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AI for more caring institutions – Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

May 20, 2024 | Author: admin

More and more public services such as affordable housing, public school matching and child welfare are relying on algorithms to make decisions and allocate resources. So far, much of the work that has gone into designing these systems has focused on workers experiences using them or communities perceptions of them.

But what about the actual impact of these programs have on people, especially when the decisions the systems make lead to denial of services? Can you design algorithms to help people make sense of and contest decisions that significantly impact them?

Naveena Karusala, a postdoctoral fellow at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), with Krzysztof Gajos, the Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at SEAS and a team of researchers, are re-thinking how to design algorithms for public services.

Instead of only centering the worker or institution that is using the tool to make a decision, can we center the person who is affected by that decision in order to work towards more caring institutions and processes, asked Karusala.

In a paper being presented this week at the Association of Computing Machinerys conference on Human Factors in Computing System, Karusala and her colleagues offer recommendations to improve the design of algorithmic decision-making tools to make it easier for people impacted by those decisions to navigate all the steps in the process, especially when they are denied.

The researchers aimed to learn from areas where algorithms currently arent being used but could be deployed in the future. They looked specifically at public services for land ownership in rural South India and affordable housing in the urban Northeast United States and contestation processes after applicants are denied services.

Governments in the U.S. and India as well as around the world recognize the right to contest a denial of public services, and increasingly so when denied by an algorithm. But contestation processes can be complex, time consuming and difficult to navigate, especially for people in marginalized communities.

Intermediaries like social workers, lawyers and NGOs play an important role in helping people navigate these processes and understand their rights and options. In public health, this concept is known as accompaniment, where community-based aid workers assist people in under-resourced communities to navigate complex healthcare systems together.

One of the takeaways of our research is the clear importance of intermediaries and embedding the idea of accompaniment into the algorithm design, said Karusala. Not only should these intermediaries be involved in the design process, but they should also be made aware of how the decision-making process works because theyre the ones that bridge communities and public services.

The researchers suggest that algorithmic decision-making systems should be designed to proactively connect applicants to those intermediaries.

Today, many AI researchers are focused on improving an algorithms ability to explain its decision but that isnt useful enough to the people who have been denied service, said Karusala.

Our findings point to the fact that rather than focusing only on explanations, there should be a focus on other aspects of algorithm design that can prevent denials in the first place, said Karusala.

For example, if a background check turns up information that puts a person on the boundary between approval and disapproval for housing, algorithms need to be able to ask for additional information to either make a decision or ask a human reviewer to step in.

These are some concrete ways that the burden often placed on marginalized communities could be shared with not only intermediaries, but also public service administrators and algorithmic tools, said Karusala.

This research is particularly significant because it challenges an assumption held deeply in the computing community that the most effective way to provide people with grievance redressal mechanisms is for algorithms to provide explanations of their decisions, said Gajos. Instead, this research suggests that algorithms could be used throughout the process: from identifying individuals who may not apply on their own and may need to be encouraged to do so, to helping applicants prepare and contextualize information to make applications relevant and informative, to navigating contestation strategies.

The research was co-authored by Sohini Upadhyay, Rajesh Veeraraghavan and Gajos.

AI for more caring institutions - Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

76% of weighted Career and Technical Education course enrollment is male. Here’s why. – Central Times

May 20, 2024 | Author: admin

For seniors like Luoxu Chen, being surrounded by men has become the norm in advanced courses like AP Computer Science A and Multivariable Calculus. These classes prepare students for industries that are dominated by men. But even at the high school level, classes are also majority male with low female enrollment.

Women take weighted Career and Technology Education (CTE) courses at a disproportionately lower rate compared to men, according to 2021-22 data from District 203.

District 203 defines a students gender as anyone who identifies as female, male or neither. The CTE departments weighted courses are 23.37% female and 76.63% male, numbers substantially disproportionate to the schools 52.5-47.3-0.2% split along those same gender groups.

