CSEE Colloquium

Experiences Teaching Thousands Online

Professor Michael L. Littman
Computer Science, Brown University

1:00pm Friday, 26 October 2012, ITE 227, UMBC

Last Fall, a pair of well-respected computer scientists at Stanford offered their AI class for free to people everywhere via the Internet. Over 160,000 students signed up, spurring a worldwide conversation on the impact of online teaching on higher education and sending universities throughout the US scrambling to announce initiatives in this space. I had the good fortune to teach a class for one of the startups and will share my experiences.

Michael L. Littman is a professor of computer scientist at Brown University. He works mainly in reinforcement learning, but has done work in machine learning, game theory, computer networking, partially observable Markov decision process solving, computer solving of analogy problems and other areas. He has held faculty positions in the computer science departments at Duke University and Rutgers University, where he chaired the department from 2009 to 2012.  In the summer of 2012 he taught a massive open online course (MOOC) on graph algorithms.

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The UMBC ACM Student Chapter invites CSEE students, staff and faculty to the third annual Welcome Back Picnic. Join us this coming Wednesday, 10 October 2012, between 11:30 am and 1:30pm in the Atrium of the Engineering Building for lunch and to meet new and returning students.

The picnic is sponsored by the CSEE Department and the ACM Student Chapter with additional support by the UMBC Graduate Students Association. RSVP via then event on Facebook or my.umbc.edu.

You can stay informed about the chapter activities and events by liking its Facebook page or signing up for its mailing list

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. It provides members with resources that advance computing both as a science and a profession. UMBC's chapter meetings are open to all undergraduate and graduate students of any major. While you do not need to join ACM to be a part of the local chapter, the annual membership dues for students is only $19, heavily discounted from the non-student rate. See the ACM site for more information on student membership and its benefits. If you have any questions about the UMBC chapter or suggestions for activities for the coming year, send them to the acmofficers at lists.umbc.edu.

UMBC CSEE Colloquium

Real-time Causal Anomaly Detection for Hyperspectral Imagery

Yu-Lei Wang
Information and Communication Engineering College
Harbin Engineering University, China

1:00pm Friday, 12 October 2012, ITE 227, UMBC

Due to availability of very high spectral resolution, a hyperspectral imaging sensor is capable of uncovering many subtle signal sources which cannot be visually inspected or known by prior knowledge. Such signal sources generally appear as anomalies in the data. As a result, anomaly detection has received considerable interest in hyperspectral imaging. In anomaly detection real time causal processing is particularly important and crucial. This is because many anomalies, such as moving targets, may not stay long enough and the duration of their presence is very short. Most importantly, they may show up suddenly and instantly, then disappear quickly afterwards. Therefore, for an algorithm to be able to detect these targets in a timely fashion, the process must be real time. In addition, the data that can be used should be only those which have been visited and processed. So, the data processing must be also causal as well. Such causality is a very important pre-requisite to real time processing. Our work is believed to be the first work devoted to exploring this concept into anomaly detection. Specifically, it further derives a causal innovations information update equation for implementing real time causal anomaly detection. This concept which makes use of only innovations information provided by the pixel currently being processed without re-processing previous pixels is similar to those derived in Kalman filtering.

Yu-Lei Wang received her BS degree in Electrical Engineering from Harbin Engineering University, China in 2009 and is currently a Ph.D. student in the same university. Since December 2011 Ms. Wang has been working in the Remote Sensing Signal and Image Processing Laboratory at UMBC on hyperspectral anomaly detection under a China State Scholarship awarded by China Scholarship Council for a two-year visit to UMBC. Ms. Wang's research interest includes remote sensing image processing and vital sign signal processing.

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Fashion Forward

Chic Engine, a website and iPhone app created by Computer Science Ph.D. student  Adrian Rosebrock helps you find clothes you see on friends, strangers, or online.  Just snap a photo, and let Chic Engine do the rest.

CSEE: Tell us about your “ah-ha” moment with Chic Engine. What inspired you to start it?

Adrian: It is really interesting how common, everyday conversation illuminates problems that many of us encounter in day-to-day life. I always try to pay attention to these types of problems because if you can provide a solution to them, your product could be adopted by a widespread community of users.

The inspiration for Chic Engine came from these types of everyday conversations. I always see people turn to their friends and say “I love your dress, where did you get it?” Normally, their friend can provide an answer. However, what happens if this person is not your friend and is instead a stranger walking down the street? What if you aren’t looking at a person, but instead a magazine ad or a poster of the latest GQ outside the subway? How do you find your answer?

Chic Engine, in short, is an answer to the question “Where did you get that dress?” or “Where can I find more dresses such as this one?” Given a picture, Chic Engine analyzes it, extracts the piece of clothing from it, and then returns similar results.

CSEE: What does Chic Engine do?

Adrian: Chic Engine is a visual fashion search engine. You can either upload a picture to the website or use the iPhone app to take a picture of a piece of clothing that you are interested in. Chic Engine automatically analyzes the image and then returns results with similar clothing items.

The most important facet of Chic Engine is that it does not use “keywords” as you do with other search engines such as Google or  Bing. We are no longer describing clothing in terms of words, we are describing them in terms of images. All you need is an example image of clothing that you are interested in—Chic Engine will do the rest.

CSEE: Can you explain how the website works in a technical sense?

The first thing Chic Engine needs is a query image that contains clothing that you are interested in. Once you give it that image (either by uploading it or using the iPhone app), it first extracts the clothing from the image. This process is called background subtraction. We only want to describe the clothing contained in the image, not the surrounding area.

After the clothing is extracted, it is described. In essence, the “description” is Just a list of numbers used to represent the clothing in the image.

However, these lists of number can be quite large, making the search process slow. We want to make our search process as fast as possible to satisfy our users so we must then apply some dimensionality reduction techniques to make the list of numbers more compact.

Lastly, using the compacted list of numbers, we can search against our database of images and find the most similar items.

CSEE: Which online stores does Chic Engine search within?

Adrian: Chic Engine searches many different stores. A sample of the stores include Armani, Neiman Marcus, Banana Republic, Alexander Wang, and Piperlime, to name a few. Almost all major stores are included.

