Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

CSEE Professor Dr. Alan Sherman (PI) and Dr. Rick Forno (Co-PI), Graduate Program Director, Cybersecurity have received an NSF grant of $2.5 million over five years to fund 22 students studying Information Assurance (IA) and Cybersecurity. The scholarships are part of the Federal Cyber Scholarship for Service (SFS) program.

Future scholars will come from UMBC’s undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies programs. In addition to a generous full-ride scholarship, scholars are granted an annual stipend during their last two or three years.  The yearly stipends are $20,000 for underdergraduate, $25,000 for M.S. and $30,000 for PhD students.  Students will also engage in paid summer internships with federal government agencies and have opportunities to carry out mentored research projects at UMBC and its cyber partners from government and industry.

“Our goal is to encourage students to pursue cybersecurity education at UMBC and then move into careers that can build upon their education,” explains Dr. Forno. “The SFS program is one way to do that, with the outcome being to provide educated, qualified and highly competent cybersecurity practitioners to the federal government.”

The scholarships will be coordinated through UMBC’s Center for Information Security and Assurance (CISA), and both CISA and UMBC’s Cyber Defense Lab (CDL) will play a key role in the overall academic experience of the SFS scholars.

Along with the monetary award come a few scholarship program requirements. During their scholarship period (typically two years), students are required to intern at a federal organization. After graduation, scholars must serve at a Federal agency in an information assurance position for one to two years, depending on their level of support.

During the upcoming 2012-2013 school year, the program will support two Masters students and two Master in Professional Studies students, though in the future, one B.S., two M.S., two M.P.S., and one Ph.D. students will be supported annually.

Degree-seeking students in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or any related field, including Electrical Engineering, Math, Physics, Information Systems, Public Policy, or Education, are eligible. “We are interested in fostering a diverse group of SFS scholars,” says Forno. “To that end, we intend to work closely with groups like CWIT and the Meyerhoff Scholars (among others) to help in our outreach and recruiting efforts in this critical academic discipline.” To learn more about applying for the scholarship, visit the CISA scholarship oppotunities page.

The grant will also fund a new one-day annual regional workshop that will focus on innovations for K-12, undergraduate, and graduate cybersecurity education. The goal is to develop "innovative, relevant, meaningful, and real-world oriented pedagogical materials that can be applied across the academic spectrum in conducting cybersecurity education."

The scholarship program, coupled with UMBC’s location at the “epicenter of cybersecurity,” will further mark UMBC as a pioneer in the field. “We all know that cybersecurity is a hot field and of critical national interest," says Forno. "UMBC’s strength in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and related STEM fields, combined with our reputation for producing qualified technologitsts makes our participation in SFS very attractive both to the school and our current and future students.”

Photo Courtesy governor.maryland.gov

Motorola Solutions is looking for an intern to work on the state's new Maryland FiRST website. Maryland FiRST, or Maryland First Responders Interoperable Radio System Team, will connect Maryland's first responders over a secure 700 MHz radio system.

The following is a job description,  taken from a UMBC News post:

It will consist of approved design documentation for public viewing, as well as, secured information for those who are allowed to login.  This site will be organized for easy-viewing of the system description, site map, and relevant documents.  This site will also include a map of the state with site names and hyperlinks in order to get more detailed information about each site.  This web developer will also need to be strong in requirements development, have great organization skills, be creative, efficient and a team player.  Ongoing maintenance of the site will be necessary, too, as documents get updated and additional design documents get added.

 

Furthermore, this position has an added opportunity to use an “SNMP Management Software” tool to develop a “Manager of Managers” for the entire alarming system of the MD FiRST Radio System.  The position offers opportunity to be creative, work with other people and develop tools that will be used for decades by the State of Maryland’s Public Safety Agencies.

Applicants must be graduating on or after June 2013, be pursuing a Bachelor's Degree, and must have classes or coursework in Computer Science Software Development or Software Engineering.

This paid internship offers $17-25/hour depending on year, experience, and skills.

Apply for the position via UMBCworks, and through the following link.

Welcome class of 2016! We're so glad you chose to study Computer Science or Computer Engineering at UMBC! Now that you're here, we thought you might like a little tour of our department so that you can make the most of the next four years. We don't promise they'll be easy, but we do promise they'll be challening, rewarding, and fun.

