HPC In the News
 

Journal of Computational Science Education Releases Latest Version

The Journal of Computational Science Education has released the latest edition of the journal. To view the latest edition, please visit http://jocse.org/issues/.  There are articles on computational science education experiences in chemistry, computer science, astronomy, and statistical analysis. The journal editor continues to seek relevant articles from faculty on their implementation of computational science in the classroom and from students describing their experiences with internship and research opportunities. Instructions to authors can be found at http://jocse.org/issues/. For questions, please contact Dr. Steve Gordon, Ohio Supercomputer Center at sgordon@osc.edu or 614-292-4132.
 

Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology and HBCU Research Infrastructure for Science and Engineering (RISE)

 

Supplement Accepted Anytime SBIR/STTR Diversity Collaborative Supplements
Letter of Intent Deadline Date:  October 6, 2014
Letters of Intent are due for CREST Center proposals.
Preliminary Proposal Deadline Date:  November 5, 2014
Preliminary proposals are due for CREST Centers.
Letter of Intent Deadline Date:  April 7, 2015
Letters of Intent are due for HBCU-RISE projects.

The Centers of Research Excellence in Science and Technology (CREST) program provides support to enhance the research capabilities of minority-serving institutions (MSI) through the establishment of centers that effectively integrate education and research. CREST promotes the development of new knowledge, enhancements of the research productivity of individual faculty, and an expanded presence of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and  mathematics (STEM) disciplines. HBCU-RISE awards specifically target HBCUs to support the expansion of institutional research capacity as well as the production of doctoral students, especially those from groups underrepresented in STEM,  at those institutions. For complete information, please visit http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6668&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39&WT.mc_ev=click.

Call for Submissions Announced for HPCAC-ISC 2015 Student Cluster Competition

The HPC Advisory Council (HPCAC), a leading organization for high-performance computing research, outreach and education, and the ISC High Performance Conference, formerly known as the International Supercomputing Conference, today announced the return of the widely successful HPCAC-ISC Student Cluster Competition in next year’s ISC program of events. In a real-time competition, 11 teams of undergraduate students from around the world will build a small cluster of their own design on the ISC 2015 exhibit floor and race to demonstrate the greatest performance across a series of benchmarks and applications. It all concludes with a ceremony on the main conference keynote stage to award and recognize all student participants in front of thousands of HPC luminaries. For complete information, please visit http://hpcadvisorycouncil.com/events/2015/isc15-student-cluster-competition/index.php.

Accelerating the Big Data Innovation Ecosystem
CCC Blog

The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) wants to establish a national network of "Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs" that will help to sustain new regional and grassroots partnerships around big data. NSF says the hubs will accelerate the ideation and development of big data solutions to specific global and societal challenges by organizing stakeholders across sectors in results-driven programs and projects, and will help academic, industry, and community stakeholders create partnerships to drive successful pilot programs for emerging big data technology. The hubs also will coordinate across multiple regions of the country, based on shared interests and industry-sector engagement, to enable dialogue and sharing of best practices, and aim to increase the speed and volume of technology transfer between public and private research centers. To read further, please visit http://www.cccblog.org/2014/09/04/accelerating-the-big-data-innovation-ecosystem/.

IEEE Predicts Top Technologies for 2022
eWeek

A new Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) report describes 23 technologies that it says could change the world by 2022. The report, which aims to predict the future of disruptive technologies, says multicore will enable smartphone users to recharge their devices once a year, and the Internet of Things will enable people to dress in clothes that monitor all their activities. Nanotechnology will enable the development of digestible cameras and machines made from particles 50,000 times as small as a human hair, which will help save lives. Big data will grow exponentially, but there will be concerns about balancing convenience and privacy. The report also recognizes the importance of quantum computing and indicates universal memory replacements for DRAM will result in a tectonic shift in hardware architectures and software. TO READ FURTHER, PLEASE VISIT http://www.eweek.com/innovation/ieee-predicts-top-technologies-for-2022.html.