CSEE: Would you consider yourself a fashion junkie? Where do you like to shop?

I am not going to lie. It is pretty rare that I miss an episode of Project Runway, so I guess that does make me a fashion junkie. I enjoy fashion, I enjoy shopping, I enjoy the entire process. Similar to architecture, fashion can be considered art, both of which intrigue me.

As for where I shop, my two go-to places as of late have been Armani and Express. But, at the same time, you can find some real gems in a thrift store while paying next to nothing.

CSEE: Have you ever used Chic Engine to find new clothes?

Of course. I am a big believer in using your own product. Someone who builds a product and does not use it themselves  likely does not understand the intimate details of the problem they are solving.

Furthermore, if you never use your product you cannot find its shortcomings and find ways to improve it. So yes, I use Chic Engine all the time.

CSEE: How is the iPhone application different from the website?

The iPhone app is essentially a mobile version of the website. In fact, I think the app is better than the website. Having the ability to snap a picture of a piece of clothing, whether it is someone walking past you on the street or in a retail store, and then immediately have similar search results is huge.

Using the iPhone app also relieves some of the user education related problems of the website. The average website user might not understand how to upload an image from their computer or copy and paste the URL of an image they like. The app solves all these problems because all they need to know how to do is take a photo. After the photo is taken, the app can handle the upload and return similar results.

The iPhone app has been downloaded 400+ times at this point*, showing that people are interested in the product. I would also like to make a version for Android users. There is no reason why they should be left out.

CSEE: Do you have any upcoming plans for the website and app? What would your ideal product do?

We recently pushed an update online that allows user to create accounts and save their searches. With search engines such as Google and Bing, it is simple enough to reenter our search query whenever we want to see the results again, but when you are dealing with images, it is more tedious. This functionality is not included in the app, so we plan to update it so users can save their mobile searches for viewing at a later date. The next version of the app will also continue to improve on user-friendliness.

The ideal app would include as many stores as possible and it would learn from what the user uploads. It would be able to model the taste of the user, and then based on the model, it would return even more relevant search results.

At this point, Chic Engine has been online four months*. It has come a long way since it was first published online, but there are still a lot of challenging problems to overcome. Overall, I think it shows great promise and I love working on it.

*Adrian was interviewed in July 2012.

Filling the Black Hole

On August 8, 2012, Computer Education for the 21^st Century’s Computer Science Education Mini-Summit revealed the problem with high school Computer Science curricula, and, more importantly, what’s being done to fix it.

Photos: Shelby Clarke

“High School is a black hole for most students with respect to Computer Science,” says Jan Cuny, the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Program Director for Computing Education.  In August, Cuny spoke about the scarcity of Computer Science in High Schools and what’s being done to encourage students—especially women and minorities—to pursue the field.

This was music to the ears of the roughly fifty high school and middle school teachers, university professors, and administrators that attended Computer Education for the 21^st Century (CE21)’s Computer Science Education Mini-Summit at UMBC. The brainchild of CSEE professors Marie desJardins, Penny Rheingans, and CWIT’s Associate Director, Susan Martin, the day-long summit was a way for Computer Science teachers to network, share best teaching practices, and get involved in fixing a problem close to their hearts. 

Probably more telling than any facts or figures on the subject was the testimony of four high school and middle school Computer Science teachers, which told how widely the high school Computer Science experience varies across our state. Dianne O’Grady-Cunniff, who teaches classes like Web Design, Keyboarding, and Introduction to Engineering Design, says that the success of her Computer Science program at Westlake High School is largely due to her school administration’s outpouring of support.  

But, support and resources must go hand in hand for success. Femi Ajimatanrareje of Prince Georges County’s DuVal High School knows this first-hand. While the administration supports his vision, resources have been hard to come by. In order to teach courses like Introduction to Engineering Design and Foundation to Technology, Ajimatanrareje had to pick up a class supply of computers and then network them himself.

Then there are schools that have the resources but lack support. Nancy Ale, who teaches courses like Software Applications, Information Communication Technology, Robotics, and Internet Safety to Sixth graders, is facing resistance from an administration that wants her to backpedal by teaching Keyboarding instead.

Most troubling are Computer Science programs that are desperate for both resources and support. Peter O’Conner, who teaches Intro to Computer Science and AP Computer Science at Boonsboro High School in Western Maryland, has to teach Computer Science in the school’s Chemistry lab. Not only are resources stretched, but O’Connor attributes a lack of understanding of the discipline on the part of guidance counselors, the administration, parents, and even students, to low enrollment. That coupled with the courses’ distinctions as electives, means that few students are willing to take his courses when familiar offerings like Art or Tech Ed would suffice. Out of the few students who do pursue Computer Science are even fewer women. In a course of 20 students, says O’Conner, he might only have two girls.

One thing that the four teachers did have in common was the conviction that demystifying Computer Science to the masses is the first step in reversing the trend in waning enrollment levels. People hear Computer Science and think Microsoft Power Point or word processing. Or, if programming does come to mind, the concept is, at best, ambiguous, or, at worst, terrifying.

Also crucial is the regulation of the subject at the state level. In her keynote speech, Jan Cuny shared staggering stats that reinforced the teachers’ testimony: Twenty years ago 25% of high schoolers took Computer Science, and now the figure is down to 19%. A mere 1% of students enter college claiming a Computer Science major. Out of that 1%, 0.3% are women.

So what’s the solution? A good first step is Computer Science: Principles, a future Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science course being developed by the Collegeboard and NSF to help broaden participation in the field. As of now, there are more than 25 pilot sites in Berkeley, CA, Los Angeles, and Chicago that offer the class, but the goal is much broader. The CS 10K project strives to reach 10,000 teachers, and 10,000 schools by the fall of 2016. NSF has  backed the program with $38 million in funds.

The proposed course will introduce high schoolers to programming and teach them the fundamental concepts of computing, how this knowledge can be applied, and how computing has the potential to change the world. As an AP course, it will act as a bridge to the study of Computer Science in college. The hope is that the course may help fill the widening Computer Science “black hole” and help foster future analytic minds capable of creating the technologies of tomorrow.

