first-generation American, Itman’s parents stressed the importance of communication at an early age. Itman reflects fondly on reading time downstairs in the family room of their Oakland, New Jersey home with his father and credits his overall presentation skills to this nightly activity. According to him, if you can speak, read and write, you have the necessary tools to be a great presenter.

It was his father, also in the cybersecurity field, who first informed him about the CyberCorps program at NJIT, another “Perl” of wisdom (pun intended) for which Itman is very grateful.

Itman has been given a lucrative return offer at Optum, but declined, looking forward to his post-graduate service with the US government, which will benefit and protect the nation. However, once he meets his commitment, his next life goal will be to build his own company for cyber ethical hacking.

The final project at Optum was well received, and is now moving into an internal integration phase.