Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Drexel University
CS News & Notes
Issue 48November 5, 2012
In This Issue
Comcast Info Session
Startup Seminar
Tech Startup Crawl
MCS Meeting: Thomson Reuters
MCS Meeting: eMoney Advisor
DGDG Meeting: Guest Speaker
Gen Appathon
CS Seminar
WiCS Potluck
MCS Meeting: eMoney Advisor
Career Transitions
Gaming Guest Speaker
DGDG Meeting: XNA
Department Advising Notes
CS/SE Job Opportunities
Cyber Learning Center
Grader Needed
Robotics Olympiad
App Competition
Interested in joining a computing student group? Check out the following options: 

Math and Computer Science (MCS) Society 

Promotes excellence in Computer Science and Technology and to serves as an interface between the students, faculty members, entrepreneurs and technology enthusiasts.

  

Meetings:
Tuesdays at 5-6 p.m. in UCross 153
_____

Women in Computing Society (WiCS) 

Purpose is to support, recruit, and retain women pursuing a degree in the broad field of computing.

  

Meetings:
Varies, see website for details
_____

 

Drexel Game Developers Group (DGDG) 

Promoting game development within Drexel's student community.

 

Meetings:
Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., UCross 151
Quick Links
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For questions about this newsletter or if you'd like to contribute content, please contact Julie Fisher.  

Drexel Campus
Welcome to the Department of Computer Science e-newsletter. This newsletter will list all upcoming CS events and announcements every other Monday.
This icon will appear in any event that includes FREE FOOD. 
 

EVENTS

Comcast and NBCUniversal Info Session
Monday, November 5
3 to 5 p.m.
Comcast Center, 3rd floor, room A (1701 JKF Blvd)

Come learn about Comcast-NBCUniversal, career opportunities across the company, and participate in a resume workshop.  Mock interviews will be conducted to demonstrate effective interview skills. RSVPs are required for admittance into the Comcast Center. Find more information here. Questions? Email APA@cable.comcast.net

Protecting your Prized Possessions: A Crash Course in Intellectual Property for Start-ups
Monday, November 5
4 to 5:30 p.m.
Laurence A. Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship (3225 Arch Street, G-55)

Come join the students of the Drexel Entrepreneurial Law Clinic as we navigate the many avenues of Intellectual Property Protection. Learn how, when and WHY to use Copyright, Patent, Trademark and the elusive Trade Secret protection. We will present strategies for each category and helpful hints and tips to speed up the process. Questions are encouraged so be sure to bring your curiosity and creativity. Register hereFor additional information, contact Terri Zobel at terriz@drexel.edu

Campus Philly's Tech Startup Crawl
Tuesday, November 6
4 to 8 p.m.
Quorum at the University City Science Center (3711 Market Street)

Interested in working at a tech company or have plans to start your own one day? Sign up for the next Campus Philly Crawl and join us as we visit several young technology companies all within walking distance and learn what it's like to work at a start-up. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes for walking. Visit the event's website for more details.

Math and Computer Science Society: Thomson Reuters 
fork and knife image Tuesday, November 6
5 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings 153

Drexel's Math and Computer Science (MCS) Society is hosting representatives from Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Free pizza and beverages offered.

Math and Computer Science Society: eMoney Info Session
fork and knife image Thursday, November 8
5 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings 153

Drexel's Math and Computer Science (MCS) Society is hosting eMoney Advisor, a local finance software company. Representatives will deliver a tech talk, as well as discussing opportunities for spring/summer co-ops with the company. Free pizza and refreshments available. 

DGDG: Artificial Intelligence in Computer Games

Thursday, November 8
7 to 9 p.m.
University Crossings 151

Drexel Game Developers Group (DGDG) welcomes guest speaker Dr. Santiago Ontanon, CS assistant professor, who will be discussing computer game AI. Computer games are often designed to be a challenge for human intelligence, and therefore, they are also a challenge for artificial intelligence. In this talk, Professor Santiago will first cover a historical perspective of advances in game AI, and see why humans are better than computers in many games. Then, he will describe recent advances and directions in game AI, and analyze them both from an AI and from a gaming perspective.

Microsoft Gen Appathon
Friday, November 9
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Microsoft Malvern Office (MPR I & II, 45 Liberty Blvd, Suite 210)

Be part of the app revolution. Join thousands of developers around the world as we build apps for the next generation of Windows. Gen Appathon is a free hackathon and the perfect chance to build your dream app, or put the finishing touches on that app you've already started. Either way, you'll get one-on-one support from Microsoft and community experts who can guide you at every step of the way. Award prizes for best Win 8 app, best Windows phone app, and best use of Azure. Bring your own laptop (for recommended system specs, see the registration link). Click here to find out more and register. Questions? Contact Lindsay Lindstrom at lindsayr@microsfoft.com.

CS Seminar: Dr. Rene Doursat 
Monday, November 12
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
University Crossings 153

The CS Department invites students, faculty, and staff to a special lecture by Dr. Rene Doursat of the French National Center for Scientific Research and Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. Dr. Doursat will be discussing "From Embryogenesis to Simulated Development to Synthetic Biology: The Alliance of Modeling and Engineering in Biological Complex System." Read the full talk abstract and his bio here

Women in Computing Society Fall Potluck 
fork and knife image Monday, November 12
4 to 5 p.m.
University Crossings 153

Drexel's Women in Computing Society (WiCS) invites students, faculty, and staff for a Fall Potluck. The group will also host a Sony representative demoing products, including Sony Vaio S Series Laptop, PlayStation Vita, and Cyber-shot TX20. There will be giveaway items and the chance to win Sony products and gift cards. Feel free to bring a meal to share with guests. WiCS will also be providing pizza.

