Department of Computer Science, College of Engineering, Drexel University
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March 4, 2013
In This Issue
MCS: Guest Speaker
DGDG: How to Playtest
Code for Philly Drexel Workshop
Master the Science of Presentation
"Internet Privacy: Towards More Transparency"
Int'l Co-op Info Session
"Take a Job or Make a Job"
MCS: Guest Speaker
Microsoft Webinar Series
Microsoft IT Pro Camp
Windows 8 JumpStart
"Putting Watson to Work in Healthcare"
Trivia Question
Department Advising Notes
CS/SE Job Opportunities
Cyber Learning Center
Research Day 2013
Sea Perch Judging
Website designer needed!
i3 Program
"Behind Every Graduate" award
Tech Awards
Engineering Scholarship
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

Drexel MCS: Working as an Independent fork and knife image Software Developer (DARE)
Tuesday, March 5
5 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings, Room 153
Join the Math and Computer Science Society (MCS) for a talk by Drexel alumnus Chris Cera '01. While most people are taught to go to school and then get a job, Cera's talk aims to explain how you can create a job for yourself instead. It's particularly geared towards Computer Science students interested in becoming independent developers.
Drexel Game Developers: How to Playtest
Wednesday, March 6
4 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings, Room 151

Microsoft Game Studios. Gearbox Software. Valve Corporation. Each of these companies runs extensive Playtesting operations with PhDs in lab coats observing gamers hooked up to expensive heart rate monitors. Even indies are getting in on the phenomenon, with games such as Jamestown and SpyParty undergoing years of testing before finally being up for sale. But what is the purpose behind these Playtests, and how can we use these techniques to enhance our own projects? Join Drexel Game Developers Group (DGDG) President Kent Pasquino as he delves into Playtesting secrets once used only by the best AAA developer.

Code for Philly Workshop at Drexel
Thursday, March 7
5 to 10 p.m.
ExCite Center (3401 Market Street)

The Code for America Philly Team gathers people from the city government and the community to learn from each other, pitch simple projects to work on, break into teams, and accomplish awesome stuff. Code for Philly targets Drexel for two weeks of on-campus, student-powered civic hacking. All students and non-students welcome. Click here to RSVP. 

fork and knife image Master the Science of Presentation
Monday, March 11
10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Main Building Auditorium

Whether we're talking to a potential employer, in a group meeting, or presenting in front of a large audience, we all have to speak in public from time to time. Now, more than ever, the ability to successfully communicate the results of your work is important in helping to advance your career and create opportunities. The Materials Research Society at Drexel is offering a unique opportunity for students to become masters in the science of presenting. Tim Miller, founder of Spoken Science, will be at Drexel for three seminars Monday, March 11. Students, faculty, and staff from all departments are welcome. Breakfast, lunch, and a coffee break will be served during the day. For more information about this event, please contact MRS Student Chapter President Jake McDonough.

 

Technical Poster Design and Delivery

11 a.m.

Come learn about the basic rules of good poster design and some of the most effective tools and techniques for creating technical posters with quality and clarity.

 

Mastering Public Presentations
1 p.m.

Learn about some of the challenges and opportunities of designing and delivering live presentations. Topics include effective use of body and voice, the proper use of visual aids, and the importance of telling a story.

  

Elevator Speech
3 p.m.

Learn the essentials of successfully marketing yourself and your ideas in under a minute. Tim Miller will share some of the most effective tools and techniques for crafting and delivering the "Elevator Pitch."

"Internet Privacy: Towards More Transparency"
Monday, March 11
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Behrakis Grand Hall (Creese Student Center, 3210 Chestnut Street)

The Department of Computer Science welcomes Dr. Balachander Krishnamurthy from AT&T Labs as special guest speaker for the 5th Annual Jay Modi Memorial Lecture. Krishnamurthy will discuss results from AT&T Labs' research examining the variety of user information collected during Web browsing, specifically from Online Social Networks (OSN) and non-OSN sites. Read the full abstract here. A reception will be held after the presentation. A live webcast will be available for this talk. For more information, please click here or contact Julie Fisher.

