IU School of Informatics News

IU School of Informatics announces InformatiCS Chip

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:27:53 EST

Dean Bobby Schnabel announced today the launch of a new School of Informatics tradition: the InformatiCS Chip, an ever-growing wall of tiles bearing the names of Bloomington Informatics and Computer Science (hence the capital CS) alumni, friends and participants. The announcement coincides with the School’s move of its headquarters into the renovated 919 E. 10th Street building on IU’s Bloomington campus. The InformatiCS Chip tiles will be located in the vibrant main space as one enters the building, which is located next door to the current location.“

The primary purpose of the InformatiCS Chip is to build community in the School and a lasting tradition,” explained Dean Schnabel. “The secondary purpose is as a modest fundraiser to support student scholarships.”

Interested individuals or organizations may purchase a 3” by 3” tile for $100, and a 6” by 6” tile at $250.

Newly minted graduates will enjoy a discounted price point. “Each year starting this spring, we’ll invite all new graduates of the School to be a part of the Chip, at a reduced rate,” said Schnabel.

Contributions can be made directly through the (Story Link: http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/ChipGiveNow/) Informatics Give Now program, or by contacting us at (Story Link: mailto:infochip@informatics.indiana.edu) infochip@informatics.indiana.edu for a pledge card.

The Chip will be a permanent feature of the School and will be moved to a new consolidated building in Bloomington that is planned for the coming years.

School undertakes comprehensive strategic planning process.

Thu, 6 Sep 2007 15:14:08 EST

Under the direction of new dean Bobby Schnabel, the School of Informatics has embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning process. The purpose of the process is to quickly establish a high-level view of the School’s key priorities and issues, followed immediately by action and further work on the highest priority issues. Committees have been formed to consider research, undergraduate education, graduate education, diversity, and faculty development. Each committee will address a set of key questions that has been developed related to their area. The committees – co-chaired by faculty from IU-Bloomington Informatics, IU-Bloomington Computer Science, and IUPUI Informatics – each will solicit input from the School’s stakeholders, including faculty, students, staff, alumni and employers. “As the school matures from its start-up phase, it is a natural time to undertake a comprehensive strategic plan,” said Dean Schnabel. “There is an important set of issues that need examination in each of the strategic areas, and I have been delighted by the interest and engagement of all of the School’s constituencies in this process.” The committee co-chairs are: -Research: Beth Plale, Alex Vespignani, Yaoqi Zao -Undergraduate Education: Geoffrey Brown, Danita Forgey, Dennis Groth -Graduate Education: David Leake, Mathew Palakal, Erik Stolterman -Faculty Development: Andy Hanson, Sara Anne Hook, Marty Siegel -Diversity: Bobby Schnabel In addition, several other crucial areas will be explored. A subcommittee of the Dean’s Advisory Committee augmented by the dean and several faculty members will lead the development plan for the School’s role in Indiana economic development and entrepreneurship; the dean and the School’s major gifts officer will lead the planning process for fundraising and development; and the School’s leadership council will consider overarching issues including partnerships and resource management. Each committee will produce an interim report on October 10 and a final report on November 15. “An essential characteristic of this planning process is that it is open and transparent” said Jim Shea, Director of Planning for the School. “We will assure that there are processes to solicit and include input from all interested parties, and frequent communication about the process as it proceeds.” Questions or comments about the planning process and input on any of its topics can be addressed to (Story Link: mailto:jpshea@indiana.edu) jpshea@indiana.edu .

New leadership begins at IU School of Informatics

Mon, 2 Jul 2007 10:38:39 EST

(Story Link: http://www.informatics.indiana.edu/people/profiles.asp?u=schnabel) Robert B. Schnabel , an acclaimed computer scientist and researcher, has assumed leadership of the (Story Link: http://www.informatics.indiana.edu) Indiana University School of Informatics , effective July 1. Dr. Schnabel succeeds J. Michael Dunn, who retired June 30, but remains with the school as dean emeritus.

Professor Schnabel comes to IU from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he served most recently as vice provost/associate vice chancellor for academic and campus technology, and professor of computer science. Dr. Schnabel also was the founding director of the Alliance for Technology, Learning and Society (ATLAS) Institute.

