ACM MemberNet - January 26, 2012

Welcome to the January 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 current and past issues of MemberNet online at http://membernet.acm.org. Is there a person, event, or issue you'd like to see covered? Please email mn-editor at acm.org.

TOP STORIES

Awards Member Recognition SIG Awards Conferences and Events Public Policy Member Programs Learning Center Career & Job Center Education Student News Distinguished Speakers Program Chapters News ACM-W News Publications News ACM in the News
TOP STORIES

2012 SIG Election Candidate Slate Announced
In accordance with ACM Bylaw 6, the following SIGs will hold elections in 2012: SIGACCESS, SIGACT, SIGCHI, SIGDA, SIGGRAPH, SIGITE, SIGPLAN, SIGSIM and SIGSOFT. ACM Policy and Procedures require that those SIGs holding elections notify their membership of candidates for elected offices. To see the slate of candidates, please visit the 2012 ACM SIG Election site.

In accordance with the SIG Bylaws, additional candidates may be placed on the ballot by petition. All candidates must be Professional Members of ACM, as well as members of the SIG. Anyone interested in petitioning must inform ACM Headquarters (Pat Ryan, ACM, 2 Penn Plaza, Suite 701, NY, NY 10121; [email protected]) and the SIG Viability Advisor (Barbara Boucher Owens, [email protected]) of their intent to petition by March 15.

Additional information will appear in the February or March issue of ACM MemberNet and on the 2012 ACM SIG Election site.

Awards

Call for ACM Award Nominations
Each year, ACM recognizes technical and professional achievements within the computing and information technology community through its celebrated Awards Program. And annually, ACM's award committees evaluate the contributions of candidates for various awards that span a spectrum of professional and technological accomplishments. You and your colleagues are invited to nominate candidates for ACM awards, including:
  • ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award: March 1
Please take a moment to consider those individuals in your community who may be suitable for nomination. Refer to http://www.acm.org/nominations for nomination guidelines and the complete listing of Award Subcommittee Chairs and Members.

Call for 2012–2013 ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award Nominations
The ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award celebrates outstanding women researchers who have made fundamental contributions to computer science. Candidates are nominated by Special Interest Group (SIG) officers; the Athena Lecturer gives a keynote at a SIG meeting of her and the SIG's choice, and receives a $10,000 honorarium, funded by Google. More information can be found on the Athena announcement page, which includes links to the nomination form and talks by previous winners. Nominations are due February 1.

Member Recognition

Call for ACM Senior Member Nominations
The Senior Member advanced grade of membership 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 deadline for nominations is March 1.

SIG Awards

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:
Conferences and Events

ACM Queue Online Programming Challenge
ACM Queue Magazine is offering an online programming competition based on the 2011 International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) Challenge problem. The Queue ICPC Challenge consists of a game called "Coercion" in which participants code "players" in C++, C#, Java, Python or JavaScript to compete with other programmers. Participants will have four weeks to develop their players, and can compete against preliminary players. The game begins January 15 and ends at midnight GMT February 12, and is open to all ACM Queue readers. To enter the game, please register for a free ACM Web account if you do not already have one, or sign in if you do have one.

SIGCSE 2012 Looks to Future of "Teaching, Learning, and Collaborating"
With the theme, "Teaching, Learning, and Collaborating," SIGCSE 2012, the Symposium of ACM's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education, takes place February 29 to March 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Papers, panels, posters, special sessions, and workshops will address problems common among educators working to develop, implement and/or evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. Attendees will have opportunities to discuss computer science education in birds-of-a-feather sessions and informal settings. The symposium provides a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy, at all levels of instruction. Scheduled keynote speakers are Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Hal Ableson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (winner of the 2012 SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education); and Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, Google's "Big Picture" visualization research group. Early registration for SIGCSE members is available up to January 30.

CHI 2012 to Focus on Importance of User Experience in Design
The ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems will emphsize the user experience in all aspects of design—from models and theory to hands-on interactivity. Set for May 5 to 12 in Austin, Texas, CHI 2012 will unite the design, engineering, management and user experience communities in cross-disciplinary sessions from machine learning to accessibility, and navigation to thermal interfaces.

