CECS Newsletter 6 for AY 2009/10

January 22 2010

by Dr. Alvaro Monge

• CSULB among 50 Best Value Public Colleges: Princeton Review Ranks California State University, Long Beach Among Top 50 'Best Value' Public Colleges in the Nation for 2010. The USA Today has an article titled 100 Best Values Colleges for 2010 describing the project.

Check with the department office to determine the availability of each of the advisors.

Due to low enrollment, the department has decided to cancel CECS 346 this semester. Furthermore, starting in Fall 2010, CECS 346 will be offered Fall semesters only and CECS 347 will be offered Spring semesters only. Therefore, students eligible to enroll in CECS 347 this Spring 2010 should do so now, otherwise you will not have an opportunity to enroll until next Spring 2011.

There are some changes coming in Fall 2010. While these affect incoming students, I'm including this information here as it may affect some of you. The most important change is that CECS 100 will now be required and will also be a prerequisite of CECS 174.

• Vote for Barbie's Next Career: Computer Engineer: Mattel has a page where people can vote as to which career should be next for Barbie. Computer Engineer is one of the options! So, make your voice heard and vote!
• Where the Jobs Are: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently released a 10-year forecast of job growth that projects a 22.2 percent increase in computer and mathematical jobs by 2018. Moreover, computer science occupations are projected to account for nearly 60 percent of all job growth among all fields of science and engineering over the next eight years.
• 6 Hottest Skills for 2010: U.S. business executives recently responded to a Computerworld survey about the availability of information technology jobs and what skills will be in demand in 2010. The skill set that is in the highest demand is programming and application development. The survey found that companies will look for programmers with knowledge of .Net, Java, Web development, open source, and portal technologies such as Microsoft's Sharepoint, says Computerworld's Dave Willmer. Demand also is growing for programmers who are familiar with programming languages such as Ruby on Rails and AJAX.

The Discovery Science Center (DSC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating young minds, assisting teachers, and increasing public understanding and appreciation of science, math, and technology through interactive exhibits and programs. The DSC is currently seeking IT interns for Summer 2010. Two different internships are available:

• SQL Programming and Report Writing Intern

Duties Include:

• Report Writing - Assist with Discovery Science Center's report writing and business intelligence initiatives
• Program Development - Assist with modifications to existing software packages and creations of new ones

Intern Requirements:

• Computer Science or Computer Information Systems major
• Must be entering at least Junior year of college
• Must be a full-time student
• Minimum overall GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Must be available at least 16 hours per week (each shift will be a minimum of 4 hours)
• Must be able to speak and write in English; good communication skills
• Dynamic individual who can think outside the box

• IT Specialist Intern

Duties Include:

• Computer Maintenance - Service back office and exhibit computers ensuring that all service packs and software are up to date.
• IT Inventory - Ensure all IT equipment is inventoried and tagged, ensure stock levels of consumables are maintained
• Help Desk Support - Provide day to day support to DSC employees including setting up new users, installing printers, software, etc.

Intern Requirements:

• Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, or Network Engineering major
• Must be entering at least Junior year of college
• Must be a full-time student
• Minimum overall GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale)
• Must be available at least 16 hours per week (each shift will be a minimum of 4 hours)
• Must be able to speak and write in English; good communication skills
• Dynamic individual who can think outside the box

Students interested in applying for this internship should contact Laura Schmidl via e-mail to schedule an interview.

The Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS) is accepting Applications through February 15, 2010 for a summer REU program in applied mathematics. Visit the RIPS website for information on this unique summer REU program in applied mathematics. Student teams use math to solve industrial problems, proposed by an industry sponsor. International students are eligible for RIPS-LA. Graduating seniors are eligible for all three. The application is available online. Applications are due Feb. 15, 2010.

The Systems Teaching Institute (STI) a 10-12 week paid summer research program for graduate students in fields relevant to NASA Ames research. Selected students will gain hands-on experience working with cutting-edge research and development teams, an increased understanding of the NASA mission, and mentoring in research management skills. Besides working closely with Ames scientists and engineers, students will have the opportunity to attend seminars tailored to their level of expertise, career development workshops, and an end-of-summer symposium where they can share their results with other student interns. Awards (in the form of travel support to a national conference) will be given for the best symposium poster presentations. We have a wide variety of exciting research projects in Aerospace Sciences, Information Sciences, Nanosciences, Earth Sciences, and Biotechnology.

All application materials should be postmarked on or before January 31, 2010.

The Nano-CEMMS Undergraduate Research Program is held for a 10 week period over the summer. This is a chance for students to engage in full-time research on a nanotechnology-related topic and to gauge their interest and potential for future research at the graduate student level. To be eligible for the summer program, students do not need to have any background in nanotechnology, all students pursuing science/engineering/math degrees are eligible to apply.

Each student works with a graduate student mentor who provides support, encouragement, guidance and leadership. Students meet for weekly group meetings where they have opportunities to share their progress and gain a broad overview of the wide array of Nano-CEMMS projects.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign at the Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems (or Nano-CEMMS) Nano-CEMMS is an interdisciplinary research center funded by the National Science Foundation that focuses on nanotechnology.

The online application can be found at the Nano-CEMMS Undergraduate Research Program website and has a deadline of February 15th. Applicants should take a look at the website and visit some of the research websites of the affiliated professors and mention which areas are of interest to them.