Don’t miss UMBC’s largest job fair of the year, tomorrow, Wednesday, October 3^rd from 11:30 to 3:30 in the RAC.

Over 125 companies will be in attendance, many that are looking for Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering majors to join their teams. Here’s a list of some of the technology companies that will be at the fair:

AAI Corporation
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; ENGM; ENME; MSSE

As a recognized global provider of innovative aerospace and defense products and services, AAI’s business is to protect and defend our nation and its allies. Since our founding in 1950, our employees have generated numerous patents and have been recognized repeatedly for their commitment to supporting America’s military. For the past 4 years, AAI has been selected as one of Baltimore Business Journal’s "Best Places to Work". Our parent company, Textron Inc., is Fortune’s "Most Admired Company" in aerospace and defense. We achieve excellence through benefits such as comprehensive training, career development, an annual awards program, and ongoing cash incentive programs. Full-time employees enjoy benefits packages that include: health, dental, life and disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, a pension plan, tuition reimbursement, health club reimbursement, adoption assistance, and an employee assistance program. We value our diversity and are committed to equal opportunity employment for all. EOE M/F/D/V.

Aerotek
Recruiting majors: All Majors

Aerotek® Inc. is a leading provider of technical, professional and industrial recruiting and staffing services. Aerotek is an operating company of Allegis Group® Inc., the largest staffing company in the U.S. At Aerotek, your career will begin as a recruiter, receiving valuable career training and professional development in a rewarding sales-oriented company. Aerotek operates a network of 150 non-franchised offices throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Our team includes more than 2,000 recruiters that identify, screen and select top talent.

AMAZON
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC

Do you want to own cutting edge technology, solve new problems that didn’t exist before, and have the ability to see the impact of your successes? Amazon is growing, and we need SDEs/SDETs who move fast, are capable of breaking down and solving complex problems, and have a strong will to get things done. SDEs/SDETs at Amazon work on real world problems on a global scale, own their systems end to end and influence the direction of our technology that impacts hundreds of millions customers around the world. At Amazon an SDE/SDET can expect to design flexible and scalable solutions, and work on some of the most complex challenges in large-scale computing by utilizing your skills in data structures, algorithms, and object oriented programming. Coming to Amazon gives you the opportunity to work on a small development team in one of our many organizations; Amazon Web Services, ecommerce Services, Kindle, Marketplace, Operations, Platform Technologies and Retail. Basic Qualifications Bachelor\'s degree in computer science, computer engineering or related technical discipline Must be currently enrolled in school or graduated within the last 12 months Preferred Qualifications Strong, object-oriented design and coding skills (C/C++ and/or Java preferably on a UNIX or Linux platform) Knowledge of Perl or other scripting languages a plus Experience with distributed (multi-tiered) systems, algorithms, and relational databases Experience in optimization mathematics (linear programming, nonlinear optimization) Ability to effectively articulate technical challenges and solutions Deal well with ambiguous/undefined problems; ability to think abstractly Previous technical internship(s) preferred Graduate degree a plus

Aquilent
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; Business Tech Admin; CMSC; HCC; ENGL; IMDA; LLC; PSYC

Named one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal for the third year and acknowledged as the Government Contracting Firm of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland, Aquilent manages exciting and challenging projects that have significant impact on the lives of American citizens worldwide. To see what Aquilent can offer you, check us out at: www.aquilent.com/careers.

ARINC
Recruiting majors: ENEE; CMPE; CMSC

With its world headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland, ARINC is an established engineering company comprised of 3,200 highly skilled employees. A dynamic, progressive leader, ARINC provides critical engineering solutions in the aerospace and defense, airports, aviation, government, networks, security and transportation industries.

CE Science, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE

CE Science, Inc. is a leading provider of computational modeling, visualization and Artificial Intelligence applications. The CE Science team combines computational rigor with a contextual understanding of the data to unlock its true meaning. The result is knowledge – knowledge of what has happened, knowledge of what is happening and knowledge of what the data predicts will happen. At CE Science, we put AI to work. CE Science has extensive experience working with Federal Government agencies, both Department of Defense agencies and civilian departments and agencies. We have contracts with large business prime contractors, and other small business prime contractors and teaming partners.

ClearEdge IT Solutions
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

ClearEdge IT Solutions, LLC is a small, woman-owned company providing big Information Technology solutions and services to the Intelligence Community since 2002. At ClearEdge, we understand that our employees are the key to our success. We cultivate an entrepreneurial, employee-centric culture where senior level technologists can thrive and prosper while expanding their technical expertise.

Computer Sciences Corporation
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE

IT and professional services headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, USA. CSC predominantly provides IT Services in the following areas: systems integration and professional services; enterprise application development and management; application software for the financial services industry; business process outsourcing; managed hosting services; and application and IT infrastructure outsourcing. CSC\'s consulting and professional services include advising clients on the acquisition and utilization of IT and on business strategy, security, modeling, simulation, engineering, operations, change management and business process reengineering. CSC serves Fortune Global 1000 companies in fifteen industries and national and local governments. It employs about 93,000 people in 90 countries and ranks among the largest outsourcing companies in the world.

CyberPoint International
Recruiting majors: CMPE

CyberPoint delivers innovative, leading-edge cyber security products, solutions and services to customers worldwide. We discover the threats and vulnerabilities that expose data, systems, and infrastructure to compromise, and we design defenses that provide critical protection. Our approach is tailored to our customers’ need to reduce risks and ensure ongoing protection in a world of continuously emerging cyber threats. At CyberPoint, we seek out hard problems, develop new products and solutions, and drive innovation in cyber security. Employing world-class engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, and other industry experts, CyberPoint supports a broad array of commercial and government customers.

eBay Inc.
Recruiting majors: All Majors

eBay is the world’s leading online marketplace, bringing together a family of brands that connects communities. Built on commerce, trust, and opportunity, the unique companies that form eBay, Inc. create opportunities for people around the world—often in life-changing ways. We measure success not just on a financial scale, but on our proven ability to support social purpose and instill pride and respect amongst those who interact with us. We believe in serving community members, not customers. And our community begins here—with our people. We invite you to learn more, explore opportunities, and discover a place for you.

