UMBC computer science degree comes to Shady Grove

New offering brings highly regarded program to more students

by Megan Hanks
UMBC will now offer an undergraduate degree program in computer science at the Universities at Shady Grove, a Montgomery County campus that UMBC shares with eight other Maryland public universities. This is the first of several planned undergraduate programs from UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology that have been approved to be offered at Shady Grove, which also offers UMBC graduate and certificate programs in cybersecurity and data science.

The University System of Maryland and Shady Grove have been working to bring STEM programs like computer science to Montgomery County, which has a strong tech industry. Offering this program at Shady Grove reflects UMBC’s commitment to the state’s economic development and helping students access career opportunities, explains Allison Jones, director of program and partnership development in UMBC’s Division of Professional Studies.

Anupam Joshi, professor and chair of computer science and electrical engineering at UMBC, explains that the UMBC-Shady Grove program will match the current, popular undergraduate computer science program at UMBC’s main campus. This new offering brings UMBC’s highly regarded faculty and curriculum to a larger number of students in an area with high demand for computer science education.

Given the large number of Montgomery College alumni attending programs at Shady Grove, UMBC and Montgomery College have worked together closely to align their computer science curricula. This will enable computer science students to seamlessly transfer from Montgomery College to UMBC-Shady Grove. Jeannette Kartchner, former chair of computer science at Montgomery College, has been instrumental in getting the program off the ground. She is now associate program director for computer science at UMBC-Shady Grove.

With undergraduate computer science courses available at two locations, UMBC is poised to address “a huge, unmet demand for computer science education across Maryland,” in a thoughtful way that efficiently utilizes university resources, says Joshi. “We’re excited to bring this innovative program to USG.”

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Computer Science Professor

Two tenure-track, open rank positions

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE) invites applications for two, open rank, tenured/tenure-track positions in Computer Science (CS) to begin in the Fall of 2020. Applicants should have or be completing a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, have demonstrated the ability to pursue a research program, have a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence. Candidates will be expected to build and lead a team of student researchers, obtain external research support, and teach both graduate and undergraduate courses.

We welcome candidates in all areas of specialization in Computer Science. Some areas of interest for applicants include but are not limited to: information assurance and cybersecurity; mobile, wearable, and IoT systems; big data with an emphasis on machine learning, brain-inspired methods, and high-performance computing; knowledge and database systems; and graphics and visualization.

We are committed to inclusive excellence and innovation and welcome applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. UMBC is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.

The CSEE department is research-oriented and multi-disciplinary with programs in Computer Science (CS), Computer Engineering (CE), Electrical Engineering (EE), Data Science, and Cybersecurity. Our faculty (37 tenure-track, 16 teaching, and 18 research) enjoy collaboration, working across our specializations as well as with colleagues from other STEM, humanities and the arts departments, and external partners. We have more than 2,000 undergraduate CS and CE majors and more than 560 M.S. and Ph.D. students in our CS, CE, EE, Data Science, and Cybersecurity graduate programs. We have awarded 340 Ph.D. degrees since our establishment in 1986. Our research is supported by a growing and diverse portfolio from government and industrial sponsors with over $6M in yearly research expenditures. We work to help new colleagues be successful by providing competitive startup packages, reduced teaching loads, and active mentoring.

The College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) at UMBC crosses the boundaries of engineering, computing, and information disciplines to develop research and educational programs that engage faculty, students, and staff from all of the disciplines. COEIT is deeply committed to the success of all of our faculty. We have formal programs including “launch committees” to encourage regular and structured mentorship for faculty to start successfully, mentoring programs to provide support in the longer term, shared services for grant finance support, grant writing and editing support, monthly gatherings in which faculty share lunch and community, and we encourage all of our faculty to participate in the university’s eminent scholar mentor program to build relationships with leaders in the field beyond UMBC. You can read more about these programs and our Diversity & Inclusion initiatives on our website at https://coeit.umbc.edu.

