Computer Science News

2009-11-11 11:18:01

BS Track in Biocomputing/Pre-Med Approved

Computer Science students can now prepare for exciting careers in the medical field with a new undergraduate degree track in biocomputing/pre-medicine. This track will prepare students for the rigors of medical school as well as for emerging positions in the field of biocomputing. Dr. Snehasis Mukhopadhyay, Chair of the CS Undergraduate Committee, stated, "This track will be attractive to many students from Central Indiana and around the country. As one of the few pre-medical computer science programs in the country, the Department stands out as a leader. This is the only program of its kind in Indiana. With the IU School of Medicine right next door, we feel that this track will be an exciting option for many students."

Slated to begin in Fall 2010, the track includes all the pre-requisite courses for the Indiana University School of Medicine, as well as many other US medical schools. In addition, a required course in biocomputing will expose students to many applications of their biology and chemistry coursework in computer science.

More information about the biocomputing/pre-medical track will be available at http://www.cs.iupui.edu/degrees/bachelor.php in the coming weeks.

2009-11-02 14:03:28

CS Club Gains ACM Affiliation

After a three-year hiatus, the Association of Computing Machinery will regain an IUPUI chapter. Originally hosted by the Department of Computer & Information Techology in the School of Engineering & Technology at IUPUI, the student ACM chapter has been approved for the Department of Computer & Information Science. Dale Roberts, IUPUI Computer Science Club faculty sponsor, said, "This recognition highlights the growing strength of our CS Club, as well as the dedication and commitment of its leadership. CS Club is active, growing, and capable of supporting many exciting career development events throughout the year. Our affiliation with ACM, one of the elite organizations in computing, will provide many opportunities for students to engage with other faculty and professionals in the computing world, and we couldn't be happier." Presently, ACM is working on adding IUPUI to its affiliates list. More information about the Computer Science Club is available at http://csclub.cs.iupui.edu.

2009-10-27 11:03:21

US Congress Approves CS Education Week

The Association of Computing Machinery announced on October 21st that the organization is working with US Representatives Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) and Jared Polis (D-CO) to declare the week of December 7 as "National Computer Science Education Week." The article, available at http://www.acm.org/press-room/news-releases/cs-education-week/view, provides statements by noted computing leaders such as Rick Rashid, Senior Vice President of Research for Microsoft Corporation, as well as Alfred Spector, Vice President of Research and Special Initiatives at Google, Inc.

The first week in December was chosen, according to ACM, to honor Grace M. Hopper, one of the outstanding pioneers in the field. She was born on December 9, 1906. Hopper engineered new programming languages and standards for computer systems. These innovations laid the foundation for many advances in computer science from the 1940s into the 1970s. In 1971, ACM established the Grace Murray Hopper Award, which recognizes outstanding young computer professionals on the basis of recent major technical or service contributions.

2009-10-21 16:37:36

CS Club Elects Officers for 2009-10 Academic Year

The results are in! After an election on Tuesday, October 19, the Computer Science Club at IUPUI has elected new officers. These students are highly engaged in service to the university and to the department, and will spend the year developing innovative programs for Computer Science majors. In addition, these leaders and other CS Club members will be active in discussing their experiences with high school students in the Central Indiana area, thus providing a window into college-level computer science and the opportunities to excel at IUPUI. The slate of officers is below:

President - Christian Dodds
Vice President - Kenny Eldridge
Secretary - Kay Jessee
Social Chair - Naim Hegar
Oncourse Webmaster - Asad Saeed

Questions about the CS Club should be directed to Dale Roberts.

2009-10-15 11:06:38

CNN Money & PayScale.com Rank CS High on Top Careers

This year, CNN Money.com and PayScale.com ranked the top 50 careers with great pay and growth prospects. Coming in at the top was Systems Engineer, which expects a 10-year job growth of 45%. Also making the top 50 from Computer Science are information technology project manager (#5), Computer/Network Security Consultant (#8), Software Developer (#12), Software Project Manager (#16), Telecommunications Network Engineer (#30, but growing at 53% over 10 years!), and Computer Software Program Manager (#39).

Each of these positions is expected to grow much faster than average until at least 2016. Data were provided by PayScale.com, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Conference Board Help Wanted Online Data Series, and MONEY Research. The full article is at http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2009/full_list/.

2009-09-25 16:51:39

Faculty Earn Promotion, Tenure

Recently, Drs. Shiaofen Fang and Rajeev Raje were promoted to the position of professor. Both have served as Associate Professors for many years, and were awarded promotion in recognition of their contributions to the research mission of the department. The promotions took effect in August, and brings the number of full professors in the department to three.

In addition, Dr. Xukai Zou was promoted to Associate Professor, and granted tenure. Dr. Zou is a specialist in computer security, especially secure group communication over networks. He has been funded by Cisco Systems, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.

2009-09-25 16:42:04

Computer Science Named as a Top Versatile Degree

With the US economy struggling to recover after a significant recession, many students and current professionals are seeking degrees that offer flexibility in their career prospects. No longer are good jobs guaranteed right out of college, nor is continued employment a given.

Recently, MSN encarta(r) named Computer Science as one of the Top Ten most versatile college degrees, at number three. The entire article can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/10degrees.

2009-09-04 00:40:49

Xia, other IUPUI Researchers Garner $1.4m NSF Grant

Xia, other IUPUI Researchers Garner $1.4m NSF Grant Dr. Yuni Xia, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science, has been awarded with two collaborators a three-year National Science Foundation grant in the amount of $1,425,995. The title of the grant is "DisProt Database: A Central Repository of Information on Intrinsically Disordered Proteins". The goal of this project is to fully develop DisProt, a database that provides an essential depository of information about intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) . DisProt will be not only a collection of data on IDPs and their functions, but also a unique research tool to conduct various computational studies on these proteins and to help design better research strategies for studying individual IDPs in laboratory. It's expected that DisProt will support a very wide-spread use, both for the purpose of carrying out bioinformatics experiments and for the entire community involved in understanding cell and molecular biology. Dr. Xia is a co-Principal Investigator on the project, along with Dr. Vladimir Uversky. Dr. A. Keith Dunker, a Professor in the Indiana University Schools of Medicine and Informatics, is serving as Principal Investigator on the project.