ICSE 2012 Studies "Sustainable Software for a Sustainable World"
ICSE 2012, the International Conference on Software Engineering co-sponsored by ACM SIGSOFT, provides a forum for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, experiences and issues in the field of software engineering. The conference, taking place June 2 to 9 in Zurich, Switzerland will host an ACM Student Research Competition, where students can present their research results to conference attendees and compete for prizes. A "New Ideas and Emerging Results" track will give presenters an opportunity to receive early feedback on novel research ideas and promising work that has not yet been fully evaluated. Scheduled keynote speakers are Saskia Sassen, Robert S. Lynd Professor of Sociology and Co-Chair of the Committee on Global Thought, Columbia University, New York; Frank-Dieter Clesle, Vice President of On-Demand Content as a Service Infrastructure at SAP Sustainability Lab, Markdorf, Germany; and Jeff Kramer, Senior Dean at Imperial College London.

GHC 2012 Grace Hopper Celebration Opens Call for Participation
The 12th Annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women of Computing (GHC 2012) has opened its Call for Participation. The annual conference, presented by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology, is the world's largest gathering of women in computing. The Grace Hopper Celebration will take place from October 3 to 6 in Baltimore, Maryland. This year's theme, "Are We There Yet?", recognizes that technology and the culture of technology are continuously evolving. Submissions, which are due March 16, are being accepted in these tracks; please visit the Call for Participation page for more information:
  • Birds of a Feather
  • New Investigations
  • Panels, Workshops and Presentations
  • PhD Forum
  • Posters and Student Research Competition (SRC) Posters
  • Social Collaboration
  • Women of Underrepresented Groups
Public Policy

USACM Outlines Technical Issues with Internet Piracy Legislation
This month ACM's Public Policy Council, USACM, examined the facts surrounding SOPA and PIPA, the two high-profile legislative bills concerning online piracy. In letters sent January 17 to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, USACM concluded that the bills' approach would ultimately prove ineffective in addressing the legislation's goals, which are already easily bypassed. It also pointed to cost burdens on innocent third parties, and interference with progress in reducing online fraud and espionage. USACM also stated that it supports reasonable efforts to address criminal violations of intellectual property rights. As is customary in these cases, USACM commented specifically on the technological aspects of these bills. Learn more about USACM's letters and their analysis in the blog post.

Member Programs

ACM Member Referral Program Revamped as "Ambassadors for ACM"
ACM members like you are our greatest source of new members. Your first-hand experience with ACM's valuable career development and continuous learning programs makes you a perfect envoy to share your ACM experiences. That's why we're now calling this program Ambassadors for ACM. Along with a new name, we've refreshed the referral process as well as recruitment tips and opportunities for prizes, rewards and bonus gifts. Grand prizes for the 2011–2012 year now include an Android tablet and a Nook eBook reader. The top ACM Ambassador for December is Khayyam Masiyev, with 7 referrals. Learn more about new rules, recruitment tips and tools, as well as rewards and prizes by visiting the Ambassadors for ACM site.

Live Chat Feature Now Available to Members
ACM's new interactive Live Chat feature provides members with an opportunity for real-time customer service from our Member Service Representatives. To start your chat, simply log in to myACM with your ACM web account username and password and click on the Live Chat icon. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Any chats attempted after hours will automatically generate an email to ACM to be answered during regular business hours.

Auto and Home Insurance Benefit Available from Liberty Mutual
As an ACM member you could receive exclusive savings on your auto and home insurance. Plus, with Liberty Mutual, you get service and support when and where you need it. To learn more about Liberty Mutual insurance or to get a free, no-obligation quote, please visit http://www.libertymutual.com/acm or call 1-800-524-9400 and refer to group #8559.

ACM Member Benefit: The Association for Computing Machinery Platinum Plus MasterCard Credit Card
With the Association for Computing Machinery Platinum Plus MasterCard credit card with WorldPoints rewards, you'll earn points on purchases to redeem for cash, travel, merchandise, even unique adventures. Using this card benefits Association for Computing Machinery—at no additional expense to you. You can make an even bigger difference by redeeming your points to make a charitable donation. In addition, you'll get our Clarity Commitment summary—a simple explanation of key account terms written in plain language, so you understand what you're getting. And with Bank of America's $0 Liability Guarantee, you'll have fewer disruptions if you experience fraudulent charges.

Learn more about this and other ACM member programs by visiting the discounts and special offers page.

