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If you were among the millions who bought the new iPhone 4S, then you can thank Dr. Harry Chen, the UMBC alumnus who helped develop the phone’s most notable new feature: Siri.

For those not among the millions, here’s a bit of background:  Siri is a virtual assistant that responds to voice commands. “She” can do things like make phone calls, send text messages, set alarms, and find directions. But, the remarkable thing about Siri is that she understands intent. Tell Siri “I’m drunk,” and she’ll bring up a list of cab services in the area. Tell Siri “I want a burger” and she’ll direct you to burger joints nearby, according to ratings.   

Before Siri was bought by Apple, it was a small startup company operating out of Silicon Valley. Born out of a research project of SRI International, the company functioned under the moniker “stealth-company.com” until they were ready to disclose what they were working on, says Chen, who joined the team when he was offered a job by Adam Cheyer, one of the company’s initial founders.  

The offer came at an ideal moment, after Chen and his wife had decided to start fresh on the West Coast. “We just packed and started looking for jobs,” says Chen who knew that Silicon Valley was the sort of culture he wanted to be in. But, when they made the move in 2008, he had no idea that he would end up contributing to one of the world’s most revolutionary technologies. “It has been a rollercoaster ride for me the past three years,” he says.

It’s no surprise that at UMBC, Chen studied artificial intelligence. He was a founding member of the Ebiquity group, named for its focus on Ubiquitous Computing—the idea that computing devices will seamlessly blend into our environment and enhance our everyday activity. While pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science at UMBC, Chen wrote his dissertation on intelligent rooms—rooms with the potential to collect information about their environment to share with different smart devices.

As a Graduate Student, Chen worked as a Research Assistant under Dr. Tim Finin. The position gave him the opportunity to meet other researchers in his field of study–like Cheyer, the man who would eventually offer him a place at Siri. Chen credits Dr. Tim Finin with pushing him forward: “Without him, I would probably not arrive where I am today.”

Today, Chen is a Siri Engineer at Apple and he loves it. “Apple is a very different company,” says Chen, who explains that the company runs more like a start-up than a big corporation. He couldn’t be happier with his decision to switch coasts. He sees Silicon Valley as the center of technological progress. “Reputable companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo, Netflix, LinkedIn and Oracle are only a short drive from each other,” he says, “Cool new technologies tend to emerge within the Bay Area and then later spread throughout the world.”

Chen compares the evolution of Siri to a parent watching his child grow up. Though, it isn’t done growing–Chen predicts that the application will continue to improve. Siri is bound to become a model for the future of technology. Everyone—especially children and the elderly–will benefit by being able to interact with a computer just as they would a person: through speech. At least, so says Chen: “The natural evolution is natural language.”

Photo Courtesy Gizmodo.com

If you were among the millions who bought the new iPhone 4S, then you can thank Dr. Harry Chen, the UMBC alumnus who helped develop the phone’s most notable new feature: Siri.

For those not among the millions, here’s a bit of background:  Siri is a virtual assistant that responds to voice commands. “She” can do things like make phone calls, send text messages, set alarms, and find directions. But, the remarkable thing about Siri is that she understands intent. Tell Siri “I’m drunk,” and she’ll bring up a list of cab services in the area. Tell Siri “I want a burger” and she’ll direct you to burger joints nearby, according to ratings.   

Before Siri was bought by Apple, it was a small startup company operating out of Silicon Valley. Born out of a research project of SRI International, the company functioned under the moniker “stealth-company.com” until they were ready to disclose what they were working on, says Chen, who joined the team when he was offered a job by Adam Cheyer, one of the company’s initial founders.  

The offer came at an ideal moment, after Chen and his wife had decided to start fresh on the West Coast. “We just packed and started looking for jobs,” says Chen who knew that Silicon Valley was the sort of culture he wanted to be in. But, when they made the move in 2008, he had no idea that he would end up contributing to one of the world’s most revolutionary technologies. “It has been a rollercoaster ride for me the past three years,” he says.

