ACM MemberNet - Nov. 29, 2007
Welcome to the November edition of ACM MemberNet, bringing you the world of ACM and beyond. Explore the many facets of ACM with our newsletter of member activities and events. Read MemberNet online at http://membernet.acm.org/
Read TechNews, ACM's digest of news and information for IT professionals published three times a week.
Published biweekly, ACM CareerNews provides summaries of articles on career-related topics in the computing field.
Awards
- Fellowship in Honor of Bernard Galler Established
- Call for ACM Award Nominations
- Call for ACM Fellows and Advanced Member Level Nominations
- ACM SIG Awards Recognize Achievements in Diverse Fields
Member Benefits
- ACM's Career & Job Center: More than Just Jobs
- New SkillSoft Course Player Includes Enhanced Accessibility
- ACM Member-Get-A-Member Drive Launched
- ACM Adds Four New Offerings to Insurance Program
- Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
Conferences and Events
- SIGGRAPH 2008 Goes Interdisciplinary with New Submission Process
- IUI 2008 to Explore New Generation of User Interfaces
- SIGCSE 2008 to Focus on Underserved Groups in CS Education
Education
- MentorNet: Mentors, Protégés Helping Each Other
- Computer Science Teachers Association Gets $200,000 Grant from NSF
- Computing Careers Brochure for Students Now Available en Español
Student News
- MentorNet: Mentors, Protégés Helping Each Other
- Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
- ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
- Student Volunteers Needed to Help Train High School CS Teachers
- Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
Chapters News
- ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program Adds New Speakers, Updates Web Presence
ACM-W News
- Gloria Townsend Named Co-Chair of ACM-W
Publications News
- ACM Queue Sees New Technology Improving Hard Drives' Reliability
- ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage Call for Papers
- ACM Seeks Missing SIG Newsletters for Digital Library
ACM in the News
- "Best Research in High Performance Computing Honored at SC07"
- "More Security Education Needed to Avoid a Cybersecurity Disaster, Experts Warn"
Awards
Fellowship in Honor of Bernard Galler Established
A fellowship fund in honor of Bernard Galler, who served as ACM President from 1968 to 1970 and who passed away in September 2006, has been created by the University of Michigan. The Bernard A. Galler Fellowship Fund will be used to attract and support outstanding graduate students who will be selected on the basis of merit. Galler joined the university in 1955, where he was instrumental in developing the Computer Science department. For over 40 years, he inspired and mentored hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students in Computer Science. The university's goal is to raise $50,000 for the fund, and for a limited time it will match contributions on a 1:2 ratio. For more information please visit the Fund's home page.
Call for ACM Award Nominations
ACM brings broad recognition to outstanding technical and professional achievements within the computing and information technology community. Each year our award committees evaluate the contributions of candidates spanning a spectrum of professional and technological accomplishments. Nominations by ACM members of those who deserve recognition for their contributions to the field of computing are welcomed. This is a great opportunity to recognize some of the many unsung heroes.
The deadline for general ACM awards (with the following exceptions) has passed. The next deadline will be announced soon.
The deadline for the new ACM - Infosys Foundation Award is December 31, 2007.
The deadline for nominations for the ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award and the SIAM/ACM Award in Computational Science and Engineering is September 30, 2008.
Please refer to the ACM Awards page for:- award descriptions,
- lists containing the names of the previous ACM Award winners and their citations,
- nomination procedures for the 2007 awards, and
- contact information for the Chairs, and list of members, of the 2007 Award Committees.
ACM recognizes annually a class of ACM Fellows, our distinguished colleagues that ACM and its members look to for guidance and leadership. ACM also has advanced grade memberships of Distinguished Engineer/Scientist/Member and Senior Member.
Senior Member recognizes ACM members with at least 10 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who have demonstrated performance and accomplishment that set them apart from their peers. Nominations are accepted on a quarterly basis. The next deadline for nominations is February 29, 2008.
The Distinguished Engineer/Scientist/Member designation recognizes ACM members with at least 15 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who have demonstrated significant accomplishments or made a significant impact on the computing field. The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2008.
Fellows are outstanding ACM members with at least 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who are recognized for their technical, professional and leadership contributions that advance the objectives of ACM and the field as a whole. The deadline for nominations is September 9, 2008.