NSF funds the University of Washington (UW) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) to  Facilitate the Accessibility of K-12 Computing Education to Students with Disabilities

The UW's Department of Computer Science and Engineering and Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology (DO-IT) Center in collaboration with the UNLV Department of Computer Science have been funded by the National Science Foundation to undertake AccessCS10K: Including Students with Disabilities in Computing Education for the Twenty-First Century.   AccessCS10K aims to increase the successful participation of students with disabilities in K-12 education. This goal will be pursued by: 

• building the capacity of Exploring Computer Science (ECS) and Computer Science Principles (CSP) high school teachers to serve students with disabilities through professional development training and individual real-time support, and
• creating accessible materials - both tools and curricular units - that ECS and CSP teachers can use in their classrooms.

The project is funded for close to a million dollars over the course of 3 years, beginning September 1, 2014. At UW, Richard Ladner, professor of Computer Science and Engineering, is a Principle Investigator (PI) and Sheryl Burgstahler, Director of Accessible Technology Services, is co-PI. At UNLV, Andreas Stefik, assistant professor of Computer Science, is a PI.  Project partners include recipients of NSF grants related to K-12 computing education as well as other stakeholders. For more information, please visit http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1440843&HistoricalAwards=false.

 

SC14 News
 

Gordon Bell Receives Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award
Award Presentation – November 18, 2014
SC14, New Orleans, Louisiana

Gordon Bell, known as “the father of the minicomputer,” has been named the recipient of the 2014 IEEE Computer Society Seymour Cray Computer Engineering Award for his work in designing computer systems that significantly changed high-performance computing. Bell, a researcher emeritus in the Microsoft Research Silicon Valley Laboratory, was recognized “for his exceptional contributions in designing and bringing several computer systems to market that changed the world of high-performance computing and of computing in general, the two most important of these being the PDP-6 and the VAX-11/780.” To read further, please visit http://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/gordon-bell-receives-seymour-cray-computer-engineering-award/.
 

Honors

 

Vicki Hanson Recognized for Outstanding Contributions to Accessibility and Computing

ACM has awarded the 2014 SIGACCESS Outstanding Contributions award to Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) professor Vicki Hanson. ACM is honoring Hanson for her career-long focus on issues of inclusion for people with disabilities. She has developed award-winning applications and software for older adults and individuals with hearing and vision impairments. As part of the award, Hanson will serve as keynote speaker at the 16th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, which takes place Oct. 20-22 in Rochester, NY. "Vicki Hanson has devoted her whole career to studying the needs and characteristics of diverse people with disabilities and creating methods that can help them," says University of the Basque Country professor Julio Abascal. "Her innovations, research, and publications are influencing developers and being used by consumers around the world every day." Before joining RIT in 2013, Hanson led several research projects related to accessibility while serving as To read further, please visit http://www.rit.edu/news/story.php?id=50952.

 

HPC Call for Participation

 

DINWC 2015: The Third International Conference on Digital Information, Networking, and Wireless Communications
February 3-5, 2015 - University of Synergy, Moscow, Russia
Submission Deadline – January 3, 2015

The proposed conference on the above theme will be held at University of Synergy, Moscow, Russia, which aims to enable researchers build connections between different digital applications.  The conference welcomes papers on the following (but not limited to) research topics:
- Mobile Social Networks          
- Antenna Systems and Design
- Anti-cyberterrorism          
- Assurance of Service
- Biometrics Technologies          
- Channel Modeling and Propagation
For more information, please visit: http://sdiwc.net/conferences/dinwc2015/ .

CSIT 2015: The 7th International Conference of Computer Science and Information Technology
March 18-19, 2015 - Amman, Jordan
Submission Deadline – December 22, 2014

CSIT2015 is a peer reviewed technical scientific conference that is technically co-sponsored by IEEE. The CSIT2015 will include presentations of accepted papers, posters, and state-of-the-art lectures by invited keynote speakers. Moreover, the program will include exhibits for the latest technologies and sessions on hot areas of computer science and information technology.  The aim of the CSIT2015 is to obtain a good perspective into the current state of practice to address important Computer Science and Information Technology problems. Some topics relevant to this conference include, but are not limited to: Communications and Networking, Database Systems, Data Warehousing, Data Mining, Information Assurance, Web Services and Technologies, Software Engineering, Multimedia Processing, Mobile and Cloud Computing, Human-Centered Computing, Distributed and Parallel Computing, Programming Languages, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, E–Systems and Computer Systems.  Submission & Publication. For more information, please visit http://csit.asu.edu.jo/csit2015/.