EdgeWebHosting
Recruiting majors: CMSC; IS

EdgeWebHosting is based in Baltimore, MD and is a leading provider of high capacity managed hosting services and is looking to expand our customer support team. We are seeking intelligent, highly motivated individuals that enjoy assisting clients and have a passion for troubleshooting, learning, and sharing knowledge.

Helion Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

Helion Technologies provides clients a full scope of consulting and technology support, utilizing help desk, onsite services and network management. Our clients expect, and receive professional solutions to create sustainable value in critical areas and overcome their business challenges. As a trusted business partner Helion fulfills these expectations through informative consultation and outstanding customer service as one of the leading IT Managed Service Providers.

Hughes Network Systems
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE

Hughes is the world’s leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with over 620,000 consumer and small business subscribers in North America, and offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has manufactured and shipped more than 2.8 million terminals to customers in over 100 countries, and has consistently maintained a global market share of over 50 percent. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

i_SW Corp
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE; MATH; PHYS

i_SW is an advanced technology, engineering and research company. We provide high-end advanced technical, integration, engineering and analysis solutions to the US Government and other customers. Our passion is to utilize cutting edge technologies to deliver customized solutions that resolve significant issues facing the nation and the world. At i_SW, we understand that our continued success results from our talented workforce. That is why across our company, you will find challenging projects and smart people with the potential to change the world. We value the freedom to explore next generation technologies in an environment designed to nurture collaboration, creativity, health, and happiness.

iHire, LLC
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; Business Tech Admin; ENCE; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; ENGM; IS; MSSE

iHire isn’t your average company. We’re one of the top places people and employers go for their career and employment needs. But our team members don’t just post peoples resumes and employers job descriptions – they create solutions to help revolutionize their customers’ careers and candidate selection. And we are proud to say that our associates are up to the challenge. Are you? We are always looking to add forward thinking, motivated people to our team who want to grow with us and become leaders. We seek the best. We have a casual work environment; emphasize work-life balance and competitive rewards help set us apart from the rest. iHire was awarded one of the top 100 employment sites by industry authority Weddle’s. Exciting opportunities have arisen within iHire for accomplished students to join our Research Development Team to work at least 3 to 5 days equal to 20-40 hr/week at $16/hr. The role requires a high impact individual. The candidate must have the ability to hit the ground running and contribute to results quickly. Responsibilities: Responsibilities include programming and maintaining a sophisticated software tool that extracts structured information from across the internet. You will also assist in building and growing iHire’s proprietary data warehouse of employment information. You will use knowledge of web concepts, protocols, and troubleshooting techniques to resolve issues and provide quality assurance to other team members. Requirements: • Solid computer skills • Ability to learn applications quickly • Strong problem solving skills • Ability to work independently and in small teams • Background in Computer Science/Systems or related field • Basic understanding of HTML web page structure and HTTP protocol • Understanding of web requests is a plus

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a not-for-profit center for engineering, research, and development. Located north of Washington, DC, APL is a division of one of the world\'s premier research universities, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The Laboratory has been a major asset to the nation since it was organized to develop a critical World War II technology in 1942. We recruit and hire the best and the brightest from top colleges, and 68% of our recruits are engineers and scientists. We work on more than 600 programs that protect our homeland and advance the nation\'s vision in research and space science, at an annual funding level of about $980 million.

KoolSpan Inc
Recruiting majors: CMSC; IS; MSSE

KoolSpan is a leading innovator of data encryption and security products optimized for the mobile market. Its microSD-based TrustChip® mobile encryption engine is a critical component to mobile security solutions and has been tested and deployed in 40 countries worldwide. TrustChip secured solutions enable the protection of applications, operating systems and mobile devices; are FIPS 140-2 Validated, and deployed by government, enterprise and offered by leading wireless operators to protect sensitive communications.

Merkle
Recruiting majors: Business Tech Admin; CMPE; CMSC; HCC; IS; MSSE; MATH

Merkle, Inc. is the nation’s largest and fastest growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency with a team of over 1,600 exceptionally talented people working throughout the United States, China and the UK. This is a place where exceptionally talented people want to be — a place where they can harness their skills, build enduring relationships, and do remarkable things they otherwise wouldn’t. Merkle is also a place where clients want to do business. For more than 20 years, many of the world’s top brands, financial institutions and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with us to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. We’ve created an ecosystem where talented people can be comfortable and thrive. We wear jeans. We bring our dogs to work. We let off steam with some pool or foosball. We have fun. But we also work hard. We execute. We innovate. We achieve. We take care of our clients, and each other. A company filled with this level of talent and passion is going to get noticed. And we are proud of the recognition we’ve received. We’ve been recognized by Forrester Research as a “Leader in Database Marketing” 3 consecutive times, and among Advertising Age’s “Ten Agencies to Watch in 2012”. We’ve been named a “Best Place to Work” by Baltimore Magazine in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and our CEO, David Williams, was named “CEO of the Year” by SmartCEO magazine. So if you’re smart, passionate, fun, and committed, consider joining Merkle, where you’ll fit right in.

Mindgrub
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC

Mindgrub Technologies is a mobile solutions consultancy and social media integrator that fuses technology with user-centric design. This focus allows us to make your application the best possible and enable your customers and employees to have the most success. This in turn gives you the best return on your investment and why our reputation has grown. Our consultants are recognized developers, designers, speakers and authors who recommend and develop the best solutions for your unique requirements.

National Security Agency
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE; MATH; PHYS; FIEC; POLI

The NSA/CSS core missions are to protect U.S. national security systems and to produce foreign signals intelligence information. The Information Assurance mission confronts the formidable challenge of preventing foreign adversaries from gaining access to sensitive or classified national security information. The Signals Intelligence mission collects, processes, and disseminates intelligence information from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes and to support military operations. This Agency also enables Network Warfare operations to defeat terrorists and their organizations at home and abroad, consistent with U.S. laws and the protection of privacy and civil liberties.