International Co-op Overview
Monday, March 11
3 to 4 p.m.
Steinbright Conference Room (3201 Arch Street, Suite 250)
This workshop explores the many career resources available to students interested in a co-op or full time job outside the United States. Focusing mainly on resources for students on co-op, it covers the application process and walks students through the new International co-op website and the resources contained within it. It also explores resources both inside and outside of the Library, including the website Going Global, and how they can help students looking for a job or co-op abroad. To register, contact the Steinbright Career Development Center at 215.895.2185.
fork and knife image Industry Insight Speaker Series: Take a Job or Make a Job
Tuesday, March 12
4:30 to 6 p.m.
Rush Building, Room 104 (30 North 33rd Street)

This is the first session of the Industry Insight Speaker Series: "Take a Job or Make a Job?" All alumni and current students are invited to attend this informative talk on how to thrive in today's business environment. iSchool graduate Steve Melick '94, Executive Director of the La Salle Center for Entrepreneurship, will discuss his entrepreneurial experiences. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided. Click here for event detail and to RSVP.

Drexel MCS: Going Down for Maintenance is a Cop-Out -- Building Highly Available Systems
Tuesday, March 12
5 to 6 p.m.
University Crossings, Room 153

In order to keep up with the times, businesses today cannot afford to bring servers down regularly for maintenance. However, maintenance is more than just a critical aspect of systems. In this workshop hosted by the Math and Computer Science Society (MCS), Nicholas Canzoneri will share the best production practices for maximizing systems' uptime. 

Microsoft Webinar Series
Wednesday, March 13 at 3 p.m.
Thursday, March 21 at 9 p.m.

Are you trying to figure out what you want to do and how to get there?  Our all-new University Webinar Spring Series will feature 3-5 technical Microsoft employees and recruiters in every session with live Q&A. Content is tailored to computer science, engineering, and IT related majors, with topics focusing on machine learning and natural language processing, getting the most out of summer internships, and the Cloud. These Webinars aren't just for students interested in working at Microsoft, but are provided for any student interested in the Computer Science and Computer Engineering fields. To view all upcoming webinars and past recordings please click here. To sign up, visit the registration page for March 13 or March 21.

Microsoft IT Pro Camp
Tuesday, March 26
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Microsoft Malvern Office (45 Liberty Blvd, Ste 210, Malvern PA)
Join us at a FREE Microsoft IT Camp for hands-on labs, demos, and interactive discussions with Microsoft technical experts. Here's your chance to learn more about getting your datacenter ready for the cloud, whether you want to upgrade your on-premise datacenter or get connected to the cloud. This IT Camp will showcase the next generation of datacenter technologies featuring Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012 SP1, and Windows Azure IaaS. Get more details and register here.
fork and knife image
Windows 8 Game Development JumpStart 
Wednesday, March 27
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Microsoft Malvern Office (45 Liberty Blvd, Ste 210, Malvern PA)

At this free JumpStart, we'll be showing you around Windows 8 development with a general theme of game development, one of the biggest areas of opportunity for app developers. We'll cover core Windows 8 concepts, features to light up with your apps, guidance on building and deploying any kind of app, and game development concepts.  Hosted at the Microsoft campus with lunch included. Click here to learn more about the event and to register.

"Putting Watson to Work in Healthcare"
Thursday, April 11
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Creese Student Center (3210 Chestnut Street)
IBM's Watson captured the imagination of millions when it beat the all-time champions of the US game show, Jeopardy. It was a huge leap forward in the computer science discipline of question answering. IBM is now putting Watson to work, in healthcare, in financial services, in customer service. IBM Healthcare Industry Architect Ed Nazarko will explain the knowledge IBM gained in building and training Watson and how the company is creating a whole new set of cognitive computing capabilities in its products that will be every bit as transformational as Watson. Click here to learn more, or register for this event online.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Trivia Question & Prize
The first three people to respond with the correct answer will receive a CS gift. Limit one prize per person, per term.
Q: Anthony J. Drexel was the first president of Drexel University. Who was the treasurer?
Email Julie Fisher at [email protected] with your answer by noon on Tuesday, March 5.
Advising Notes
CS/SE Freshmen/Sophomore Advisor: Undergrad Advising Center
CS/SE Upper Level Advisor: Andrea Negro
By now everyone who is not on co-op in the Spring term should have already registered for classes.  If you haven't, please do so as soon as possible.  There are a couple CS courses that could be in danger of being canceled due to low enrollment if the numbers do not increase.  A full list of CS electives for the Spring is on the CS website under News & Notes.