Classrooms with different groups and types of students have different perspectives, which benefits their curricular and social-emotional learning, according to CTE teacher Derek Miller, who completed his doctorate dissertation on gender disparities in computer science.

If you dont have a diverse group, youre going to miss things in your software, Miller said. This wasnt software, but in terms of gender inequity, very early on when airbags were first developed, they ended up killing women and children. The reason that happened is because all of the [male] engineers who were working on airbags, made crash test dummies model after themselves, so they didnt think to test it out on people who might be built more like women or children.

Currently, most weighted classes in CTE are male-dominated.

I think perhaps the minority gender might feel like theyre singled out in a way because theyre unique in that classroom, CTE department chair Lynn Andrees said. I could see where there could be some social-emotional questions that they might have, like, Why am I the only male and in a typically female classroom or Why am I the only female in a male-dominated classroom?

Senior Athena Chen has taken a multitude of weighted CTE courses in her time at Central. The differences by gender usually ranged from somewhat noticeable to super apparent.

In the beginning, it definitely made me uncomfortable going into my accounting class and seeing it was only guys, Chen said. I just felt like I was surrounded by finance bros. But I feel like its just like that in the workforce, and its kind of something you just have to get used to. If anything, its more of a motivation to keep going.

The issue of female enrollment has not gone unnoticed by the CTE department. What makes this problem difficult to solve is the same industries they are preparing students for are also often perpetuating gender norms, according to Andrees.

However, this does not mean the CTE department hasnt made strides to help remedy the issue.

"We are aware of [the enrollment disparities], especially as we look at the student population sitting in front of us. And I think it extends beyond gender as well. I think it crosses all lines of equality in a way. It's hard to change because typically the industry that we're preparing people for that's what [the courses] align with" - CTE department chair Lynn Andrees

We did a lot of equity training, Andrees said. I think it was having teachers, first of all, look at their own implicit bias and trying to learn about that, then understanding where students are and [understanding] their feelings socially [and] emotionally so that we could work with students in our classrooms better and in the whole school.

Through his dissertation, Miller discovered different ways to help combat the female enrollment problem. One way to do this is through changing the curriculum.

Part of it is showing the connection of computer science to the real world, not just focusing on puzzles and math type of stuff, Miller said. Showing that computer science can apply to just about any other field.

The CTE department tries to implement this real-world connection learning as much as possible in their courses, but it is usually seen mostly once students get to later courses like software engineering where students are involved in big projects that apply to the world.

While Central still has room to improve, it is also better than many surrounding communities.

I think we have a lot of parents, like mothers, in the district who are in computer science, Miller said. So I think that is part of the reason why we dont have as big a disparity as some other schools might.

Chen said that the difference between the number of males and females in her AP Computer Science class wasnt too drastic, but still impacted her.

I noticed it when you have to pick partners because normally, its easier for the two [of the same] genders to pair up, Chen said. I dont know why, but [it just is]. And so then its difficult when youre trying to pick a partner because theres so many boys.

Unlike weighted CTE courses, the science department has one of the most gender-balanced departments when it comes to their weighted courses. The science department has 49.42% female and 50.58% male enrollment.

Science department chair Dan Olandese said the science and CTE departments are like apples and oranges, and they are not comparable in this way.

Some other departments have offered a lot more specialized [courses where] the number of electives is greater, Olandese said. The variety of classes that CTE offers is far greater than [science] and probably always will be. Because you offer such a great variety, you have lower individual enrollment in classes because you have so much more to pick from as opposed to science for like freshman and sophomore year.

The gender disparities that exist in weighted courses extend beyond the classes and into extracurriculars.

I think it doesnt even have to be curricularly because I used to be part of Wall Street society, which was like an investing club, and I think it might have died because I quit last year, but it was literally all guys, and I was the only, Chen said. But doing more extracurricular stuff, where like sponsoring like girls who invest or like girls in finance clubs, just like [Girls in Engineering, Math and Science] for CTE.

