IU School of Informatics and Computing—Bloomington News
Latest headlines from the School of Informatics and Computing at IU Bloomington.
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Bioinformatics Ph.D. student receives NIH-funded training grant
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07/07/2010 10:37 AM
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(Image Link: /news/img/dschride.jpg" alt="Dan Schrider" width="307" height="385" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 10px 15px;"/> Dan Schrider, a third year Ph.D. student in the School of Informatics and computing has received a Genetics, Cellular, and Molecular Sciences (GCMS) training grant for the 2010-11 school year.
The NIH-funded GCMS Training Grant program has a long history of mentoring outstanding graduate students dating back to it's founding in the 1950's by the renowned geneticists H.J. Muller, Salvador Luria, Tracy Sonneborn, Ralph Cleland and Marcus Rhoades. Graduate trainees are immersed in a multidisciplinary environment with a tradition of excellence that promotes problem-directed approaches to biology. The GCMS training grant is comprised of over 50 faculty mentors and supports 16 graduate trainees in biology, biochemistry, chemistry and medical sciences each year.
``This is an honor and a great opportunity for Dan,'' said Matt Hahn, Schrider's faculty advisor. ``This is a highly competitive program, and Dan's selection as one of the 16 fellows speaks well of the bioinformatics program.'' Schrider's research is focused on the detection, functional impact, and evolutionary importance of genomic structural variation in humans and fruit flies.
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Informatics Ph.D. student wins Ford Foundation fellowship
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05/21/2010 02:47 PM
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Jose Lugo-Martinez, a first year Ph.D. student in the informatics program in the School of Informatics and Computing, was recently awarded a Ford Foundation Predoctoral Diversity Fellowship, worth approximately $66,000 over three years. Lugo-Martinez will continue his studies and research, focusing on bioinformatics. Within bioinformatics he is focusing on developing algorithms to understand protein function and how the disruption of protein function leads to disease.
In 2010, the Ford Fellowship program awarded approximately 40 predoctoral fellowships, which provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree.
The fellowships were awarded as part of a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards were made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
“This is a phenomenal opportunity for Jose, and we’re proud to have him at the School of Informatics and Computing,” said professor Predrag Radivojac, faculty member in bioinformatics and Lugo-Martinez’s advisor.
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Informatics Ph.D. student awarded prestigious iGov fellowship
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05/12/2010 11:29 AM
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Vaibhav Garg, a first year Ph.D. student in the security informatics program in the School of Informatics and Computing, will be spending a week at the Hague in the Netherlands this summer after being awarded a fellowship in the 2010 global competition of the Center for Technology in Government.
The iGov Research Institute is an intensive week-long residential program which provides doctoral students from all over the world the opportunity to participate in field activities with experts and leading scholars to assess how information and communication technologies are impacting the public sector. Garg, whose research focus is on using behavioral economics to facilitate risk communication for security and privacy on the Internet, will have the opportunity to interact directly with public sector leaders, to present his own developing research ideas, and to work with other students on a group project.
“This experience will show Vaibhav how to bridge academia with the ‘real world’ way of working in the domain of digital government,” said professor Jean Camp, director of the security informatics program at the School. “It is a truly interdisciplinary and multi-cultural institute.”
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School of Informatics and Computing professor awarded high honor at annual CHI conference
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04/19/2010 11:37 AM
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Shaowen Bardzell, assistant professor of human-computer interaction/design was awarded the Best Paper Award at the premier HCI conference, CHI 2010, for her paper entitled ``Feminist HCI: Taking Stock and Outlining an Agenda for Design.'' Professor Bardzell's paper was one of the 1346 papers submitted for consideration at the annual CHI conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Best Paper is a highly competitive award, representing the top one percent of submissions. Bardzell's paper bridges the gap between the intellectual heritage of feminism and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and proposes a research agenda for future integration of these two fields.
This was the third consecutive year in which a faculty member from human-computer interaction/design won or was nominated for the award. In 2008, Eli Blevis won the award for his work on sustainable interaction design, and in 2009, Jeffrey Bardzell was nominated for the award for his work on aesthetic interaction.