Attention Faculty: Order Complimentary Materials for Your Students
ACM offers the opportunity for faculty members to order complimentary materials for distribution to their students who are interested in the field of computing. Available items include ACM student membership brochures and posters, as well flyers featuring ACM's Digital Library, Code of Ethics, and student chapters, among others. Place your order using our easy online form and your request will be fulfilled promptly!

Learning Center

Learning Center Updates Video Library with Top Current Titles
Beginning January 24, ACM professional members have access to 25 all-new, high-quality, popular training and conference videos on the most current and in-demand technical topics and technologies from O'Reilly Media and other top publishers. Video coverage now includes Agile Engineering Practices, Bash, Big Data, Facebook Programming, ITIL V3, jQuery, MapReduce, Scala, and UML, as well as the latest in Android and iOS programming, C# and C++, HTML5, Java, JavaScript, jQuery, Oracle PL/SQL, and PHP/MySQL. To see the complete list of newly added titles, please visit the Safari video swap page. For full access to each video's content, don't forget to add it to your virtual shelf by clicking "Add to Favorites."

Special Offers for ACM Members on Enterprise Architecture Executive Program
February 20 to 24, Penn State Executive Programs and the Smeal College of Business will present "Enterprise Integration & Transformation: Beyond IT/Business Alignment." This program was designed to help CIOs, executive VPs, and IT managers, strategists, and architects create the foundation for an enterprise framework that captures the current state, envisions the future state, and determines actions needed for guiding integration and transformation efforts. Conducted at the Penn State University Park campus in State College, Pennsylvania, the course is presented by Program Faculty Director Brian Cameron, author of the ACM Tech Pack on Enterprise Architecture, as well as top faculty from Penn State and other leading institutions. To see program content and learn more about the faculty, please visit the Enterprise Integration & Transformation home page. To get special promotional pricing of $3900, RSVP with Brian Cameron by February 1. After this date, you will still be eligible for a reduced fee of $4,750 (regular cost is $5,750). Class size is limited. Reserve space by phone (814-865-3435; Toll Free: 800-311-6364; Fax: 814 865-3372) or email: [email protected]. Then apply online.

Career & Job Center

Import your LinkedIn Profile in ACM's Career & Job Center!
Now available when posting a résumé in the Résumé Bank: import your LinkedIn profile. You will be required to sign in to your LinkedIn account. Please note that LinkedIn does not have exactly the same fields as ACM so you will have to review the imported information and update where necessary. Once you have a résumés created and saved in our system, you can publish it to the Résumé Bank so employers find you! Or keep it private and use it when applying online for jobs. So log in to ACM's Job Board and post your résumé today!

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. ACM members can subscribe to the CareerNews email alert service.

For more information about the Career & Job Center please contact Jennifer Ruzicka.

Education

CS2013 Steering Committee Conducting "Characteristics of Graduates" Survey
The CS2013 Steering Committee, a joint ACM/IEEE Computer Society task force charged with producing revised computer science curricular guidelines, is conducting an important survey of the characteristics of CS graduates. The survey is based on the expected characteristics of computer science graduates from the CS2008 guidelines. Please take a moment to fill out the survey. Your feedback is crucial to the success of CS2013.

Student News

Google Offers New Scholarship Program for High School Seniors
Students intending to enroll as full-time computer science majors or related studies can now apply online for scholarships to support their study through the 2012 Generation Google Scholarship program. Selected students will receive $10,000 USD for study in the US or $5,000 CAD for study in Canada per year for up to four years (or until graduation, whichever comes first) so long as they maintain criteria for renewal. Recipients will also be invited to Google's Computer Science Summer Institute in 2012. The application deadline is February 20. For information and eligibility criteria, visit the Generation Google Scholarship site in the first or email questions to [email protected].

Computing Community Consortium's New Site Lists Undergraduate Summer Research Positions
The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is offering a new Web site listing undergraduate summer research positions. The listings are linked from the CCC's relatively new Computer Science Research Opportunities & Graduate School (CSGS) site, a resource clearinghouse for CS undergraduates. Researchers will be able to post their summer research opportunities on the listing site for free. The site will enable students to find summer research programs, and will enable the CCC to promote a pipeline of young talent for careers in computing research. The CSGS site provides information on summer research opportunities, a Q&A on "why do research," and links to summer programs from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), Research Experiences for Undergraduates, the CRA Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research, and Canadian Collaborative Research Experiences for Undergraduates, among others. Students also will be able to find information and advice on applying to graduate school in computing fields.

Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions
ACM Student Research Competitions (SRCs), sponsored by Microsoft Research, offer a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research at well-known ACM sponsored and co-sponsored conferences before a panel of judges and attendees. The most recent SRC winners presented at SC 2011. The next conferences accepting submissions are: Learn about more competitions on the SRC submissions page.

CRA's URO Zone Connects Students with Opportunities for Undergraduate Research
The Computing Research Association (CRA) recently launched a website to help undergraduate students identify computing research opportunities. The site—URO Zone, for Undergraduate Research Opportunities—provides links to a range of summer undergraduate research resources. It also posts profiles of undergraduates and details their recent computing research projects. URO Zone offers guidelines to help discover research opportunities in a variety of areas, from applied to theoretical computer science. It also defines specific research fields, describes CRA and ACM undergraduate awards programs, and lists links for finding computing research opportunities.

ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
The ACM Women's Council (ACM-W), with funding from Wipro Technologies, provides support for women undergraduate or graduate students in computer science and related programs who wish to attend research conferences. The student does not have to present a paper at the conference she attends. High school students will also be considered for conference support. As of 2011, 20 ACM-W/Wipro scholarships are funded annually: 10 scholarships of up to $600 will be awarded for intra-continental conference travel, and 10 scholarships of up to $1,200 will be awarded for intercontinental conference travel. ACM-W encourages the student's home department to match the scholarship award and recognize the student's achievement locally within her department. In addition, if the award is for attendance at one of several ACM special interest group conferences (SIGACCESS, SIGACT, SIGARCH, SIGCOMM, SIGCSE, SIGDA, SIGECOM, SIGSOFT, SIGGRAPH, SIGITE, SIGOPS, and SIGPLAN), the SIG will provide complementary conference registration and a mentor during the conference. Applications are evaluated in six groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences. For application form, notification dates and more information, please visit the scholarships page.

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. For more information, visit the Reasons to Transition to Professional Membership page.

Distinguished Speakers Program

Featured Distinguished Speaker: Mohammad Tehranipoor
The Distinguished Speakers Program (DSP) is one of ACM's most valued outreach programs, providing universities, corporations, event and conference planners, and local ACM chapters with direct access to top technology leaders and innovators from nearly every sector of the computing industry.

This month's featured speaker is Mohammad Tehranipoor. Mohammad is currently an associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut. His current research projects include: computer-aided design and test for CMOS VLSI designs, reliable systems design at nanoscale, design-for-testability, at-speed test, secure design and IC trust. Tehranipoor has published over 105 journal articles and refereed conference papers in these areas, as well as two books on nanotechnology. He is a member of ACM and ACM SIGDA, and a senior member of IEEE. He served as Program Chair of several IEEE workshops, and co-founded the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust.

For more information on Mohammad, please visit his DSP speaker information page.

ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program Expands to Colleges, Universities, Corporations
ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program (DSP) is expanding its venues for delivering compelling content on computing and IT to colleges, universities, and corporations. Previously available only to ACM Local Chapters, the DSP technology leaders and innovators offer more than 250 presentations on topics covering software engineering, high performance computing, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, gaming, mobile computing, and dozens more. Nearly 100 speakers can be booked through the ACM DSP to educate technical staff, ramp up the knowledge of teams, provide opportunities for direct speaker interaction, and boost attendance at meetings and events. ACM's Distinguished Speakers represent prominent companies, colleges and universities from around the world. These renowned thought leaders have proven abilities to address current issues, including Electronic Voting in the 21st Century; Software Engineering Best Practices; Software Under Siege: Viruses and Worms; Spatial Databases and Geographic Information Systems; and Careers in Computing—How to Prepare and What to Expect.

Read more about the ACM Distinguished Speakers Program and how to search for and select speakers on the DSP home page.