Jake Pfeiffer and Nolan Shen contributed to this story

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76% of weighted Career and Technical Education course enrollment is male. Here's why. - Central Times

Jordan Peterson Releases Doc On Newfoundland Alongside Beloved Canadian Broadcaster – The Daily Wire

May 20, 2024 | Author: admin

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson released a documentary on DailyWire+ on Sunday featuring beloved Canadian journalist Rex Murphy highlighting the history and culture of Newfoundland and the people who call it home.

The DailyWire+ documentary, called Requiem for Rex Murphy: A Tribute to Newfoundland, features Peterson and Murphy diving deep into the culture of Newfoundland as they travel around the Canadian province for a week. The documentary was released for free on Sunday as a tribute to Murphy, who died earlier this month after a battle with cancer.

Newfoundland is a persona, Murphy, who was born in Newfoundland, says in the documentary. It is a presence. There is no place that has so magnetic a hold on the people who have grown up here. The fealty that Newfoundlanders have for their place, it mimics the emotional bond of family.

Murphy became known to many Canadians through his writing for the National Post and work on Canadas Cross Country Checkup, which he hosted for 21 years.

Peterson and Murphy began their tour by climbing up Signal Hill for a view of Newfoundlands St. Johns Harbor. Murphy explained that Signal Hill was important because it was the point where wireless communication was first made between North America and Europe.

WATCH REQUIEM FOR REX MURPHY: A TRIBUTE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

After visiting Signal Hill, Peterson and Murphy toured a variety of locations including small fishing towns and historic sites to speak with local tour guides and fishermen. They also visited the town of Bonavista, where European explorer John Cabot is said to have landed in the 15th century.

The two also visited the city of Gander, where many Americans were stranded after the air traffic stop that followed the terrorist attacks on September 11.

For me, going to Newfoundland, where theres an overwhelming experience of beauty to see the past alive and preserved and so beautifully done, Peterson says. And Ive been thinking about that. You know that as there are more and more people on the planet and as the weight of the present and the future grows ever greater, the past becomes increasingly valuable, increasingly invaluable.

In a tribute article celebrating the life of Murphy for the National Post, Peterson described his experience filming the documentary. Peterson wrote that the weather was perfect for the visit with lots of sunshine, which was unusual for an area known for its cold and stormy weather.

We could not believe our luck: a guided tour of the ports and towns of Newfoundland, that hidden gem, with none other than the man whom anyone with any sense would most devoutly hope for as a guide! Perhaps everyone will enjoy the trip as much as we did when it is released, Peterson wrote.

WATCH REQUIEM FOR REX MURPHY: A TRIBUTE TO NEWFOUNDLAND

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Jordan Peterson Releases Doc On Newfoundland Alongside Beloved Canadian Broadcaster - The Daily Wire

In ‘Morning After The Revolution,’ Nellie Bowles Can’t Pick A Side – The Federalist

May 20, 2024 | Author: admin

In 2018, Nellie Bowles wrote a scathing profile of Jordan Peterson for The New York Times, portraying him as a grifter and the patron saint of incels. In 2021, Bowles obliquely apologized. Not mentioning Peterson by name, she lamented all the past collateral damage from her addiction to going viral.

At the Times, she would write stories that she called kills, and her metric of success was how loud the Twitter mob roared in response. This approach made her famous. She also felt it was making her a sociopath. So she left the Times and resolved to be more careful with her words.

Her new essay collection, Morning After the Revolution, is certainly light on kills, but, unfortunately, its light on conviction as well. Reviewing some of the insanity of the past few years BLM, CHAZ and abolish the police, trans activism Bowles seldom offers insight, instead rehashing widely covered events with some wisecracks and colorful reporting thrown in. Whereas her takedown of Peterson was mean-spirited but unambiguous she was a foot soldier of the progressive left her new persona is a hemming-and-hawing moderate willing to poke fun at anyone.