"The School of Informatics seems to be at a very special time in its young life where it has great potential, and is unusually welcoming of new leadership that will help it prioritize, set and reach goals, attract resources, and ultimately excel in education and research," said Dr. Schnabel. "It is a wonderful opportunity to work with an excellent group of faculty and staff to move forward in these directions," he added.

Schnabel assumes leadership of the university's newest school, which offers academic programs at IU campuses at (Story Link: http://www.informatics.indiana.edu) Bloomington , (Story Link: http://www.informatics.iupui.edu/) Indianapolis , (Story Link: http://www.informatics.iusb.edu/) South Bend , (Story Link: http://www.informatics.ius.edu/) Southeast (New Albany) and (Story Link: http://www.iuk.edu/~konims/Programs/BS_Info.shtml) Kokomo . The informatics program also has been approved for IU campuses at (Story Link: http://www.iun.edu/) Northwest (Gary) and (Story Link: http://www.iue.edu/) East . Established in 2000, the School of Informatics, which includes the (Story Link: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/) Department of Computer Science (Bloomington) and the (Story Link: http://www.newmedia.iupui.edu/) New Media Program (IUPUI), has 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students, and more than 1,100 alumni.

"The School of Informatics has a combination of size, breadth and quality in the broad areas of computing and information technology, applications and implications that is unparalleled in this country," Schnabel said.

As dean, Schnabel said he recognizes that informatics underlies most if not all of the most important areas to the economy of Indiana, as well as many of the academic priorities of IU.

"It plays a crucial role in the life science and health areas, as well as all other areas of science and business, and also in the arts, media and so many areas of everyday life," said Schnabel.

Dr. Schnabel lauded what he called an excellent base of faculty and staff in a multi-campus set-up that facilitates opportunities in both Bloomington and Indianapolis.

"The school is uniquely positioned to provide national leadership in the broad area of informatics and computer science education, research and service," said Schnabel. "This is a critically important area to the state of Indiana, the nation and world. I look forward to working with the excellent multi-campus faculty, staff and students of the School, in strong partnership with the IU and Indiana communities."

Indiana University President (Story Link: http://www.indiana.edu/~pres/) Michael McRobbie offered these remarks at the time of Schnabel's appointment as dean.

"Professor Schnabel not only brings to IU an outstanding record of research and academic accomplishment in the field of informatics, but also a penetrating vision of how new technologies can accelerate the expansion of knowledge in virtually every discipline. He is ideally suited to provide the leadership we need in this vital arena. I am also personally pleased to welcome someone to IU with such a demonstrated commitment to diversity," McRobbie said.

Schnabel has held a number of positions at the University of Colorado prior to his current roles. He was the associate dean for academic affairs, College of Engineering and Applied Science, and chair of the Department of Computer Science. His research and teaching interests include numerical computation, parallel computation, applications to molecular chemistry, and diversifying participation in computing and information technology, both in the areas of education and workforce development.

A recipient of numerous teaching and professional awards, Schnabel has led three major campus-wide information technology strategic planning initiatives at the University of Colorado since 1998, leading to many significant administrative and academic innovations on the Boulder campus. As founding director of the ATLAS Institute, he has led the development of a campus-wide program providing multidisciplinary curriculum, research, and outreach programs that integrate information technology with a wide variety of disciplines and people, both inside and outside the university, including the recently opened $31 million ATLAS Building. Through ATLAS, he has been particularly active in programs aimed at broadening the participation of women and under-represented minorities in computing.

Schnabel has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on research projects representing more than $30 million in research funding from the National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and other organizations.

He has served as associate editor or co-editor of five journals and on many professional committees and boards. Currently he serves as editor-in-chief of SIAM Review, the flagship journal of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. Schnabel is on the board of directors of the Computing Research Association and serves as chair of the Information Technology Deans group of CRA and of the Education Policy Committee of the Association for Computing Machinery. He is co-founder and a member of the executive team of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, and is active in a number of committees and alliances involving minority-serving institutions.

Schnabel earned his doctorate and master's degrees in computer science from Cornell University and his undergraduate degree in mathematics from Dartmouth College.

