The Women's Center is excited to announce that the Returning Women Students Scholarships Application for 2019-20 is now available. The deadline for submission has been extended to the end of the business day on Friday, April 5th. 

This common application enables eligible students to apply for more than one of the Returning Women Students Scholarships using the same application. The four available scholarships are:

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Scholarship & The UMBC Scholarship for Mature Students
• AEGON Scholarship
• The Richard & Roselyn Bryson Neville Memorial Fund for Returning Women Scholarship
• The Rosalie Tydings Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship

All undergraduate students over the age of 25 and with at least 60 credits may be eligible. You must be completing your first undergraduate degree. Each scholarship has additional eligibility requirements which can be found on the common application instructions. 

The application is attached to this announcement (click on the download document button below). Please be sure to read over the eligibility requirements before applying. 

If you have any questions concerning the application process or the scholars program requirements, please contact the Women's Center director, Jess Myers, at womenscenter@umbc.edu. 

We will also be hosting 2 different information sessions in the Women's Center related to the application process and scholars program requirements on: 

• Tuesday, February 12th from 4-4:45pm OR 
• Monday, March 4th from 12-12:45pm

Each year, applicants submit applications with errors that often impact their consideration for a scholarship. We highly encourage all applicants to attend an info session before submitting their application. If you cannot attend one of the sessions in person, a live-stream option will be available via Facebook Live. Please contact the Women's Center for more information. 

Applications are due now due Friday, April 5th, 2019. 

Prof. Tim Finin named ACM Fellow for contributions to knowledge sharing

UMBC’s Tim Finin, professor of computer science and electrical engineering (CSEE), has been named a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), a distinctive honor granted to less than one percent of all ACM members. ACM fellows are selected based on their work to advance computing over the course of a career, in areas such as mobile networks, computer architecture, robotics, and security.  Finin was cited for his  “contributions to the theory and practice of knowledge sharing in distributed systems and the World Wide Web.”

“It’s a great honor to be selected as an ACM fellow, since it is based on the recommendations of one’s peers and recognizes contributions to the field of computing,” says Finin. “I am especially honored since ACM fellows include so many pioneers of the field whose work and contributions I have studied and used over the past 40 years.”

“Dr. Finin has been a leader in our department ever since he came in as the chair in 1991,” says Anupam Joshi, professor and chair of CSEE. “He is one of our most accomplished researchers, and in addition to this fellowship, has been recognized both internally (as a Presidential Research Professor) and externally with numerous awards.”

Joshi continues, “Tim is a great teacher, and he has mentored a number of our mid-career and senior faculty, including me!”

Throughout his career, Finin has been involved with various aspects of ACM. As a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Finin became a member of ACM’s special interest group on artificial intelligence (SIGART), which is one of his primary areas of focus. In the years since then, he has collaborated with numerous many UMBC faculty, students, and alumni, in addition to colleagues in industry and at other institutions, to move this work forward.

In the 1990s, and with support from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Finin worked with UMBC faculty to develop new software standards to support the then-new concept of intelligent multiagent systems. The software, called the Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language, was used to develop intelligent applications and as the basis for faculty research and many Ph.D. dissertations.

The ACM’s Conference for Information and Knowledge Management awarded Finin and his collaborators with the 2018 Test of Time Award for a 1994 paper about this research that has continued to have an important impact on the research community.

Finin and a group of collaborators also worked on projects related building the semantic web. “The idea was to enhance the new web technologies with a way to enclose structured data that machines could use into ordinary web pages,” he explained. He adds that this allowed computers to understand the information on the web page without having to understand natural language.

Starting in the 2000s, Finin and his collaborators focused much of their work on blogs and then social media, including Facebook and Twitter. They explored how to analyze the data collected on these sites, and also how to protect and improve security and privacy features.

“I’ve only been able to do this because of the environment at UMBC,” Finin says, reflecting on the encouragement he has received to pursue new collaborations and areas of research.

“Based on my experience,” he shares, “I hope to mentor more faculty in the middle of their careers,” to help them access opportunities through organizations like ACM.

Finin currently oversees and mentors UMBC’s student chapter of ACM, which includes both undergraduate and graduate students. The student organization sponsors weekly talks and other events for people in the UMBC community who are interested in computing and related topics.

Finin joins Roy Rada, professor emeritus of information systems, who is also an ACM fellow.

Adapted from a UMBC News article written by Megan Hanks

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SEVILLETA FIELD STATION REU SITES PROGRAM IN ARIDLAND ECOLOGY

UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO

The UNM Sevilleta Field Station is seeking applicants for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU).  Application deadline is February 15, 2019.  We are looking for 10 Biology and 2 Art Ecology REU students for the Summer of 2019. This years dates of program are May 27-August 2, 2019. This interdisciplinary REU Site Program at the Sevilleta Field Station in central New Mex! ico will train undergraduate students who will conduct independent rese! arch under the guidance of UNM faculty in Biology, Ecology, Civil Engineering, and Earth and Planetary Sciences, along with scientists from Federal and State agencies. The summer program includes a seminar series, a weekly journal club, an annual symposium, professional development workshops, public speaking, ethics training, field trips, and opportunities to interact with a multitude of scientists conducting research in the area. Students will conduct independent research in and around the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) and present their projects at the annual symposium to be held in early August 2019. Working at the Sevilleta Field Station and SNWR site invites close interactions among students, faculty, federal scientists, and graduate students.