2009-07-16 13:21:23

Orr, Zou, other IUPUI Researchers Receive Cybersecurity Grants

As part of the Indiana University Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research (CACR), Dr. Xukai Zou and Scott Orr have received part of $230,000 in internal grant money to pursue research along with Dr. Eliza Du in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at IUPUI. Their work is entitled, "A Novel Approach to Robust, Secured, and Cancellable Biometrics."

Funding for the internal grant program was provided by a gift from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., of Indianapolis. Fred Cate, CACR Director and Distinguished Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, made the announcement on June 19, 2009. The seed grants are expected to enhance the competitiveness of IU and IUPUI researchers in this area for competitive national grants from such agencies as the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security.

In addition, Zou and Orr were named as two of seventeen CACR Fellows for 2009-10, as researchers whose work in the field of cybersecurity "warrants special recognition."

The full press release from Indiana University is available at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/11196.html.

2009-06-15 10:05:47

Computer Science Tops List for Hottest Careers

According to a University of California San Diego Extension study, careers in computer science are hot, with four of the top twelve fastest growing careers being in our area. Among the list: Casual game development, Data mining, Software engineering, and Web design. The full article is available at http://www.higheredmorning.com/study-points-to-hottest-career-trends.

2009-06-09 09:34:54

Dr. Murat Dundar receives IUPUI Research Support Grant

CS Department Assistant Professor, Dr. Murat Dundar, was recently awarded a Research Support Funds Grant (RSFG) from IUPUI's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research for work on his project entitled "An Artificial Intelligence System for the Diagnosis of Pulmonary Embolism Using CTPA Scans and Clinical Data." Dr. Dundar's research will work toward developing an artificial intelligence (AI) system for diagnosing pulmonary embolism (PE). This system would provide a useful tool for radiologists and clinicians as a "2nd reader" to be able to more accurately diagnose PE for early treatment.

For further information on Dr. Dundar's research, please visit his website at http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~dundar/research.

2009-04-20 14:30:52

CS Job Growth Seen in Multiple Sectors

According to a new series of articles by the IEEE Computer Society, employment in many sectors of the IT world are gearing up for a strong hiring season. Included in these are healthcare IT, energy, project management, IT security, and networking. Opportunities also abound for web professionals, cloud and green computing, as well as desktop virtualization. The full series of articles is available online at http://www2.computer.org/portal/web/buildyourcareer/careerwatch/hotsectors.

2009-04-06 13:25:42

2008 Turing Award Winner Talks about Her Life in Computing

Barbara Liskov, the 2008 ACM Turing Award winner, discusses her views on a number of new technologies, her attraction to computing science, challenges she's faced, and the top lessons she's learned as part of a discussion with Stephen Ibaraki. This discussion was conducted as a part of his interview series for CIPS Connections, and lasts 38 minutes. The full audio is available at http://www.stephenibaraki.com/audio/Barbara_Liskov.mp3.

2009-04-01 15:03:46

2009 Computer Science Graduates Still In Demand

National leaders in Computer Science are indicating that graduates in computer science remain in high demand, even during this period of economic slowdown, says an article in Network World . Prof. Peter Lee, chair of Carnegie Mellon University's Computer Science Department, says that demand for the program's majors has not declined recently, and continue to have near 100% employment.

Closer to home, Prof. Cary Laxer at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, In.), noted that he welcomed more recruiters than graduating students, with over 200 companies coming to the campus. When a smaller group of companies came in January, 9 were looking for software engineering professionals.

Industry giants such as Google and Microsoft are still recruiting from college campuses this year, looking for all levels of professionals, from bachelors to PhD.

2009-03-30 14:05:32

3rd Annual Programming Contest A Success

(March 26, 2009) -- It's not surprising to find a group of high school students consumed on a Saturday with the popular arcade game Whack-a-Mole. What might be surprising is that they weren't in an arcade but in a computer lab.

How many moles pop up at any single time? You might try to count as you're trying to whack them back into their holes. Or, better yet, you might write a computer program to deliver a more exact answer. That's exactly what area students who competed in the IUPUI High School Computer Programming Contest did.

Twenty-eight students from six high schools participated in the third annual contest, which was hosted by IUPUI's Department of Computer and Information Science. Students were presented with 10 programming problems and given three hours to write the programs. They were judged by the speed with which they completed the programs, and how the programs conformed to the specifications of the problems. Students competed in teams of two members.

Read the complete article

2009-03-11 15:24:23

First Female PhD in CS wins Turing Award

The Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) today announced that Barbara Liskov is the recipient of the 2009 Turing Award, which is often described as the "Nobel Prize in computing." Liskov, an Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA, earned her PhD at Stanford University in 1968, and has been a faculty member at MIT since 1972.

This is notable because the Turing Award has only been given to two women, and this announcement occurs during US Women's History Month.

Dr. Liskov's work has made fundamental contributions to computer science, and is used routinely around the world. MIT's provost, Dr. L. Rafael Reif, said, "Her exceptional achievements have leapt from the halls of academia to transform daily life around the world. Every time you exchange e-mail with a friend, check your bank statement online or run a Google search, you are riding the momentum of her research." As head of the Programming Methodology Group at MIT, she leads research in the area of programming languages and systems, which contributes to advances in software design and distributed systems.

MIT has released more information about Dr. Liskov's life and work, available here .

2009-03-11 15:22:10

High Starting Salaries Available for BS and MS Grads

Recently, MSN Careers published an article (available here <*http://tinyurl.com/djlkjm>) *revealing average salaries for employees in many career fields, and computer science was ranked high for both BS and MS graduates. The article indicates that starting salary offers are often related to the amount and type of formal education a candidate has to offer.

Starting salaries for those with degrees in computer science/computer programming were almost $51,000 with a Bachelor's degree, while the average for those with a Master's degree was over $72,000, at $72,515. These figures outpaced every other degree type listed, including science management, physical sciences, social sciences, and the arts. Clearly a degree in computer science is a great investment in yourself and your future!

Those with questions about employment and job prospects in computer science are welcome to contact Josh Morrison at 317-274-2724 for further information.

2009-03-03 04:41:47

CS Listed as One of Five In-Demand Majors

IUPUI students are learning more about in-demand majors in this slow economy, thanks to Lauren Cascio of the IUPUI Sagamore staff. Cascio, a staff writer and IUPUI student, produced a story for the February 25th issue of the student newspaper, which lists five of the most in-demand majors in the job market today. Listed in no particular order, Computer Science ranks high due to the high number of openings and relative lack of applicants. The full story is below.

