Ezekiel 37:1-14

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”

Reflection
As we saw from this passage, the prophet Ezekiel was brought to a place that was full of dry bones, and he was called to prophesy over them so that they could have life. In the same way, God has brought us to our campuses, communities and workplaces, so that we too can go and prophesy over the people there. And when we step out in faith like that, people will live, their dry bones will receive God’s life, and they will be filled with His Holy Spirit.  So let’s go to those barren places, and see God’s life come.

Response
Let’s spend some time asking God for a greater faith to got out and prophesy His Word and truth to all the places He is leading us to. Let’s pray that He would give us the words to speak into the lives of the people on our campuses, and in our workplaces and communities, and that His Spirit would continue to fill us and work through us and bring about real life.

The “Insanity” crew is working hard and over the past two weeks, Dr. Carter-Veale has been able to have several consultations with students from UMBC and UM College Park.  The dates, times, and locations for this weekend’s Dissertation House sessions (for alumni, those who have gone through a DH session, or those who have had consultation with Dr. Carter-Veale) are as follows:

• Friday, February 24,  from 8:30 to 11:45 and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 327 (This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM Public Policy Room 206
• Sunday, February 26, 2012 from 12 noon to 6:00 PM Public Policy Room 206

The “Insanity” crew is working hard and over the past two weeks, Dr. Carter-Veale has been able to have several consultations with students from UMBC and UM College Park.  The dates, times, and locations for this weekend’s Dissertation House sessions (for alumni, those who have gone through a DH session, or those who have had consultation with Dr. Carter-Veale) are as follows:

• Friday, February 24,  from 8:30 to 11:45 and again from 1:15 to 5:30 PM Commons Room 327 (This room has a meeting being held between 12 noon and 1 PM, which means everyone will have to leave for that allotted time.)
• Saturday, February 25, 2012 from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM Public Policy Room 206
• Sunday, February 26, 2012 from 12 noon to 6:00 PM Public Policy Room 206

Kaye Whitehead ’09 Ph.D., language, literacy and culture, recently published an op-ed in the Baltimore Sun. In her piece, entitled “Black History is American History,” she argues that “we should no longer celebrate or recognize Black History Month; instead, we should teach black history alongside white history, Asian-American history, Latino history, women’s history and others” in order to create one narrative of American history.

Aformer middle school social studies teacher, and the 2006-07 Gilder Lehrman Maryland History Teacher of the Year, Whitehead did not recognize Black History Month in her classroom. She is now an assistant professor of communication at Loyola University Maryland.

Her op-ed appeared in the Sun on February 15.

Last week the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) held their annual event Bits & Bytes program for high school junior girls. The Bits & Bytes program is open to high school junior girls interested in finding out more about technology majors in college. The purpose of the event is to engage local high school girls in a college atmosphere as well as expose them to the possibility of an engineering or IT major.

“The event was definitely a success,” says Katie Glasser, Assistant Director of CWIT. “This is the largest group of girls we’ve ever had.”

Students come from high schools across Maryland and Virginia. “They get to know each other during the two-day program through team-building activities and the team design competitions,” says Glasser. Glasser says they also have the chance to meet with representatives from the different IT and engineering departments at UMBC, attend a college class, receive a tour of the UMBC campus and speak with a diverse group of UMBC students.

“It’s a lot of fun to see them experience college,” says CWIT scholar Michael Barrett. “This is a gateway for most of them.”

Northrop Grumman sponsored the event and Seanna Garrett from Northrop Grumman Corporation was the Keynote speaker at the Welcome Reception on Sunday evening. The Keynote is the kick-off to the Bits & Bytes event, and is designed to energize the high school girls and inspire them to be the next leaders in technology. In addition to the Keynote, a group of engineers from GE’s Middle River Aircraft Systems — Judah Baumer (UMBC Alumnus ’08), Holly Reilman, Margaret Schreffler, Rani Spivy and Rachel Preston — came on Sunday night to talk with the girls about potential engineering applications and they did an aviation engineering activity with paper airplanes.

The highlight of the two-day event was the engineering competition and the information technology competition. For the engineering competition the goal was to design an efficient vehicle that rolled down an inclined surface and crashed into a wall without disturbing the payload, an egg. For the information technology competition the student teams had to use the software, Alice, a 3-D programming environment. The objective? Create an animation based on a well-known children’s book using the Alice software. “The competition,” says one participant, “made me more confident about aspects of the Engineering field and my future potential.”

Each competition was judged by a team of three — composed of one UMBC faculty member, one UMBC student, and one industry professional. For the IT competition, the judges were Shreya Mohan (Information Systems Junior and CWIT Scholar), Amy Everhart (Information Systems), and Yolanda Clinton (Harris Corporation). There were two sets of judging teams for the engineering competition. One team included Amy Chou (Chemical Engineering Senior), Dr. Joshua Enszer (Chemical Engineering), and Gwen Cadieux (BAE Systems). The other team included Jessica Izumi (Chemical Engineering Sophomore), Dr. Tinoosh Mohsenin (Electrical Engineering), and Bridget Beamon (Johns Hopkins APL).

Some of the high school students say that as far as an engineering major goes they’re still on the fence. But, they say the Bits & Bytes program, allowed them to talk with UMBC students in the engineering and information technology programs at UMBC. This, they say introduced them to the different opportunities available — an experience which may one day soon give rise to the some of the nation’s next generation of engineers and information technology professionals.