Next Century Corporation
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMSC; HCC

Next Century is a privately held company based in Columbia, MD. We are a technical services company that builds mission critical applications and solutions that provide critical information to “end users” (war fighters, first responders, law enforcement professionals and intelligence analysts). Our focus is on providing application solutions that integrate situational awareness, at-a-glance analysis, decision support, collaboration, and other core capabilities utilizing our expertise in data visualization, user interface design, GIS, image exploitation, and mobile computing. We are seeking engineers who hold these traits and beliefs: Ø Passionate about protecting our country and saving lives Ø Aware of the concepts of a high-performance organization and is committed to achieving them Ø Holds a BS degree or higher in a technical field, preferably Computer Science or Information Technology Ø Have software engineering experience working with Java technologies, full life-cycle development, team project, end user and customer interaction experience and web development. Ø Holds an active TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraph security clearance – we might be able to sponsor, if you don’t have.

Northrop Grumman
Recruiting majors: CMSC; ENEE; IS; ENME; MSSE

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.

Orbis Technologies, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS

Orbis Technologies, Inc. is a small business focused on providing high end Strategic Technology Services to DoD and Fortune 50 Clients. Orbis provides a variety of professional technology services to assist clients in building next generation large scale computing based information infrastructures. In many cases we build analytics and applications directly for our customers. This includes hosting private cloud computing infrastructures for select clients who desire security and additional protection of their data. Orbis is a recognized leader in deploying semantic technology based information platforms, semantic text analytics, cloud based analytics and ontological data modeling.

Summa Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

Summa has been providing high-impact IT consulting services and custom software development since 1996. After nearly two decades of growth, one constant has been our set of core values: client focus, high integrity, teamwork, professional development and collaboration. These values have never let us down. We have built a thriving company and many solid customer relationships around them. As we’ve grown, we have evolved from simply a trusted technology advisor to a respected partner who meets customers’ challenges with full lifecycle IT projects that deliver both immediate and long-term business value. Customers base their trust on our proven capabilities, our real-world business experience and our unique ability to work together to find the right solution to meet their needs.

Varen Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE

Varen Technologies is an Intelligence Services Provider focusing on information technology services and solutions for the Defense and Intelligence Communities. We provide high caliber intelligence professionals to assist in all aspects of systems implementation, delivering leading edge solutions using the latest tools and technologies. Our services span from initial concepts (strategic) through implementation (programmatic, development, implementation and maintenance), with an emphasis on architectures that are adapting to the information sharing environment. Our core support is in the following four areas: Cyber Solutions Strategic Management & SETA Software & IT Solutions Intel Analysis.

Wavefront Technologies, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE

Wavefront Technologies, Inc. is an engineering services company specializing in telecommunications and information technology support to the U.S Government in the form of system and software engineering as well as analytical and operational support. Wavefront\'s core capabilities are related to systems associated with wireless, wireless infrastructure, optical/RF long-haul communications, and satellite communications. Our goal at Wavefront is to provide our customers with the most talented individuals available in our field, while building a reputation as a first-class company that provides superior service through our knowledge, expertise, and determination. Through this approach, we have enjoyed a high degree of success in supporting some of the most critical, technologically complex, and high-risk missions of our customers.

Don’t miss UMBC’s largest job fair of the year, tomorrow, Wednesday, October 3^rd from 11:30 to 3:30 in the RAC.

Over 125 companies will be in attendance, many that are looking for Computer Science, Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering majors to join their teams. Here’s a list of some of the technology companies that will be at the fair:

AAI Corporation
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; ENGM; ENME; MSSE

As a recognized global provider of innovative aerospace and defense products and services, AAI’s business is to protect and defend our nation and its allies. Since our founding in 1950, our employees have generated numerous patents and have been recognized repeatedly for their commitment to supporting America’s military. For the past 4 years, AAI has been selected as one of Baltimore Business Journal’s "Best Places to Work". Our parent company, Textron Inc., is Fortune’s "Most Admired Company" in aerospace and defense. We achieve excellence through benefits such as comprehensive training, career development, an annual awards program, and ongoing cash incentive programs. Full-time employees enjoy benefits packages that include: health, dental, life and disability coverage, a 401(k) with company match, a pension plan, tuition reimbursement, health club reimbursement, adoption assistance, and an employee assistance program. We value our diversity and are committed to equal opportunity employment for all. EOE M/F/D/V.

Aerotek
Recruiting majors: All Majors

Aerotek® Inc. is a leading provider of technical, professional and industrial recruiting and staffing services. Aerotek is an operating company of Allegis Group® Inc., the largest staffing company in the U.S. At Aerotek, your career will begin as a recruiter, receiving valuable career training and professional development in a rewarding sales-oriented company. Aerotek operates a network of 150 non-franchised offices throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe. Our team includes more than 2,000 recruiters that identify, screen and select top talent.

AMAZON
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC

Do you want to own cutting edge technology, solve new problems that didn’t exist before, and have the ability to see the impact of your successes? Amazon is growing, and we need SDEs/SDETs who move fast, are capable of breaking down and solving complex problems, and have a strong will to get things done. SDEs/SDETs at Amazon work on real world problems on a global scale, own their systems end to end and influence the direction of our technology that impacts hundreds of millions customers around the world. At Amazon an SDE/SDET can expect to design flexible and scalable solutions, and work on some of the most complex challenges in large-scale computing by utilizing your skills in data structures, algorithms, and object oriented programming. Coming to Amazon gives you the opportunity to work on a small development team in one of our many organizations; Amazon Web Services, ecommerce Services, Kindle, Marketplace, Operations, Platform Technologies and Retail. Basic Qualifications Bachelor\'s degree in computer science, computer engineering or related technical discipline Must be currently enrolled in school or graduated within the last 12 months Preferred Qualifications Strong, object-oriented design and coding skills (C/C++ and/or Java preferably on a UNIX or Linux platform) Knowledge of Perl or other scripting languages a plus Experience with distributed (multi-tiered) systems, algorithms, and relational databases Experience in optimization mathematics (linear programming, nonlinear optimization) Ability to effectively articulate technical challenges and solutions Deal well with ambiguous/undefined problems; ability to think abstractly Previous technical internship(s) preferred Graduate degree a plus

Aquilent
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; Business Tech Admin; CMSC; HCC; ENGL; IMDA; LLC; PSYC

Named one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal for the third year and acknowledged as the Government Contracting Firm of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland, Aquilent manages exciting and challenging projects that have significant impact on the lives of American citizens worldwide. To see what Aquilent can offer you, check us out at: www.aquilent.com/careers.