Robert B. Schnabel selected dean of IU School of Informatics

Tue, 3 Apr 2007 00:00:00 EST

Story Link: (Story Link: http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/5281.html) http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/5281.html

IU School of Informatics Named to Computerworld Magazine’s Top IT Schools to Watch

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:05:24 EST

Computerworld magazine announced in its August 2008 issue it’s “Top IT Schools to Watch 2008,” and the Indiana University School of Informatics was among the 10 schools recognized in a feature article on graduate programs. The ten schools, including institutions such as Carnegie Mellon University, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia, were selected based on how well they were keeping pace with today’s IT workplace, and the relevancy of their curriculum to the ever-changing technology industry. IU’s School of Informatics was touted for not only providing students with real-world experience, but for its interdisciplinary approach to the field and for the responsiveness of its faculty and the students. The list was compiled by a panel of more than two dozen IT executives, hiring managers, recruiters and academics who were asked to help identify the country’s leading-edge schools for IT workers seeking to advance their careers. They considered graduate-level IT programs and schools that give graduates the best value in terms of salary increases or promotions vs. cost of tuition, and that best gear their curriculum to the everyday demands of today’s IT workplace. From those IT schools selected by the panel, a group of Computerworld editors chose the innovative IT schools to profile. Finally, Computerworld partnered with (Story Link: http://www.dice.com/) Dice.com to survey alumni at the schools, asking for feedback on their satisfaction with their schools’ program. “We are honored to be part of Computerworld’s list for 2008,” said Bobby Schnabel, dean of the School. “It is gratifying to be in the company of schools that have long been considered at the top of the computing field, and to gain recognition for our still young set of graduate programs in informatics.” The complete story can be found in the August issue of ComputerWorld magazine and (Story Link: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112620) online .

School of Informatics Graduate Receives Fulbright Scholarship

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:24:08 EST

Will Odom, a recent graduate of the Indiana University School of Informatics human computer interaction design masters degree program, has been awarded a Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship to undertake 12 months of research at Griffith University's Queensland College of Art (QCA) in Brisbane, Australia. Through his Fulbright, Odom will conduct research with Dr. Tony Fry in the Design Futures course at QCA. One part of his project will investigate the role that digital interactive and other informational tools can play in linking urban farming practices and community development specifically within the Brisbane community. Ultimately, the work will become a catalyst for future innovations in urban sustainability on regional and national levels. “Problems associated with urban sustainability are complex, systemic, and evolving,” said Odom. “My project investigates the combined role of fieldwork and community involvement, as well as the design and implementation of interactive applications to cultivate a culture of urban farming among a very diverse group of stakeholders.” Odom is an accomplished student with a bright future. In April 2008, he won first place in the graduate student research competition at the International Computer-Human Interaction (CHI) conference and, most recently, he was selected as a finalist in Microsoft's Imagine Cup. Upon his return from Australia, he will begin doctoral studies at Carnegie Mellon University. The Fulbright program, the largest educational scholarship of its kind, is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. It was created in 1946 by legislation introduced by Senator J. William Fulbright and is aimed at promoting mutual understanding through educational exchange. The program operates in over 150 countries.

Pair of School of Informatics Faculty Receive Grant From Computing Research Association

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:10:44 EST

Two School of Informatics faculty members, assistant professors Kay Connelly and Kalpana Shankar, along with two undergraduate students, have received a $15,500 Multidisciplinary Research Opportunity for Women (MROW) grant from the Computing Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research. Their proposal, â Using the Wii and Social Networking to promote Cognitive, Physical and Social Engagement among Seniors, was selected from a wide variety of potential projects to receive the grant that the NSF has helped to fund.

Over the next year, the foursome will investigate whether or not integrating a social networking component into the Wii gaming platform increases its user acceptance and social connectedness among elders. They will develop a Wii-based game, implement it, and conduct the user study in which they collect and analyze their data set. The students will be using facilities developed as part of the NSF-funded ETHOS project (http://ethos.indiana.edu) which is examining privacy and home-based computing for senior citizens.

"This project integrates human-computer interaction, design research, technical implementation, and information ethics," said co-principal investigator Kalpana Shankar, assistant professor of informatics. "We have one undergraduate working on this who is a computer science major, Claire Alvis, and one who is an informatics major, Katie O'Donnell. They will be working very closely to make sure all aspects of the project gel. It will be valuable experience for both young women."

