Sean Cusack

Adjunct Professor
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sean Cusack graduated from The Cooper Union with a BSE degree in 1998. He has worked on software infrastructure for the past 15 years at Bloomberg LP, Merrill Lynch, and Jefferies & Co. His work has included designing and implementing system-level interfaces, data-mining, and interactive monitoring systems for Bloomberg's Data License product and Merrill Lynch's Quantitative Statistical Arbitrage unit.

In 2011, Sean started working on his venture, Learnosaurus, Inc. As a dedicated instructor and computer programmer, he decided to combine his passions into a service that will convert grade level K-5 homework into educational games. Research and development is currently under way, and now, after having proceeded through a few structural iterations iterations, the company's first round of crowd-funding is expected to start this spring, and the product ready for use in schools by fall 2013.

At Cooper Union, Sean has been teaching CS102, Introduction to Computer Science, in the fall semesters since 2003. In fall 2012, he also ran his first EID364, a cross-school independent study program focusing on Web and App development and project management. And in spring 2013, he will be assisting Professor Eric Lima with his EID103 design course, and teaching classes at the Flatiron School.

Together with a number of students and faculty, Sean helped found the Cooper Union Entrepreneurship Society and continues to be active in the organization, such as helping to organize and livestream their first big event, the Startup Challenge. During the summer of 2012, he ran a student and alumni workshop called Cooper App Camp. Also see the CUES winter 2012 event, Cooper Union I2V.

As an active member of the Cooper Union alumni community, Sean has been involved intensely, especially since 2011. As an elected member of the Alumni Council, he is involved in the Communications and Events committees, and helps administrate social media for the organization. He also is a primary organizer of Friends of Cooper Union, helping to bring the various stakeholder groups of the Cooper Union community together, and currently maintains the community-owned documentation project CooperUnionTaskForce.com.

In his personal time, Sean loves to Scuba Dive. Having explored St Lucia, Guadeloupe, Bahamas, Lake Annecy in France, and the Galapagos, he earned his Rescue Diver certification in Corsica in 2009. He enjoys traveling above water as well, such as to Machu Picchu and Pompeii. On off hours during the week, he co-ran Boy Scout Troop 999 at the Icahn House West homeless shelter. And today he is working to be a budding amateur pianist, performing occasionally at homeless shelters and small private events.

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.