 

Upcoming Workshops, Conferences and Webinars

 

Association of IT Professionals: AITP Region 3 Student Conference 2014
October 2-4 2014 - Cameron University, Lawton Oklahoma

The 2014 AITP Region 3 Student Conference is a gathering of students and faculty members/sponsors interested in computer related fields such as Information Technology, Computer Science, Management Information Systems, etc. In this three day event, students participate in numerous competitions against other students from AITP Region 3 schools (Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi). This year competitions are Network Design, Microsoft Office Solutions, PC Troubleshooting, Mobile App Development, Database Design, System Analysis and Design, Security Scenarios, and Java Programming. For complete information, please visit http://r3conference.aitp.org/.

The IUSE/NSF Engineering Forum Discusses the Undergraduate STEM Education Program
October 3, 2014 - 2:00-4:00pm (Eastern Time).

The NSF Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) is collaborating with the Virtual Faculty Collaborative (VFC), a partnership between AAAS, Louisiana State University, and Higher Education Services, to discuss the newly released Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) Program. This webinar targets engineering faculty and staff considering submitting proposals to the Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE: EHR) program.  During this session, NSF Program Officers will address items related to the IUSE program. The session will also include several opportunities for asking questions. A recorded version of the webinar will be posted at a later date.To register for the IUSE Webinar, please access the application website. http://ehrweb01.aaas.org/stem-iwbw/iuse-engineering.

IEEE BigData 2014
October 27-30, 2014 - Washington DC

In recent years, The Program Committees of the 2014 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (IEEE BigData 2014) invite proposals for Workshops. Selected workshops will hold a central position within the larger conference, which will bring together top academic and industrial researchers from all over the world to exchange cutting edge research ideas in Big Data research, development and practice. Within these fields, workshops at BigData form crucial focal points for emerging communities and forums for the examination of new ideas. The IEEE Big Data conference is emerging as the premier venues for publications on "big data" in all its various aspects. In IEEE Big Data 2013 (http://www.ischool.drexel.edu/bigdata/bigdata2013/index.htm), it received 259 paper submissions for the main conference and 32 paper submissions for the industry and government program. Of those, 44 regular papers and 53 short papers were accepted, which translates into a selectivity that is on-par with top tier conferences. Also, there were 14 workshops associated with IEEE Big Data 2013 covering various important topics related to various aspects of Big Data research, development and applications. For more information, please visit http://cci.drexel.edu/bigdata/bigdata2014/callforworkshop.htm.

SC'14
November 16 – 21, 2014 - New Orleans, LA

HPC is helping to solve our hardest problems in the world. For more than two decades, the SC Conference has been the place to build and share the innovations that are making life-changing discoveries possible. Register and join the community in November to share our collective accomplishments and to engage in these important conversations. Register by October 15, 2014 at http://sc14.supercomputing.org/register. To read further, please visit http://sc14.supercomputing.org/ .
 

Research News From Around the World
 

Chameleon: Cloud Computing for Computer Science

NSF awards $10 million to UC, TACC and other key partners for flexible, scalable and dynamic testbed to support cloud computing applications and experiments

Cloud computing has changed the way we work, the way we communicate online, even the way we relax at night with a movie. But even as "the cloud" starts to cross over into popular parlance, the full potential of the technology to directly impact science, medicine, transportation, and other industries has yet to be realized. To help investigate and develop this promising cloud computing future, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a new $10 million project to create a cloud computing testbed called Chameleon, an experimental testbed for cloud architecture and applications. This testbed will enable the academic research community to develop and experiment with novel cloud architectures and pursue new, architecturally-enabled applications of cloud computing, specifically for the computer science domain. To read further, please visit https://www.tacc.utexas.edu/news/press-releases/2014/chameleon.