In addition, the School is once again well-represented at this year's conference. Faculty members Jeffrey Bardzell, Shaowen Bardzell, Eli Blevis, and Erik Stolterman all had acceptances among different categories, including papers, workshops, special interest groups, courses, and work-in-progress posters. HCID students Binaebi Akah, Heekyoung Jung, Kevin Makice, and Tyler Pace were also represented among papers and work-in-progress posters.
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Informatics honors outstanding alumni at annual awards banquet
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04/15/2010 04:50 PM
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The Indiana University School of Informatics is set to host its annual Alumni Awards Banquet on April 15 at the Woodstock Club in Indianapolis. The School will present three awards to five recipients for their outstanding service and dedication to the School: the Career Achievement Award, the Young Alumni Award (two recipients), and the Distinguished Service Award (two recipients). For each award, the School requested nominations from faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the School.
Career Achievement Award
The Career Achievement Award is given to an alumna(us) in recognition of outstanding contributions and innovation that bring national acclaim and recognition to the field of informatics, and honor and distinction to Indiana University.
This year, the Career Achievement Award is being given to Donald Brown.
Donald Brown founded his third software company, Interactive Intelligence, in October, 1994, and serves as its chairman of the board, president, and chief executive officer. In March 1988, Dr. Brown co-founded Software Artistry, a developer of customer support software that went public in March 1995 and was subsequently acquired by IBM in early 1998. At Software Artistry, Dr. Brown served as chief executive officer and vice president of development. Dr. Brown’s first software company was acquired by Electronic Data Systems in 1987. Dr. Brown graduated from the Indiana University School of Medicine in 1985, and has two additional degrees from Indiana University, a master’s degree in computer science and a bachelor’s degree in physics (Phi Beta Kappa).
With more than 20 years of experience in the enterprise software industry, Dr. Brown is considered a technology innovator and entrepreneurial expert. He was honored by Computer Telephony Magazine as its 1997 Star of the Industry, was the first-ever inductee into Call Center Magazine’s 2000 Hall of Fame, and was Ernst and Young’s Indiana Heartland 2000 Entrepreneur of the Year. In 2006 Dr. Brown received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Customer Interaction Solutions Magazine and was named a “Top Voice of IP Communications” by Internet Telephony Magazine.
Young Alumni Award
The Young Alumni Award is given to a recent alumna(us) in recognition of outstanding early career achievement that brings acclaim and recognition to the field of informatics, and honor and distinction to Indiana University; whose loyalty will further the development, growth, and excellence of the School.
This year, two Young Alumni Awards are being given—one to Kay Connelly and one to Virginia Richardson.
Kay Connelly is an associate professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University Bloomington. Her teaching and research interests are in the intersection of mobile and pervasive computing and healthcare. In particular, she is interested in issues that influence user acceptance of health technologies, such as privacy, integration into one’s lifestyle, convenience, and utility.
Connelly is the Senior Associate Director for the Center for Applied Cybersecurity Research, and has recently undertaken the challenge to start a new Health Informatics program on the Bloomington campus. This interdisciplinary program will forge new frontiers in the overall management of health by reaching across the boundaries of medicine, technology, security and real-world application.
In addition to her teaching duties, Connelly is a faculty advisor to the Women in Science program and serves on the executive committee of Women in Informatics and Computing, a student-driven group in Bloomington that works to enhance the education of women in computing and information technology.
She received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics from Indiana University (1995), and a master’s degree (1999) and Ph.D. (2003) in computer science from the University of Illinois.
Virginia Richardson received her bachelor’s degree in media arts and sciences and applied computer science from IUPUI in 2007. An internship at Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 2006 blossomed into a full-time position in the Creative Services and Marketing department. She spent her senior year commuting between BET’s Washington, D.C., studios and the IUPUI campus in Indianapolis, putting her technical expertise to good use to complete her degree while launching her professional career.
In September 2009, Virginia worked on launching a new Viacom network, Centric, which combines BET and VH1. As part of the creative services/marketing team for Centric, her focus will be on strategically promoting the network using various elements, including promotional video and graphics.
One major medium does not appear to be enough for Ms. Richardson; however, as she works full time at BET, she is currently interning at Sirius XM Satellite Radio and she gives her time as Special Events Assistant for the BET Foundation. In this role she supports such efforts as the BET Women’s Health Symposium and BET Summer Camp for Girls.