Added Dennis Groth, associate dean of undergraduate studies, "We're excited for Kay and Kalpana to receive a grant like this. Not only is it an ambitious project for them to undertake, but it underscores the School's commitment to both undergraduate research and advancing opportunities for women in computing."

IU Department of Computer Science Study Shows Popular Web Sites at Risk for Phishers

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 09:01:35 EST

A recent study by researchers in the Indiana University department of computer science revealed that nearly 2.5 million Web pages on some of the Internet’s most recognizable and trusted sites have 128,000 links that could be easily manipulated by phishers, making them vulnerable to online scams.

PhD student Craig Shue, along with fellow PhD student Andrew Kalafut and their advisor, assistant professor Minaxi Gupta, developed a computer program that was capable of crawling tens of thousands of sites, searching for and identifying the open redirects within such popular sites as Google and eBay. While these redirects serve a legitimate purpose, they lack security controls and can be manipulated by phishers to send visitors to any site on the Internet.

“We were surprised by the number of these open redirects on sites that people trust implicitly, said Craig Shue, who led the study. From a business perspective, companies have to consider how having this type of vulnerability on their Web site could impact their overall brand. When considering whether to click on links in email, users often look at whether the link goes to a trusted site. However, with redirects, phishers can manipulate the links to defraud these users.”

Shue will present the findings of the study at the Usenix Workshop on Offensive Technologies (WOOT) in San Jose, California later this month. He continues his work with Indiana University’s Networking Research Group, a group within the Computer Science Department led by Professor Minaxi Gupta. Craig expects to receive his doctorate in 2009.

Informatics Student Awarded Fellowship Through NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:18:52 EST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. Tonya Thompson-Stroman, a PhD student in the IU School of Informatics human computer interaction design program, has been awarded a NASA Graduate Student Researchers (GRSP) fellowship for her Technology Aided Environmental Stress Reduction for Long Duration Space Missions proposal. The fellowship will begin in August, lasts 12 months with the potential for it to be renewed for two years. During that time, Thompson-Stroman will be investigating the use of Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (IIDE) for stress assessment, monitoring, and management. Receiving one of these fellowships is quite an accomplishment, we are very proud of Tonya, said professor Erik Stolterman, director of the human computer interaction design program. She will gain valuable experience in her field, and will have the chance to interact with some of the country's leading scientists and researchers. The NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program awards fellowships for graduate study leading to degrees in the fields of science, math, and engineering related to NASA research and development. The program supports approximately 180 graduate students each year. For the past year, Thompson-Stroman has been investigating issues of privacy and stress among elders as part of the ETHOS project. The ETHOS project addresses issues of privacy in the deisgn of ubiquitous in-home computing. Visit (Story Link: http://ethos.indiana.edu) http://ethos.indiana.edu for more information

Team of Informatics Graduates Wins Microsoft’s Prestigious Imagine Cup Competition

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:52:14 EST

Two Indiana University School of Informatics graduates took a first place award at the prestigious Imagine Cup finals, an international competition sponsored by Microsoft Corporation, this year held in Paris, France. The pair has enjoyed enormous success recently, combining winning a highly competitive international competition with developing a project that had an impact on real-world environmental sustainability.
David Roedl and Will Odom, both alumni of the School’s human-computer interaction design program, developed the idea and subsequent web site (http://energychallenge.indiana.edu) for the recent “IU Energy Challenge,” which pitted residence halls across campus against one another to achieve a significant reduction in electricity and water consumption.
The pair entered their web site design in Microsoft’s Imagine Cup Interface Design competition, along with 200,000 other entrants, and subsequently were selected as finalists. Once they reached the finals the competition was ramped significantly, the pair was given an on-site design challenge dealing with monitoring environmental air quality that they were required to complete in only 24 hours. They then presented their design to a distinguished panel of judges that included Surya Vanka, senior manager of user experience at Microsoft; Tom Chi, senior director of user experience at Yahoo; and Neil Churcher, head of design and usability at Orange.
Overall, a total of 370 students from 124 teams representing 61 countries competed in the finals in nine different categories. Only two of the 27 winning teams in the competition were from the United States. The theme of this year’s Cup was the environment, specifically; participants were encouraged to “imagine a world where technology enables a sustainable environment.”
“I extend heartfelt congratulations to Will and Dave for this outstanding accomplishment,” said Karen Hanson, provost and executive vice president. “The campus was already proud of and grateful to them for their sustainability work, as their project helped lead the way to increased energy conservation in our residence halls. That this work has been internationally recognized in the award of the highly competitive Imagine Cup is superb news. This prestigious honor reflects well on our School of Informatics, its human-computer interaction design program, and the entire Bloomington campus—as well as, of course, on Will and Dave.”