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) community redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement. We advance knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds (http://facultydiversity.umbc.edu). According to the 2020 US News and World Best Colleges Report, UMBC placed 9th in the Most Innovative Schools category and 12th in the Best Undergraduate Teaching category. To continue to support this goal, the Faculty Development Center leads the Nation in supporting and guiding faculty in their educational mission with regular workshops and pedagogical demonstrations. The 2018 Chronicle of Higher Education also named UMBC as a Great College to Work For, for the ninth year in a row.

UMBC is a research-intensive university that is leading the world in inclusive excellence in research and teaching. We are redefining how to teach, and we are one of the most innovative universities in the Nation, according to US News. Our research is bold, cross disciplinary, and leverages our location near to the hospitals in Baltimore, NIH, NASA, NSF, and the USGS. Inclusive excellence also means being a strong community partner in Baltimore, and the UMBC Shriver Center and Center for Democracy and Civil life help forge and maintain connections. Social justice is core to our role in Baltimore, Maryland, and beyond.

UMBC’s campus is located on 500 acres just off I-95 between Baltimore and Washington DC, and less than 10 minutes from the BWI airport and Amtrak station. The campus includes the bwtech@UMBC research and technology park, which has special programs for startups focused on cybersecurity, clean energy, life sciences, and training. We are surrounded by one of the greatest concentrations of commercial, cultural, and scientific activity in the nation. Located at the head of the Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore has all the advantages of modern, urban living, including professional sports, major art galleries, theaters, and a symphony orchestra. The city’s famous Inner Harbor area is an exciting center for entertainment and commerce. The nation’s capital, Washington, DC, is a great tourist attraction with its historical monuments and museums. Just ten minutes from downtown Baltimore and 30 from the D.C. Beltway, UMBC offers easy access to the region’s resources by car or public transportation.

Qualifications

Applicants should have or be completing a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline, have demonstrated the ability to pursue a research program, and have a strong commitment to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Candidates will be expected to build and lead a team of student researchers, obtain external research support, and teach both graduate and undergraduate courses.

We welcome candidates in all areas of specialization. Candidates that have research interests in collaborative areas between CS, CE and Electrical Engineering are encouraged to apply.

Some areas of interest for CS applicants include but are not limited to: information assurance and cybersecurity; mobile, wearable, and IoT systems; big data with an emphasis on machine learning, data science, brain-inspired methods, and high-performance computing; knowledge and database systems; visualization.

Some areas of interest for CE applicants include but are not limited to: hardware focused applicants in Digital, Analog, Mixed-mode VLSI design and test, integrated sensors and processing, SoC, new and emerging design technologies, hardware implementations for neuroscience and health-related wearables, cyber physical systems, hardware security and assurance.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit a cover letter, a statement of research experience and interests, a statement of teaching experience and interests, a statement of commitment to diversity and inclusive excellence, a CV, and three letters of recommendation via interfolio. For full consideration, please submit application materials by January 15th, 2020. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please send questions to *protected email* and see http://csee.umbc.edu/jobs for more information.

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UMBC Cyber Dawgs are named CyberForce national champions

UMBC’s Cyber Defense Team, known as the Cyber Dawgs, has emerged the national champion team in the U.S. Department of Energy’s fifth annual CyberForce Competition. The Cyber Dawgs earned first place overall out of more than 100 teams from universities across the country.

Ten national laboratories hosted competing teams this year, November 15 – 16. UMBC competed at the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago, Illinois, while other teams traveled to sites like the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Competing teams hailed from a broad range of institutions, including Virginia Tech, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The competition tasks students with defending critical energy infrastructure during simulated cyberattacks. The scenarios are designed to be realistic, focused on water and power systems and including real-world constraints, such as insufficient budget for system upkeep and limited information on system needs. During the competition, “red teams,” including industry professionals, attack the system, while the students work to ensure that the infrastructure is available to their customers, or “green teams,” who test system usability.

The teams receive points based on how successfully they address attacks, while still allowing users to access the infrastructure they need. The teams are also awarded points for innovative defense tactics and ideas. This year’s competition saw several leading teams with neck-and-neck scores until the final round, when UMBC’s Cyber Dawgs pulled ahead for the victory.

The competition offers students a unique opportunity to develop their cybersecurity skills in relation to critical infrastructure, and have hands-on experience in a realistic cyberattack situation.

