URA How-To Workshop

Tuesday, December 8
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Sherman Hall A Room 113

Undergraduate Research Awards provide up to $1,500 to undergraduate students to support their research or creative work with a UMBC faculty mentor on an original project. UMBC students of all years and disciplines are invited to apply, as long as they will remain enrolled at UMBC long enough to complete the proposed work.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Engineering Notes on Homomorphic
Private Information Retrieval

Russ Fink
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

11:15am-12:30pm, Friday, 4 December 4 2015, ITE 231

For two years, we have been investigating applications of private information retrieval (PIR) using the additive homomorphic scheme designed by Paillier that forms the basis of a space efficient PIR system by Ostrovsky, Skeith, and Bethencourt. We have implemented a working prototype and gained some insights about the technique, and identified improvements to make it practical to real-world privacy problems. I will present an overview of the technique, present a real world use case, and discuss our technical contributions and ongoing challenges.

Dr. Russ Fink is Chief Engineer of the Enterprise Security Group at APL. He earned the PhD from UMBC with a dissertation on applying trustworthy computing to voting.

Host: Alan T. Sherman, Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address.

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Engineering Notes on Homomorphic
Private Information Retrieval

Russ Fink
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

11:15am-12:30pm, Friday, 4 December 4 2015, ITE 231

For two years, we have been investigating applications of private information retrieval (PIR) using the additive homomorphic scheme designed by Paillier that forms the basis of a space efficient PIR system by Ostrovsky, Skeith, and Bethencourt. We have implemented a working prototype and gained some insights about the technique, and identified improvements to make it practical to real-world privacy problems. I will present an overview of the technique, present a real world use case, and discuss our technical contributions and ongoing challenges.

Dr. Russ Fink is Chief Engineer of the Enterprise Security Group at APL. He earned the PhD from UMBC with a dissertation on applying trustworthy computing to voting.

Host: Alan T. Sherman, Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address.

The UMBC CSEE Seminar Series Presents

Addressing Energy and Big Data
Challenges in Microgrids

Prof. Ting Zhu, UMBC

1-2pm Friday, Dec 4, 2015, ITE 325B

Buildings account for over 75% of the electricity consumption in the United States. To reduce electricity usage and peak demand, many utility companies are introducing market-based time-of-use (TOU) pricing models. In parallel, government programs that increase the fraction of renewable energy are incentivizing residential consumers to adopt on-site renewables and energy storage. Connecting on-site renewables and energy storage between homes forms a sustainable microgrid that is capable of generating, storing, and sharing electricity to balance local generation and consumption in residential areas. In this talk, I will present two pieces of our work in this area. The first work targets at minimizing the electricity cost from a utility company for a microgrid under different market-based TOU pricing models. This work is selected as the best paper runners up at BuildSys 2014. The goals of the second work are real-time energy data gathering, compression, and recovery based on unique features in the energy consumption patterns. In the end of the talk, I will also briefly introduce some of my latest work in indoor localization, networking, and smart health.

Ting Zhu is an assistant professor in the CSEE at UMBC. He received the Computing Innovation Fellowship in 2010. His papers have been selected in the best paper award finalist in multiple conferences (i.e., SenSys ’10, e-Energy ’13, and BuildSys ’14). He has a broad research interest in areas such as internet of things, energy, networking, systems, big data, and security. He is looking for undergraduate, Master and PhD students to work in the above areas.

Hosts: Professors Fow-Sen Choa (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ) and Alan T. Sherman (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. )

The UMBC CSEE Seminar Series Presents

Addressing Energy and Big Data
Challenges in Microgrids

Prof. Ting Zhu, UMBC

1-2pm Friday, Dec 4, 2015, ITE 325B

Buildings account for over 75% of the electricity consumption in the United States. To reduce electricity usage and peak demand, many utility companies are introducing market-based time-of-use (TOU) pricing models. In parallel, government programs that increase the fraction of renewable energy are incentivizing residential consumers to adopt on-site renewables and energy storage. Connecting on-site renewables and energy storage between homes forms a sustainable microgrid that is capable of generating, storing, and sharing electricity to balance local generation and consumption in residential areas. In this talk, I will present two pieces of our work in this area. The first work targets at minimizing the electricity cost from a utility company for a microgrid under different market-based TOU pricing models. This work is selected as the best paper runners up at BuildSys 2014. The goals of the second work are real-time energy data gathering, compression, and recovery based on unique features in the energy consumption patterns. In the end of the talk, I will also briefly introduce some of my latest work in indoor localization, networking, and smart health.

