Disha Patel ’15, English, has an essay posted on NPR’s “This I Believe” website.

“I believe that being a family is about more than sharing blood,” begins Patel, who is currently enrolled in an ENGL 291 course taught by Michael Fallon.

“Family is a word that to most would evoke images of faces that are similar to their own. People who share the same DNA, the same blood type, eye color, hair color, skin color. I on the other hand, see the faces of people, who if it weren’t for a change of geography, I would never had the pleasure of meeting, nor the honor of calling my family,” Patel writes. “Some people say ‘blood is thicker than water.’ I say love is more powerful than blood. Love is what makes a family.”

Her full essay can be read here.

ohgeography:

A letter from the Capitol. 

On Monday, April 16, a panel discussion, colloquium, and lecture make up this year's three-part CRA-W Distinguished Lecture Series. Sponsored by the Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research (CRA-W), UMBC’s Center for Women in Technology (CWIT), UMBC’s Computer Science and Electrical Engineering (CSEE) Department, UMBC’s Information Systems (IS) Department, the Graduate School at UMBC, and WISE and ADVANCE at UMBC,  the lecture series approaches topics ranging from how to succeed in graduate school to computing challenges.

10:00 A.M., Room 310, University Center

The Panel Discussion, entitled "Graduate School: Before, During, and After" features a panel of UMBC graduate students and academic professionals who will talk about common issues facing prospective graduate students. Questions like "Should I go to graduate school?" "Should I choose an M.S. or Ph.D.?" and "What jobs will be open to me after graduate school?" will be tackled.

Dr. Ellen Zegura, Professor and Chair of the School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech and Dr. Jeffrey Forbes, a Duke University professor of Computer Science currently on leave with the National Science Foundation as a Program Director for the Education and Workforce Program in the Division of Computer and Network Systems, Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, will be part of the panel. Mr. James MacGlashan, a Ph.D. candidate within the CSEE Department and Ms. Alyson Young, a Human-Centered Computing (HCC) Ph.D. Student will join them for the discussion.

1:00 – 2:00 P.M., Information Technology/Engineering (ITE) Building 325B

The Computer Science and Information Systems Joint Colloquium will feature a talk by Dr. Ellen Zegura entitled "Computing in Cirrus Clouds: The Challenge of Intermittent Connectivity."

Abstract
Mobile devices are increasingly relied on for services that go beyond simple connectivity and require more complex processing. Improved connectivity options for mobile devices have enabled applications that transcend an individual device's capabilities by making use of remote processing and storage.

The primary approach in wide use today to enable such remote processing makes use of cloud computing resources to offload the "heavy lifting" that may be required in some mobile applications to specially designated servers or server clusters. In reality, a mobile device often encounters, albeit intermittently, many entities capable of lending computational resources. We call these alternative settings "cirrus clouds". In this talk I will discuss the unique challenges posed by intermittent connectivity and describe some early progress on managing such a setting.

4:00 – 5:00 P.M., Albin O. Kuhn Library Gallery

The CRA-W Distinguished Lecture will feature a talk by Dr. Ellen Zegura entitled "Computing for Good: Experiences in Humanitarian Computing."

Abstract
Almost four years ago, I was involved in the creation of Computing for Good (C4G), a Georgia Tech College of Computing initiative centered around using computing to help solve pressing societal problems. The primary activity of C4G has been a project-based course taught once per year and taken by seniors (satisfying the capstone requirement) and masters-level graduate students.  Projects with life beyond one semester are frequently taken up by master's students as MS projects.

Over the last year, I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Carter Center and their Mental Health Program in Liberia. With students in the C4G fall 2010 course, my experiences have included technology consulting, technology training, technology integration, and technology invention. I have also had the chance to observe first hand a set of additional country-wide challenges where computing might play a role.  In this talk, I will describe my experiences and highlight additional opportunities for computationalists.

Dr. Ellen Zegura
Professor and Chair School of Computer Science
College of Computing, Georgia Tech
 

Light refreshments will follow both the Panel Discussion and the Computer Science and Information Systems Joint Colloquium. A reception will follow the CRA-W Distinguished Lecture.

Click HERE to download the event flyer.
 

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Reflection:

This is the great commission that Jesus gave to His disciples and also gives to us to receive.We are to go and make disciples of all nations who will follow the Lord. He reminds us that He has given us all authority to minister and that He will be with us.We have everything we need to be His ministers.

Responding to the Transmission:

Let’s pray for our church that as we go and minister to others, we would go not with our own confidence but with the authority Jesus has given us and knowing that His empowering presence is with us through the Holy Spirit.