By Connected World Staff | 11/30/2016

Empowering the IoT

One of the areas that has benefitted immensely from the IoT (Internet of Things) is healthcare, because the technology has revolutionized the way patients are monitored and taken care of by doctors. Considering the huge strides already taken, Professor Govind Rao wants to take it even further by ensuring patients aren’t just given the right medicine or treatment, but are left with a feeling of empowerment.

Govind Rao professor of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County

As part of Rao’s career that has spanned 35 years and 35 patents in manufacturing and environmental solutions, the past eight years have been dedicated to positively disrupting the personal healthcare space. As a professor of biochemistry and engineering at theUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore County, Rao’s research is aimed at giving patients better control over their personal health and enabling solutions that are specific to patients’ needs.

Normally when patients are evaluated on things like blood pressure or heart rate, these results are typically compared to the average mean statistic of the population. Since the individual profile and body type of the patient may differ than the average person, the aforementioned technique does not always accurately demonstrate where a patient needs to be in terms of his or her results. To accommodate for this, Gao and his research team have developed next-generation sensors that assess oxygen, pH, and pCO2, as well as glucose and glutamine to get better readings that will allow for more personalized treatments.

Rao is also working to ensure the latest solutions in healthcare reach the widest population possible, rather than being restricted to those who have the means to afford them. His work in non-invasive sensor technology for neonatal monitoring and the CAST initiative to deliver devices that operate in low-resource settings saves patients in rural areas time and money when getting the healthcare they need. In addition, Rao does not shy away from challenging the industry to address privacy and confidentiality problems that hinder patient empowerment.

“Much of the information tends to be firewalled, so there needs to be a way where you can access big data after stripping off personal identifies, as that will allow better decisionmaking to take place,” says Rao. “There has to be a balance; it’s great to encourage connectivity and this amazing interconnected cloud-to-reality space, but if it’s not done with security in mind, then potentially every note becomes a weak link.”

Though he has been part of the system for many years, Rao also challenges the paradigm of education. He makes it his job to encourage students to be flexible and to familiarize themselves with other industries, as they may never know where their research will be needed in the future. By exposing his students to research and development, Rao allows them to get the experience they need, while also supporting future innovation.

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From Professors to IoT Pioneers, Connected World 2017 Honorees

Carol Stream, Ill (PRWEB) December 06, 2016

The IoT (Internet of Things) biggest trailblazers are setting out to help a new generation navigate the road from the classroom to a connected society across the globe.

That is why, Connected World magazine is pleased to name the 2017 Pioneers Award winners, celebrating the leaders in research and education who are responsible for laying down the foundation to some of today’s greatest breakthroughs in IoT and M2M.

These 10 scholars, selected by the editorial staff of Connected World magazine, are heading up groundbreaking labs and organizations at some of the country’s most prestigious universities, yet their determination to push the limits of the IoT extends far beyond any university or college campus. Whether they are collaborating with big business on the latest platforms or devices, undertaking years’ worth of research, or simply extending guidance to a young student, each one of this year’s pioneers aims to enrich the lives and the world around them.

“This year’s pioneers are a great representation of where the IoT started and where it is headed,” says Peggy Smedley, editorial director, Connected World magazine. “Each one of these individuals brings his or her unique level of sincerity, creativity, and tutelage that will make their contributions to the IoT shine for years to come.”

The 10 recipients of the 2017 Pioneers Award are:

• Ted Herman, University of Iowa
• Behrokh Khoshnevis, University of Southern California
• Chandra Krintz, UC Santa Barbara
• Vivian Loftness, CMU
• Govind Rao, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Carlo Ratti, SENSEable City Lab, MIT
• Sanjay Sarma, MIT
• Sabine Seymour, Parsons, The New School
• Joshua Smith, University of Washington
• Greg Thomas, University of Kansas

The list, along with an in depth analysis of this year’s honorees, is featured in the December 2016 issue of Connected World.

About Connected World magazine
Connected World is the business and technology publication that provides the intelligence industry titans need and the guidance consumers crave. It’s all about M2M and IoT. connectedworld.com

PROMISE Alumna (College Park), Dr. Alycia Marshall, Professor at AACC, has shared this information:

Positions available:  Anne Arundel Community College has immediate openings for instructors of Astronomy and Physics courses.  Lectures and Lab sections are available. Must have a Master’s degree in a science field.  Teaching experience preferred.