The Search for Ebola Immune Response Targets: SDSC and La Jolla Institute Provide Rapid Online Analysis

The effort to develop therapeutics and a vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus disease (EVD) requires a complex understanding of the microorganism and its relationship within the host, especially the immune response. Adding to the challenge, EVD can be caused by any one of five known species within the genus Ebolavirus (EBOV), in the Filovirus family. Now, researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology (La Jolla Institute) and the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) at the University of California, San Diego are assisting the scientific community by running high-speed online publications of analysis of EBOV-related epitope data being curated in the Immune Epitope Data Base (IEDB), and predicting epitopes using the IEDB Analysis Resource.  Sebastian Maurer-Stroh of Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR, Singapore is also assisting with analysis of the latest outbreak sequences of Ebola proteins. To read further, please visit http://www.sdsc.edu/News%20Items/PR090914_ebola.html.

Michigan State University: Fingerprinting Infants Helps Track Vaccinations in Developing Countries
MIT Technology Review

Developing countries could be able to track pediatric vaccinations with greater accuracy using a fingerprint-scanning system developed by Michigan State University (MSU) researchers with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The researchers have created software that makes it possible to precisely match fingerprints of children under five using commercially available equipment. The researchers were tasked with processing images captured by fingerprint sensors using software to compensate for the small size of the children's prints, along with wet and oily skin. They also enhanced accuracy by generating matches based on both thumbs and index fingers. A trial in Africa demonstrated the software was about 70-percent accurate in matching prints, versus 98-percent accuracy in a Michigan-based trial. The disparity in accuracy was attributable to the outdoor setting of the African clinic, which was dusty and humid.

IBM, CUNY Launch Watson Student App Competition
Registration Deadline for the CUNY-IBM Watson Case Competition - October 20, 2014

The City University of New York (CUNY) and IBM have launched a competition that will enable students to use IBM Watson's cognitive computing system to build innovative apps. Participants will focus on applying the IBM cognitive technology to improve the operation of higher education and the delivery of public services in New York City. Student teams will meet several milestones during the competition, while being mentored by IBM, CUNY, and other experts in the field. During Watson "boot camp," scheduled for Oct. 24-25, they will present their preliminary concepts. Finalists will participate in a round of presentations on Jan. 15, 2015, and cash prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place. Participants also will have an opportunity to sign up for summer 2015 internships, join a CUNY Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, work in CUNY's Incubator, and access the entrepreneurship network in virtual and real space. Participants could use Watson technology to enhance the quality and effectiveness of public undergraduate education, or to help better deliver public services such as public safety, health, and transportation. For complete details, please visit http://www.eweek.com/enterprise-apps/ibm-cuny-launch-watson-student-app-competition.html.

Tweets During 2013 Colorado Floods Gave Engineers Valuable Data on Infrastructure Damage

University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder) researchers found that tweets sent during last year's massive flooding on Colorado's Front Range were able to detail the scope of damage to the area's infrastructure. The researchers say the discovery could help geotechnical and structural engineers more effectively direct their reconnaissance efforts after future natural disasters and provide them data that might otherwise be lost due to rapid cleanup efforts. "People were tweeting amazing pictures and videos of damage to bridges and other infrastructure systems," says CU-Boulder professor Shideh Dashti. "After the fact, we compared those tweets to the damage reported by engineering reconnaissance teams and they were well correlated." The researchers used Twitter data collected by the Empowering the Public with Information in Crisis (EPIC) Project, a program launched in 2009 to study social media use during disasters. To read further, please visit http://www.colorado.edu/news/releases/2014/09/03/tweets-during-2013-colorado-floods-gave-engineers-valuable-data.

