CSEE Ph.D. student Kavita Krishnaswamy was featured in a recent CNN story, Will robots help the bedridden see the world?. She has been getting a lot of visibility in the last few months via a collaboration with Suitable Technologies, a Palo Alto based company that makes ‘telepresence robots’. They loaned the department one of their high-end Beam systems last Fall to use in our robotics related research, lead by professors Tim Oates and Cynthia Matuszek, and have been inviting Kavita to use their systems in various ways.

For example she presented her dissertation proposal in December via Beam, participated in a panel at the Consumer Electronics Show show in January, has been visiting museums via Beam this month, helped lead a debate on the ethics of brain-computer interfaces this past Monday, and will take part in in a SWSX panel in March.

Here is an excerpt from the CNN story:

“A PhD candidate at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Krishnaswamy has spinal muscular atrophy and requires assistance 24 hours a day. She was able to make the museum trips using a Beam telepresence robot — a remotely controlled 16-inch screen mounted five feet above motorized wheels.
…
“I really enjoy the autonomy. It allows me to focus in on the things I want to see,” said Krishnaswamy. “And it’s not controlled by somebody else. I really like being independent.”

Since her first experience using a Beam to attend a computing conference in Seattle, Krishnaswamy says her life has changed drastically. She has more confidence and her calendar is suddenly filled. In a single day this week, she will take part in a debate on her campus, drop in on the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and be in Washington D.C. for the Human Robot Interaction conference.

Krishnaswamy has never had the ability to stand. The Beam puts her at eye-level and gives her a new perspective on the world, she says.”

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The MITRE Human Language Technology department is looking to add a talented intern to work on a research project aimed at developing automated methods for detecting dropped pronouns in informal Chinese text. The intern will contribute to the development and evaluation of algorithms and documentation of results in a technical report. Depending upon results, the report will be submitted to a peer-reviewed scientific publication.

Start: April – mid-June (flexible)

Duration: 8-10 weeks

Location: Annapolis Junction MD preferred, McLean VA/Bedford MA possible

For more information, see here.

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).

The College Qualified Leaders (CQL) program offers interested students (undergraduates and graduates) the opportunity to spend the summer working on research in a Department of Defense laboratory. These are paid internships.

The Multilingual Computing Branch (MLCB) at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), based in Adelphi, Maryland is looking for talented computer science and engineering interns this summer. Interns will work closely with ARL researchers on current projects to develop cutting-edge natural language processing and machine learning software. The MLCB has several ongoing projects in computational linguistics/natural language processing, including active projects in machine translation, human-robot communication, and social media analysis.

Interested applicants should have a strong academic record and be willing to take the initiative on projects.

Proficiency in Java, C++, Python, Scala, or similar languages is desired. Proficiency in natural language processing, speech processing, machine learning, or pattern recognition is a plus. Proficiency in multiple natural languages is a plus. Two references are required. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens.

The CQL program is not restricted to the summer months and, thus, it may be possible for the intern to continue working with ARL during the school year.

Interested students should apply via the following URL: http://www.usaeop.com/programs/apprenticeships/cql/

It is strongly recommended that interested students apply soon, as the window of opportunity for researchers to select summer interns is rapidly closing.

For more information about ARL, please visit http://www.arl.army.mil

Note that additional CQL positions may also be available for students in other disciplines and/or at other locations (e.g., Aberdeen Proving Ground).

HBO Seeks Diverse, Emerging Writers for HBOAccess Writing Fellowship

March is Women’s History Month!

Two  years ago Women’s History Month’s national theme was “Women Inspiring Innovation Through Imagination: Celebrating Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” The theme honored generations of women who throughout American history have used their intelligence, imagination, sense of wonder, and tenacity to make extraordinary contributions to the STEM fields. At UMBC we honored this theme by partnering with the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) to feature some of their amazing students participating in technology in the engineering and information technology fields. Three years later, we still find it meaningful and important to continue spotlighting the stories of UMBC’s CWIT women and with the 2015 theme of “Weaving the Stories of Women’s Lives” there’s no better time than now to continue weaving the stories of our campus ITE women into the fabric of women’s history and current day lived experiences. So with that, we are honored to bring you the 3rd Annual CWIT Showcase in honor of Women’s History Month.

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Claudette Dupont
Mechanical Engineering
CWIT T-Site Scholar

Meet Claudette!

Describe what sparked your interest STEM and the journey to choosing your major.

After graduating from high school in 2003, I pursued a career in the sport of showing dogs in American Kennel Club dog shows. I was nationally ranked in Junior Handling and placed in big-ticket events including The Westminster Kennel Club show. For over ten years, I worked for some of the most well-known professional dog handlers in the country, but in the summer of 2009 I injured myself and decided I needed a more secure career. Dog showing will always be my hobby, but I wanted to go to community college to get a business degree so I could manage my own dog-boarding kennel.

So how did I go from dog handler to mechanical engineer?

Claudette during her dog show days.

While I was pursuing my Business Administration Degree at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) I participated in seminars on renewable energy sources. Through these seminars, I met a project engineer from Constellation Energy group, and after listening to his seminar I asked him how he got his job – I thought it was fascinating. He explained that he had a Mechanical engineering degree and a MBA and he encouraged me to switch majors; in the same week I applied for an engineering scholars program for women and minorities at AACC. This program helped me explore engineering and introduced me to UMBC, where I was later accepted into the Center for Women in Technology T-SITE scholars program for transfer students. I have been very fortunate to have met such a great group of scholars and mentors.

Tell us about an internship, research experience or project that you are proud of.

I worked as an engineering assistant and drafter for Siemens Building Technologies in Beltsville Maryland for over 2 years. I recently accepted an internship offer for this summer at Johnson, Miriam and Thompson, a multi-disciplined architectural/engineering employee owned company.

Who are your role models in the engineering or IT field? How have their stories influenced your educational or career goals?

I was inspired by William Kamkwamba when I read his book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope. He was an impressive boy who built a windmill to power a few electrical appliances in his family’s house in Masitala using blue gum trees, bicycle parts, and materials collected in a local scrapyard. I was inspired because he was someone who had little resources but wanted to learn and make a change in his life for the positive, which brings me to my own personal difficulties – specifically, overcoming learning challenges. I was in special education in grade school and never wanted to go to college because I thought it was unattainable. However, with the help of the Khan Academy from Salman Khan I was able to learn and tackle the math and science needed to succeed in engineering. Salman Khan, who earned three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a MBA from Harvard Business School, has made learning attainable for those who just need a good teacher.

Explain your experience as a woman in a STEM major working with other women in STEM. How have you used each other to support your work and persevere in male-dominated fields?

Unfortunately, women in engineering in the HVAC field are a rarity, and I had to find support from women in the office who were not in STEM positions. Diversity in STEM fields is extremely important and I would like to mentor the next generation of young women in STEM, and I recommend looking for employers that embrace diversity.

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The Center for Women In Technology (CWIT) is dedicated to increasing the representation of women in the creation of technology in the engineering and information technology fields. CWIT efforts begin with nurturing a strong group of Scholars, grow to building community resources for other women in these majors, extend to fostering a healthy gender climate and ITE pedagogy in College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) departments, and finally expand into outreach efforts to increase interest in technical careers. A successful program for female-friendly engineering and information technology education at UMBC will help make UMBC a destination for women (and men) interested in technical careers and serve as a national model for other universities.

For more information about Women’s History events and happenings, visit the Women’s Center myUMBC group page.