Recent News & Accomplishments
2015
The student-run ensemble prepares for their first performance of the semester next Saturday.
Perhaps you've attended one of their performances. Perhaps you've heard about them secondhand. Perhaps you've heard of them in hushed whispers only as “that one group that performs video game music," and you still aren't sure if they're even real. Whatever the case, the fact remains that within its almost ten years of existence at the University of Maryland, the Gamer Symphony Orchestra (GSO) has captured student attention and participation on campus and it has redefined the norms of collegiate music ensembles. Founded by violist Michelle Eng in Fall 2005 and advised since Spring 2006 by... read more
The Professor's work in expanding and revolutionizing education is acknowledged by CMNS.
It was announced today, April 15, that Computer Science professor Dr. Adam Porter had won a Board of Visitors Creative Educator award from the College of Computer, Math, and Natural Sciences. The award, which is intended to “encourage and recognize significant creative and innovative contributions to the educational experience of undergraduate students,” is conferred annually to a professor within the College. A researcher in Software Engineering, Dr. Porter currently teaches CMSC433 (Programming Language Technologies and Paradigms) and will teach CMSC436 (Programming Handheld... read more
Some people know him as the PLUM co-director. Others know him as the programming languages professor. Still others know him as the lecturer in an online course. Regardless of which hat he wears, Michael Hicks always leaves a positive impact on those around him. Thus, it comes as no surprise that he was recently awarded the UMD Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award . Award Description This award honors senior faculty who have demonstrated excellence in three main activities: research, teaching, and service. Professors are often involved with obtaining research grants, mentoring PhD students, and... read more
It was known as Operation Transit Storm . On March 27th and 28th, qualifying teams from around the Mid-Atlantic region converged on Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab to defend a fictional public transit network from a team of rebels disgruntled by recent election results. The role-play might have been a little cheesy (the transit network served the great country of “Hackistan”), but the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) left little room for messing around. The competition was set as a traditional Red Team vs. Blue Team cybersecurity exercise. The competing... read more
The AWC not only raised money, but got students dressed up for fake money and prizes.
On March 27th, the CSIC lobby transformed into a casino. Students, dressed to the nines with sparkling masks, put down a couple hundred dollars on a hand of poker or bet it all on black at the roulette wheel. All in fake money of course. The AWC Casino Night 2015 brought over 200 students out of their rooms on a Friday night for blackjack, Caribbean stud poker, roulette, craps, and even a money wheel. There were even a few tables of Texas Hold ‘Em, which filled up faster than the 400 levels. Students got $500 in funny money to try their luck at the tables and compete for prizes. Google... read more
Ph.D. student Snigdha Chaturvedi gets her IBM Fellowship renewed.
Snigdha Chaturvedi, a fourth year Computer Science graduate student, won a 2015 IBM Ph.D. Fellowship on March 12th. read more
When you think of a hackathon, what image comes to mind? Does one think of an ambitious group of high school and college women sharing ideas, encouraging each other, and coding their hearts away? read more
Elissa Redmiles, an accomplished PhD student here at the University of Maryland, is working on getting more women into Computer Science.
Elissa Redmiles may have started in Chemistry, but she found a home in the Computer Science Department. After taking CMSC131, she made the switch. Not long after, she became a TA for the class, which started her on her path to focusing on Computer Science Education. The following summer, she became an instructor at the Digital Media Academy, where she taught Java programming, web design, and mobile app development. Working with Dr. Jan Plane as she progressed through her major, she helped launch the Maryland Center for Women in Computing. Elissa and a team of undergraduate students (Allie... read more
Like many undergraduates who have successfully found an internship, Joan Zhang knows first-hand how stressful a technical interview, during which employers directly assess an applicant’s practical skills and knowledge, can be. The junior computer science major worked for a small company last summer and plans to work again this summer, but wants to help others snag similar opportunities. “I felt really lost going through the interview process and I figured there should be a more convenient way for students like me to get in touch with students who can help,” Zhang says. To remedy the problem,... read more
The Maryland Cybersecurity Center Hosts a Cybersecurity Awareness Workshop.
On Saturday, February 28th, the Maryland Cybersecurity Center hosted the 5th Cybersecurity Awareness Workshop. The event is an interactive learning and mentoring experience for middle school girls. This year, 70 girls learned about internet privacy, code breaking, and even lock picking, all to give them more confidence about the internet and technology in general. The girls were led through the various activities by undergrad volunteers, many of whom were female STEM majors. Some of the volunteers worked the event because they needed volunteer hours, while others, like freshman Computer... read more