Ting Zhu is an assistant professor in the CSEE at UMBC. He received the Computing Innovation Fellowship in 2010. His papers have been selected in the best paper award finalist in multiple conferences (i.e., SenSys ’10, e-Energy ’13, and BuildSys ’14). He has a broad research interest in areas such as internet of things, energy, networking, systems, big data, and security. He is looking for undergraduate, Master and PhD students to work in the above areas.

Hosts: Professors Fow-Sen Choa (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ) and Alan T. Sherman (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. )

The US Navy Summer 2016  Internship Program is back and recruiting UMBC Students! 

All UMBC students must apply through USA jobs for the Department of the Navy Summer Pathways Intern Program by December 10.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/422956400

Additional information can be found below:

The US Navy has partnered with UMBC to specifically hire multiple interns for 3 different Summer 2016 programs: Fleet Cyber Command Intern, Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group Intern, and Navy Information Operations Command Intern. Position descriptions and brochures are listed below. 

Summer 2016 Fleet Cyber Command Intern 

Brochure

Longer Description

All Policy, Business, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Majors Encouraged to Apply

Summer 2016 Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group Intern 

Brochure

Longer Description

All Technical Majors Encouraged to Apply (CS, CE, IS, BTA, EE, Cyber, and Math)

Summer 2016 Navy Information Operations Command Intern 

Brochure
Longer Description

All Technical Majors Encouraged to Apply (CS, CE, IS, BTA, EE, Engineering, Cyber, and Math)

For additional questions or information, please contact USFF_FCC_C10F_NSAH_INTERNSHIP@navy.mil

PROGRAM DATES: JUNE 6 - AUGUST 6, 2016

ICERT REU ACTIVITIES

• Computational training in a multi-disciplinary cohort using some of the world's most advanced computational resources. Training led by TACC researchers with expertise in computation
• Integration into a research team including pairing with a mentor/researcher and graduate mentor working on a computational project
• Application seminars, training workshops, and STEM Outreach to K-12 and the public (explaining and demonstrating the contribution of HPC to society)
• Team-building exercises that will prepare participants for the workplace of the future
• Final presentations to cohort, University and TACC mentors
• Poster presentation, technical report, and publication opportunities

STIPEND
Participants will receive a stipend for work, travel stipend, and housing at The University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, travel grants to present research at the annual XSEDE conference will be available to selected participants.

APPLICATION & SELECTION
The online application process for Summer 2016 begins November 1, 2015. The deadline for priority consideration is March 1, 2016. Applications will be accepted until all positions are filled. Application review will begin in March. TACC will provide pre-screening of applicants, matching selected students with University and TACC researchers.

CRITERIA FOR STUDENT APPLICATION

1. Currently enrolled undergraduate student
2. Earning a minimum of a 2.5 GPA
3. Programming experience in Linux/Unix environments is recommended but not required
4. U.S. citizenship or permanent residency

Your complete application consists of:

1. Application form, submitted online
2. Official college transcript. An unofficial copy can be emailed, but official copy must be received if accepted into the REU
3. Two letters of recommendation. Recommenders should email their letter, and at least one recommender should be a professor or academic advisor.

WalletHub.Com has released its annual survey regarding the states most vulnerable to identity theft.

As a cyber-oriented culture, it’s natural to wonder whether and how a person’s daily habits assist hackers in stealing personal information. Accordingly, the site consulted a panel of cybersecurity professors for answers to such questions and offer advice on how to safeguard data against cybercriminals. Items asked include:

• How should consumers choose among third-party providers  offering services to protect their identity and personal data?
• What can individuals do to guard against identity theft?
• Is the recent expansion of social media facilitating identity thefts?
• Should the federal government intervene to establish a clear process for victims of identity theft looking to clear their name?

Dr. Rick Forno, CSEE’s Cybersecurity Graduate Program Director and Assistant Director of UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity, was one of those invited to offer comments on this ongoing problem facing Internet users.