Students invest thousands of dollars in their education each year. Whether this money is out of their pockets or from loans that will be repaid, the cost of a college education is high. Some people enter college knowing exactly what they want to do, while others enter knowing what their strengths or interests are, but not much else. Regardless of whether you know what you want to do or not, you still want to be able to make up for the amount of money invested in your education.

Unfortunately, employers are not hiring as many graduates as in previous years and analysts do not expect this trend to reverse any time soon. Many organizations have done studies to try to predict the majors that will be the most marketable for graduates within the next several years. One disclaimer: any major is marketable. As a student, you should aim to do what your passion is and excel in that course of study to the best of your ability. This top five is merely meant as a guide for students who may be curious as to what the most marketable majors will be in the future and assistance for undecided students.

That being said, these are the five most in demand majors for the next five years, in no particular order.

1. Nursing

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 587,000 new nursing jobs are projected within the next eight years due, in part, to the increasing burden of the baby-boomer generation as they continue approach retirement age and require more geriatric care. In addition, many registered nurses are nearing retirement as well, adding to the job possibilities for graduating students. The IUPUI School of Nursing is the largest multipurpose nursing school in the country and offers a wide range of degree options. Undergraduates can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing when they initially enter IUPUI or can pursue a BSN as a second degree option if they already have a degree in another non-nursing field. Students have the opportunity for hands-on experience beginning their first semester and continuing through all four years of the curriculum.

2. Economics

An economics degree can lead an individual to many places, according to Archana Dube, an undergraduate advisor and lecturer for the department.

"Times are changing and economics knowledge is helpful in predicting optimizing behavior of individuals," said Dube, "Also, students who graduate with economics majors graduate with a good idea of how the world works."

Economics centers on the idea that individuals within a market operate in their own self interest. Economists analyze this behavior and look to predict how trends can make a market more or less efficient in the future. Students interested in this major are generally problem solvers who have investigative natures and have an interest in seeking answers for complex issues. The IUPUI campus can offer students small class sizes along with the research and internship opportunities of a large university.

3. Engineering

Every year in the U.S., the supply of graduates with engineering degrees in significantly less than the increasing demand for engineering majors. This fact alone is proof for why an engineering major is one of the most marketable majors out there. Students can concentrate on many different areas, including motorsports, mechanical and biomedical engineering. Students interested in the this major are usually problem solvers who always find themselves asking how they can take one system or product and make it more efficient for everyday users. The IUPUI School of Engineering and Technology offers a number Purdue University Undergraduate degrees in both the engineering and technology fields. Students experience smaller class sizes and student-to-professor ratios at IUPUI, while still getting a degree that is recognized all over the world.

"In Indiana we all take the Purdue name for granted,"

said Terri Talbert-Hatch, the Assistant Dean for Student Services within the school, "A Purdue degree in Engineering is internationally known for its quality. We have graduates studying all around the world."

4. Computer Science

Computer Science degrees are in hot demand all around the country, but also right here in Indiana. The top three jobs experiencing the largest growth within Indiana are jobs that require a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science according to a government study done in November 2008. The presence of large companies who are interested in hiring interns or new graduates right here in Indianapolis combined with small class sizes and a faculty that has built careers one what they are teaching to their students and IUPUI is an ideal place from which to obtain a Computer Science major. In this major, heavy emphasis is placed on the creation of new programs and technology to improve upon already existing technology. The IUPUI Department of Computer and Information Science also offers a certificate program for students with non-computer related majors. This certificate is a great idea for students who want the basic information about databases and other computer related technologies that can help them in their future.

"The curriculum is tough, but the rewards are definitely out there,"

said Joshua Morrsion, the Research, Curriculum and Administration Coordinator for the Department of Computer and Information Science, "We are very confident that positions are available for our graduates."

5. Secondary and Elementary Education

The demand for teachers is expected to remain consistent despite the hard economic times expected to continue within the next couple of years. Many teachers are at, or approaching, retirement age and this means that more and more graduates are in demand. Special education teachers are also beginning to become more of a fixture in schools all around the nation. Special education teachers on all levels are trained to be able to observe students for signs of learning problems and are also trained to draft action plans to make the student as productive as possible in the future. Students who are in the elementary, secondary or special education fields find themselves with many more opportunities at the IUPUI campus than anywhere else in the state. IPS schools, private schools and after-school programs are prominent all around the city and provide teaching students with hands-on experiences beginning their first semester of learning.

2009-02-18 10:23:42

March is Women's History Month, and IUPUI is Celebrating

March is Women's History Month, and IUPUI is celebrating with a variety of events on campus that will be of interest to students, faculty, and staff. Check out this flyer for more information!

2009-02-16 14:04:00

Internship Fair to be Held Wednesday, Feb. 18

The Intern Connections Spring Fair will have over 50 employers representing a variety of industries seeking student interns. Please see http://internshipfairs.iupui.edu for dates, times and locations.

Visit the fair to search for and apply to internships to take advantage of your education, apply your skills in the real world, and gain more experience to better market yourself after graduation.

When: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 10 AM - 3 PM
Where: Campus Center
Who: FREE to all IUPUI students seeking professional internships

Bring resumes and dress professionally

In preparation for the Intern Connections Spring Fair on February 18, 2009, the IUPUI Career Services Council will have a Resume Review and Information Table at the Campus Center the week of February 11 - February 17 every weekday from 10 AM-2 PM and Making the Most of a Career Fair, Workshops on Thursday February 12 at 4 PM and on Monday February 16 at 12 PM and 4 PM all workshops taking place at the Campus Center (CE) 264.

2009-02-13 12:28:59

It's time to party like it's 1234567890

Because it is! On this Friday, Feb 13 at exactly 3:31:30 PM (PST), Unix time will equal 1234567890.

What is Unix Time?

Unix time, or POSIX time, is a system for describing points in time, defined as the number of seconds elapsed since midnight Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) of January 1, 1970, not counting leap seconds. It is widely used not only on Unix-like operating systems but also in many other computing systems. It is neither a linear representation of time nor a true representation of UTC (though it is frequently mistaken for both) as the times it represents are UTC but it has no way of representing UTC leap seconds (e.g. 1998-12-31 23:59:60).