The world’s premier student technology competition, Imagine Cup is one way Microsoft is encouraging young people to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world – today. The contest spans a year, beginning with local, regional and online contests whose winners go on to attend the global finals held in a different location every year.

Informatics Faculty Member Receives $120K Grant from Eli Lilly & Company for Research Project

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 10:45:12 EST

Eli Lilly and Company has awarded a one-year, $120,000 grant to Professor David Wild of the Indiana University School of Informatics to research ways to data mine the ever-increasing amount of publicly available information about chemical compounds and their biological activities.

Wild, Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Chemical Informatics Program for the School, is developing a software tool that will aggregate data from a multitude of online databases and computation tools using a web service infrastructure that was previously developed through funding from the NIH. The tool will be a “one-stop-shop” for understanding the properties and behavior of chemical compounds, in particular existing and potential drug molecules.

“The creation of this software is significant because it will enable a comprehensive picture of a potential drug’s behavior to be assessed, not just using static information from databases, but also using active on-the-fly predictions and calculations from state-of-the-art tools,” said Professor Wild. “Drug researchers will have a single tool that can give them needed information from the public arena, and we hope it will help to speed up the drug discovery pipeline.”

Eli Lilly and Company Gift to Support Doctoral Fellowship For Informatics Students

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:42:49 EST

Research and scientific discoveries at the Indiana University School of Informatics will continue to flourish thanks to an ongoing program funded by Eli Lilly and Company.

The $80,000 gift from the Indianapolis-based company will be used to support a fellowship for a graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree in informatics at the School’s Indianapolis campus.

The fellowship will go to a promising student whose research focuses on discovery informatics such as bioinformatics or complex systems. Preference will be given to candidates who combine significant backgrounds in relevant scientific disciplines, with skills and interests in information technology.

“The Lilly Fellowship is one of the cornerstones of our doctoral program – it attracts outstanding researchers,” said Dean Bobby Schnabel. “The School of Informatics is honored that Lilly continues to support us with such a generous gift.”

The fellowship recipient was selected by a committee of School of Informatics administrative and program leaders in consultation with Robert Oppelt, director of research information technology at Eli Lilly. The recipient this year is Chris Oldfield, who will be studying the general way in which disordered proteins function.

“The IU School of Informatics is a natural partner for us at Lilly,” said Oppelt. “The life sciences industry is vital to the state of Indiana, we find there is tremendous value in supporting the continuing education of professionals who will advance the field in the State.”

Indiana University School of Informatics Appoints Assistant Dean of Diversity and Education

