If you have good software skills and are still looking for a summer internship, check out the 2014 Google Summer of Code program. You can earn $5500 by coding for an open source software project this summer. You will probably work remotely, but in close collaboration with a mentor at one of over 100 participating organizations. To maximize your chances, explore the organizations and find one that needs your skills. Details here; apply by Friday, March 21.

Google Code Jam 2014 Registration is open and the qualification round starts on Friday, April 11, 2014. Google Code Jam is an international programming competition hosted and administered by Google. The competition began in 2003 as a means to identify top engineering talent for potential employment at Google.

The competition consists of a set of algorithmic problems which must be solved in a fixed amount of time. Competitors may use any programming language and development environment to obtain their solutions. More than 45,000 coders registered to compete last year and the winner, Ivan Miatselski won the $15,000 grand prize.

If you are interested in finding out more, see the Google Code Jam quick start guide and try some of the practice problems from past competitions. The first qualification round starts on April 11 and the finals will take place in Los Angeles on August 15.

Google Code Jam 2014 Registration is open and the qualification round starts on Friday, April 11, 2014. Google Code Jam is an international programming competition hosted and administered by Google. The competition began in 2003 as a means to identify top engineering talent for potential employment at Google.

The competition consists of a set of algorithmic problems which must be solved in a fixed amount of time. Competitors may use any programming language and development environment to obtain their solutions. More than 45,000 coders registered to compete last year and the winner, Ivan Miatselski won the $15,000 grand prize.

If you are interested in finding out more, see the Google Code Jam quick start guide and try some of the practice problems from past competitions. The first qualification round starts on April 11 and the finals will take place in Los Angeles on August 15.

The UMBC Council of Computing Majors will hold its first hands-on Raspberry Pi workshop from 2:00-4:00 this Friday, March 7, in ITE240.

The Raspberry Pi is a $35 credit-card-sized, single-board computer that runs a version of Unix. Originally developed for teaching computer programming to children, it is now being used in many useful and exciting applications, from near-space weather balloons to baby monitors to media servers. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

The initial workshop will cover the Raspberry Pi, its Raspbian Unix OS, and how to program it using Python for real-world applications. There will be 20 Pi computers for participants to use. The workshop is designed so freshman and non-computer science majors can attend and participate. If you know anyone who would be interested in attending, please send them the link and information!

Space is limited, so sign up to reserve a seat.  Intermediate and advanced workshops will follow later in the semester. See the Pi FAQ for general information on the Pi and Raspbian for information on its operating system.

For more information, contact CCM president Austin Murdock (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ).

The UMBC Council of Computing Majors will hold its first hands-on Raspberry Pi workshop from 2:00-4:00 this Friday, March 7, in ITE240.

The Raspberry Pi is a $35 credit-card-sized, single-board computer that runs a version of Unix. Originally developed for teaching computer programming to children, it is now being used in many useful and exciting applications, from near-space weather balloons to baby monitors to media servers. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

The initial workshop will cover the Raspberry Pi, its Raspbian Unix OS, and how to program it using Python for real-world applications. There will be 20 Pi computers for participants to use. The workshop is designed so freshman and non-computer science majors can attend and participate. If you know anyone who would be interested in attending, please send them the link and information!

Space is limited, so sign up to reserve a seat.  Intermediate and advanced workshops will follow later in the semester. See the Pi FAQ for general information on the Pi and Raspbian for information on its operating system.

For more information, contact CCM president Austin Murdock (Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address. ).

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) has selected CSEE professor Marie desJardins as one of four awardees of the 2014 NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award. The award comes with a gift to UMBC of $5,000, sponsored by AT&T that can be used to further Professor desJardins mentoring activities. The award will be presented at the 2014 NCWIT Summit which will take place at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in Newport Beach, California in May 2014.