 

Educator News and Opportunities

 

Coding in the Classroom: Computational Thinking Will Allow Children to 'Change the World'
International Business Times

Coding is now an integral part of the new national curriculum in England, which was designed to help more students gain an understanding and appreciation of modern technology. "Computer programs are among the largest and most sophisticated artifacts that human beings have ever built," says Microsoft researcher Simon Peyton Jones. Within the new curriculum, computer science is treated as a foundational discipline that every child must know. The curriculum aims to develop computational thinking skills that will enable pupils to understand and change the world. "Not every child needs to learn a programming language, but without some understanding of how code works and how it affects our lives, we may be depriving young people of new avenues to creativity, and valuable skills for the job market," says Kuato Studios' David Miller. TO READ FURTHER, PLEASE VISIT http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/coding-classroom-computational-thinking-will-allow-children-change-world-1463493.

Socially-assistive Robots Help Kids With Autism Learn by Providing PersonaliUniversity of Southern California

This week, a team of researchers from the USC Viterbi School of Engineering will share results from a pilot study on the effects of using humanoid robots to help children with autism practice imitation behavior in order to encourage their autonomy. Findings from the study, entitled "Graded Cueing Feedback in Robot-Mediated Imitation Practice for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders," will be presented at the 23rd IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication (RO-MAN) conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Aug. 27. The pilot study was led by Maja Matarić, USC Viterbi Vice Dean for Research and the Chan Soon-Shiong Chair in Computer Science, Neuroscience and Pediatrics, whose research focuses on how robotics can help those with various special needs, including Alzheimer's patients and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her research team included doctoral student Jillian Greczek, postdoctoral researcher Amin Atrash, and undergraduate computer science student Edward Kaszubski. To read further, please visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140828170021.htm.

ICCSE 2015: The 10th International Conference on Computer Science & Education
June 22-24, 2015 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
Submission Deadline - April 1, 2015

The 9th International Conference on Computer Science & Education (ICCSE 2014) will be held from August 22 to 24, 2014, in University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. The conference is organized by National Research Council of Computer Education in Colleges & Universities, China, and sponsored by the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and technically co-sponsored by the IEEE Vancouver Section. To read more, please visit http://ieee-iccse.org/cfp.html.

17 Rare Images Tell the Real Story of Women in Tech

Tech isn’t a male dominated field, in many respects. Women are responsible for some of the core innovations that drive the Internet today. It’s increasingly important to remember as we read the disquieting stats about the industry. Diversity seeds creativity and it’s possible that women approach the development of tech in slightly different ways that, when combined with others’, helps produce a more powerful Internet. It’s why having more women in tech, and recognizing and celebrating their accomplishments that began over a century ago and continue today, is vital to producing a more powerful future. The first great example is from 1843, when the now-famous Adam Lovelace published instructions for the world’s first computer program. Only, there was no computer yet to run it. It was the opening salvo in a long march of innovations. To view the images, please visit http://mic.com/articles/98382/17-rare-images-tell-the-real-story-of-women-in-tech.

It's Time to Register for the American Computer Science League (ACSL)

ACSL has offered a unique programming competition for 36 years. Here are some excellent reasons to participate this year:- ACSL contests are conducted at your local school or institution throughout the year.

- All of your students can compete and be successful, not just a very few.

- All necessary preparation materials are supplies as soon as you register.

- The contest allows for various experience levels - Junior, Intermediate, and Senior.

- The Classroom Division provides a non-programming version of the contest.

- Programs can be written in any language(s) that the students know how to use.

- ACSL can extend the actual curriculum in computer science or be used as an extracurricular activity.

- New, creative contest questions and programming problems are used every year.

If you are interested in participating in the ACSL contests, please visit www.acsl.org. Please read the 'How the ACSL Works' link and view the 'Sample Questions' link.