ACM SIG Awards Recognize Achievements in Diverse Fields
ACM's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) regularly cite outstanding individuals for their contributions in more than 30 distinct technological fields. Some awards presented (or to be presented) at recent conferences:
- SIGACCESS Best Paper Awards
- SIGACT/SIGOPS Edsger W. Dijkstra Prize in Distributed Computing
- SIGDA Distinguished Service and Pioneer Achievement Awards
- IEEE/ACM William J. McCalla ICCAD Best Paper Award
- SIGOPS Hall of Fame Awards
- SIGOPS Mark Weiser Award
- SIGUCCS Penny Crane Award
Member Benefits
ACM's Career & Job Center: More than Just Jobs
Have you visited ACM's Career & Job Center? Many job seekers and employers are already taking advantage of this resource: the site receives approximately 1,500 to 2,000 "job views" each day, and on average lists more than 300 jobs (refreshed daily). More than 2,100 employers who have registered with Job Target, the service with which ACM has partnered, while almost 400 resumes have been posted. ACM members can also access additional Job Center features. In addition, ACM offers CareerNews, which provides summaries of articles on career-related topics of interest to students and professionals in the computing field, in a bi-weekly email alert to ACM members.
New SkillSoft Course Player Includes Enhanced Accessibility
ACM's Online Books & Courses program continues to offer members enhancements to the already valuable reference and course material for their professional and technical development. Now the SkillSoft courses have an upgraded version of the course player that includes these new features:- Auto-Play, which has been added to content with the Narrated Animation feature to provide users with a more dynamic viewing experience
- Pause, which will allow the learner to pause, play and replay narrations and accompanying flash animations
- A redesigned navigation bar, including a Resources tab that includes additional resources, Job Aids and SkillBriefs
- Closed Captioning, a new feature that has been developed to support the narrated animation templates and contains the narration in text form.
ACM Member-Get-A-Member Drive Launched
ACM's new 2007/2008 Member-Get-A-Member Recruitment Drive is now in full swing, with new prizes, and an Apple iPhone grand prize! Current members are the ideal ambassadors to communicate the advantages of joining ACM to prospective members, and those who participate by telling friends and colleagues about ACM may be eligible for valuable gifts and special recognition. ACM's Online Member-Get-A-Member program is interactive, easy to use, and rewards members for helping to recruit new members. The drive ends June 30, 2008. For referral forms, recruitment tips and tools, prizes and rewards, and bonus gifts, visit the Member-Get-a-Member drive page.
ACM Adds Four New Offerings to Insurance Program
ACM is pleased to announce the addition of four new plans to the ACM Insurance Program. The new offerings are Group 10 or 20 Year Level Term Life Insurance, Long Term Care, and Group Dental Insurance. ACM members living in the US are eligible. Visit the insurance page to learn more about these programs, and all of ACM's Insurance Program plans.
Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
ACM Professional Members can enjoy the convenience of making a single payment for their entire tenure as an ACM Member, and also be protected from future price increases by taking advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership option. Pricing for ACM Lifetime Membership is based on age and current dues rates, and the option to include the ACM Digital Library is also available. ACM Lifetime Membership dues may be tax deductible under certain circumstances (please consult with your tax advisor), so becoming a Lifetime Member can have additional advantages if you act before the end of 2007. Lifetime Members will receive a certificate of recognition suitable for framing, and enjoy all of the benefits of ACM Professional Membership.
Conferences and Events
SIGGRAPH 2008 Goes Interdisciplinary with New Submission Process
SIGGRAPH 2008, scheduled for August 11 to 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, is introducing a new submission process that aims to transcend traditional SIGGRAPH categories (Art Gallery, Courses, Educators, Emerging Technologies, Panels, Posters, The Studio, Sketches) and encourage a richer exchange of ideas across disciplines. The new submission process is designed to save submitters time, eliminate confusion, and afford the best possible jury evaluation, while the new thematically-based categories (such as "Complexity and Accessibility," "Future History," and "Global Responsibility") will give presenters more flexibility in sharing their work. The first submission deadline (for technical papers) is January 23, 2008. For more deadlines and information visit the SIGGRAPH 2008 home page.