In the format of her satirical weekly news roundups, this positioning works well. But that same tone doesnt translate well to a book-length review of the hottest issues of the past five years. By eschewing principled stances in favor of sarcasm, Bowles adds little to the conversation besides entertainment.

When Johns Hopkins defines a lesbian as a non-man attracted to non-men, she can wisecrack, Yep, thats me, but she does not follow that with a defense of her position on gender and sexuality. Her analysis falls prey to cynicism and the fallacy of moderation.

Aristotle posited in the Nicomachean Ethics that a virtue is the golden mean between two vices. Between cowardice and recklessness lies courage. Between shyness and shamelessness lies modesty. This is a compelling ethical theory, but applying this principle in all situations believing that truth is always found at the midpoint is fallacious.

For instance, if I say the sky is red and you say its yellow, that doesnt mean its orange. By the same token, if one side is pro-LGBTQIA+ and the other side supports traditional marriage, that doesnt make pro-LGB correct. On fundamental questions like, Are all white people racist? or Are trans women and biological women the same? humans need and deserve principled, thorough responses, not merely a splitting the difference between the rhetoric of the extreme left and right. Otherwise, your position depends on the whims of radicals.

Nevertheless, Bowles, a married lesbian, is mealymouthed when examining whether the trans movement is a logical extension of the gay rights movement or a hijacking of it. In a brief aside, she admits that she had a tomboy phase and may well have undergone hormone therapy were she a child today.

She worries that trans activists claiming that biological males would have no advantage in sports an obvious falsehood will undermine something that seemed already settled: that gay marriage should be legal. She joked: I was feeling, honestly, a little crazed about it all these doctors are neutering little gay kids was my tone at dinner parties. Everyone is erasing women was something I would try to bring up in really inappropriate settings.

Then her Reform Jewish synagogue announced that the next Tot Shabbat the childrens service would be a drag queen story hour. Bowles initially panicked, but when the day came, the drag queen ended up giving a very, very deeply Jewish Tot Shabbat. Bowles concludes, Our daughter loved it and so did I, because after all, she remembers being at drag bars as a teenager and how amazingly fun it was. On the biggest lightning-rod issue of our day, Bowles conclusion is a shoulder shrug.

When Bowles book was first announced, the press release called it Struggle Sessions, evoking the repressive Soviet regime (and implying parallels with Bowles former employer, The New York Times). But Bowles turns out to be no bomb-thrower, so perhaps it makes sense that the title ended up being Morning After the Revolution, implying that the BLM riots, CHAZ, and TERF/trans showdowns have more in common with a one-night stand or binge drinking than a police state. The morning after can be a little embarrassing upon reflection, but its hardly cause for shock and alarm.

This same lax attitude holds for Bowles opinion of her own contributions to cancel culture. Here again, as an NYT darling-turned-outcast, one might expect some gory detail or hard-earned wisdom. Instead, the chapter The Joy of Canceling opens by describing the pleasure of canceling someone:

To do a cancellation is a very warm, social thing. It has the energy of a potluck. Everyone brings what they can, and everyone is impressed by the creativity of their friends.

Then, instead of meditating on the perverse incentives of cancel culture and what she learned, she merely says she lost her taste for blood once she fell in love. Bowles would end up marrying Bari Weiss, who was an editor for The New York Times until she wrote a viral resignation letter accusing the Times of illiberalism, antisemitism, and a culture that viciously punished Wrongthink. Bowles left quietly a few months later.

Bowles admits that she was never canceled the way Bari was. One wonders whether its because she was too canny to be canceled or merely too milquetoast to be problematic. As the saying goes, its good to have enemies: it means youve stood up for something, at some time in your life. Bowles seems to have few.

Morning After the Revolution is plagued by all the books it could have been.