ARINC
Recruiting majors: ENEE; CMPE; CMSC

With its world headquarters in Annapolis, Maryland, ARINC is an established engineering company comprised of 3,200 highly skilled employees. A dynamic, progressive leader, ARINC provides critical engineering solutions in the aerospace and defense, airports, aviation, government, networks, security and transportation industries.

CE Science, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE

CE Science, Inc. is a leading provider of computational modeling, visualization and Artificial Intelligence applications. The CE Science team combines computational rigor with a contextual understanding of the data to unlock its true meaning. The result is knowledge – knowledge of what has happened, knowledge of what is happening and knowledge of what the data predicts will happen. At CE Science, we put AI to work. CE Science has extensive experience working with Federal Government agencies, both Department of Defense agencies and civilian departments and agencies. We have contracts with large business prime contractors, and other small business prime contractors and teaming partners.

ClearEdge IT Solutions
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

ClearEdge IT Solutions, LLC is a small, woman-owned company providing big Information Technology solutions and services to the Intelligence Community since 2002. At ClearEdge, we understand that our employees are the key to our success. We cultivate an entrepreneurial, employee-centric culture where senior level technologists can thrive and prosper while expanding their technical expertise.

Computer Sciences Corporation
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE

IT and professional services headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, USA. CSC predominantly provides IT Services in the following areas: systems integration and professional services; enterprise application development and management; application software for the financial services industry; business process outsourcing; managed hosting services; and application and IT infrastructure outsourcing. CSC\'s consulting and professional services include advising clients on the acquisition and utilization of IT and on business strategy, security, modeling, simulation, engineering, operations, change management and business process reengineering. CSC serves Fortune Global 1000 companies in fifteen industries and national and local governments. It employs about 93,000 people in 90 countries and ranks among the largest outsourcing companies in the world.

CyberPoint International
Recruiting majors: CMPE

CyberPoint delivers innovative, leading-edge cyber security products, solutions and services to customers worldwide. We discover the threats and vulnerabilities that expose data, systems, and infrastructure to compromise, and we design defenses that provide critical protection. Our approach is tailored to our customers’ need to reduce risks and ensure ongoing protection in a world of continuously emerging cyber threats. At CyberPoint, we seek out hard problems, develop new products and solutions, and drive innovation in cyber security. Employing world-class engineers, mathematicians, computer scientists, and other industry experts, CyberPoint supports a broad array of commercial and government customers.

eBay Inc.
Recruiting majors: All Majors

eBay is the world’s leading online marketplace, bringing together a family of brands that connects communities. Built on commerce, trust, and opportunity, the unique companies that form eBay, Inc. create opportunities for people around the world—often in life-changing ways. We measure success not just on a financial scale, but on our proven ability to support social purpose and instill pride and respect amongst those who interact with us. We believe in serving community members, not customers. And our community begins here—with our people. We invite you to learn more, explore opportunities, and discover a place for you.

EdgeWebHosting
Recruiting majors: CMSC; IS

EdgeWebHosting is based in Baltimore, MD and is a leading provider of high capacity managed hosting services and is looking to expand our customer support team. We are seeking intelligent, highly motivated individuals that enjoy assisting clients and have a passion for troubleshooting, learning, and sharing knowledge.

Helion Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

Helion Technologies provides clients a full scope of consulting and technology support, utilizing help desk, onsite services and network management. Our clients expect, and receive professional solutions to create sustainable value in critical areas and overcome their business challenges. As a trusted business partner Helion fulfills these expectations through informative consultation and outstanding customer service as one of the leading IT Managed Service Providers.

Hughes Network Systems
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE

Hughes is the world’s leading provider of satellite broadband for home and office, delivering innovative network technologies, managed services, and solutions for enterprises and governments globally. HughesNet® is the #1 high-speed satellite Internet service in the marketplace, with over 620,000 consumer and small business subscribers in North America, and offerings to suit every budget. To date, Hughes has manufactured and shipped more than 2.8 million terminals to customers in over 100 countries, and has consistently maintained a global market share of over 50 percent. Its products employ global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1.

i_SW Corp
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS; MSSE; MATH; PHYS

i_SW is an advanced technology, engineering and research company. We provide high-end advanced technical, integration, engineering and analysis solutions to the US Government and other customers. Our passion is to utilize cutting edge technologies to deliver customized solutions that resolve significant issues facing the nation and the world. At i_SW, we understand that our continued success results from our talented workforce. That is why across our company, you will find challenging projects and smart people with the potential to change the world. We value the freedom to explore next generation technologies in an environment designed to nurture collaboration, creativity, health, and happiness.

iHire, LLC
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; Business Tech Admin; ENCE; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; ENGM; IS; MSSE

iHire isn’t your average company. We’re one of the top places people and employers go for their career and employment needs. But our team members don’t just post peoples resumes and employers job descriptions – they create solutions to help revolutionize their customers’ careers and candidate selection. And we are proud to say that our associates are up to the challenge. Are you? We are always looking to add forward thinking, motivated people to our team who want to grow with us and become leaders. We seek the best. We have a casual work environment; emphasize work-life balance and competitive rewards help set us apart from the rest. iHire was awarded one of the top 100 employment sites by industry authority Weddle’s. Exciting opportunities have arisen within iHire for accomplished students to join our Research Development Team to work at least 3 to 5 days equal to 20-40 hr/week at $16/hr. The role requires a high impact individual. The candidate must have the ability to hit the ground running and contribute to results quickly. Responsibilities: Responsibilities include programming and maintaining a sophisticated software tool that extracts structured information from across the internet. You will also assist in building and growing iHire’s proprietary data warehouse of employment information. You will use knowledge of web concepts, protocols, and troubleshooting techniques to resolve issues and provide quality assurance to other team members. Requirements: • Solid computer skills • Ability to learn applications quickly • Strong problem solving skills • Ability to work independently and in small teams • Background in Computer Science/Systems or related field • Basic understanding of HTML web page structure and HTTP protocol • Understanding of web requests is a plus

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

The Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a not-for-profit center for engineering, research, and development. Located north of Washington, DC, APL is a division of one of the world\'s premier research universities, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU). The Laboratory has been a major asset to the nation since it was organized to develop a critical World War II technology in 1942. We recruit and hire the best and the brightest from top colleges, and 68% of our recruits are engineers and scientists. We work on more than 600 programs that protect our homeland and advance the nation\'s vision in research and space science, at an annual funding level of about $980 million.