Figuring out what courses you need to take is an important first step. All UMBC students, whether they're majoring in Mathematics or French or Media and Communications Studies, have to take General Education Program (GEP) requirements. These are the courses that make you a well-rounded college student. They introduce you to subjects you may have never noticed, like… Asian Studies.

Then there are the courses you take for your major. These are different for the Computer Science and Computer Engineering programs, so click on your major to see what classes you should take, and to learn more about different tracks in fields like Game Development and Information Assurance.

• Computer Science
• Computer Engineering

If you're having trouble figuring out which courses to take and  when, don't despair. That's what your advisor is for. At some point during the semester, head over to room 204 in the Information Technology/ Engineering Building (ITE) and sign up for an advisor.

If you ever find yourself saying those two words, then head over to the Computer Science Help Center for some free tutoring. Located in ITE 201E, it's staffed by your fellow Computer Science students and is open Monday through Friday.

For other problems, head over to the CSEE department office, located in ITE 325. Our supportive staff is here to help Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You've got interests, right? Well at UMBC, there's a club for that. Whether you one day aspire to create the next video game sensation, are confident in your infallible chess game, or would like to help encourage more women to study a technology field, you can find a club that will speak to your interests. Joining a club is a great way to boost your resume, learn new things, and connect with faculty and students. Plus, it’s fun. Check out a list of all of UMBC’s student organizations.

UMBC's special because we offer undergraduates a chance–and, sometimes money–to work on their own research projects. Undergraduate Research Awards (URA) of up to $1,500 are available for promising research projects and Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) gives undergrads a chance to present their findings to an eager audience. Start thinking about research now. The first step is to attend lab meetings and find out what research opportunities are out there. Take a look at our department's research labs, and see what current students are researching.

Follow us on Facebook. Join our myUMBC group. That way you’ll be the first to know about departmental news. We’ll tell you about job and internship opportunities and events you won’t want to miss. Like they say, knowledge is power.

If you want some idea of what a well-rounded Computer Science or Computer Engineering major looks like, take a look at our students below. In their own words, they talk about internships they've had, clubs they are part of, and what they like most about UMBC. Click on the photo below to meet the students.

The 2012 Maryland Cyber Challenge (MDC3) will be held this fall with qualification rounds in September and the finals at the Cyber-Maryland Conference in the Baltimore Convention Center on 16-17 October. MDC3 is a statewide cyber competition and conference designed to interest more students and young professionals in pursuing careers in cybersecurity. The goal of the Maryland Cyber Challenge is to help strengthen Maryland’s position as a cybersecurity leader by bringing teams of current and prospective cybersecurity professionals together to develop the skills and techniques needed to protect vital information systems. Founders of the event include SAIC, UMBC, the National Cyber Security Alliance, the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, and the Tech Council of Maryland.

UMBC students who are interested in MDC3 or cybersecurity in general are encouraged to contact the UMBC Cyber Defense Team, aka the Cyberdawgs.

MDC3 team registration is now open for the 2012 challenge. Questions about the Cyber Challenge can be sent to Kelli-Ann Tucker (kelli-ann.tucker at saic.com).

Please visit the CSEE Required Technology page for more information.

Tired of playing Diablo III?

If you head to Gamescape next weekend, you'll have a chance to try your hand at over a dozen original video games dreamed up by local students and indie game developers. As part of Artscape–the country's largest free arts festival–the annual three-day video game celebration will take place in MICA's Bunting Center from July 20-22.

Among developers like Pure Bang Games (makers of Zombie Chess) and Crankshaft Games (Eternal Silence), representatives from UMBC's own Game Developers Club will be in attendance with three games of their own. The game concepts, explains club president Alex Grube (CS '13), were conceived during a 48-hour game jam last September, and the group has been hard at work developing the games since the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year. They are:

Black Fowl is a 3D hack and slash third person role playing adventure game. You play Max, a young orphan on a quest to discover his roots. Set in the Middle Ages, highlights of the game include the ability to use magical powers (like flying), and to engage in combat while riding a bull.

Cosmoknights is a 2D multiplayer that follows a capture-the-flag concept. Two combating astronauts are stranded in an asteroid field. Your mission is to collect spare parts for your out-of-commission spaceship and get home first. Oh, and try not to get hit by an asteroid.