There could have been Nellie Bowles, bona fide counter-elite: a product of San Francisco private schools, Columbia University, and The New York Times, now a columnist at The Free Press and critic of the culture she came from. Or Nellie Bowles, award-winning reporter, here to give the definitive retrospective on the insanity of 2020 bolstered with on-the-ground observations. Or Nellie Bowles, Hillary Clinton-supporting lesbian who finds herself now feted by the right-wingers in her comments section, trying to make sense of our new coalitions.

Bowles does none of this. Instead, we have a book of outdated reporting we already know BLM was a front, DiAngelo is a race hustler, and San Francisco is a hellhole with wishy-washy analysis, punctuated with some blessed respites of humor. Bowles refusal to make normative judgements makes her arguments tantalizing but ultimately unsatisfying because she never stakes out a position, never steps into the arena.

Funnily enough, Jordan Peterson talks about just this challenge. In his view, maturity requires progressing from naivete to cynicism to courage. Cynicism is better than naivete at least youre not being fooled but courage is better still: to stand for something, to aim higher rather than merely tear down.

Morning After the Revolution feels like a work in progress, a disillusioned progressive using irony as cover until she gets her bearings again. Bowles is smart, witty, and talented. A little more courage and conviction (dare I say, a little more Peterson?) would stand her in good stead.

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In 'Morning After The Revolution,' Nellie Bowles Can't Pick A Side - The Federalist

University of Utah breaks ground on $194M computing and engineering building – KSL.com

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

SALT LAKE CITY Utah higher education and business leaders looked to the future as the University of Utah broke ground on the $194 million John and Marcia Price Computing and Engineering Building on Thursday.

But a quick blast from the past set the stage.

Former Utah Gov. Michael Leavitt said just after the turn of the century, Utah had aspirations to become a technology capital. So, Leavitt was spending a lot of time in Silicon Valley, talking to people like John Warnock, co-founder of Adobe.

"I went to see John, and I told him we aspire to be a technology capital," Leavitt said. "He stared at his shoes for a minute and then looked up at me with just a hint of irritation and said, 'Look, if you want to be a technology capital, you've got to invest in engineering. I cannot bring Adobe to Utah without engineers.'"

Since that time, Utah has invested in engineering (and Adobe has come to Utah), with the latest investment coming by way of the future state-of-the-art, 252,000-square-foot university building at 75 Central Campus Drive.

The demand for more space is high, too.

Over the past two decades, engineering students account for almost a quarter of the U.'s incoming freshman class, and the number of engineering and computer science graduates has tripled.

The Utah Legislature provided $118 million toward the total of $194 million to construct the building.

"They see this as an investment, and I'm sure it's going to pay back many times," said Richard Brown, dean of the U.'s College of Engineering.

Brown said that he expects the building to be finished and filled with students and faculty by January 2027.

The building itself will include an entire floor devoted to undergraduates; it will house computer labs, a makers' space, project rooms, collaboration spaces, an event space, a 400-seat auditorium, a plethora of modern research facilities and labs focusing on things like artificial intelligence, robotics, human-centered computing, wireless networking and more.

Notably, the building will house secure research spaces, allowing faculty and students to conduct classified research, something Brown said will "significantly increase" the amount of research that can be done at the college of engineering.

"It will allow some students working on those projects to get those clearances before they graduate so they can go to work immediately for a company like L3 Harris or Northrop Grumman or Lockheed or Boeing, working on classified projects," Brown said.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox pointed to the building as a big economic boost, referencing data from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute which shows that in 2020, Utah's engineering and computer science workforce generated 238,400 full and part-time jobs, $19.1 billion in earnings and $25.2 billion in gross domestic product good for 12-15% of Utah's $200 billion economy at the time.

"The taxpayers of Utah are one of the biggest donors to these buildings. We're using that taxpayer generosity because we know that this is an investment that will pay back. It will create jobs for those taxpayers, for the children and grandchildren of those taxpayers, and make it better for all of us," Cox said.