NCWIT is a non-profit community of more than 500 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women’s participation in technology and computing. Their  annual NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award recognizes U.S. Academic Alliance representatives for their outstanding mentorship, high-quality research opportunities, recruitment of women and minority students, and efforts to encourage and advance undergraduates in computing-related fields.

The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) has selected CSEE professor Marie desJardins as one of four awardees of the 2014 NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award. The award comes with a gift to UMBC of $5,000, sponsored by AT&T that can be used to further Professor desJardins mentoring activities. The award will be presented at the 2014 NCWIT Summit which will take place at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel & Spa in Newport Beach, California in May 2014.

NCWIT is a non-profit community of more than 500 prominent corporations, academic institutions, government agencies, and non-profits working to increase women’s participation in technology and computing. Their  annual NCWIT Undergraduate Research Mentoring Award recognizes U.S. Academic Alliance representatives for their outstanding mentorship, high-quality research opportunities, recruitment of women and minority students, and efforts to encourage and advance undergraduates in computing-related fields.

Computer Engineering, Computer Science, and Information Systems majors with at least a 3.25 GPA and an interest in cybersecurity are encouraged to apply for 2014-15 cohort of the UMBC Cyber Scholars Program.

The Cyber Scholars Program is a merit-based scholarship program for talented undergraduates majoring in computer science, information systems of computer engineering who are interested in pursuing a career within the field of cybersecurity. Cyber Scholars are supported financially and incorporated into a scholarship community, unique courses, mentoring, and the chance to take part in cybersecurity research and internships during in their academic careers.

Apply by 14 February 2014 by submitting a application along with two letters of recommendation and an official college transcript.

Meet Vani. She is a Biological Sciences and Psychology major currently doing an internship at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in Bethesda. Her research investigates cocaine abuse. She is also a member of the Honors College.

Who did you work with on this project (PI, graduate students, other students) and how did you learn what you needed to know to be successful in this lab?
I would say that I have been extremely fortunate to have a position in this lab mainly because of the people that I work with. My most immediate team consists of my mentor, a post-bac, and a post-doc, with whom I am currently working on a series of projects. I have done my fair share of reading articles and practicing certain skills to gain a solid understanding of my project, but everyone in my lab has been extremely helpful and supportive of fostering my growth in the lab.

Do you get course credit for this work? Paid? How much time do you put into it?
This internship is unpaid, but I do receive credit through the Honors College and courses in my major. I put in approximately 16-18 hours each week.

What was the hardest part of your research experience?
The hardest part for me was finding the perfect balance between classes and research. Especially because I have a 20 minute commute to my lab, I had to be careful in scheduling classes while making sure I was still challenging myself academically. I have learned to get things done ahead of time in either lab or in studying for my classes depending on upcoming deadlines or exam dates.

What was the most unexpected thing?
We still laugh over it, but my current mentor and I entered the lab at the same time last year and went through training together- little did I know back then that I would be working under him!

How does this research experience relate to your work in other classes?
This research has given me a head start on the material covered in a few of my science and psychology classes, especially BIOL302 (Genetics) and PSYC335 (Physiological psychology).

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research?
My best advice would be to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself because you never know where it will take you! And don’t hesitate to ask your mentor or peers if you have any questions- they were in your shoes at some point in their lives so keep that in mind and make the very best of your experience!

Read her abstract here...

UMBC’s ACM student chapter has a new website that will be used to announce its activities and events as well as news about computing related opportunities and resources. The chapter is open to both undergraduate and graduate students interested in computing from all majors. Joining is free and is a great way to meet other students interested in computing and to participate in activities that will help you grow as a professional.

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. It provides members with resources that advance computing both as a science and a profession. UMBC’s chapter meetings are open to all undergraduate and graduate students of any major. While you do not need to join ACM to be a part of the local chapter, the annual membership dues for students is only $19, heavily discounted from the non-student rate. See the ACM site for more information on student membership and its benefits.

For more information contact us at acmofficers AT lists.umbc.edu.