Ph.D. Dissertation Defense

Automatic Service Search and Composability
Analysis in Large Scale Service Networks

Yunsu Lee

10:00am Wednesday 25 November 2015, ITE 346, UMBC

Currently, software and hardware system components are trending toward modularized and virtualized as atomic services on the cloud. A number of cloud platforms or marketplaces are available where everybody can provide their system components as services. In this situation, service composition is essential, because the functionalities offered by a single atomic service might not satisfy users’ complex requirements. Since there are already a number of available services and significant increase in the number of new services over time, manual service composition is impractical.

In our research, we propose computer-aided methods to help find and compose appropriate services to fulfill users’ requirement in large scale service network. For this purpose, we explore the following methods. First, we develop a method for formally representing a service in term of composability by considering various functional and non-functional characteristics of services. Second, we develop a method for aiding the development of the reference ontologies that are crucial for representing a service. We explore a bottom-up-based statistical method for the ontology development. Third, we architect a framework that encompasses the reference models, effective strategy, and necessary procedures for the services search and composition. Finally, we develop a graph-based algorithm that is highly specialized for services search and composition. Experimental comparative performance analysis against existing automatic services composition methods is also provided.

Commitee: Drs. Yun Peng (chair), Tim Finin, Yelena Yesha, Milton Halem, Nenad Ivezic (NIST) and Boonserm Kulvatunyou (NIST)

SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Our Summer Internship Program offers an opportunity for college and university students to gain work experience in a wide variety of disciplines. Interns learn firsthand about the historic artifacts and archival materials housed in the Museum and study the scientific and technological advances they represent.

Each year, positions are available in a variety of Museum areas such as aircraft restoration, aviation or space history, planetary science, collections management, web and new media, exhibit and graphic design, public relations, budget and finance, architecture and engineering, and education. Students from all fields of study are encouraged to apply.

Location and Schedule
Many interns work in the Museum in Washington, DC, but others work at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, or the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland. A commitment of 10 weeks during the summer is required. Full-time interns work 40 hours per week beginning the first week in June until the second week in August.

Stipend and Housing
A $5,500 stipend is provided to help interns defray expenses. Information on lodging options is provided upon selection as an intern, but interns are responsible for locating and securing lodging.

Eligibility
To be considered for a summer internship, you must be a high school graduate and be enrolled in a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate program at an accredited college or university. You are expected to have a strong academic record. Applicants from outside the U.S. are welcome! More information for international interns is available on the intern orientation website.

How to Apply 
Applications are accepted from January 15 to February 15 during the calendar year of the internship. Interns are notified of the status of their application by April 1. Visit the Smithsonian Online Academic Appointment System (SOLAA) website to apply.

Complete applications must include the following: 

• Application
• Unofficial transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• A Statement of Purpose (500-1,000 words) indicating the type of internship you are interested in and explaining how an internship will contribute to your education and career goals

The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Security Review of the MyUMBC Mobile App

Mikhail Aleksander, Enis Golaszewski, Gavin Lebo and Daniel Whitt

11:15am-12:30pm Friday, 20 November 2015, ITE 231

Our team will present preliminary findings and lead an informal discussion on its project to carry out a security review of new custom software for mobile devices in the UMBC enterprise. Using Highpoint, this custom software allows users to connect from IOS and Android mobile devices to application services including Peoplesoft (registration and administrative functions), Blackboard (instructional support), and Cashnet (campus financial transactions). Focusing on the custom software, the review includes an adversarial model, summary of the data and resources to be protected, analysis of the system design and architecture, and static and dynamic analysis of the source code using a variety of tools. Among other questions, the review addresses the following: What are potential vulnerabilities? How might an adversary exploit these vulnerabilities? What attacks are possible, how difficult would it be to carry out such attacks, what would their consequences be, and what is the risk of such attacks? Are appropriate cryptography and protocols used, are they used appropriately, and are the key lengths appropriate? Is the key management sound, and where are keys stored? Does the design and implementation follow best practices? The final report will include constructive recommendations.

Mikhail Aleksander, Enis Golaszewski, Gavin Lebo, and Daniel Whitt are students in Dr. Sherman’s CMSC-491/691 Cybersecurity Research class of the NSF-funded INSuRE project.  Aleksander, Golaszewski, and Lebo are BS students in computer science; Whitt is a MPS student in Cyber. Lebo and Whitt are also SFS Scholars.