For John and Marcia Price the philanthropy and business leaders whose names are tied to the college of engineering the building is more than just one displaying their name.

It's an investment in the future and positioning for Utah to become a leader in computing and engineering at both a national and global scale.

"We're not just laying foundations, we're laying the groundwork for the future. It is our hope that this building will serve as a beacon of inspiration, innovation (and) collaboration, fostering the next generation of innovators and global leaders," John Price said.

University of Utah breaks ground on $194M computing and engineering building - KSL.com

Scientists move closer to connecting cities with quantum internet – Interesting Engineering

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

Quantum computing may still be in its early days, but scientists around the world have already started building the quantum internet. Studies conducted independently by researchers at institutes in three different countries have shown that sending quantum bits over a fiber optic cable over long distances is possible.

Even as the biggest names in the tech industry race to build fault-tolerant quantum computers, the transition from binary to quantum can only be completed with a reliable internet connection to transmit the data.

Unlike binary bits transported as light signals inside a fiber optic cable that can be read, amplified, and transmitted over long distances, quantum bits (qubits) are fragile, and even attempting to read them changes their state.

Since light signals cannot be amplified, they cannot travel long distances, making them unsuitable for long-distance transmission.

Yet, for the quantum internet to scale up rapidly, it must use the existing network of fiber optic cables.

Researchers in the Netherlands, China, and the US separately demonstrated how qubits could be stored in quantum memory and transmitted over the fiber optic network.

Ronald Hanson and his team at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands encoded qubits in the electrons of nitrogen atoms and nuclear states of carbon atoms of the small diamond crystals that housed them.

An optical fiber cable traveled 25 miles from the university to another laboratory in Hague to establish a link with similarly embedded nitrogen atoms in diamond crystals.

At the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), qubits were encoded into clouds of rubidium atoms. The quantum states were set using a photon, and the research team led by Pan Jian-Wei demonstrated entanglement in three separate labs located at least six miles away.

Back in the US, Mikhail Lukin, at Harvard University, used diamond-based devices with silicon atoms in them and used quantum states of both the electrons and nucleus, much like Hansons lab.

The devices were used to demonstrate entanglement at two quantum memory nodes separated by an optical fiber link deployed over a looped distance of over 22 miles (35 km), setting a record for storage, processing, and movement of quantum information.

While the Chinese and Dutch teams approach required photons to arrive at a server with precise timing, the one used by the US scientists is relatively easier to execute.

The two quantum nodes need to be maintained at super-frigid temperatures, but instead of getting the qubits to emit photons for entanglement, the researchers sent one photon that entangled with silicon at the first node, then traveled through the fiber optic cable to graze the silicon atom at the second node and achieved entanglement with the first.

Since the light is already entangled with the first node, it can transfer this entanglement to the second node, explained Can Knaut, a student in Lukins lab, in a statement. We call this photon-mediated entanglement.

Pan Jian-Wei at USTC told Nature that at this pace of advancement, his lab would be able to achieve entanglement over 600 miles (1,000 km) by the end of the decade.

Such a system would help transfer sensitive information using cryptographic keys, connect separate quantum computers to build a powerful one or unify an extensive network of optical telescopes located hundreds of miles into one large dish.

The research findings from Pan and Lukin lab were published in the journal Nature and can be accessed below

Lukin Lab Paper

Pan Lab Paper.

NEWSLETTER

Stay up-to-date on engineering, tech, space, and science news with The Blueprint.

Ameya Paleja Ameya is a science writer based in Hyderabad, India. A Molecular Biologist at heart, he traded the micropipette to write about science during the pandemic and does not want to go back. He likes to write about genetics, microbes, technology, and public policy.