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Students will have numerous opportunities to share ideas and explore issues within and across disciplines. The program’s goals are to (1) provide students with a high quality independent research experience, (2) expose students to a large, multidisciplinary research program, (3) inspire students to continue into professional careers, and (4) prepare students for the rigors of graduate school, professional research, and responsible citizenship. The program exemplifies the integration of research and education. As students conduct research, they will learn how to be independent scientists, and they will gain experience dealing with many technical, methodological and ethical issues that arise in scientific research.

In addition to the 10 Biology REUs, 2 Art REU students (funded through the Sevilleta LTER Program) will be selected for summer of 2019. The goals of the selected individuals will be to observe and interpret the ecology, research, and landscape of the SNWR through the creation of artistic works (e.g., photography, painting, sculpture, videos). These artworks will be used to cultivate the understanding among the general public about the goals of UNM and SNWR in studying, restoring, and protecting the ecology and landscapes present within the SNWR. Final artwork! s will be displayed and maintained in facilities under the care of UNM..

Lodging and laboratory space for all REU students will be provided by the UNM Sevilleta Field Station at no cost to the student. In addition, candidates chosen will receive a stipend of $5500 and a $500 food allowance during the 10-week summer program that will run from May 27 – August 2.  We will also refund travel costs to and from the UNM Sevilleta Field Station up to $600 (stipulations apply). Students will have access to ~$500 ! for materials and supplies related to their research or artistic endeavo! rs.

Applications will be accepted from students at any stage of their undergraduate program (freshman to senior) and any discipline, so long as the applicant is interested in conservation biology and ecology in aridland environments. Students are not eligible if they have completed an undergraduate degree by the start of Summer 2019. We especially welcome applications from students at two and four year colleges, students early in their college career, students that are the first member of their family to attend college, non-traditional students, and students ! from traditionally underrepresented groups.  Students must be U.S.. Citizens.

General requirements for participation in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates Programs in the Biological Sciences are set by the National Science Foundation. These requirements are listed below:

Applicants to the Sevilleta REU Program must be:!

• Citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions (e.g., Puerto Rico).
• Undergraduate students enrolled in a degree program (full- or part-time) leading to a Bachelor’s degree.
• Undergraduate students who are transferring from one institution to another but are not enrolled at either institution during the intervening summer may participate.
  
  Students are not eligible if they are:

• Foreign nationals residing in a country other than the United States.
• Students that have completed high school but have not yet enrolled in a degree program at an educational institution of higher learning.
• Students that have completed an undergraduate degree and are no longer enrolled in a degree program at an educational institution of higher learning.
  
  Requirements for the Sevilleta REU Program:

• The Sevilleta REU Program has no additional requirements. Applications will be accepted from students at any stage of their undergraduate program (freshman to senior) and any discipline, so long as the applicant is generally interested in careers related to conservation biology and ecology.
• We are particularly interested in applications from students that have had limited opportunities to conduct independent research at their home institution. We welcome and encourage applications from students at four year colleges, students that are the first member of their family to attend college, non-traditional students, and students from traditionally underrepresented groups.
  
  A completed application for the Sevilleta LTER Researc! h Experience for Undergraduates Summer Program will consist of five items:

1. A complete online application (see below).
2. A resume.
   •   3.  An unofficial copy of your academic transcript. If accepted into the REU program, applicants will be required to provide an official copy before starting the program.
     
     4. Two letters of recommendation. These can be from faculty advisors from the student’s home institution, me! ntors or previous employers. Recommendations from those that are able t! o comment on the applicant’s academic ability, initiative, maturity, and self-motivation are preferred. Please have your respondents email your letters of recommendation tosrbaker@unm.edu WITH the subject line of “2019 REU Recommendation for YOUR NAME.”

1. A two-page essay addressing the development of the student’s interest in ecology, the specific areas of research interest, and current professional career goals. Essays can be single or double-spaced but should be in a legible font (min. 11 point) with 1 inch margi! ns.
2. Art REUs will also need to provide a portfolio with examples of their artwork. This should be a PowerPoint presentation or pdf and needs to be uploaded to the application.

Deadlines

The application form, resume, unofficial transcript, two-page essay, and letters of recommendation should be received by February 15, 2019.

Questions regarding the application procedure can be directed to the Program Manager, Stephanie Baker by e-mail. Please put REU 2019 in the subject line.

e-mail:!  srbaker@unm.edu

TO APPLY AND FOR MORE INFORMATION visit: https://sevilletareu.wordpress.com/

MD Data Science Conference
Monday, 14 January, UMBC
Canceled due to Weather

Miner & Kasch has decided to cancel the conference tomorrow due to the snow storm and reschedule it.

“While around UMBC the snow seems to be letting up, we have several speakers and attendees from other areas that have raised concerns about being able to attend. We want to be able to have the event at a time when we can have everyone that wanted to participate be able to attend. We will start working on a backup date immediately and send a notice to all of you as soon as we hear more. For now, we will refund all the tickets and have you re-register for the new date once we have the new details.”

Miner & Kasch, a AI and data science consulting firm founded by two UMBC alumni, will hold a one-day Data Science Conference at UMBC on Monday, January 14 in the Performing Arts & Humanities Building. Tickets are free for current UMBC students.

The event brings together local companies and professionals to share what new and exciting things they are doing with their data. It will be attended by business managers, startup founders, software engineers, data scientists, students, and other curious people that want to learn more about the cutting edge of data science, machine learning, and AI.

See the conference website for topics and speakers and to register.

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