2009-02-11 14:26:20

The 12th International Conference on Network-Based Information Systems will be held at Indianapolis, USA, on Aug. 19 (Wed.) to

In the past decade, our network infrastructure has undergone radical changes. It has evolved from a small number of interconnected computer networks to a global socio-technical infrastructure, where people communicate and interact spontaneously in cyber space and with the cyber physical world, create content and share knowledge over a network of heterogeneous networks.

In the future, global society will increasingly rely on socio-technical networks designed in harmony with societal values and economic viability, with enhanced security, privacy, resilience, availability and manageability, and the ability to incorporate as yet unforeseen technologies, applications and services.

Future networks should be available anytime and anywhere, be accessible from any communication device, require little or no management overhead, be resilient to failures and malicious attacks, and be trustworthy for all types of communication. They must be able to evolve over time to incorporate new technologies, support new classes of applications, and meet new requirements and challenges. They also need to accommodate growth and unforeseen changes across many dimensions, including traffic load, network size and topology, physical link characteristics, different types of applications, and heterogeneity, without significant performance degradation. The conference scope ranges from home networks with numerous "smart" appliances to enterprise networks, core networks, and application-level networks.

The main objective of NBiS is to bring together researchers from both network systems and information systems with the aim of encouraging the exchange of ideas and experience between these two communities. It will represent an international forum to give an overview of the most recent trends. The NBiS seeks original contributions in all relevant areas, including but not limited to the following topics.

Topics of interest

• -Parallel and Distributed Algorithms
• -Communication Networks and Protocols
• -Databases and Data Mining
• -Grid Infrastructures
• -P2P Overlay Networks and Applications
• -Scheduling, Resource Discovery and Allocation
• -JXTA-based Applications
• -Web and Internet Applications
• -Ubiquitous Computing Applications
• -Pervasive Computing and Applications
• -Multimedia Systems and Applications
• -Autonomic Computing
• -Distributed Object-Oriented Systems
• -Heterogeneous Wireless Networks
• -Sensor Networks
• -Ad Hoc Networks
• -Sensor and Actor Networks
• -High-Speed Networks
• -Routing Algorithms
• -Interoperable Systems
• -Electronic Commerce
• -Network Security and Privacy
• -Intelligent Information Systems
• -Distance Learning Systems
• -eBusiness

More Information

2009-02-05 11:56:05

The Secret's Out! CS Jobs Seen as Recession-Proof

Yahoo.com has recently come out with an article regarding careers that appear to be recession-proof. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the story (available at here) indicates that by 2016, three out of 10 jobs will be in education and in health care. If those fields do not appeal to you, another large area of growth wi$ business-related positions.

Topping the list of in-demand careers are two from the field of Computer Science -- Computer Scientists and Computer Systems Analysts. These positions commanded an average salary of over $70,000 per year in 2007. More data from BLS suggests that the demand for qualified computer science graduates will grow much faster than average until at least 2016, which is as far out as the agency makes predictions.

Now is a great time to get started so that you can capitalize on the opportunities of today, and tomorrow! Whether it is completing your first undergraduate degree or coming back to school for advanced training, there's a great advantage to having the in-demand skills that employers across the country need, regardless of the economic conditions.

2009-02-05 11:51:31

NSA to Interview for Internships, Full-Time Positions

Representatives from the National Security Agency (NSA) will be at the IU IT Career Fair and are hoping to identify candidates (must be US citizens) for either full time or internship positions that would start within the next several months depending on how long it takes for clearances. Specifically, they are looking for computer security, computer science engineering, support, etc.

If you are interested, you can start the process by submitting your resume online at http://www.nsa.gov/careers. Those submitting resumes online should inform Scott Orr in the CS Department so that our contact can be notified.

There will also be a meeting here on campus on 2/19 for those of you graduating in 2010 who might be interested in working with the NSA. As soon as the information is available, it will be posted outside SL 280.

2009-02-03 09:45:57

The IUPUI School of Science is proud to announce a workshop for students pursuing MS and PhD degrees requiring a thesis.

February 20, 2009

11:00a.m.-12:30p.m.

University Library - Lilly Auditorium

Who Should Attend? Ph.D. and M.S. graduation candidates who plan to graduate with a Purdue degree in 2009.

Presenter:
Mark Jaeger, Manager, Thesis/Dissertation Office, Purdue University, will present information on thesis formatting and thesis deposit procedures.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to bring a draft copy of their thesis for reference.

2009-01-29 09:33:19

Spring Campus Day Set for March 7th

IUPUI is hosting its Spring Campus Day on Saturday, March 7th from 12 noon - 4 pm (Eastern Time). Interested in an undergraduate or graduate program at IUPUI? Come see them all in one day at the IUPUI Campus Center. In addition to sessions on admissions, financial aid, and student life, the Department of Computer & Information Science will be hosting sessions on game programming, careers in computer science, as well as graduate programs in our discipline. Come join us for the day and learn about the IUPUI campus and all it has to offer!

2009-01-22 16:09:51

IUPUI Intercollegiate Athletics names "Favorite Faculty"

Each year, student athletes at IUPUI are asked to nominate faculty from their courses as their favorites. "Favorite faculty" in Fall 2008 were invited to participate in halftime festivities at the February 21 mens basketball game at IUPUI's gymnasium, "The Jungle." This year, Josh Morrison, the Department's Research, Curriculum, & Administrative Coordinator was named a "favorite faculty" member by Sarah Oppelt, a freshman women's softball player. Morrison teaches SCI-I120, Windows on Science. This one credit hour first-year seminar is intended to introduce IUPUI students to the academic, personal, and social resources available to them, as well as to engage and prepare them for the academic rigors of university study. He said, "I am very pleased and honored to be recognized by one of our student athletes, who give so much of their time and energy to enhance the IUPUI student experience. I believe this recognition underlines the importance of strong first-year experiences for all students, including student athletes, in their academic and personal success." This is the first "Favorite Faculty" award for Morrison, who has taught SCI-I120 since 2006.

2009-01-22 16:08:47

CSCI Participates in the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative - Indiana Kickoff Event

The Department of Computer & Information Science will be participating in the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Indiana Kickoff Event, to be held at the IUPUI Campus Center on February 21, 2009. This event is for organizations such as InWIC (Indiana Women In Computing) and CS Club to learn how to increase the capacity to involve girls in STEM fields through collaboration with others. More information on this event is available at http://www.ngcproject.com/events/events.cfm?eventid=113.