STEM Legislation, Including Computer Science Initiatives Related to UC and CSU Undergraduate Admissions,  Heads to Governor's Desk

STEM legislation, including bills pertaining to computer science, are enjoying success in the state legislature, with three on their way to Gov. Jerry Brown for signing, including SB1200, AB1764, and AB1539. SB 1200 authored by State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) calls on the UC and CSU to establish academic standards for high school computer science courses that would be accepted for undergraduate admissions. AB1764 (see CSLNet's Letter of Support to the Governor would help educators overcome a major obstacle to advancing computer science in schools by authorizing school boards to award students a third year of math credit for satisfactory completion of a UC-approved computer science course if the school district requires more than the state minimum of two years of math instruction for high school graduation. AB 1539 from Assembly member Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills) would require the State Board of Education (SBE) to adopt computer science standards for kindergarten through 12th grade by 2019. For more information on these bills and others, please visit http://www.cslnet.org/what-we-do/policy-advocacy/cslnet-legislative-tracking/?utm_source=August+2014+Newsblast&utm_campaign=Newsblasts&utm_medium=email.

Registration Now Open for New NSTA Virtual Conference: NGSS Practices in Action

November 15, 2014 Join NSTA for an intensive one-day virtual conference on Saturday, November 15, to learn how to integrate the Next Generation Science Standards ( NGSS) into your K–12 classroom. We held a virtual conference on this topic in March, and because of the high demand and rave reviews, we're bringing it back! This web-based professional learning opportunity will feature interactive sessions on modeling, explanation and argumentation, and engineering, plus breakouts by grade level and discipline. Engage with leading experts, discuss ideas with colleagues, and gain practical insights and strategies to better understand and apply key principles from the NGSS—all from the convenience of your home. For more information and to register, please visit https://learningcenter.nsta.org/events/vc.aspx.

 

Student Engagement and Opportunities
 

2014 Broadcom Foundation MASTERS Middle School Finalists Announced
Finalists Announced – October 28, 2014

One student from San Diego is named.

On September 17, Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public (SSP) announced the selection of 30 students as finalists in the fourth annual Broadcom MASTERS® – the nation’s most prestigious Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle school students. The finalists include 12 girls and 18 boys covering 13 states and representing 29 schools. Finalists were selected by a panel of distinguished scientists and engineers from among 300 semifinalists and 2,054 applicants in 46 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico. To read further, please visit  https://www.societyforscience.org/content/press-room/broadcom-foundation-and-society-science-public-announce-30-finalists-2014.

Smart Mind Robotics: Robots Build Intelligent Kids

The club is designed, not only as an interactive class, but as a hands-on workshop as well. Each school quarter is arranged to introduce more programming and new sensors for performing challenges. In turn, each class is also constructed to give the student freedom to perform tasks in different ways allowing them to expand their creative skills. The WeDO Robotics club was designed specifically for younger children in 2nd-3rd grade. The class begins with a short story followed by building and testing of a model. After the model is built, different programming techniques are introduced letting the students try programming different outcomes to their model. The Mindstorms Robotics Club, on the other hand, challenges students from 4th-6th grade with more difficult designs and programming a step above the WeDo Robotics. Mindstorms challenges the students to think for themselves and learn to build using very strong Technic components that are not the "old LEGOS" that we used to know. To read more and to register for this program, please visit http://smartmindrobotics.com/users/editorialdisp.php?mn=711756&fn=about .

The Next Hot Major for Minority Students: Computer Science
Computer Science Online

Opportunities abound for African-American and Hispanic students in computer science, a field eager to diversify. This guide will help minority students understand why they should consider computer science, how they can explore and prepare before college, what to look for in a degree program, and how to afford a degree. The fields of computer science and programming have been growing in popularity for decades, due primarily to solid financial and professional prospects, and the incalculable effect of the digital revolution on every facet of our culture and society. However, the abundant opportunities of the computer science world have, for the most part, been overlooked by most underrepresented minority students, particularly those in the African-American, Hispanic, and Native American communities. The reasons for this problem are numerous and complex, as are its solutions.  This website includes many websites that offer advice, scholarships and opportunities for minority students (including women) and pursuing computer science. Check this website out at http://www.computerscienceonline.org/cs-programs-for-minorities/.