It’s no surprise that at UMBC, Chen studied artificial intelligence. He was a founding member of the Ebiquity group, named for its focus on Ubiquitous Computing—the idea that computing devices will seamlessly blend into our environment and enhance our everyday activity. While pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science at UMBC, Chen wrote his dissertation on intelligent rooms—rooms with the potential to collect information about their environment to share with different smart devices.

As a Graduate Student, Chen worked as a Research Assistant under Dr. Tim Finin. The position gave him the opportunity to meet other researchers in his field of study–like Cheyer, the man who would eventually offer him a place at Siri. Chen credits Dr. Tim Finin with pushing him forward: “Without him, I would probably not arrive where I am today.”

Today, Chen is a Siri Engineer at Apple and he loves it. “Apple is a very different company,” says Chen, who explains that the company runs more like a start-up than a big corporation. He couldn’t be happier with his decision to switch coasts. He sees Silicon Valley as the center of technological progress. “Reputable companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, Yahoo, Netflix, LinkedIn and Oracle are only a short drive from each other,” he says, “Cool new technologies tend to emerge within the Bay Area and then later spread throughout the world.”

Chen compares the evolution of Siri to a parent watching his child grow up. Though, it isn’t done growing–Chen predicts that the application will continue to improve. Siri is bound to become a model for the future of technology. Everyone—especially children and the elderly–will benefit by being able to interact with a computer just as they would a person: through speech. At least, so says Chen: “The natural evolution is natural language.”

Photo Courtesy Gizmodo.com

Students completing internships at the Women’s Center work an average of 8 hours per week during the academic semester. The spring 2012 internship will begin in January and go through May.

Women's Center interns are an integral part of
the Women's Center staff, contributing to the Center’s mission of “assisting all women in achieving their full potential in education, career and personal life through academic and intellectual growth, professional development and personal empowerment.”

This internship may look differently from year to year depending on the intern involved because the Women’s Center strives to maximize on the current intern’s interests and strengths. While we are able to offer some flexibility, all interested intern applicants should work within the parameters of the description below:

UMBC Women’s Center Programming, Outreach & Activism
Internship

Programming:

·
Organize a program or
series on a topic affecting women and/or marginalized groups. Potential programs can be flexible to meet your interests and your academic program’s needs.

• Some ideas include: Women’s
  physical/mental health; Sexual education; LGBTQ issues; International women’s
  issues; Leadership development; Body image; Sex-trafficking; Feminization
  of poverty; Intersectionality; Media portrayals of women and girls.

·
In addition to a program
of interest, interns will be responsible for helping the Women’s Center staff
with programming related to 1) Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April) and 2) the Center’s 20^th Anniversary Celebration. Related responsibilities
include but are not limited to:

• Sexual Assault Awareness
  Month: helping to manage the Clothesline Project; organizing partnership
  with other universities for Take Back the Night options;
• Women’s Center 20^th Anniversary Spring Events: promoting Anniversary events; aiding in
  organization of previously planned 20^th Anniversary events

Outreach & Activism:

·
Update and add resources in the Women’s Center library and help manage/update the website

·
Generate fundraising and/or sponsorship ideas by working to partner with local and national organizations that may support the Women Center’s mission.

·
Write for the Women’s Center Newsletter about various topics and/or organize a group of interested students to create a feminist Zine on campus

·
Create ways to connect with non-traditional audiences about Women’s Center programs and services (e.g., Athletes, Greek Life, religious organizations, International Programs, Residence Life, etc.)

The Women’s Center is always looking for creative and inventive people to make a difference at UMBC.  

Thanks to the LA Times!

The list of problems for America’s schools just got a little heavier.

School systems across the country have implemented bans or restrictions on access to soda and other sweetened drinks in recent years. All in an effort to combat childhood obesity.

It’s not working.

State laws that ban soda in schools — but not other sweetened beverages — have virtually no impact on the amount of sugary drinks middle school students buy and consume at school…”

Research published this week shows students across the country are drinking the same amount of sugary drinks, no matter the limitations.

Further complicating the issue is some schools’ reluctance to get rid of vending machines, which have become a source of funds when budgets are tight.

Any other ideas?