2008-12-01 19:14:24

The Department of Computer and Information Science is pleased to announce the elected officers of the Computer Science Club.

President: Thomas Schneiter
Vice-President: Justin Nichols
Secretary: Kenneth Eldridge
Treasurer: Diviyansh Bhatnagar

The following chairpersons are also appointed:

Social and Membership Chairperson: Qian You
Service Chairperson: Terry Kee
Webmasters: Marizka Davis and Asad Saeed

Congratulations to the entire CSClub 2008-2009 leadership team!

(And by the way, there will be plenty of activities and additional positions in the club, given our current plans?so don't worry if you haven't plugged in to anything yet!)

The next CSClub meeting is 11/17/2008 6 PM - 7 PM, tentatively scheduled in the Computer Science conference room SL-280.

Contact Mr. Schneiter at tschneit@iupui.edu if you have questions, or visit the CSClub web site http://csclub.cs.iupui.edu/ .

The Computer Science Club is open to all students interested in computing - majors, graduate students, Certificate students?. Anyone who wants to enhance their computing prowess for any reason?. to secure a better job, prepare for research, or just to have some fun!!! So ---- join us!!!!!

Thanks, Dale Roberts, CSClub Advisor

2008-10-21 09:02:32

IUPUI Campus Day Scheduled for November 9

Interested in an undergraduate or graduate program at IUPUI? Come see them all in one day at the IUPUI Campus Center. The Department of Computer & Information Science will be hosting three sessions:

At 1 pm, Andy Harris will be presenting "Game Programming in 45 Minutes or Less," an interactive session where students will help Andy develop a working video game.

Josh Morrison will be discussing "Careers and Opportunities in Computer Science" at 2 pm, which will be an overview of the Computer Science Bachelor of Science program at IUPUI, as well as the graduate school and career opportunities that exist for Computer Science graduates.

At 3 pm, one of our graduate faculty members will be discussing graduate programs in computer science. An overview of our Graduate Certificate, Master of Science, and PhD programs at IUPUI.

2008-08-04 13:18:57

JagDays (Campus Visits) Scheduled for Fall, Spring

Prospective students interested in programs related to computers have two opportunities in the 2008-2009 academic year to meet with Computer Science faculty and staff, learn about the undergraduate program, hear from current students, and explore the exciting careers available for computer science graduates.

The dates are:
Friday, October 3rd
Friday, March 6th

Many area high schools offer flexible enrollment days for students to explore college choices, and this is a great chance to learn about computer-related fields all in one stop at IUPUI!
Registration is online at https://www.iupui.edu/~jagdays/.

2008-08-04 09:42:42

Faculty Member Receives 2-Year National Science Foundation Grant

Dr. Yuni Xia, Assistant Professor of Computer Science, has recently received funding from the National Science Foundation for a project titled "A Reconfigurable Logic Assisted Data Stream Management System for Multimedia Sensor Networks." Dr. Xia is serving as a Co-Principal Investigator (PI) and is responsbile for the database and data stream management aspects of the work. The grant was funded for two years, from September 2008-September 2010, and is in the amount of $210,000. Drs. John Lee and Yingzi Du from the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department at IUPUI are also working on the project, with Dr. Lee as Principal Investigator, and Dr. Du as a Co-PI. More information on the work of Dr. Xia is available at http://www.cs.iupui.edu/~yxia/.

2008-07-21 15:23:12

70% of New Jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering & Math will be in Computer Science

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has indicated that 70% of the new jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields will be for computer specialists. The information, released recently shows that from 2006-16, 70% of newly-created jobs will be in computer science, while 62% of all job openings (new and replacements) will be in the field. This is fantastic news for all those interested in computer science education, because it means that there will be ample opportunities for today and tomorrow's computer science students to find excellent jobs. According to Ed Lazowska, professor of computer science at University of Washington:

• Computer science, increasingly, is great preparatoin for all sorts of careers. That is, lots of people get computer science degrees to go to law school, business school, medical school, biotech labs, etc.
• "Information Technology" is much broader than the software industry. 70% of all IT jobs were with "IT consumers" (companies that use it) rather than "IT producers" (companies that invent it).
• The software industry is really hot right now, and it's also really cool it's creative, interactive, vibrant.

Further, Lazowska says, "There is a huge gap between "people" and "jobs" in computer science -- there is plenty of opportunity!"

Of the new positions, research computer scientist positions are expected to grow 21.5% to 5,000 in the US; software engineers are expected to grow 37% to 324,000 in the US; Computer Systems Analysts, Database Administrators, and Network/System Administrators are expected to grow nearly 30% each in the U.S. These are just a few of the reasons we are excited to offer fundamental education in comptuer science. Our Department will prepare you to succeed in a fast-paced job market with foundational skills that will never become obsolete. Our graduates work for top IT companies, including Microsoft, Intel, and many others!

Find the full story on computer science enrollments and job prospects at http://www.cccblog.org/2008/07/11/computer-science-enrollments-the-real-news/.

2008-07-15 16:30:06

Undergraduate Database Course Now Offered Through Distributed Education

There is now a new option for students from Liberal Arts, Informatics, SPEA, and other fields to learn the fundamentals of databases. CSCI-N311, Database Programming, is now offered for Fall 2008 via Distributed Education. Students can complete this course from home using a broadband connection, or view the lectures and complete assignments on campus in any one of the many computer labs on campus, including SL 247 (exclusively for Computer Science students). CSCI-N311 focuses on the concepts and skills required for database programming and client server development. The concepts explored will apply to any modern distributed database system, with an emphasis on developing Oracle SQLPlus scripts, PL/SQL server side programming, and Oracle database architecture. Students with programming experience in ODBC compliant languages will be able to practice connecting such languages to an Oracle database. No formal computing experience is required, though previous computing and database experience is helpful. This course includes lectures via the streaming media server (available at www.cs.iupui.edu/media) and laboratory time on Monday evenings in SL 247. With database skills being in high demand, now is a great time to develop this knowledge to enhance your current employment situation or seek out new opportunities!

2008-07-15 16:26:02

Annual Bitstream Now Available

The Department of Computer & Information Science has just released the annual edition of The Bitstream, a newsletter for alumni and friends of the Department. We invite you to get updated on many of the exciting activities that have happened over the past year. The Bitstream is available at http://bitstream.cs.iupui.edu/.

