Month: January 2021

Dr. Vijay Garg of University of Texas Austin, will present a lecture on February 19 3:00 p.m. The lecture is presented by the Department of Computer Science.

Join the lecture here.

Vijay Garg is a Cullen Trust Endowed Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Department of Computer Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin.

He is an IEEE Fellow and is the director of the Parallel and Distributed Systems laboratory at UT Austin. His research contributions are in the areas of distributed algorithms, global predicate detection, distributed debugging and simulation, fault-tolerance, lattice theory and supervisory control of discrete event systems. His research has been supported by NSF, IBM, Texas Advanced Research Program, TRW, SRC, and Compaq among others..

You are invited to spend one-zero-one-zero—that is, ten—minutes with Dr. Timothy Havens on Wednesday, January 20, from 5:30 to 5:40 p.m. EST.

Join 1010 with Tim Havens here.

Havens is the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Computing, Director of the Institute of Computing and Cybersystems, and the William and Gloria Jackson Associate Professor of Computer Systems at Michigan Tech.

In this informal discussion, Havens will talk about undergraduate research opportunities at Michigan Tech, his research in AI and machine learning, and answer your questions about the College of Computing.

We look forward to spending 1010 minutes with you!

Did you miss the December 16, 1010 with Nathir Rawashdeh? Watch the video below.

Play – 1010 with … Nathir Rawashdeh, December 16, 2020

The 1010 with … series continues on Wednesday January 27 … with more to come.

Michigan Tech’s BS in Software Engineering is in the top 10 nationwide according to College Rank. The website ranked the 35 Best Bachelor’s in Software Engineering.

Michigan Tech, which appears at number nine on the list, was one of only two Michigan colleges to make the ranking. The University of Michigan – Dearborn was ranked 15th.

“It’s great to see our program get this well-deserved recognition,” says Professor and Chair Linda Ott, Computer Science. “We consistently hear from industries that hire our graduates that our alumni are well-prepared and quickly become productive developers in their organizations.”

“Our students gain a solid theoretical framework, which provides the foundation for life-long career growth and success, as well as extensive practical, hands-on experience through class projects, internships and the Michigan Tech Enterprise program,” Ott explains.

College Rank uses a ranking methodology based on three aspects — Potential Salary After Graduation (40%), Individual Program Accreditation (30%) and Overall Affordability (30%).

“This program will help you to secure your position in a well-regarded profession,” says the College Rank website about Michigan Tech’s Software Engineering program. “You’ll be able to work with teams in your classes as well as labs and in the Senior Enterprise or Design programs. The Enterprise Program is a unique opportunity that brings together students of all majors to work on real projects with real clients in a business-like environment. You’ll receive guidance and coaching from faculty mentors throughout every step of your journey here.”

by Husky Innovate

Innovation Week is a celebration of innovation both on and off-campus. We will host talks with alumni entrepreneurs, showcase campus innovation and interactive events. Learn about innovative research, new ventures, solutions to COVID-19 and education prototypes.

Connect with alumni, students and faculty. Drop-in for one event or several.

MTU Health Research Institute: (Monday, Jan. 25, noon – 1 p.m.)

Health research at Michigan Tech has been steadily growing for over 10 years. This growth has led to many practical uses for the technology developed. Three researchers, Megan Frost (KIP), Bruce Lee (BioMed) and Weihua Zhou (CC) will discuss their experiences with start-ups and applying their research to relevant health problems. Register here

Private Equity Investment for Innovation (Tuesday, Jan. 26, noon-1:30 p.m.)

Entrepreneurs exploring financing options for their innovation, future private equity investors, and current equity investors will find this panel discussion with Michigan Tech private equity experts invaluable. Topics include: Private investors goals and strategies The types of opportunities that investors look for Business stages and when investing is appropriate Terms involved Exit strategies for entrepreneurs Current investment trends in private investing Panelists include: John Rockwell, Karl LaPeer, Tom Nye, and Jeff Helminski. Register Here.

Advanced Power Systems Lab (Wednesday, Jan. 27, noon-1 p.m.)

Husky Innovate talk with Jeremy Worm of Michigan Tech’s Advanced Power Systems lab and his team who will share the labs’ innovative approaches to research, education, and collaboration with industry. Michigan Tech’s Advanced Power Systems Research Center (APS LABS) is focused on clean power generation and nearly all aspects of mobility with an emphasis on ground vehicle systems. APS LABS is a full-service organization conducting fundamental research, applied research & advanced engineering, product development, and validation testing. APS LABS supports commercial partners ranging from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies and serves in a lead, or sub-role on many government contracts with commercial partners. Register here

IDEAhub Innovation Hour (Wednesday, Jan. 27, 3-4 p.m.)

IDEA hub leaders will share their innovative education pilot projects and approach to address the challenges of Education in the 21st Century. Register here

Innovation and Collaboration at the Library Activity (Thursday, Jan. 28, noon-1 p.m.)

Libraries are inherently interdisciplinary spaces that can serve as a jumping-off point for active collaboration and innovation. Join librarians Jenn Sams and Erin Matas for a speed collaboration activity designed to let you meet new people, see a problem through a different lens, and inspire innovation. Learn about ways the library supports and participates in innovative activities via a Patent & Trademark Resource Center, the 3D printers, and an innovative response to Covid-19. Register Here. 