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

MS Defense
UMBC Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

Distance Adaptation of Diffuse Reflectance
and Subsurface Scattering

Elizabeth Baumel

1:30pm Friday, November 20, ITE 352, UMBC

Objects in the world around us are made of a myriad of materials, both metallic and non-metallic. Most non-metallic materials scatter light in varying amounts within their surfaces, giving softer, more saturated diffuse colors and softer-edged shadows. This effect, subsurface scattering, is important to make translucent objects look realistic. Non-metallic objects that are opaque also scatter light, just at a very small distance. These non-metallic materials may look somewhat translucent at very close viewing distances, but from farther away they exhibit a more opaque, but still soft diffuse appearance. To shade these objects realistically from all distances, a method is needed to model subsurface scattering effects at close ranges and to smoothly transition to a soft diffuse reflection at larger viewing distances. We present a method that takes advantage of graphics processor texture filtering hardware to linearly filter maps that encode diffuse reflection and translucency information and to interpolate between a close-range subsurface scattering effect and a long-range reflectance function.

Committee: Drs. Marc Olano (Advisor, Chair), Penny Rheingans, Jian Chen

UMBC’s Information Systems Security Association Chapter and Cyber Scholars & Affiliates Program will host a panel on Women and Leadership in IT followed by hors d’oeuvres and networking with the panelists and representatives from Northrop Grumman.  The event will take place from 5:00 to 6:30pm on Wednesday, 18 November 2015 in room 312 of the University Center at UMBC. Panelists include:

• Deborah Bonanni: Former Chief of Staff of NSA & VP of Intelligent Decisions, Inc.
• Diane Howard: VP of Cyber Operations of Northrop Grumman
• Belinda Coleman: President/CEO the Coleman Group Inc.
• Brenda Martineau : Organizational Leadership & Management Skill Community Director of NSA
• Jennifer R. Walker : President/CEO Resolute Technologies, LLC

Everyone is welcome. See the event announcement  for more information and to optionally RSVP.

Northrop Grumman Information Systems is seeking UMBC students to apply for their Summer 2016 internships in Baltimore working in Health IT.

Students should be freshmen, sophomores, and juniors interested in interviewing for a summer internship within our team of qualified, diverse individuals at our highly competitive, on site Internship Interview Day.  The Interview Day will take place on December 1 at Northrop Grumman's Baltimore, Maryland location.

If you are interested in being considered for participation in this event please review the below minimum qualifications and apply directly. The best qualified applicants will receive a formal invitation to an upcoming Intern Hire Draft event to interview with Hiring Managers representing the different programs in our Health IT division. Individuals who meet immediate business needs will be given the chance to compete amongst their peers for an offer to join our team for the summer.

Basic Qualifications:
To be considered for this event, you must minimally meet the knowledge, skills, and abilities listed below:
•    Enrolled as a full time student pursing a degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, Information Technology or a related technical degree from an accredited institution.
•    Must be within a 60 mile radius of Baltimore, MD and/or be willing to commute to attend the event.
•    Must have a graduation date of December 2016 or beyond (those already graduated or graduating prior to that will not be considered for this event).
•    Interested in obtaining internship with Northrop Grumman for the summer of 2016 and attending the interview day in person at the Baltimore, MD NGC facility on December 1.
•    Willing to consider an internship opportunity in the Baltimore, MD area.
•    Must be able to obtain a security clearance (US Citizen or Permanent Resident)

Preferred Qualifications:
Candidates that meet these desired qualifications will be given preferential consideration:
•    Candidates with flexible work location preference
•    Candidates with 3.7 GPA or higher
•    Previous classroom or internship experience within discipline

To Apply:

Email your resume to Cheryl Batleman (cheryl.batleman@ngc.com) by November 20, 2015.  Subject Line: Health IT Intern Draft Application

Below are featured events and internship/employment opportunities that have recently been posted or have application deadline dates that are quickly approaching!  To see all that the UMBC Career Center has to offer YOU, please visit our myUMBC group page HERE or log into your UMBCworks account!

FEATURED EVENTS….

NEW! Inside Scoop: Entrepreneur PanelWednesday, November 18, 2015 Noon – 1pm

Information Sessions

NEW!Information Session: M&T Bank Tuesday, November 17, 2015, 5 pm – 7 pm

NEW! Information Session: Urban teachers Wednesday, November 18, 2015, 5 pm – 7 pm

NEW! Information Session: Tensley ConsultingThursday, November 19, 2015, 5 pm – 6:30 pm

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FEATURED FULL-TIME & PART-TIME JOBS, INTERNSHIPS, AND RESEARCH POSITIONS

The Bipartisan Policy Center Internship Program

R&D Internship in Biomaterials

Summer Internships for All Majors with the US Army

Keep an eye on the Career Center website (http://careers.umbc.edu/) for all upcoming events and programs!  Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors….this is an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about career paths…whether you are exploring possibilities or searching for an internship or full-time opportunity!

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