“The CyberForce competition is the most unique of our annual events, allowing us to experiment with network configurations to defend an industrial control system against adversaries while playing the roles of an IT organization,” explains RJ Joyce ’18, M.S. ’20, computer science, a member of the winning team. “The hard work, dedication, and creativity that each member brought to the team lifted us from a regional win last year to a national win this year.”

In addition to Joyce, last weekend’s winning team included Anna Staats ’20, computer science; Drew Barrett ’20, computer science; Grant Spencer ’20, computer science; Cyrus Bonyadi, Ph.D. ’23, computer science; and Seamus Burke ’20, computer science.

“The team’s second national championship in three years shows the enthusiasm, grit, and tenacity of our students in demonstrating their technical cyber expertise in a competitive arena,” says Rick Forno, senior lecturer of computer science and assistant director of UMBC’s Center for Cybersecurity.

Forno advises the Cyber Dawgs with Charles Nicholas, professor of computer science and electrical engineering. “It’s an awesome thing not just for the team and university,” he says, “but for each competitor individually, as they prepare to enter the cybersecurity workforce after graduation.”

UMBC students have a strong record in state and national competition. In 2018, UMBC computer science and information systems students won the top prize at the Maryland Cyber Challenge. A year earlier, the UMBC Cyber Dawgs won the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

Adapted from a UMBC News article by Megan Hanks.

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Cyberdawgs place first out of 105 teams in DOE’s 5th CyberForce Competition

Congratulations to the UMBC CyberDawgs team for their first place finish in a field of 105 collegiate teams in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Fifth Annual CyberForce Competition. The distributed event was held at ten of the DOE’s National Laboratories and challenged 105 teams to defend a simulated energy infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

The took place on November 15 and 16 with the goal of bolstering the U.S. cybersecurity workforce by extending skill-building opportunities for students, offering memorable hands-on experiences and highlighting the crucial role this field plays in preserving national energy security. The Cyberdawgs participated at the Argonne National Laboratory site in Illinois.

During the competition, teams competed to defend their simulated infrastructure from attacks by adversarial ​“red teams” composed of industry professionals, all while maintaining service for their ​“green team” customers, played by volunteers. The scenarios included simulated industrial control system components, real-world anomalies and constraints, and interaction with users of the systems.

Teams were scored on their success in protecting the infrastructure against attacks while ensuring the usability of the system, with additional points awarded for innovative ideas and defenses.

The team that competed in this year’s competition was chosen from members of the CyberDawgs student group, composed of students from a variety of majors who share a common interest in computer and network security. No prior experience is required to join and any UMBC students who want to learn more about cybersecurity and learn new skills in the field are encouraged to subscribe to its mailing list and attend meetings.

The CyberDawgs group is advised by CSEE faculty Charles Nicholas and Richard Forno.

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The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab presents

Reasoning About Time in a Crypto Protocol Analysis Tool

Dr. Catherine Meadows, Naval Research Laboratory

12:00–1:00pm Friday, 15 November 2019, ITE 227

The ability to guarantee timing properties, and in turn to use assumption about time to guarantee the security of protocols, is important to many of the applications we rely upon. For example, to compute locations, GPS depends on time synchronization between entities. Blockchain protocols require loose time synchronization to guarantee agreement on block timestamps. Distance-bounding protocols use the roundtrip time of an RF signal to enforce constraints on location. To analyze these types protocols formally, it is necessary to reason about time. This talk describes recent research in extending the Maude-NPA cryptographic protocol analysis tool to reason about cryptographic protocols that rely on or enforce timing properties. We describe the timing model we have created for the tool. We show how we we represent timing properties as constraints, whose solution is outsourced to an SMT solver. We also discuss our experimental results.

Catherine Meadows is a senior researcher in computer security at the Center for High Assurance Systems at the Naval Research Laboratory and heads that group’s Formal Methods Section. She was the principal developer of the NRL Protocol Analyzer (NPA), which was one of the first software tools to find previously undiscovered flaws in cryptographic protocols, and was used successfully in the analysis of a number of protocol standards. She is also leading, or has recently led, a number of projects related to the design and analysis of cryptographic protocols, including one focused the development of an analysis tool, Maude-NPA, that takes into account the the complex algebraic properties of cryptosystems, another that is focusing on the automatic generation of secure cryptosystems, and another devoted to formal methods for the design of cyber-physical systems with legacy components.