Wed, 28 May 2008 09:43:10 EST

(Image Link: /news/img/maureen10-07_s.jpg" alt="" style="float: left; padding-right: 1em;" />BLOOMINGTON, Ind.–The IU School of Informatics has announced that Dr. Maureen Biggers will be joining the School as the assistant dean for diversity and education effective August 1. Biggers comes to IU from the College of Computing at Georgia Tech where she has held the positions of assistant dean for diversity and community, and most recently, director of the Diversity Research Lab. She has extensive experience in research and programs related to the inclusion of women and underrepresented minorities in computing, as well as in student services. She also works extensively on a national level, and currently serves as project manager for the National Science Foundation (NSF) Broadening Participation in Computing Alliance for the Advancement of African-American Researchers in Computing, and as a member of the leadership team for the National Center for Women & Information Technology. She will continue to be involved in these endeavors at IU. Prior to joining Georgia Tech’s College of Computing, she served in various academic administrative and student-focused roles at several well-known universities, including Mercer University and the University of Miami (FL). She holds her bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and her master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Miami. As the assistant dean of diversity and education, a position that was one of the key recommendations of the School’s newly adopted strategic plan, Dr. Biggers will focus on increasing the participation and success of women and underrepresented minorities in the School at the undergraduate, graduate, and faculty and staff levels. In addition, she will help develop educational innovations within the School. “Maureen brings deep perspectives and extensive experience in the highly interrelated areas of diversity and educational innovation that will greatly aid the School of Informatics in attaining its goals in these areas,” said Informatics dean Bobby Schnabel. “We already have a fairly diverse student body, but can do so much more to broaden the appeal of informatics and computing education and the participation of all groups. The School of Informatics hopes to become a national exemplar in the areas of diversity and educational innovation, and Maureen is the ideal person to help lead that effort.” “The far-reaching scope of the School of Informatics affords incredible opportunities for action research and educational innovation. I look forward to working with faculty, students, and other partners to ensure that together, we become a national exemplar for the ways we address challenges relating to underrepresented talent in computing and IT,” said Biggers. The Indiana University School of Informatics covers a broad range of computing and information technology, from science and technology to a broad range of applications and societal implications. Located on both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses, the School offers six undergraduate degree programs, six master’s degree programs and two Ph.D. programs. It includes faculty in the Department of Informatics, and, in Bloomington, in the Department of Computer Science. The faculty and students are involved in a wide range of research, including complex systems; data, information and search; human computer interaction/design; high performance computing/e-Science; life sciences; technology for values; and trust and privacy in cybersecurity. The School is dedicated to excellence in education and research, to partnerships that bolster economic development and entrepreneurship, and to increasing opportunities for women and minorities in computing and technology.

IU Informatics Adjunct Associate Professor Writes "Landmark" Book On Crimeware

Thu, 22 May 2008 10:32:02 EST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University School of Informatics adjunct associate professor Markus Jakobsson has co-authored a new book entitled Crimeware: Understanding New Attacks and Defenses. Jakobsson, who is currently principal scientist at the Palo Alto Research Center in California, partnered with Zulfikar Ramzan of Symantec Security Response on the book, which examines the emerging Internet security threat called crimeware. Ideal for security professionals, students, technical managers, and researchers, the book guides readers through essential security principles, techniques and countermeasures to keep you one step ahead of these aggressive criminals. With contributions from some of today’s top experts in the security industry, Jakobsson and Ramzan have put together a book that will help readers understand what crimeware is, how to identify it, and how to prevent attacks before they happen. According to a review on Amazon.com by Garth Bruen, Project KnujOn Designer, “This book is the most current and comprehensive analysis of the state of Internet security threats right now. The review of current issues and predictions about problems years away are critical for truly understanding crimeware. Every concerned person should have a copy and use it for reference.” Jakobsson previously co-authored a much-celebrated book on phishing, Phishing and Countermeasures, with School of Informatics assistant professor Steven Myers. In a recent review of the crimeware book, Myers writes, “I strongly recommend this book to those that want to understand the current and future online threats.”

Informatics Faculty Win Trustees Teaching Awards

Thu, 15 May 2008 10:06:40 EST

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –IU School of Informatics faculty researchers have received an Academic Alliance Seed Fund grant from the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT). The seed fund award will be used to enhance the School’s “Just Be” outreach program.

Just Be: Making IT Real, the new grant emphasizes hands-on computer engagement for Hoosier school students as developed by Kay Connelly, Suzanne Menzel, IU School of Informatics; Anne Ottenbreit-Leftwich, IU School of Education; and Jamie McAtee, student chairperson of the “Just Be” initiative.

Just Be is an interactive road show where undergraduate and graduate students travel to K-12 schools in Indiana delivering a highly interactive and educational presentation aimed at dispelling gender and race-based myths about careers in information technology.

Just Be has reached more than 1,500 school-age children and 250 college students, nearly two-thirds of them underrepresented women, low income, first generation and ethnic minorities,” said Prof. Menzel.

want to work with technology, but show them that they are capable of working with technology.

Just Be with hands-on activities to better engage K-12 children,” said Prof. Connelly. “By having children work with friends on the activity, we counter the idea that technology is a solitary and socially isolating field.”

§ At the top Fortune 500 IT companies, fewer than five percent of chief technical officers are women?

Just Be: Keeping IT Real, contact Lisa J. Herrmann, 812.855.4125, ljherrma@indiana.edu.