 

Students planning on graduating next year (2014) will need to take CS 350 and MATH 221 in the Spring (if you haven't already) so that you can take CS 451 in the Summer. CS 451 is a prerequisite for senior design (CS 491/2/3) that starts in the Fall. 

 

Attention 2013 Graduating Seniors

Remember to review DegreeWorks to make sure that all of your requirements are completed including the total number of credits ("Credits Applied"), tracks and minors. 

 

Feel free to contact your assigned advisor if you need any help working out a plan of study. 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.
Two new postings since February 18, 2013:

Need help with classes? Visit the Cyber Learning Center

The Cyber Learrning 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.

Winter Term Hours

  • Mondays: 1 to 8 p.m.
  • Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays: 1 to 5 p.m.
  • Friday: 1 to 4 p.m.

Click here to view the TA availability and contact information. Office hours for CS 121-122 will begin in week 3 and be held on the odd weeks of the term.

Research Day 2013 Abstract Submission and Registration Now Open
Deadline for abstract submission: March 21, 2013

The Research Day abstract submission and registration system is now open. The submission process has been simplified, making it even easier to submit your research project. Before you submit your abstract, please review last year's accepted abstracts to gain a better understanding of the traditional format and content. Click here to submit a completed abstract.

Become a Sea Perch Competition Judge
April 26-27, 2013
Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC)

The College of Engineering is looking for engineering and science-related professors and graduate students to volunteer to become a judge at the 2013 Greater Philadelphia Sea Perch Challenge. More than 80 middle and high school underwater robotic teams will compete for first place and a chance to enter the 2013 Sea Perch Nationals Competition. Volunteers are needed to judge the following categories: Vehicle Performance, Oral Presentation, Notebook Submission, and Team & Sportsmanship. If you are interested, please fill out a registration form. If you have any questions, please contact Liana Nathan.

Drexel Entrepreneurship Club Looking for Website Designer

The Drexel Entrepreneurship Club is looking for a motivated and talented student in the computer sciences to design their website. The website will house information pertaining to upcoming events, interviews with local entrepreneurs and start-up companies, articles on entrepreneurship, and advice for young entrepreneurs. The website can be developed using whatever platform the student deems fit; including Wordpress, Joomla!, or another CMS platform. If interested, please contact Garrett Gillin.

2013 i3 Summer Internship and Research Program
Applications due March 8, 2013

The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) is an undergraduate research and leadership development program that prepares students from underrepresented populations for graduate study and careers in the information sciences. Students are immersed in special-topics workshops, professional development seminars, research projects, and network-building opportunities. Students of all majors are encouraged to apply. For more information about the program and the information sciences, click here. Additional information about the program and application process can be found onlinePlease contact Michael Depew with any questions.

The Harold W. Pote "Behind Every Graduate" Award
Nominations due April 12

Graduating seniors are invited to nominate that special high school teacher who inspired them to pursue a college education as they embark on their careers. In 2006, Drexel University initiated the Harold W. Pote "Behind Every Graduate" Award for Excellence in Secondary School Teaching. The award was created to acknowledge outstanding high school teachers who provided a new perspective or inspired a student to consider a certain major or career. Drexel University values the high school teachers who have inspired our graduates and it will honor the high school teachers and the students who nominated them at its commencement 2013 ceremony. Click here for more information or to nominate your teacher.

The Tech Awards
Applications due May 1, 2013

The Tech Awards, a signature program of The Tech Museum of Innovation, will honor 10 international innovators who are applying technology to confront humanity's most urgent challenges. The Tech Awards honors individuals, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies who are using technology to significantly improve human conditions in 5 awards categories. The technology used can be either a new invention or an innovative use of an existing technology. For more information and to apply, please visit The Tech Awards website.  

Reading PSPE Engineering Scholarship 
Applications due May 31, 2013

The Reading Chapter of the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers (PSPE) will be awarding a $2,500 scholarship for the 2013-2014 academic year. This scholarship is a one-time only grant to be provided to an undergraduate engineering student who will be enrolled in their junior or senior year in the fall of 2013. Academic success, character, personal merit, commitment plus school and community involvements will be the basis for the award. Click here to learn more and to download a scholarship application.