This work was supported by ONR 321 (*protected email*)

Host: Alan T. Sherman, *protected email* Support for this event was provided in part by the National Science Foundation under SFS grant 175368. The UMBC Cyber Defense Lab meets biweekly Fridays. All meetings are open to the public. Upcoming CDL Events:

• December 6, Karl Henderson, Verisign
• 9am—5pm daily, January 13-17, UMBC SFS/CySP Research Study, ITE 456
• January 31, 2020, TBA, biweekly CDL talks resume

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UMBC faculty poised to help shape national policies in computing

Adam Bargteil, assistant professor of computer science and electrical engineering, has been named chair-elect of the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques (SIGGRAPH). He will lead SIGGRAPH as chair starting Fall 2020.

With Bargteil’s election, UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT) now has two faculty members serving as leaders of two of the ACM’s largest special interest groups. Helena Mentis, associate dean for academic programs and learning in COEIT and associate professor of information systems, has been president of the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (SIGCHI) since July 2018.

In these leadership roles, Bargteil and Mentis will have an opportunity to shape important policy matters, including redesigning computing education guidelines.

Bargteil’s group, SIGGRAPH, is the leading international society for computing professionals and students in computer graphics and interactive techniques, attracting people from academia, industry, and artistic communities. Bargteil helped create the ACM SIGGRAPH Frontiers program, which highlights emerging fields of research, such as machine learning, medical applications of computer graphics, and autonomous vehicles.

Bargteil plans to continue to empower the SIGGRAPH executive committee to create high-impact programming and opportunities for conversation among members when he is at the helm next year. “I’d like to continue to be proactive, and create more value for the members of SIGGRAPH,” he shares.

Over the summer, Bargteil participated in an intensive leadership program, which he says helped him prepare for his upcoming role in SIGGRAPH. Reflecting on the experience, Bargteil says that he found the selected readings, training exercises in public speaking, and opportunities to connect closely with fellow participants to be valuable for his growth as an emerging leader in computing.

SIGCHI, the group Mentis leads, is the world’s largest association for professionals in human-computer interaction. The group’s main conference attracts more than 3,500 attendees each year, and the SIG sponsors 23 specialized conferences.

Mentis is director of UMBC’s Bodies in Motion Lab, and focuses on how technologies can improve collaboration and coordination in healthcare contexts, from empowering patients to helping surgeons utilize interactive imaging. SIGCHI is a highly multi-disciplinary community that includes researchers and students in fields from sociology to mechanical engineering.

Adapted from an article by Megan Hanks. For additional stories, visit the UMBC News site.

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Maryland Public Television’s Charles Robinson reports on how Baltimore continues to recover after city computers were infected with ransomware in the May 2019 Baltimore ransomware attack and interviews Dr. Rick Forno, associate director of the UMBC Center for Cybersecurity and graduate director of UMBC’s Cybersecurity MPS degree program.

From Wikipedia: On May 7th 2019, most of Baltimore’s government computer systems were infected with a new and aggressive ransomware variant named RobbinHood. All servers, with the exception of essential services, were taken offline. In a ransom note, hackers demanded 13 bitcoin (roughly $76,280) in exchange for keys to restore access. The note also stated that if the demands were not met within four days, the price would increase and within ten days the city would permanently lose all of the data.

As of May 13, 2019 all systems remained down for city employees. It is estimated that it will take weeks to recover. According to Mayor Jack Young, US Federal Law enforcement continue to investigate the attack. The attack had a negative impact on the real estate market as property transfers could not be completed until the system was restored on May 20th. However, the restoration of all systems was, as of May 20, 2019, estimated to take weeks more.

Baltimore was susceptible to such an attack due to its IT practices, which included decentralized control of its technology budget and a failure to allocate money its information security manager wanted to fund cyberattack insurance. The attack has been compared to a previous ransomware attack on Atlanta the previous year, and was the second major use of the RobbinHood ransomware on an American city in 2019, as Greenville, North Carolina was also impacted in April.

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