Openings are for one, two or three days a week during the day at the main campus in Arnold, Maryland.  Most sections are day time, limited evening availability.  Classes begin Jan 18^th.  Interested applicants should send a resume or CV with a cover letter expressing their interest to Dr. Kirsten Casey (kacasey@aacc.edu).

Sarah Lilly, '17, Information Systems, is Speaker of the UMBC Student Government Association Senate.

The most common question I hear from other students when talking about UMBC's Student Government Association is, why do you do it? That, or the more frustrating what’s the point?

Well, I am so glad you asked.

Yes, I have a lot on my plate. Occasionally, it’s even overflowing. I work full time at a government agency, attend school full time, try to have a social life, and am heavily involved with student government.

Whoa. 

Right? That's quite a bit of responsibility.

Out of all of these commitments, by far my favorite is the one I have made to SGA and to the UMBC community. Throughout my undergraduate journey, the one consistent theme that has emerged in many ways at UMBC is this: If you don’t like something, change it. It is honestly that simple.

Yeah, right.

No, but, like, for real. For 50 years, students have been a part of every decision making process. Soliciting student feedback is expected here. For students not to be included in campus changes would violate our norms. Everything from making choices about food services to planning new buildings to developing policies - you betcha students have had a hand in them. Case in point: I am currently passionately on fire about Title IX issues both at UMBC and across the University Systems of Maryland. Student government gives me a network of fellow students, faculty, staff, and partner organizations to help me address my concerns. All it took for me to get all of this rolling was (1) having a concern (2) talking to other people about that concern and (3) gathering the concerned people to talk about what we can do.

But SGA is where baby politicians go to practice.

L O L. Did you forget that I already have a job beyond UMBC? While #SGAisLife may be true, SGA does not necessarily mean a commitment to being a professional politician after college. Our current SGA President is a music major and our Vice President is an aspiring engineer. Yes, we are socially and politically and *insert adverb here* active. But we’re not politicians. We’re students with a real desire to make effective change on this campus. So we get together and do that thing.

Okay fine. But adults don’t listen to you.

Wrong again. Wanna know why? Spoiler alert: we’re adults too! Adults listen to other adults. We don’t whine to get what we want, we have meaningful discussions. It would be very easy to cry and say “The dining hall doesn’t have the specific chocolate cake my great-great grandmother used to make, therefore I am never going there.” Well, I’m sure your great-great grandmother was a lovely person, but if you don’t talk about that concern, how will it ever get addressed? And you’ll never get the joy of a delicious omelette from Omelette Guy on the weekend. It’s a give and a take. You bring more to the table than you recognize.

Great, but I don’t care about dining or Title IX.

I am going to pretend I didn’t hear the Title IX comment. But SGA has a ton of different departments including Environmental Affairs, Health and Wellness, Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and more. It’s really, really cool to be a part of a unique collective of students who just care about stuff. We keep each other on our toes with new updates, initiatives, ideas. I get to be an active member of an organization that represents 11,000 people. That is insane! I absolutely love my SGA family. We laugh together, we cry together, we learn together, and we grow together. Sure, it can be frustrating at times, but at the end of the day we are always a team.

Nice ad for SGA.

Thanks! I’m our biggest fan, aside from my aunts, who love my SGA-related Facebook updates. SGA just so happened to be where I found my home. I feel as though I’ve been “called to serve” or whatever in this community, and in all of my communities. If SGA isn’t your home, there are over 270 other organizations you can join. I cannot sit idly by with all of this passion and all of these feelings and just hope something will change. I need to be an active part of the change. I am empowered in this organization and I hope that I empower others too, growing with peers as we better our institution. That’s why I do it.

Contact the author, Sarah Lilly, at slilly1@umbc.edu.

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will be having its 8th Annual Regional Research Symposium on April 18, 2017. Abstracts are currently being accepted. Everyone is invited to come to attend, to present, and/or to support other fellow researchers. Details regarding the symposium are below.

For further details, please visit 

https://www.umes.edu/symposium2017/Default.aspx?id=55623. 

Event Details

Event: 8th Annual Regional Research Symposium

Date: April 18, 2017

Transportation: A bus from the UMBC campus to the UMES campus will be provided. Please email promisestaff@gmail.com with the subject, “UMES Symposium Bus” and indicate your name, major, university, and phone number.

Deadlines

Abstract for oral and poster presentations: December 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM. (Deadline pushed to February 15th)

Abstract submission guidelines: Abstract Guidelines Here

Registration: December 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM (Deadline pushed to February 15th)

Fees

non-UMES/UMBC students: $50.00 registration fee

UMBC students: fee will be waived for all UMBC students