2008-07-14 16:00:47

Cisco Grant Awarded to Assistant Professor Zou

Assistant Professor of Computer Science Dr. Xukai Zou recently received an $85,000 grant from the Cisco Corporation. The funds are to support a project titled "Building a Secure Video Stream Framework for Dynamic and Anonymous Subscriber Groups," and is to run for one year, from July 2008 to July 2009. The work will culminate in a secure video stream framework using an innovative approach called Access Control Polynomial (ACP). The framework will effectively address the underlying challenges of secure video stream broadcasting and guaranteed access, anonymity, dynamicity, granularity, and scalability. This project supports the deployment of telepresence services and video on demand, which are two critical applications targeted for implementation by Cisco. Dr. Zou expects to not only provide a quality system for Cisco, but also to produce significant high-quality publications, as well as patents from his work.

2008-06-17 08:52:47

CS Faculty to Attend Year-Long Academy for Instructional Excellence

Michele Roberts, a lecturer in the Department, has been asked to represent IUPUI at a year-long series of events focusing on instructional development. The Ivy Tech Academy for Instructional Excellence, which has been held yearly since the 1994-1995 academic year, has been regarded as one of the most positive professional development experiences available for college teachers. Michele will be participating in a five-day opening session in late July, with two follow-up sessions lasting two days each in the 2008-2009 academic year. She said, "This is a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences and learn from other experienced teachers. We'll learn a lot from each other, share some memories, and return for the year energized. I'm really looking forward to it!" The Academy's primary sponsor is Ivy Tech Community College.

2008-06-16 16:52:07

Department Now Awards Teachers Certification Renewal Units

Based on a recent request to the Indiana State Department of Education, the Department is now allowed to offer Certification Renewal Units (CRUs) to Indiana high school teachers of computer science and programming. A certan number of CRUs are required of every high school teacher to remain current with their teaching licenses. This permission will now allow the outreach events and teacher training activities that the Department is involved in to carry CRU credit, thus making the activities even more valuable for local teachers.

2008-05-14 13:59:56

Associate Professor Yao Liang Lectures in Italy

From May 5-13, Dr. Yao Liang visited Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (Sant'Anna School for Advanced Studies), a university in Pisa, Italy, to deliver a series of lectures on advanced communication protocols for wireless sensor networks. These lectures were delivered in conjuction with the Real-Time Systems Laboratory at the university, and were part of a series that occurred this year. Often called the MIT of Italy, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna is a respected research university in Italy, educating approximately 250 undergraduates and 1450 graduate students this year. Dr. Liang's talks were well received, and contact was made with administrators at the institution for possible future research collaborations, as well as graduate student exchange. Please see the attached flyer for more details on Dr. Liang's visit.

2008-04-07 00:00:00

Computer Science Seniors Score Big on Major Field Test

On March 7, eleven seniors completed the Major Field Test in Computer Science as part of CSCI 495, the senior capstone course. The Major Field Test is a standardized exam that covers topics in programming concepts, discrete structures and algorithms, and computer systems, norm-referenced to a large set of college seniors.

These students did very well, scoring an average of 158 on a scale of 120-200. This placed the department's average in the 75th percentile of all institutions. When examining the parts of the exam, our institutional percentiles were:

Programming Concepts: 90th percentile
Data Structures & Algorithms: 70th percentile
Systems: 85th percentile

Dr. Snehasis Mukhopadhyay, chair of the undergraduate committee and instructor for CSCI 495, said, "We are quite proud of the performance of our seniors. The exam was a difficult one, and measures well the kinds of competencies we look for in graduates. As part of our ongoing efforts at program assessment and improvement, these results show that the undergraduate curriculum is strong and prepares students well for both employment and graduate school."

The next step for the department is to conduct a focus group with the CSCI 495 participants, and collect comparative data from other like institutions, to see how our seniors compare. Results of the study should be available in the Fall 2008 semester.

2008-03-27 00:00:00

Computing Research Association Releases Excellent Job News

More good news for computer science students! On March 25, the Computing Research Association released a bulletin citing a recent National Science Foundation InfoBrief that provided a glimpse of computer science salaries as compared to other science, health, and engineering fields.

Overall, computer science graduates are doing quite well, with 82% of bachelor's level graduates employed, and 91% of the bachelor's graduates had full-time jobs. At the master's level, 76% worked in business or industry, and 93% held full-time positions. Graduates of BS and MS programs had high salaries, tying with health majors for the highest median salary at the bachelor's level ($45,000) and tied for first with engineering at the master's level. The full report can be viewed at

http://www.cra.org/wp/index.php?p=141

2008-03-27 00:00:00

2nd Annual Programming Contest a Great Success!

The 2nd Annual IUPUI High School Programming Contest was held on March 22 at the SL Building on the IUPUI campus. This year, 51 students participated from nine area high schools throughout the Indianapolis area. The contest, sponsored by Microsoft, Google, and Sun Microsystems, included four hours of contest time, where students solved a set of ten problems ranging in difficulty. The problem set included questions normally encountered in the first year of college, as well as more challenging problems from more advanced levels. Door prizes were awarded to many teams, and the winning three teams selected from many prizes donated by our sponsors. The winning team was Sahil Yakhmi and Alex Hearn from Park Tudor Upper School. Second place went to Tyler Zou and John Zhong of Carmel High School. Third place was earned by Sidney Fletcher and Samuel Dittmer of Zionsville Community High School. More information and photos from the event can be viewed at http://contest.cs.iupui.edu.

2008-03-10 00:00:00

Computer Science Students Join Top 100

Several School of Science students, including Computer Science majors William Hartzell-Baird and Karthir Prabhakar, were named as Top 100 students. Sponsored by the IUPUI Alumni Council and the Student Organization for Alumni Relations (SOAR), the 8th annual awards were given on Friday, March 8 at the downtown Westin Hotel. More information on the event can be found at http://www.alumni.iupui.edu/top100.html .

2008-02-12 00:00:00

CS Department Hosts 2nd Annual Programming Contest

Saturday, March 22 is the date for the 2nd Annual High School Programming Contest. Last year, the competition sponsored by Microsoft brought out nearly 40 students from Central Indiana, and was a huge success! This year the contest is sponsored by Google and Microsoft, and promises to be an exciting event. Student teams of two can register at http://contest.cs.iupui.edu. There is only space for 35 teams, so students should register early (deadline March 10th). Join us on campus at IUPUI for a day of fun, competition, free pizza, and prizes from Google and Microsoft!