IUI 2008 to Explore New Generation of User Interfaces
The International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces (IUI) is the principal international forum for reporting outstanding research and development in this field. The conference takes place January 13 to 16, 2008 in the Canary Islands, Spain, and will feature keynote speakers Enrico Motta, Professor in Knowledge Technologies at the Open University, UK, and Theodore W. Berger, David Packard Professor of Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neuroscience, University of Southern California. Workshops will cover conversational interfaces, ambient assisted living, ubiquitous user modeling, and more, while technical papers will be presented on topics such as real-time biosignal interfacing, mashups, and the Deep Web.
SIGCSE 2008 to Focus on Underserved Groups in CS Education
SIGCSE, the Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, will look at ways accessibility to Computer Science education can be improved for minorities, women, people with disabilities, non-Western cultures, and any group that is being underserved by the educational system. According to the conference chairs, "accessible computing education results in a more complete, more diverse, and more successful population of future computer science professionals." In addition to the Doctoral Consortium and Student Research Competition, there will be a workshop on setting up a data repository for CS education research. Randy Pausch, Professor of Computer Science, HCI and Design at Carnegie Mellon University; Marissa Mayer, Vice President, Search Products and User Experience at Google; and Ed Lazowska, Bill and Melinda Gates Chair in Computer Science and Engineering at University of Washington are the invited speakers. The conference is scheduled for March 12 to 15 in Portland, Oregon.
Education
MentorNet: Mentors, Protégés Helping Each Other
ACM recently signed on with MentorNet to promote e-mentoring relationships between professionals (mentors) and students (protégés) in science and technology fields. As a result, ACM Professional members are stepping into the mentor role, and finding the experience rewarding in ways they had not expected.From a Mentor:
"In 1989, as a new Ph.D. student, I was lucky enough to win an AT&T Graduate Research Program Grant. In addition to a cash award, I was provided with a summer internship, and most importantly, a mentor. My mentor, Brian Kernighan, helped me navigate graduate school. Having learned the value of mentoring, I became a mentor myself. For the past 10 years, I have participated in the MentorNet e-mentoring program, in which I corresponded with students by email, helping them navigate through their higher educations and early careers. To my surprise, I have found that I benefit from mentoring as much as my student protégés! To help others with their careers, I have had to better understand myself and identify those behaviors that have contributed to my successes and my failures. Most of all, mentoring has made me a better listener. I encourage every student that I meet to find a mentor, in informal and formal settings. There is no substitute for a good mentor in life, whether professionally or in any other dimension."
--Mary Fernandez, Principal Technical Staff Member, ATT Labs - Research
From a Protégé:
"I am fortunate to have a mentor who spends his time in not only answering my questions, but also in directing my career path. This program has yielded a lot of materials I would not have found on my own. My mentor, who is passionate about research, is grooming me in how to write research papers and other technical papers. I am eternally indebted to him. I would encourage others to avail themselves to this opportunity, and I am sure they would benefit immensely from it."
--Emeka (Chukwuemeka Nwankwo), student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria
Computer Science Teachers Association Gets $200,000 Grant from NSF
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), founded by ACM in 2005 to support and promote the teaching of Computer Science at the K-12 level, has received $200,000 from the National Science Foundation. The NSF award will be used by CSTA to identify local educational leaders who will work with the organization to improve the quality of Computer Science education in the US at the state level. "This award is an incredible boost to CSTA's efforts at the state level to support Computer Science teachers and students, and to promote CS as a discipline," said Chris Stephenson, executive director of CSTA. "Because there is not a nationally set curriculum for Computer Science in this country, states play an important role in determining what is taught, how it is taught, and who is qualified to teach the subject. The generous funding provided by NSF will allow CSTA to develop state-level leadership teams that can effectively address key curricular, certification and professional development issues." For more information, read the press release.
Computing Careers Brochure for Students Now Available en Español
A Spanish-language edition of CSTA's popular brochure, "Imagine Your Future in Computing," is now available in print and online. This colorful brochure encourages students to consider computing careers in a wide range of fields, including software development, mobile communications, medicine and the environment. For more information, read the press release.
Student News
MentorNet: Mentors, Protégés Helping Each Other (see story under "Education")
Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
ACM Student Research Competitions take place at ACM-sponsored conferences throughout the year. Students present their papers in poster sessions to compete for the Grand Finals prizes, and network with luminaries from academia and industry. CHI 08 is the next conference accepting submissions. The deadline is January 8, 2008. The deadline for submissions for PLDI 08 is February 8, 2008.
ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
A program launched by ACM's Committee on Women in Computing (ACM-W) provides support for undergraduate or graduate women students in Computer Science programs who are interested in attending research conferences. It is not required that the student present a paper at the conference she attends. High school students will also be considered for conference support. Initially, up to 12 scholarships of up to $500 each will be awarded annually. ACM-W also encourages the student's home department to match the scholarship award and recognize the student's achievement locally within her department. Applications will be evaluated in four groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences, with two to three awards given each quarter. For application form, notification dates and more information, please visit the scholarships page.
Student Volunteers Needed to Help Teach High School CS Teachers
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) is seeking Computer Science college students proficient in Java and other new programming languages and environments to train high school CS teachers in these technologies. Java Engagement for Teacher Training (JETT) and Teacher Enrichment in Computer Science (TECS) are one- and two-day workshops for high school teachers, hosted by college and university CS students and faculty. Hosting a JETT or TECS workshop is a great volunteer experience for individual student ACM members, as well as student chapters. For more information please contact Gail Chapman, the JETT and TECS workshop coordinator.
Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
ACM offers a special ACM Professional Membership for $49 USD (regularly $99) to help graduating students make the transition to professional careers, and take advantage of continuous learning opportunities, including free online books and courses and access to ACM's Career & Job Center. This one-year-only transition rate includes all the benefits of Professional Membership plus the option of purchasing a Digital Library subscription for $50. Recent graduates can access this special transition offer through ACM's convenient online renewal form, or by following the instructions on the paper renewal form.
Chapters News
ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program Adds New Speakers, Updates Web Presence
ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program (DSP), formerly known as the Distinguished Lectureship Program, has undergone some significant changes within the last year. Tapping into ACM's Fellows and Special Interest Group communities, the DSP Committee invited a new slate of experts to serve as Distinguished Speakers, who are ACM's ambassadors to student chapters and to local communities of professionals worldwide. A new website includes an automated request process as well as in-depth profiles of speakers and their talks. The 40 new speakers come from academia and industry. Topics range from artificial intelligence to human computer interaction and from mobile computing to security. The program welcomes self-nominated speakers; those who self-nominate will be asked to provide at least two ACM members as a reference. For more information on requesting a speaker or joining the program, visit the DSP Web site or email [email protected].
ACM-W News
Gloria Townsend Named Co-Chair of ACM-W
Gloria Townsend has been named Co-Chair of ACM-W, joining current Chair Elaine Weyuker. Townsend, a professor of Computer Science at DePauw University, is the mastermind behind the very successful ACM-W Regional Celebration program that brings Grace Hopper Celebration-like meetings to local groups, allowing many people to attend who might not have the resources to travel across the country to attend the national conference, which supports women in the computing fields. They provide a foundation for ongoing community in places where women might otherwise feel isolated. "Gloria has been a longtime member of ACM-W and is always ready to jump in and help," said Weyuker.
Publications News
ACM Queue Sees New Technology Improving Hard Drives' Reliability
Today's hard-disk drives (HDDs) are larger and faster than ever, but they still fail in familiar ways. In his article Hard Disk Drives: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, veteran engineer Jon Elerath from Network Appliance explains what software developers and RAID architects can do to increase the resilience of systems based on these new HDDs.
ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage Call for Papers
ACM's new Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH) is seeking papers on the use of information and communications technology in support of Cultural Heritage, such as on-site and remotely sensed data collection; metadata, classification schema, ontologies and semantic processing; and intelligent tools for digital reconstruction. Visit the JOCCH Web site for more information.
ACM Seeks Missing SIG Newsletters for Digital Library
ACM is seeking to complete its Digital Library archive of Special Interest Group (SIG) newsletters. (Thanks to all who have contributed so far--we're 98% there!) Please review the spreadsheet of missing SIG newsletter issues and, if you have any of the ones on the list, contact Craig Rodkin with your list and for shipping details. Be sure to let Craig know if you'd like the newsletters returned to you.
ACM in the News
"Best Research in High Performance Computing Honored at SC07"
HPC Wire, November 15, 2007
Awards presented at ACM's SC07 supercomputing conference recognize outstanding research and technical achievement in high performance computing, networking, storage and analysis.
"More Security Education Needed to Avoid a Cybersecurity Disaster, Experts Warn"
SearchSecurity.com, November 7, 2007
USACM Chair Eugene Spafford, citing need for resources to address future problems, says, "patching the latest problem isn't getting us anywhere."
Read more ACM in the News.
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