Microsoft Research Graduate Women's Scholarship Program
Applications Deadline – October 17, 2014

The Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship is a one-year scholarship program for outstanding women graduate students and is designed to help increase the number of women pursuing a PhD. This program supports women in the second year of their graduate studies. Women who are interested in this scholarship must apply during first year of graduate studies. Scholarships are granted by Microsoft Research at the discretion of Microsoft. To apply, please go to http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/awards/fellows-women.aspx#Application.

The 2015-2016 DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
Applications Available – late October 2014

The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems. The program fosters a community of energetic and committed Ph.D. students, alumni, DOE laboratory staff and other scientists who want to have an impact on the nation while advancing their research. Fellows come from diverse scientific and engineering disciplines but share a common interest in using computing in their research. More than 340 students at more than 60 U.S. universities have trained as fellows. The program's alumni work in DOE laboratories, private industry and educational institutions. For more information, please visit http://www.krellinst.org/csgf/about-doe-csgf/news-events. If you would like to be notified by email, please visit https://www.krellinst.org/doecsgf/reqappl/.

$6M Gift to San Francisco Public Schools and Code.org Will Promote Computer Science Education

Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff is taking action to help make computer science an elective in San Francisco’s middle schools. Salesforce.com is gifting $5 million to the city’s public schools and $1 million to Code.org for computer science education. The company sets aside 1 percent of its equity for a foundation, 1 percent of its employees’ time as community service and 1 percent of its product as a donation.  “We’re really doubling down on what we learned in our first year of creating digital classrooms and we’re really focusing on computer science,” said Salesforce.com Foundation President Suzanne DiBianca. Last year, the company’s foundation donated $2.7 million to the city’s middle schools. Computer science education through programs like Code.org will help more of the local community participate and get jobs in a technology industry that they might otherwise see as insular. To read further, please visit http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/12/salesforce-education/.

The 2014 San Diego STEAM Maker Festival
Saturday, December 6, 2014 – Del Mar Fairgrounds

San Diego Makers, schools, entrepreneurs, and vendors all under one roof celebrating creativity, invention and STEAM education. (Science. Technology, Engineering, Art & Mathematics). The San Diego STEAM Maker Festival is an event built by you, educators, makers, crafters, administrators, entrepreneurs, students and parents. As a community driven festival your generous contribution of resources, time and energy are what make this possible. For more information and to volunteer, please visit http://www.steammaker.org/.
 

The Lighter Side
 

5 Ways Social Media Is Changing Your Brain *video)

The persistence of social media is certainly changing how things are done. In a matter of minutes, you can wish an old friend happy birthday on Facebook, find a recipe for dinner on Pinterest, watch a how-to project on YouTube, and get up to the minute updates on events from Twitter. But social media isn’t just changing how we act; it’s actually changing our brains as well. AsapSCIENCE has created this video that demonstrates the 5 ways social media is altering your brain - sometimes in ways that aren’t all that different from being addicted to drugs. To view the video, please visit http://www.iflscience.com/brain/5-ways-social-media-changing-your-brain#.

'Robo Brain' Will Teach Robots Everything from the Internet
Cornell University

Robo Brain -- a large-scale computational system that learns from publicly available Internet resources -- is currently downloading and processing about 1 billion images, 120,000 YouTube videos, and 100 million how-to documents and appliance manuals. The information is being translated and stored in a robot-friendly format that robots will be able to draw on when they need it. To serve as helpers in our homes, offices and factories, robots will need to understand how the world works and how the humans around them behave. Robotics researchers have been teaching them these things one at a time: How to find your keys, pour a drink, put away dishes, and when not to interrupt two people having a conversation. This will all come in one package with Robo Brain. "Our laptops and cell phones have access to all the information we want. If a robot encounters a situation it hasn't seen before it can query Robo Brain in the cloud," said Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science at Cornell University. Saxena and colleagues at Cornell, Stanford and Brown universities and the University of California, Berkeley, say Robo Brain will process images to pick out the objects in them, and by connecting images and video with text, it will learn to recognize objects and how they are used, along with human language and behavior. To read further, please visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/08/140825084931.htm.