It’s 9 a.m., and the library is quiet, as libraries usually are, when Dr. Robert Burchard, professor emeritus of biological sciences, sits down to discuss his experience at UMBC and the reason he’s giving back to the place that’s been a second home to him for more than 40 years.
In January of 1967, just a few short months after UMBC opened its doors, Dr. Burchard joined the faculty of the biological sciences department. He was young and fresh off a stint as a member of the Peace Corps in Nigeria. From one adventure to another, Dr. Burchard discovered himself among the pioneering few who would lay the foundation for UMBC’s future.
“I felt I was part of a new and vibrant community,” says Dr. Burchard of those early years. “There was a sense that we were all a part of a pioneering educational experience.” It’s clear in talking to Burchard that he himself still brims with excitement at learning, and his enthusiasm extends well beyond the bounds of his own discipline. In fact, it’s led him to be an avid supporter of the arts at UMBC and the Albin O. Kuhn Library.
“I’m part of a university community,” says Dr. Burchard. “We’re here not only to further our own academic interests, but to broaden our horizons. There’s pleasure in learning something new. I would like to think that all our faculty are renaissance scholars.”
But Dr. Burchard is far more than a mere audience member or library card holder. He’s also giving back to these programs through his financial support. Each year, his gifts to the UMBC Annual Fund help support the arts and he’s also established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust that will aid in expanding the library’s collections. The trust, a planned gift, was an excellent way for Dr. Burchard to increase the level and impact of his support while also establishing a source of income for himself. The trust, which will take effect upon his passing, is a lasting legacy that will impact students and the university community for years to come.
“I grew up in an environment where you give when you can,” says Dr. Burchard. “I wanted to give back to an institution that has supported me.”
What will your legacy be? Learn more about Planned Giving.

It’s 9 a.m., and the library is quiet, as libraries usually are, when Dr. Robert Burchard, professor emeritus of biological sciences, sits down to discuss his experience at UMBC and the reason he’s giving back to the place that’s been a second home to him for more than 40 years.

In January of 1967, just a few short months after UMBC opened its doors, Dr. Burchard joined the faculty of the biological sciences department. He was young and fresh off a stint as a member of the Peace Corps in Nigeria. From one adventure to another, Dr. Burchard discovered himself among the pioneering few who would lay the foundation for UMBC’s future.

“I felt I was part of a new and vibrant community,” says Dr. Burchard of those early years. “There was a sense that we were all a part of a pioneering educational experience.” It’s clear in talking to Burchard that he himself still brims with excitement at learning, and his enthusiasm extends well beyond the bounds of his own discipline. In fact, it’s led him to be an avid supporter of the arts at UMBC and the Albin O. Kuhn Library.

“I’m part of a university community,” says Dr. Burchard. “We’re here not only to further our own academic interests, but to broaden our horizons. There’s pleasure in learning something new. I would like to think that all our faculty are renaissance scholars.”

But Dr. Burchard is far more than a mere audience member or library card holder. He’s also giving back to these programs through his financial support. Each year, his gifts to the UMBC Annual Fund help support the arts and he’s also established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust that will aid in expanding the library’s collections. The trust, a planned gift, was an excellent way for Dr. Burchard to increase the level and impact of his support while also establishing a source of income for himself. The trust, which will take effect upon his passing, is a lasting legacy that will impact students and the university community for years to come.

“I grew up in an environment where you give when you can,” says Dr. Burchard. “I wanted to give back to an institution that has supported me.”

What will your legacy be? Learn more about Planned Giving.

Building and Testing Distributed Systems

Dr. Charles Killian
Purdue University, Computer Science

1:00pm Friday, 2 March 2012, ITE325 UMBC

Building distributed systems is particularly difficult because of the asynchronous, heterogeneous, and failure-prone environment where these systems must run. This asynchrony makes verifying the correctness of systems implementations even more challenging. Tools for building distributed systems must often strike a compromise between reducing programmer effort and increasing system efficiency. In my research, we strive to introduce a limited amount of structure and limitations to implementations to enable a wide range of analysis and development assistance. Most prominently, we have built the Mace language and runtime, which translates a concise, expressive distributed system specification into a C++ implementation. The Mace specification importantly exposes three key pieces of structure: atomic events, explicit state, and explicit messaging.

With a few additional contextual annotations, we show how we can support intra-node parallel event processing of these atomic events while still preserving sequenal event consistency—even using variably available computing resources distributed across a cluster. By leveraging these three structural elements, we have further built tools such as a model checker capable of detecting liveness violations in systems code, a performance tester, and an automated malicious protocol tester. Recent research has also explored applications of these key structures in legacy software, that has produced a log anaysis tool that can detect performance problems, and a malicious fault injector that can discover successful performance attacks. Mace has been in development since 2004 and has been used to build a wide variety of Internet-ready distributed systems both by myself and by researchers at places such as Cornell University, Microsoft Research (Redmond, Silicon Valley, and Beijing), HP Labs, UCLA, EPFL, and UCSD. This talk will give an overview of my research, presenting the execution model and its checker, support for event parallelization, and our more recent testing tools.

Charles Killian is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Purdue University. He received an NSF CAREER award in 2011, as well as an HP Open Innovation award. In 2008 he completed his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego under the supervision of Amin Vahdat. Before transferring to UCSD in August 2004, he completed his Masters in Computer Science from Duke University with Amin Vahdat. His systems and networking research focuses on building and testing distributed systems, and bridges this research with software engineering, security, data mining, and programming languages. Since 2004 he has implemented the Mace programming language and runtime, built numerous distributed systems, and designed MaceMC, the first model checker capable of finding liveness violations in unmodified systems code and 2007 best paper award at NSDI. Chip has built many additional tools and enhancements since then, including performance testing, work on parallel event processing, automated attack discovery, and data mining logs to discover performance problems.