Informatics professor’s book receives Outstanding Academic Title distinction

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:14:39 EST

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – William Aspray, Rudy Professor of informatics, IU School of Informatics, has co-edited a book selected by Choice Magazine as one of its Outstanding Academic Titles. Women and information technology: research on underrepresentation (MIT Press), was co-edited with Joanne Cohoon, senior research scientist, National Center for Women & IT, and professor of science, technology, and society, University of Virginia.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Rick Rashid, senior vice president, research for Microsoft Corporation, will give a forward-looking talk entitled “10 Years Into the Future” on Thursday, January 24 at 4 p.m. in Jordan Hall, Room A100 on the IU Bloomington campus. His campus visit is by invitation of IU’s School of Informatics, and the lecture is free and open to the public. Rashid, who is charged with oversight of Microsoft Research's worldwide operations, explains that by looking at technologies being developed in research labs today you get insights into what opportunities technology will enable during the next 10 years. “In this talk I will look at some exciting research technologies and their implications on the world in 2017,” said Rashid. Rashid joined Microsoft in 1991, responsible for managing work on key technologies leading to the development of Microsoft's interactive TV system and authoring a number of patents in areas such as data compression, networking and operating systems. He also was instrumental in creating the team that eventually became Microsoft’s Digital Media Division, and directing Microsoft’s first e-commerce group. “We are privileged to host Rick Rashid who probably holds the most influential position in computer science research in the nation,” said Bobby Schnabel, dean, IU School of Informatics. “He is passionate about the role and future of computer science, and is an engaging speaker.” Rashid’s earlier career as a well-known computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University included the design and implementation of several influential network operating systems, and publishing of dozens of papers about computer vision, operating systems, programming languages for distributed processing, network protocols and communications security. Rashid earned his Master of Science (1977) and Doctoral (1980) degrees in computer science from the University of Rochester. He graduated with honors in mathematics and comparative literature from Stanford University in 1974.

INDIANA WOMEN IN COMPUTING CONFERENCE COMING TO MCCORMICK’S CREEK

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:35:47 EST

The latest trends in computing, education, and career opportunities will be in the spotlight at InWIC 2008, the Indiana Celebration of Women in Computing conference, January 25 and 26. The event brings together female students, instructors, and researchers from universities around Indiana for an overnight retreat at the rustic Canyon Inn at McCormick’s Creek State Park in Spencer, Indiana. Raquel Hill, assistant professor of computer science and informatics, will deliver the keynote address. The major sponsor of the event is WIC@IU (Women in Computing at Indiana University), an IU School of Informatics-sponsored grassroots organization providing mentoring and leadership opportunities to graduate and undergraduate women students in computing-related fields. The event includes poster and research presentations, five-minute lightning talk sessions, and programming tracks covering material of interest to high-school students, undergraduates and graduate students. Participants also will have the opportunity to learn career-building techniques and network with other women from throughout the state. One session will focus on K-12 outreach activities and WIC@IU members will present information about their successful Just Be program, which strives to educate youngsters about the true nature of computing and its education and career opportunities. It also helps to dispel common stereotypes about those working in computing fields. Other participating academic institutions include DePauw University, Purdue University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Butler University. “InWIC is a regionally tailored conference focused exclusively on women in computing, and it provides a venue for female undergraduate and graduate students to present their work and network with peers in the region,” says IU coordinator Yuqing Melanie Wu, assistant professor of computer science. More information about InWIC 2008 and WIC@IU can be found at (Story Link: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/cgi-pub/wic) http://www.cs.indiana.edu/cgi-pub/wic . The registration deadline is January 21. Scholarships are available for women students in the School of Informatics at all levels of study. For more information about InWIC 2008, visit (Story Link: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/cgi-pub/wic) http://www.cs.indiana.edu/cgi-pub/wic or contact Yuqing Melanie Wu (yuqwu@indiana.edu). To apply for a scholarship, contact Suzanne Menzel (menzel@indiana.edu).

IU informatics students learning the ropes about starting a business from some of Indiana’s most successful technology entrepreneurs

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:17:16 EST

Career News: Silicon Valley high-tech firms open doors to IU informatics students

Wed, 9 Jan 2008 14:58:35 EST