X-Zip-It! boasts the tagline: "It's Skyrim with zippers, but without the Skyrim."  In this 2D mobile phone game, you must unzip the zipper while avoiding obstacles like buttons, Velcro, buckles, and necklaces.

UMBC's Game Development Club will discuss Black Fowl, Cosmoknights, and X-Zip-It on Sunday, July 22nd from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. To learn more about the event, check out the website.

The Second Baltimore Hackathon will be held this weekend, starting at 6:00pm Friday June 8 and ending at 6:00pm Sunday. At a hackathon people get together to build a hardware or software project from idea to prototype, in this case in one weekend. You can do it individually or as a team. You can come as part of a team or find one when you get there. It’s a great way to meet people and have fun.

The hackathon will take place at Advertising.com‘s offices in Tide Point (1020 Hull Street, 1st Floor Ivory Building, Baltimore, MD 21230).

You can register online (tickets are limited) for just $10, which includes a t-shirt and food for the weekend. Significant prizes will be awarded in six different categories: technical complexity, smart design, civic service, aesthetics, crowd favorite, and hacker/DIY.

See the Baltimore Hackathon site for more information.

Should an introductory Computer Science course fall within the cadre of General Education Requirements (GEP)—like Math, Science, and English—that are required of all undergrads?

According to a USA Today College article, the answer is yes.

In the article, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering professors Marie desJardins and Penny Rheingans talk about the importance of having, at least, a basic knowledge of how computers work, especially in a world that is quickly evolving in the hands of technology: 

“Inevitably, by the time today’s college students are middle-aged, technology will be unimaginably faster, more powerful and more integrated into our daily lives,” said desJardins, “and the people who understand how it works are the ones who will be helping society to take advantage of it and use it to improve people’s lives.”

For non-technical students who recoil at the thought of taking a computer course, Dr. Rheingans is an example of what can happen when you take a chance. Originally planning to major in the social sciences, says the article, a computer science course during Dr. Rheingans' first semester changed her entire career projection:

“I found computing to be both incredibly frustrating and incredibly addicting,” Rheingans said in an email. “I love the challenge of building something to solve a problem and the satisfaction of figuring out why my creation isn’t working and fixing it.”

Check out the entire article, “The Power of Computing,” to hear more of what professors desJardins and Rheingans have to say about the increasing importance of computer science comprehension. 

Blockly is new web-based, graphical programming language developed by Google. It's graphical in the style of Scratch in that you create a program not as a linguistic object, but by selecting and composing icons that represent control flow constructs, operations, functions, variables and values. It's Web based in that both the program development and program interpreter components are written in javascript run in your browser runs in your browser. There is also the capability of compiling your Blockly program into Javascript, Dart or Python. You can inspect or checkout the Blockly source code from the Blockly source repository or try the Maze demo. In that demo, you construct a Blockly program to solve a simple maze, moving the agent to the designated target.

This is work in progress and there's lots more to make it a good language for instruction or to adapt it for actual use in a special environment. But it is fun to play with and is a good way to engage young people with learning how to program computers. It could also be adapted to provide an interface to allow non-programmars to write simple procedures to control devices or define workflows. You can read more about it in an article on Wired

The UMBC student chapter of the ACM met last week to elect a new slate of officers for the 2012-13 academic year. Outgoing preseident Yasaman Haghpanah officiated the election meeting. Elected were Varish Mulwad as President, Lisa Mathews as Vice-President, Ravendar Bhojwani as Secretary and Prajit Kumar Das as Treasurer.

ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the the world’s largest educational and scientific computing society. It provides members with resources that advance computing both as a science and a profession. UMBC's chapter meetings are open to all undergraduate and graduate students of any major.

While you do not need to join ACM to be a part of the local chapter, the annual membership dues for students is only $19, heavily discounted from the non-student rate. See the ACM site for more information on student membership and its benefits.

The ACM UMBC student chapter will continue to organize the weekly hi-tea event in the upcoming year. It will also be working on inviting speakers (from industry and academia) to present on topics such as preparing for a career in the industry to pursuing graduate school. If you have any questions about the UMBC chapter or suggestrions for activities for the coming year, you can send them to the acmofficers at lists.umbc.edu.