Math and Computer Science Society: Monetate Session
fork and knife image Tuesday, November 13
5 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings 153

Drexel's Math and Computer Science (MCS) Society is hosting representatives from Monetate, a company that drives relevant digital customer experiences for some of the best-known brands in the world, including Best Buy, QVC, Comcast, Aeropostale, The Sports Authority, and National Geographic. Read more here. Free pizza and refreshments available. 

Career Transitions: From Engineer to Business Leader
fork and knife image Tuesday, November 13
5 to 7:30 p.m.
Behrakis Grand Hall (Creese Student Center)

The Drexel Engineering Management Program invites all students, alumni, faculty and professional staff to a seminar discussing the do's and don'ts on a journey to engineering success and becoming a business leader. Speakers include Tom Edwards, faculty in Engineering Management and technology director of Met-Pro Corporation and Jeff Zinser, principal at RightRecruiting, LLC. The event that will kick off with refreshments and networking. Attendees will also have the opportunity to meet the new Director of Engineering Management, Dr. John Via. RSVP here.

The Future of Video Games
Thursday, November 15
6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Mitchell Auditorium, Bossone Research Center

Kudo Tsunoda has spent his entire professional career developing games for leaders in the industry. Some of his titles include Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures, Army Men: Air Attack, EA Sports Fight Night, and Gears of War 2. He served as creative director of Kinect for Xbox 360, the Guinness Book of World Records record holder for the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history. During Tsunoda's 14+ years in the video game industry, he has designed such genre defining features as Fight Night's Total Punch Control system and the Army Men Air Attack Winch Mechanic. Tsunoda will visit Drexel for a free and public event.  He will talk about his work on cutting-edge gaming systems and where he believes the industry is headed in the future.

Drexel Game Developers Meeting: Intro to XNA
Thursday, November 15
7 to 9 p.m.
University Crossings 151

Microsoft threw their hat into the game development ring not too long ago with their game making framework XNA. With it, developers have made games that are easily portable to Windows Phones, Windows PCs, and even the XBox 360. Join Drexel Game Developers Group (DGDG) as they go over the basics of making games using this software. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Advising Notes
CS/SE Freshmen/Sophomore Advisor: Undergrad Advising Center
CS/SE Upper Level Advisor: Andrea Negro
Course Withdraw (Fall Term)
Due to the hurricane, the withdraw deadline has been extended to Tuesday, November 6 at 5 p.m. If you plan on withdrawing from a course, you must get an add/drop/withdraw form signed by your instructor and advisor (as well as co-op coordinator if you are currently on co-op). Then bring it to SRC (Main Building, Room 222) to be processed.
Registration

Winter registration opens up next week; however, depending on your classification, you may have a different registration date than other students. Your specific date will be listed below:

  • Continuing Seniors - November 5
  • Juniors - November 7 
  • Pre-juniors - November 8
  • Sophomores - November 9
  • Co-op Students - November 26-30

Students who will be on co-op will be able to register online for one week only (November 26-30). If you do not register during that time, you will need to fill out an add form, get it signed by your co-op coordinator, then drop it off to your advisor to be processed.


If you have any questions or would like to work out a plan of study, please contact your advisor. Additional advising information can be found here. 

Computer Science and Software Engineering Job Opportunities  
Searching for a job, co-op, or internship? The CS Department can help you prepare: visit our job opportunities site to view the latest positions available in the computing industry.
Four new postings since October 22, 2012:
Need help with classes? Visit the Cyber Learning Center
The Cyber Learning Center (CLC) provides consulting and other learning resources for students taking computer science classes. It's staffed by graduate and undergraduate students employed by the CS Department. Students can receive help during office hours (drop-in or by appointment). Services include review sessions for exams, small group study sessions, homework/lab help, and a mini-library. 
Fall Term Hours 
  • Mondays: 12 to 8 p.m.
  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 12 to 6 p.m.
  • Friday: 12 to 3 p.m.
Click here to view the TA availability and contact information. The office hours for CS 121-122-123 will be posted soon. They will begin in week 3 and be held every other week (during the odd weeks of the term). 
Grader Needed for CS 472
The CS Department is searching for a grader for CS 472 Computer Networks. Requirements include:
  • At least 3.0 GPA
  • Student has taken CS 472 and received a grade of at least an A- 
Email Professor Adelaida Medlock at aalban@cs.drexel.edu to apply. 
Brown Robotics Olympiad

The Brown University chapter of IEEE is looking for competitors for its second annual Brown Robotics Olympiad. This will be a great opportunity for engineering or computer science students to apply their knowledge outside of the classroom. For the competition, teams must design and build an autonomous robot that can navigate a maze. The competition takes place in April. Registration ends November 16. Teams can sign up here.

Competition: Produce Apps & Mobile Games for Intercultural Dialogue
The 2012 Create UNAOC Challenge: Drawing on the unique cultural resources and experiences of developers around the world, the UNAOC invites individuals and teams - beginners and experts alike - to create new apps and mobile games that raise awareness and enable new opportunities for intercultural dialogue and submit them in competition for deployment at the UNAOC Forum in Vienna, Austria (27-28 February 2013). After the forum in Vienna, apps will be made available for download so a larger audience may experience what developers contribute to the challenge. Submission deadline for video, presentation, or prototype is November 30, 2012. Click here for more information.