Ms. Richardson is also finishing up her master’s degree in musical technology from the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology. In addition to her goal of having her own multimedia production firm, she dreams of someday scoring and designing sound for movies.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award is given to a non-alumna(us) in recognition of their outstanding service and support for the Indiana University School of Informatics that furthers the development and excellence of the School, and the field of informatics.
Two Distinguished Service Awards are being given this year, one to Jan Ashton and one to David Becker.
Jan Ashton was a part of the medical records administration program at IUPUI from 1969 until her retirement in 2000, serving on the faculty from 1969 to 1996, and taking over as director from 1996 until 2000.
Ms. Ashton has authored educational resource materials on the subject of medical coding instruction and has conducted workshops throughout the country addressing health-care personnel. In 1985, she received the Distinguished Member Award from the Indiana Health Information Management Association for her dedication to teaching and to the health information management profession. She was also the recipient of the HIA program’s first Elton T. Ridley Service Award and the Indiana University Trustees’ Excellence in Teaching Award.
Although Ms. Ashton retired from Indiana University in 2000, she continues to be actively involved with the HIA program as an advisory board member, advocate, generous supporter, and valued resource. In 2003, Ashton was honored with IUPUI’s Spirit of Philanthropy award for her volunteer activities on behalf of the Health Information Administration (HIA) program and the School of Informatics.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in medical records administration, and a master’s degree in allied health occupational education, both from IUPUI.
David Becker has been chair of the board and chief executive officer of First Internet Bank since its inception, and has served as president since January 2007. In 1981, he founded Member Data Services, which provided software services to financial institutions, and served as CEO until the company was acquired by Open Solutions Inc., in 2004. In 1995, he founded VIFI, which provided Internet services to financial institutions and corporations. That company was acquired by Digital Insight Corporation in 2002. Mr. Becker also founded, and remains actively involved in, three other Indianapolis-based companies: OneBridge, a credit and debit card processing firm; DyKnow, a company specializing in educational technology for interactive learning experiences; and RICS, a firm that provides inventory control and POS systems for retailers via the Web.
Mr. Becker is a 2001 recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and a 2002 recipient of the TechPoint Trailblazer in Technology award. In 2004, he was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by Indiana Governor Joe Kernan. Mr. Becker was the first chair of TechPoint, and remains on the board, and is chair of the board of the TechPoint Foundation. Mr. Becker is also a member of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership and was recently named chair of the Board of Directors of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). He is currently a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the IU School of Informatics and has served on advisory boards for The Robert C. McDermond Center for Management and Entrepreneurship and the IT Associates Program at DePauw University, where he earned his BA degree in 1975, as well as the board of trustees at Vincennes University.
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Informatics and Computing faculty win Trustees Teaching Awards
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04/07/2010 11:13 AM
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Four School of Informatics and Computing faculty have been awarded the distinguished IU Trustees Teaching Award for the 2009-10 school year. Steve Myers, Marty Siegel, Yuqing (Melanie) Wu, and Larry Yaeger were recipients of the awards, given to faculty who display a steadfast commitment to quality teaching, and to their individual students.
Steve Myers, an assistant professor in informatics teaches a wide range of classes, from I201 (Mathematical and Logical Foundations of Informatics) to advanced undergraduate classes, to a core graduate level class in the security masters program. He has played an integral role in the development of the security master's program. In conjunction with this, he helped to construct the security informatics cognate and minor. On top of all this, he has demonstrated an exceptional command of the subject he's teaching, and enjoys a very positive rapport with his students.
Professor Marty Siegel not only teaches a wide variety of upper level informatics courses, providing exceptional learning outcomes; he coaches the 12 Human Computer Interaction Design teams to compete in the student design competition at the annual SIGCHI conference. Marty also is involved in promoting teaching efforts throughout the School (he serves as Chair of the Informatics Graduate Program committee) and mentoring countless students.
Yuqing (Melanie) Wu, assistant professor of computer science, has a consistently exceptional performance ranking in teaching and advising. This year she has taught three upper level courses, with one course experiencing significant enrollment increases, one where she implemented changes to the coursework, which met positive feedback, and another where she supervised several independent study projects. In all cases, Melanie stands out as a faculty member who puts tremendous energy into mentoring students and ensuring their success.