KoolSpan Inc
Recruiting majors: CMSC; IS; MSSE

KoolSpan is a leading innovator of data encryption and security products optimized for the mobile market. Its microSD-based TrustChip® mobile encryption engine is a critical component to mobile security solutions and has been tested and deployed in 40 countries worldwide. TrustChip secured solutions enable the protection of applications, operating systems and mobile devices; are FIPS 140-2 Validated, and deployed by government, enterprise and offered by leading wireless operators to protect sensitive communications.

Merkle
Recruiting majors: Business Tech Admin; CMPE; CMSC; HCC; IS; MSSE; MATH

Merkle, Inc. is the nation’s largest and fastest growing customer relationship marketing (CRM) agency with a team of over 1,600 exceptionally talented people working throughout the United States, China and the UK. This is a place where exceptionally talented people want to be — a place where they can harness their skills, build enduring relationships, and do remarkable things they otherwise wouldn’t. Merkle is also a place where clients want to do business. For more than 20 years, many of the world’s top brands, financial institutions and leading nonprofit organizations have partnered with us to maximize the value of their customer portfolios. We’ve created an ecosystem where talented people can be comfortable and thrive. We wear jeans. We bring our dogs to work. We let off steam with some pool or foosball. We have fun. But we also work hard. We execute. We innovate. We achieve. We take care of our clients, and each other. A company filled with this level of talent and passion is going to get noticed. And we are proud of the recognition we’ve received. We’ve been recognized by Forrester Research as a “Leader in Database Marketing” 3 consecutive times, and among Advertising Age’s “Ten Agencies to Watch in 2012”. We’ve been named a “Best Place to Work” by Baltimore Magazine in 2009, 2010 and 2011, and our CEO, David Williams, was named “CEO of the Year” by SmartCEO magazine. So if you’re smart, passionate, fun, and committed, consider joining Merkle, where you’ll fit right in.

Mindgrub
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC

Mindgrub Technologies is a mobile solutions consultancy and social media integrator that fuses technology with user-centric design. This focus allows us to make your application the best possible and enable your customers and employees to have the most success. This in turn gives you the best return on your investment and why our reputation has grown. Our consultants are recognized developers, designers, speakers and authors who recommend and develop the best solutions for your unique requirements.

National Security Agency
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE; MATH; PHYS; FIEC; POLI

The NSA/CSS core missions are to protect U.S. national security systems and to produce foreign signals intelligence information. The Information Assurance mission confronts the formidable challenge of preventing foreign adversaries from gaining access to sensitive or classified national security information. The Signals Intelligence mission collects, processes, and disseminates intelligence information from foreign signals for intelligence and counterintelligence purposes and to support military operations. This Agency also enables Network Warfare operations to defeat terrorists and their organizations at home and abroad, consistent with U.S. laws and the protection of privacy and civil liberties.

Next Century Corporation
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMSC; HCC

Next Century is a privately held company based in Columbia, MD. We are a technical services company that builds mission critical applications and solutions that provide critical information to “end users” (war fighters, first responders, law enforcement professionals and intelligence analysts). Our focus is on providing application solutions that integrate situational awareness, at-a-glance analysis, decision support, collaboration, and other core capabilities utilizing our expertise in data visualization, user interface design, GIS, image exploitation, and mobile computing. We are seeking engineers who hold these traits and beliefs: Ø Passionate about protecting our country and saving lives Ø Aware of the concepts of a high-performance organization and is committed to achieving them Ø Holds a BS degree or higher in a technical field, preferably Computer Science or Information Technology Ø Have software engineering experience working with Java technologies, full life-cycle development, team project, end user and customer interaction experience and web development. Ø Holds an active TS/SCI Full Scope Polygraph security clearance – we might be able to sponsor, if you don’t have.

Northrop Grumman
Recruiting majors: CMSC; ENEE; IS; ENME; MSSE

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Northrop Grumman is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. U.S. Citizenship is required for most positions.

Orbis Technologies, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; IS

Orbis Technologies, Inc. is a small business focused on providing high end Strategic Technology Services to DoD and Fortune 50 Clients. Orbis provides a variety of professional technology services to assist clients in building next generation large scale computing based information infrastructures. In many cases we build analytics and applications directly for our customers. This includes hosting private cloud computing infrastructures for select clients who desire security and additional protection of their data. Orbis is a recognized leader in deploying semantic technology based information platforms, semantic text analytics, cloud based analytics and ontological data modeling.

Summa Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors

Summa has been providing high-impact IT consulting services and custom software development since 1996. After nearly two decades of growth, one constant has been our set of core values: client focus, high integrity, teamwork, professional development and collaboration. These values have never let us down. We have built a thriving company and many solid customer relationships around them. As we’ve grown, we have evolved from simply a trusted technology advisor to a respected partner who meets customers’ challenges with full lifecycle IT projects that deliver both immediate and long-term business value. Customers base their trust on our proven capabilities, our real-world business experience and our unique ability to work together to find the right solution to meet their needs.

Varen Technologies
Recruiting majors: All IT/Computer Majors; CMPE; CMSC; ENEE; IS; MSSE

Varen Technologies is an Intelligence Services Provider focusing on information technology services and solutions for the Defense and Intelligence Communities. We provide high caliber intelligence professionals to assist in all aspects of systems implementation, delivering leading edge solutions using the latest tools and technologies. Our services span from initial concepts (strategic) through implementation (programmatic, development, implementation and maintenance), with an emphasis on architectures that are adapting to the information sharing environment. Our core support is in the following four areas: Cyber Solutions Strategic Management & SETA Software & IT Solutions Intel Analysis.