2008-02-06 00:00:00

CSCI Faculty and Students attend Women in Computing Conference

The IUPUI Computer & Information Science Department was well represented at this year's Indiana Women in Computing (InWiC) Conference held January 25th -26th at McCormick's Creek State Park in Spencer, Indiana. The InWic conference addresses technical and social issues relevant to women in computing. Computer Science faculty member Michele Roberts gave presentations reviewing current department research thrusts, and graduate students presented research and project summaries. InWiC is the premier organization in the state for promoting women in computing. Along with presentations, workshops, and panel discussions, the conference included a career fair with job interviews for local employment. If you are interested in joining the IUPUI chapter of InWiC, please contact Michele Roberts at mroberts@cs.iupui.edu.

2008-01-30 00:00:00

IT/Computer Science Leads as 2008 Hot Job Sector

Yahoo's Hot Jobs section, January 2008:

As Americans set goals for work in 2008, some are gearing up for a job hunt. With many expressing concern over finances, searching for gigs in top-paying industries is a smart move.

According to an analysis of Labor Department figures by Laurence Shatkin, a career information expert, the highest-paying industries are computers/information technology, science, finance, energy, and the federal government.

Specifically, jobs in software publishing (annual median salary: $72,350); computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing (annual median salary: $68,710); and computer systems design and related services (annual median salary: $66,130) top the list. These salaries far outpace the median annual salary for all occupations: about $30,400.

John Estes, vice president of Robert Half Technology, a California-based IT staffing firm, says the high salaries reflect a resurgence in the industry since the dot-com crash. Rapid innovation is helping drive the resurgence, he notes.

"The speed of innovation in products is one thing that keeps IT people in such demand, to the point where it's difficult to keep up with the pace of innovation and technology change," Estes says.

Graduates of the IUPUI Department of Computer & Information Science are well positioned to take advantage of current and future opportunities in our field! With a strong fundamental knowledge and concentration areas in many fast-growing areas (databases & datamining, networking, computer security, software engineering, graphics), our graduates can go anywhere in the US, or stay right here in Indianapolis and find excellent career opportunities.

2008-01-11 00:00:00

2008 IUPUI Intern Connections Fair

Take this opportunity to seek out internship opportunities to advance your skills and build experience. Create future job opportunities and develop a strong professional network through career-enhancing internships.

Students from ALL MAJORS and DEPARTMENTS are invited to seek out Internship Opportunities!

Thursday, March 6, 2008
10am-2pm
IUPUI Campus Center

2007-12-21 00:00:00

Faculty Position Available

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

The Department of Computer and Information Science invites applications for a tenure track position at the Assistant Professor level, beginning August 2008.

Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in Computer Science or closely related field at time of appointment, and are expected to develop a high-quality funded research program and be committed to excellence in teaching undergraduates and graduate students. Applications are accepted from candidates in all areas of computer science, though we are especially interested in candidates with expertise in the areas of biocomputing, databases and datamining, and network security.

The application must consist of a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, and a statement of research direction and teaching interests. Applicants should also arrange for three letters of recommendation to be mailed directly to the Committee.

The department is committed to achieving excellence through diversity. Applications and nominations of women, persons of color, applicants with disabilities, and members of other under-represented groups are desired.

Send all the materials to: Faculty Search Committee, Department of Computer and Information Science, IUPUI, 723 W. Michigan Street, SL 280, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5132 or via e-mail to Nicole Wittlief at wittlief@cs.iupui.edu. Consideration of applications will begin on February 15, 2008 and will continue until the position is filled. IUPUI is an EEO/AA Employer, M/F/D. For further information about the department, please visit www.cs.iupui.edu.

2007-12-11 00:00:00

IT Jobs Grow Fast

According to a new Bureau of Labor Statistics study, five IT jobs are among the 30 fastest growing occupations in the US. At the top of the list are network systems and data communications analysts. The number of positions in these areas is expected to rise from 262,000 in 2006 to over 400,000 by 2016. Fourth on this list are software application engineers. This job is expected to grow by over 44%, from 507,000 jobs in 2006 to over 730,000 by 2016.

Other IT jobs of note:

Systems analysts expected to grow 29%, from 504,000 to 650,000
Database administrators expected to grow 28% from 119,000 to 154,000
Systems software engineers expected to grow 28% from 350,000 to almost 450,000

According to an article in Computerworld (dated Dec. 10, 2007), employment analysts indicate that the demand will continue to be very strong for technology, IT, and other positions. Also, demand is expected to outstrip supply, meaning competition by employers for college graduates.

Read the Article

2007-12-05 00:00:00

CS Alumnus Eric Tinsley Awarded Hine Medallion

Eric Tinsley has been awarded a 2007 Maynard K. Hine Medallion, in recognition of his contributions to IUPUI. Tinsley is a BS and MS graduate of the department, and currently the Vice President of Technology, Process, and Training at My Health Care Manager, LLC, an Indianapolis firm. There he has responsibility for the development of the technology infrastructure, applications and business systems to deliver health information and integration for seniors across the U.S. Prior to joining My Health Care Manager, he co-founded and successfully served as CEO of Premier Solutions, Inc., for 11 years. Premier Solutions was an Indianapolis-based software integration and development company, which merged with Quest Information Systems in 2004. After the merger, Eric served as Vice President of Client Programs and Chief Quality Officer at Quest.

Tinsley has provided many years of service to the University, and particularly in the School of Science. He is founding president of the IUPUI School of Science Alumni Association Board of Directors. He shaped the mission from which the board worked and provided leadership when the infant group needed direction. During his tenure, he presided over a strong board (in number and expertise) and launched an array of successful alumni programs, including the inaugural "Frontiers in Science" that attracted nearly 100 alumni and friends to the IUPUI campus.

In recognition of Eric's work, he was awarded the Outstanding Science Alumnus Award of 2002, an honor voted on by his alumni peers.

Recently, Eric has served as a member of the school's Dean's Advisory Council (DAC). His vision for the council is very clear-to create partnerships with industry and community leaders that will expand the school's research and enhance experiences of our students. Specifically, he's promoting opportunities for science students, and faculty for that matter, to learn how to be more entrepreneurial, to turn their science training into successful business ventures.