Professor Larry Yaeger teaches two large sections of the Informatics program's Introduction to Programming course, receiving consistently high marks for the quality of the course and instructor. This core class is a rigorous, technical course that lays the foundation for a successful academic experience for students. Larry consistently teaches this material in a way that gets students off in the right direction in the informatics program, and serves them well in future courses.
``We are so proud of these four faculty members,'' said associate dean for undergraduate studies Dennis Groth. ``Each one of them embodies the sense of community being fostered here at the School, and deserves this award for their dedication to the students and the advancement of the School.''
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Computer Science student awarded prestigious Goldwater Scholarship
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03/31/2010 05:49 PM
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Carlo Angiuli, a junior pursuing a double major in computer science and math, has been awarded one of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships. The scholarship is given to help “outstanding students pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering; and to foster excellence in those fields.” This year, there were 1,111 nominees nationally, with 278 awards being given. IU nominated four students (all sophomores and juniors) to the national competition, and, in an exceptional and unprecedented situation, all four have been named winners.
“All of us at the School are immensely proud of Carlo for his achievement,” said dean Bobby Schnabel. “The Goldwater scholarship is a very competitive process, and is only given to students who display an exceptional work ethic and knowledge base in their chosen field. It is a wonderful accomplishment for Carlo and a testament to the quality of our computer science program.”
For more information, read (Story Link: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/13991.html) “IU Bloomington Goldwater Scholars set single-year record” .
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IU Bloomington School of Informatics and Computing professor speaks at National Academies project initiation meeting
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03/03/2010 02:38 PM
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Haixu Tang, assistant professor of informatics in the School's bioinformatics group, was one of five speakers who headlined the National Academie's Project Initiation Meeting in Washington, D.C on March 1.
The meeting was focused on the field of glycomics, and Tang gave his talk entitled ``Bioinformatics and Data Processing'' along with four other speakers who are recognized as national leaders in the field of glycomics informatics.
``This is an honor for professor Tang,'' said dean Bobby Schnabel. ``That he is being invited to speak in company with highly regarded experts in the field speaks volumes to the level of expertise in glycomics research that he has gained, and shows that our faculty members are working in the upper echelons of their research areas on a routine basis.''
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Celebrating National Computer Science Education Week: December 6-12
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12/01/2009 12:32 PM
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The U.S. House of Representatives has designated the week of December 6 as National Computer Science Education Week. The House resolution is intended to raise the profile of computer science as a transforming industry that drives technology innovation and bolsters economic productivity. Citing the influence of computing technology as a significant contributor to U.S. economic output, the House resolution calls on educators and policymakers to improve computer science learning at all educational levels, and to motivate increased participation in computer science.
Several high-profile partners participated in the effort to move the House resolution, including the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), Microsoft, Google, Intel, as well as the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), and the Computing Research Association (CRA).
“National Computer Science Education Week will help us draw attention to the need for an educational system that values computer science as a discipline and provides students with critical thinking skills and career opportunities,” said Bobby Schnabel, Dean of IU’s School of Informatics and chair of ACM’s Education Policy Committee.
“Despite serious economic challenges confronting the nation, computer science-related jobs are among the fastest-growing and highest paying over the next decade,” said Alfred Spector, vice president of Research and Special Initiatives at Google. “These times require an increasing supply of diverse students exposed to rigorous and engaging computing courses at the K-12 level, and National Computer Science Education Week can help reinforce this effort.”
The first week in December was chosen for “National Computer Science Education Week” in honor of Grace Murray Hopper, one of the outstanding pioneers in the field of computer science, who was born on December 9, 1906. She engineered new programming languages and pioneered standards for computer systems which laid the foundation for many advances in computer science from the late 1940s through the 1970s.
CSEdWeek is also on the following social media channels, where we encourage you to participate and help spread the word:
-YouTube: (Story Link: http://www.youtube.com/user/CSedweek) http://www.youtube.com/user/CSedweek
-Twitter: (Story Link: http://twitter.com/CSedweek) http://twitter.com/CSedweek use hashtag “#CSEdWeek”
-Facebook: (Story Link: http://www.facebook.com/CSEdWeek) http://www.facebook.com/CSEdWeek
-Flickr: (Story Link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/csedweek) http://www.flickr.com/photos/csedweek use tag “CSEdWeek”
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IU iPhone conference
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11/05/2009 11:36 AM
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(Story Link: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/12458.html) http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/12458.html
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