Chapters News

Welcome New ACM Chapters
Chapters are the "local neighborhoods" of ACM. The regional ACM Professional, Student, ACM-W, and Special Interest Group (SIG) chapters around the globe involve members locally in competitions, seminars, lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities. ACM welcomes these new chapters that were chartered December 10, 2011 to January 17, 2012:

ACM Student Chapters:
  • Armstrong ACM Student Chapter, Savannah, Georgia
  • CSC @ Kuwait University ACM Student Chapter, Khaldiya
  • Heritage Institute of Technology ACM Student Chapter, Kolkata, India
  • Purdue University College of Technology ACM SIGGRAPH Student Chapter, New Albany, Indiana
  • Qafqaz University ACM Student Chapter, Baku, Azerbaijan
  • WIT @ Texas A&M ACM Student Chapter, Killeen, Texas
ACM Professional Chapter:
  • Portugal ACM SIGCOMM Chapter, Lisbon
Notice of Chapters to Be De-chartered
ACM is de-chartering the following chapters due to inactivity. Members interested in revitalizing their chapters should contact Samantha Goldberg, Local Activities Coordinator, at [email protected].

ACM Student Chapters:
Bahria University ACM Student Chapter; Boston College; Bryant & Stratton College - Milwaukee; Case Western Reserve University; Colby College ACM Student Chapter; Colorado State University/Pueblo; Computer Technology Club, Bowie State University; COMSATS Institute of Technology ACM Student Chapter; East Central University; Fatih University; Francis Marion University ACM Student Chapter; Gonzaga University; Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Bidar Student Chapter of ACM; Illinois Institute of Tech; Immaculata University; Instituto Tecnologico de Saltillo ACM Student Chapter; Instituto Tecnologico Superior de Irapuato; Lafayette College; Lakehead University ACM Student Chapter; Louisiana Technical University; Macalester College; Maine School of Science and Mathematics; MenTe ACM-W Student Chapter; Middle Tennessee State University; MUST ACM Student Chapter; Nassau Community College ACM Student Chapter; NUCES-FAST Peshawar ACM Student Chapter; Ohio University ACM Student SIGGRAPH; Saint Xavier University ACM Student Chapter; Samford University; Seattle University ACM Student Chapter; Shorter College ACM Student Chapter; Siena College; Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune ACM Student Chapter; Pune ACM Student Chapter; State University of NY at Potsdam; Tuskegee University; UAE University CIT ACM Student Chapter; Univ of Bristol Student ACM SIGGRAPH; University of Akron Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences; University of Cape Town Student Computing Association; University of Central Florida ACM Student SIGGRAPH; University of Colorado Denver; University of Colorado Denver ACM Computer Science Club; University of Karachi; University of Maine; University of Massachusetts/Lowell; University of New South Wales; University of Southern California ACM Student Chapter; University of Waikato; Utah State University SIGECOM ACM Student Chapter; Utah Valley State College; Valdosta State University ACM Student Chapter; Vanderbilt University Chapter; Vardhaman College of Engineering ACM Student Chapter; Wayne State College; Wilkes University Math/CS Club

ACM Professional Chapters:
Metro Manila ACM SIGGRAPH; Mumbai ACM SIGCHI; Singapore ACM Chapter

ACM-W News

ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award Call for Nominations (see story under Awards)

Three Regional Celebrations of Women in Computing Coming in February!
The Midwestern and Southern US will be the settings for three exciting regional events next month:
February 10–11, the Indiana Celebration of Women in Computing (INWIC 2012) will bring together people from industry and Indiana academic institutions. February 17–18, the Carolinas Celebration of Women in Computing (CWIC 2012) will gather attendees from industry and South Carolina and North Carolina academic institutions. February 24–25, the Second Celebration of Women in Computing in the Upper Midwest (MinneWIC 2012) will bring together students, faculty, and technology leaders from across Minnesota and neighboring states. All of the Regional Celebrations are modeled after the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing, which provides social, academic and professional support for women in computing with technical presentations, career guidance, and networking opportunities.

The Grace Hopper Regional Consortium, a project of ACM-W, provides programming that showcases female role models, encourages mentoring and networking, supplies accurate information about computing careers and creates opportunities for women to participate in the program—often for the first time in their careers. Visit the Grace Hopper Regional Consortium site to learn about more of these events planned for 2012.

Join ACM-W's Membership Email List
Did you know that ACM-W offers a general email distribution list for its members? This ACMW-public list is a communication channel for disseminating general information about ACM-W, bulletins and upcoming events. To join the list: http://signup.acm.org/listserv_index.cfm?ln=ACM-W-PUBLIC.
And to keep more informed about the activities of ACM-W and its members, you can sign up for our quarterly CIS Newsletter notification. Be sure to read the current issue for the latest news on ACM-W activities and events on the ACM-W CIS Newsletter issues page.