Eric's commitment as a volunteer is an invaluable resource-as is the financial commitment he's made to scholarships for computer science students. Eric was the leader among a group of computer science alumni who created a scholarship in honor of former IUPUI professors John and Judy Gersting. Two Gersting awards are presented each spring to a deserving undergraduate and graduate student. Eric and his wife, Carolyn, have endowed the scholarship, ensuring that it exists in perpetuity.

In 2001, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter honored Premier Solutions as the Small Business Philanthropist of the Year, recognizing the company for its on-going commitment to higher education and the performing arts. In addition to sponsoring the alumni association's "Frontiers in Science" since its inception, Premier Solutions awarded thousands of dollars in web grants to Indianapolis arts organizations.

Not only is Eric involved on campus, he is also intimately involved in the Indianapolis and surrounding community. He is a member of the Techpoint Foundation Board of Directors and Program Committee, the Isprit, LLC Board of Advisors, the Carmel Community Players Board of Directors, the Butler University Software Engineering Advisory Board and the Citizens for Better Neighborhoods.

Former service includes the Indiana BMT Software Committee (as chair), the iMedNetworks, LLC Board of Directors , the Espressa Foods, LLC Board of Advisors, Indiana Information Technology Association (INITA), Indiana Technology Partnership (ITP), Rotary Club of Indianapolis, Columbia Club of Indianapolis and the National Center for Creativity Board of Directors.

In 2002, at the presentation of Eric?s outstanding science alumnus award, he encouraged the alumni and friends in the audience to give back. He spoke of success and significance. He challenged each individual to count his blessings and to consider from where those blessings originated. A handshake and a few words of appreciation are appropriate for most award winners. Not Eric Tinsley. He accepted our appreciation for the work he done on behalf of the school by doing something more. The Hine Medallion is earned in recognition of Eric's continuous commitment to the Indianapolis community and to IUPUI, and the entire Department of Computer & Information Science congratulates him on this honor.

2007-11-14 00:00:00

Faculty Awarded New Research Grants

The Department is pleased to announce recent grants received by our faculty. Dr. Shiaofen Fang is co-Principal Investigator on two National Institutes of Health grants. The grant, "3D Facial Imaging on FASD" was received in collaboration with Dr. Tatiana Foroud from the Indiana University School of Medicine at Indianapolis. The total award is in excess of $1.5 million for five years.

Dr. Fang is also co-PI on a grant entitled "Mouse Model Neuro-Facial Dysmorphology: Translational and Treatment Studies." This grant is awarded for over $1.2 million, and is conducted in collaboration with Drs. Feng Zhou and Yun Liang from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and is funded for five years.

A grant was received in the amount of $270,000 for Drs. Mihran Tuceryan, Jiang yu Zheng, and Shiaofen Fang (co-PIs) from the National Institute of Justice for a project titled, "Advanced In-Car Video System." This project is in collaboration with Herb Blitzer at the Institute for Forensic Imaging - Indianapolis, and is funded for two years.

2007-10-29 00:00:00

CSCI Offers 1-Credit Course in Game Development

This Spring, the Department will offer a 1-credit hour course entitled "Game Development for Everyone." This course has no pre-requisites and meets twice a week (Monday, Wednesday) from 2-2:50 pm in the second 8-week session. The course will introduce students to the video game industry and game development, and will include IUPUI alumni and others as guest speakers. Andy Harris, author of many books on game programming and development will teach the class. "Game Development for Everyone" is listed as CSCI N299 #28578 (Survey of Computing Applications), and is sure to be a hit with students from all majors.

2007-10-29 00:00:00

Center for Bio-Computing Open House a Success!

Over 90 faculty, researchers, and students attended the Center for Bio-Computing Open House at the Health Information and Translational Sciences (HITS) building on Oct. 26, making the event a great success! Hosted in cooperation with the DDepartment of Mathematical Sciences and the Center for Mathematical Biosciences, the Open House attracted attention from all over campus and the Indianapolis area. Represented were faculty and researchers from Eli Lilly & Company, as well as the IU Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Health & Rehabilitation Science, as well as the Purdue Schools of Science and Engineering/Technology. Attendees were treated to a lunch and tour of the facilities, as well as brief research presentations and a panel discussion of experts in the fields of biocomputing and life sciences. Providing the campus welcome was Executive Vice Chancellor Uday Sukhatme. He was followed by the Dean of the IU School of Medicine, Dr. Craig Brater. Both speakers discussed the importance of collaborative research efforts and the promise of the newly-created Centers.

2007-09-21 00:00:00

Associate Professor Yao Liang Receives NSF Grant

Dr. Yao Liang, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh (PA), have received over $370,000 from the National Science Foundation in support of their grant, titled "Collaborative Research: Investigating Temporal Correlatoin for Energy Efficient and Lossless Communication in Wireless Sensor Networks." This project is funded for three years. The project abstract follows:

This project is devoted to the fundamental investigation of exploiting temporal correlation in WSNs, for sustaining monitoring in harsh and possibly hostile environments, through an integrated theoretical and empirical approach. From this project, a novel, analytical, adaptive multimodal predictive transmission framework based on predictive coding is developed, for environmental monitoring WSN engineering, to achieve substantial energy savings and, hence, to significantly extend the lifetime of WSNs. Based on the developed framework, a new data gathering protocol suite is designed and implemented. Furthermore, a real-world environmental monitoring WSN testbed in a hilly watershed is deployed for evaluation and validation. Our interdisciplinary education plan uses the built WSN testbed and integrates our research results and new insights into education practice to provide hands-on training and experience for undergraduate and graduate students in both environmental and IT fields.

Our physical world presents an incredibly rich set of observation modalities, such as heat, light, moisture, pressure, motion, etc. Recent advances in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) enable the continuous monitoring of various physical phenomena at unprecedented high spatial densities and long time durations and, hence, open new exciting opportunities for numerous scientific endeavors. Because sensor nodes are battery-powered, the most critical challenge in WSNs is minimizing the use of power, of which the most energy-consuming operation is data transmission. Given the commonly high correlations of sensed data in time and space, an analytical framework for correlation studies and new data gathering protocols is fundamentally important to reduce communication costs through lossless data compression in WSNs.