Wavefront Technologies, Inc.
Recruiting majors: CMPE; CMSC; ENEE

Wavefront Technologies, Inc. is an engineering services company specializing in telecommunications and information technology support to the U.S Government in the form of system and software engineering as well as analytical and operational support. Wavefront\'s core capabilities are related to systems associated with wireless, wireless infrastructure, optical/RF long-haul communications, and satellite communications. Our goal at Wavefront is to provide our customers with the most talented individuals available in our field, while building a reputation as a first-class company that provides superior service through our knowledge, expertise, and determination. Through this approach, we have enjoyed a high degree of success in supporting some of the most critical, technologically complex, and high-risk missions of our customers.

One of a Kind

A Computer Science alumna becomes the first African-American woman in history to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

“Bittersweet.”

That’s how Kyla McMullen (CS, B.S. ’05) describes what it feels like to be the first African American woman at the University of Michigan to graduate with a Ph.D. in Computer Science.

“I don’t think there’s anything special about me,” says Kyla with a modest laugh. She explains that while it’s nice to be recognized as a “first,” her accomplishment points out a sad reality: not enough women and minorities are pursuing advanced degrees in Computer Science. Out of the more than 1,400 Americans who received Ph.D.’s in Computer Science from 2010-2011, less than a quarter were female, and a mere 1.2 % (or 16 people) were African American, according to the latest Computing Research Association (CRA) Taulbee Survey. It’s a good thing staggering statistics like that didn’t deter Kyla.

Kyla’s passion for Computer Science started early and was nurtured throughout High School. “When I was little, I always liked gadgets,” she says. She remembers being fascinated by her family’s first computer because it seemed like magic. She admits to staying up all night, clicking through file folders, trying to figure out how it worked. Luckily for Kyla, her high school in her hometown of Oxen Hill Maryland had a special Computer Science track. This meant exposure to curriculum that most high schools lack, and the opportunity to take courses in Computer Programming and Engineering early on.

It paid off. One day, Kyla was sitting in Calculus class when the guidance counselor called her to his office. She thought she was in trouble, but he actually wanted to recommend that she apply for UMBC’s Meyerhoff Scholarship program.

“It was an excellent opportunity,” says Kyla of the program. Though tough, Kyla credits the program’s sense of community and her mentors as crucial ingredients of her success. She remembers her time at UMBC fondly; especially the hours spent burning the midnight oil with her two study buddies, Aimee Strang and Nwokedi Ibika (who is now, coincidentally, the first African American to get a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Perdue University).

As graduation neared, Kyla knew that she was bound for graduate school. She also knew that Michigan was the last place she wanted to live. But, at the insistence of Keith Harmon, the Assistant Director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, she reluctantly made the trip to tour the University of Michigan, where she promptly fell in love.

Here, the graduate students were happy and invested in one another’s success—an atmosphere that mirrored that of UMBC, she says. That, coupled with the school’s high reputation for Computer Science, made her decision to study there a no-brainer. “My time at UMBC prepared me very well for Michigan.”

At Michigan, Kyla explored a little before finding her niche. Drawn to the human aspect of artificial intelligence, she joined the intelligence systems group. Then, in 2007, while pursuing her Master’s, she began working on educational software that taught kids how to make relationships to objects. One of her favorite parts, she admits, was getting to know the kids in the classroom before testing out the software.

After that, Kyla discovered Spatial Audio. Her research involved constructing simulated environments navigable by sound alone. “It’s like searching for a cell phone in the dark,” explains Kyla, who has worked with the Naval Submarine Medical Research Lab on her research. The concept, which can be applied to any domain with a spatial component, is especially being considered for workers in dangerous environments.

Another of Kyla’s passions while at Michigan was promoting the sciences within minorities. She was the Vice President of The Society of Minority Engineers and Scientists and part of the Movement of Underrepresented Sisters in Engineering and Science (MUSES). Though, she recognizes the benefit of the groups, she talks about their limited capacity to help. “You can only influence the people who make it in the doors, but not the people who aren’t in the doors yet.”

That’s why Kyla stresses the importance of relatable role models early on. In High School, hers was Computer Science teacher Mr. Randy Ware, a young and “normal” teacher who challenged the stereotype of what Computer Scientists are supposed to look like. It was at that point that she realized she didn’t have to look a certain way to study Computer Science. She could just be herself.

Kyla hopes she can help others comes to this realization, too. She’s happy to be an example for young girls like her. Even now–with a Ph.D. under her belt, pursuing a job where she can continue to do her research (whether that ends up being in academia, the industry, or a research lab)—Kyla hopes to be a resource for girls like her. Girls who just need to talk to someone that looks like them. You can reach Kyla at: Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. . 

MS Thesis Defense

Using Mobile Data Collectors to Federate Clusters
of Disjoint Sensor Network Segments

Bhuvana Kalyanasundaram

11:00am Tuesday 2 October 2012, ITE 346

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) operating unattended in harsh environments have the higher probability of suffering from large scale damage, where many nodes fail simultaneously and the network gets partitioned into several disjoint segments. Restoring connectivity of structurally damaged WSN’s segments may be very urgent considering that they are employed to assist in risky missions. A similar scenario is when multiple standalone networks are to be federated to serve an emerging event such as an earthquake and conduct search-and-rescue. To deal with these scenarios, Mobile Data Mules (MDMs) are employed to establish intermittent links by moving around and carrying data from one segment to another. To limit data delivery latency and minimize the motion overhead, the travel path of the MDM should be shortened. We present a novel algorithm that groups the segments into k overlapping clusters based on the inter-segment proximity. Each cluster is assigned a distinct MDM to tour its segments. A segment that belongs to two clusters serves as a gateway that enables data transfer across clusters. Our algorithm minimizes the tour length for each MDM and sets the speed of the individual MDMs to rendezvous at the gateway nodes so that buffering space and time for inter-cluster traffic are minimized.

Committee: Drs. Mohamed Younis (chair), Charles Nicholas and Chintan Patel