Publications News

ACM Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage Seeks Editor-in-Chief
ACM Journal of Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH) is seeking a new Editor-in-Chief. Nominations are due March 1. Candidates should have editorial experience and a well-recognized research record in interdisciplinary research that crosses the boundaries between cultural heritage and computer science, focused on the development and use of innovative ICT technologies (information retrieval, digital libraries, GIS, graphics, vision, databases, etc.) to support cultural heritage management, presentation and study. For more information visit the JOCCH nominations page.

CACM Reports: Technologies that Let the Voice of the People Be Heard
Internet and wireless technologies have expanded to help governments improve the way they listen and adapt to social change. They have also amplified citizens' voices and opinions, allowing direct participation in political discourse and reshaping the relationship between governments and citizens. In the February Communications of the ACM (CACM) cover story, University of North Texas researchers Nicholas Evangelopoulos and Lucian Visinescu analyzed two examples of citizen feedback, including mobile phone short message service (SMS) messages, and online text submissions. By applying text mining technologies using concept extraction, they demonstrated the effectiveness of Latent Semantic Analysis to remove bias and close the loop in the political dialogue. Also in this issue, ACM Europe Council Chair Fabrizio Gagliardi, who is Europe, Middle East and Africa Director for External Research at Microsoft Research, reviews the progress of the Council in increasing the presence of Europeans as leaders and distinguished members; expanding the number of chapters and conferences throughout Europe; and extending ACM's reach to Turkey and Russia.

Communications, the flagship publication of ACM, offers readers access to this generation's most significant leaders and innovators in computing and information technology, and is available in print, Web and digital formats.
Read the press release.

acm Queue Presents: Advances and Challenges in Log Analysis
Although we may think we already understand the value of system logs, Adam Oliner at UC Berkeley explains the applications of log analysis and the methods of doing so, as well as the challenges that remain when trying to get the most information from these vital resources.

New: acm Queue now includes Tech Packs! Tech Packs, ACM's popular learning packages on cutting-edge topics, are now linked from the left sidebar with the introductions provided on the Queue site. Now you can have your Queue and Tech Packs in one convenient spot!

Free Sample Issue of Communications of the ACM for Non-members!
New offer for ACM non-members! Fill out the online form and receive a free trial issue of Communications of the ACM. Read about the latest developments in the computing field, covered by today's leading experts.

ACM in the News

"How Speeding the 'Most Important Algorithm of Our Lifetime' Could Change this Modern World"
Fast Company, January 23, 2012
At ACM's Symposium on Discrete Algorithms (SODA), a new way of calculating Fast Fourier Transforms was presented by a group of MIT researchers.

"NYC Opens First High School for Software Engineering"
Government Computer News, January 19, 2012
New York City will create its first public high school dedicated to training students in software development. The school is the brainchild of Stuyvesant High School teacher and CSTA member Mike Zamansky.

"'Geek' Perception of Computer Science Putting Off Girls, Expert Warns"
The Guardian, January 10, 2012
University of Southampton professor and ACM Past President Dame Wendy Hall warns that girls still think of computer science as a subject for geeks. She says that instead of showing students how computers work, secondary school classes teach students how to use computers to produce documents, which has discouraged girls from choosing computer science as a career field.

"Internet Access Is Not a Human Right"
New York Times, January 4, 2012
In an op-ed piece, 2004 ACM Turing Award winner Vint Cerf argues that the Web is a facilitator of rights but not a right in itself. "…all these philosophical arguments overlook a more fundamental issue: The responsibility of technology creators themselves to support human and civil rights," he says.

"Wanted: Technical Women"
U.S. News & World Report, January 3, 2012
"Especially at a time when unemployment is high and our economy is weak, we cannot afford to lose anyone with the technical skills to create a sustainable future, improve health, build our cyber and physical infrastructure, and enhance personal and societal security," writes Joanne McGrath Cohoon, University of Virginia professor and ACM Women's Council member.

"Military Academies Look to Fill Nation's Cybersecurity Gaps"
National Defense, January 2012
US military academies have been developing potential cyberwarriors for years, but the difficulty is in finding places for them to use their cyberskills. West Point's Special Interest Group on Security, Audit, and Control (SIGSAC) club aims to develop information security professionals from within the Cadet Corps by hosting a variety of competitions, speakers, and challenges.

Copyright © 2012, ACM, Inc.