Bob Mark Business Model Pitch Competition (Thursday, Jan. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.)

Pitch your idea and potentially win some cash. This year, we’ll accept two-minute idea pitches (evaluated on uniqueness and potential impact) and four-minute business model pitches (evaluated on scalability and actionable business models.) Register to compete by January 25, or join us in the audience to watch the event. Register Here.

Journey as an Entrepreneur with Hajj Flemings (Friday, Jan. 29, noon-1 p.m.)

Join us for a talk with entrepreneur and author Hajj E. Flemings, Michigan Tech Mechanical Engineering (‘96) alumus. He will share his journey as an innovator and entrepreneur. Hajj has long embraced the entrepreneurial mindset and chose Michigan Tech because he enjoyed solving problems. Flemings is founder of Rebrand Cities, a brand strategy consulting company that serves clients such as Cadillac, Pfitzer, Walt Disney and the Detroit Lions, to name a few.

Flemings authored “The Brand YU Life: Re-thinking who you are through personal brand management”. In 2011 he was featured on CNN’s documentary series, “Black in America: The New Promised Land – Silicon Valley.”

During the filming of the series, he came to a deeper understanding of the meaning of “digital divide” for communities of color and dedicated himself to creating solutions. His insight led him to become founder and CEO of Brand Camp University, an educational platform that creates technology accessibility and supports job readiness for clients in underserved communities. In parallel, he led a new global civic design initiative within Rebrand City which focuses on eradicating the digital divide by getting 10,000 small businesses online. Register here.Chemistry Olympiad 2021

by Chemistry & ACS UP Local Section

UP High School Science Teachers and Parents/Guardians: We would like to invite your students and children to compete at the 2021 Chemistry Olympiad. This is all ONLINE this year.

Chemistry Olympiad 2021 will be an online chemistry competition open to all high school students from any U.P school or home school.

Participation is FREE! Sign up on the Google form by Monday, Jan. 25.

Date: March 27 (Saturday) 3 – 4:45 p.m. (EST)

All Participants:

• Receive participation gift
• Participation certificates upon request
• Put into drawing for prizes

Top scorers:

• Receive medal and prize
• Opportunity to participate in US National Chemistry Olympiad (also online)

More information and event updates can be found here. The UP Chemistry Olympiad, is hosted by the American Chemical Society and Michigan Technological University. Please contact the coordinator, Momoko Tajiri with any questions!

The Institute of Computing and Cybersystems will present a Distinguished Lecture by James C. Bezdek on Friday, January 29, 2021, at 3:00 p.m. via online meeting. Dr. Bezdek will present his lecture, “Streaming Data Analysis: Old Clothes Don’t Fit.”

Join the Zoom virtual meeting here: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/81987436773

Bezdek’s interests include clustering in big data, woodworking, optimization, data visualization, cigars, fishing, anomaly detection, blues music, poker. He retired in 2007, and will be coming to a university near you soon.

Bezdek received a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Cornell University in 1973. He is past president of NAFIPS (North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society), IFSA (International Fuzzy Systems Association), and the IEEE CIS (Computational Intelligence Society). He is founding editor the international journals Approximate Reasoning and IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems. He is life fellow of the IEEE and IFSA; and a recipient of the IEEE 3rd Millennium award, the IEEE CIS Fuzzy Systems Pioneer award, and the IEEE Rosenblatt and Kampe de Feriet award.

Lecture Title

Streaming Data Analysis: Old Clothes Don’t Fit

Lecture Abstract

This talk concerns models and algorithms that are generally described as “streaming clustering.” Some of the semantics and methods that are used in this field are co-opted from static clustering. But often, they don’t serve their purposes for streaming data very well. A review of “state of the art” methods such as sequential k-means, Birch, CluStream, DenStream, etc. shows that methods borrowed from classical batch techniques don’t transfer well to the streaming data case. Most of these models fail to acknowledge that the data are seen but once in real streaming analysis (e.g., intrusion detection, quality control). When the data are not saved, batch clustering ideas such as pre-clustering assessment, partitioning, and cluster validity are not relevant. I do not argue that current approaches to streaming clustering are wrong: but they are described wrong. This class of algorithms comprises transitional methods for an intermediate case that lies between static and (near real time) dynamic analysis which will eventually lead to a new and useful paradigm for this type of computation. I call these methods start and stop streaming data analysis.

Five models are briefly reviewed and illustrated (albeit poorly, with small labeled data sets!). Then I will discuss four new incremental Stream Monitoring Functions and a new approach for visual assessment of streaming data. The conclusions? Useful analysis of real streaming data is in its infancy. We need to carefully define the objectives of streaming analysis, and then choose terminology and methods that suit this evolving paradigm.

Bedek says his views on this topic are a bit controversial. You can read them here:

Bezdek, J. C. and Keller, J. M. (2021). Streaming data analysis: Clustering or Classification?, IEEE Trans. SMC, DOI: 10.1109/TSMC.2020.3035957