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Scientists move closer to connecting cities with quantum internet - Interesting Engineering

The Impact of the ARDC Foundation’s Scholarships for Women in Engineering – All Together – Society of Women Engineers

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

For the third year in a row, the Amateur Radio and Digital Communications (ARDC) Foundation has generously funded SWE initiatives such as global scholarships, Collegiate Leadership Institute, SWENext High School Leadership Academy, and women of color pathways research. Scholarship support makes up the majority of ARDCs contribution. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the ARDC Foundation supported 30 new and renewed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students valued at $220,000.

The impact of receiving a SWE scholarship is tremendous. A recent survey conducted by the SWE Research Division indicated that collegiate women who received a SWE scholarship were more likely to persist in engineering and technology programs. Lets hear from a few ARDC recipients who share how receiving this scholarship impacted their college career and success.

Throughout my Ph.D., I have been working to develop a better understanding of the biomechanical and neural processes underlying our sense of touch, with implications for neuroscience, haptics, prosthetics, and robotics. The ARDC Foundation scholarship has been critical in supporting my research. Over the past year, it enabled me to present my work at four conferences, two of which were international. These opportunities not only facilitated valuable networking and career opportunities, but also garnered recognition for my research, including a Best Talk Award and a Best Paper Award. Overall, the ARDC Foundation scholarship has been pivotal in my Ph.D. journey, allowing me to focus on my research, explore career paths, and progress toward graduation this spring.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to SWE for their remarkable generosity. We have come to a point in society where the expenses associated with higher education have soared, imposing a significant concern on students and families, such as myself; the support extended by SWE is truly invaluable. Beyond the academic challenges that students encounter, the increasing costs and resultant debt associated with pursuing higher education set so many people back. I am humbled by the fact that I am able to achieve my goals of becoming an electrical engineer despite this concern. As this is the case, I am deeply appreciative of being awarded SWEs $5,000 scholarship, as it has substantially alleviated the financial strain during my first year at Georgia Tech. This assistance has enabled me to devote my energies to acclimating to the new academic and social experiences.

Embarking on my final year of graduate studies in electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, I decided to explore the realm of research. Under the mentorship of Professor Brandon Lucia and Professor Nathan Beckmann, I immersed myself in exploring dataflow architecture and CGRA (coarse-grained reconfigurable architecture). The intellectual challenges I encountered led to the desire to deepen my understanding of dataflow architecture and innovate solutions to enhance current CGRA implementations.

While weighing various job offers, I realized that the freedom and opportunity for exploration inherent in research were unparalleled. My dream is to be at the forefront of engineering design, contributing to pivotal decision-making processes. Pursuing a Ph.D. seemed natural to achieving my aspiration of becoming a computer architect.

I am profoundly grateful for the support from the ARDC Foundation. This financial support, coupled with the academic freedom the scholarship provides, has rendered my decision to pursue a Ph.D. far less daunting. Now, I find myself exulting in all the opportunities to deepen my understanding in the field of computer architecture and coming closer to becoming a computer architect.

I want to thank SWE for providing me with the ARDC Scholarship for 2023. This scholarship aided me greatly with my financial situation, and I was able to focus on my studies in college instead of having to stress about working a job and balancing classes. Going into the engineering program at Oregon State University, Ive seen an acute lack of women in my engineering classes, which can be discouraging at times when I try to think of a future in engineering. This is why I am grateful to SWE for supporting me in my journey of becoming an electrical engineer and for believing I can go on to achieve great accomplishments in industry. With SWEs support, I have been able to continue achieving my dreams, as well as being able to better contribute to creating a more diverse and welcoming space in engineering.

Receiving the ARDC scholarship as a freshman dual majoring in electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Houston has been a tremendous blessing. Not only has it alleviated my financial concerns, but it has also ignited my passion for circuit design and embedded systems. Additionally, it has connected me with SWE at the university, providing a supportive community that has been instrumental to my academic journey. Through this scholarship, I have been able to participate in valuable research labs and mentorship programs on campus, for which I am deeply grateful. Thank you for granting me this opportunity, ARDC Foundation!

The SWE ARDC Foundation scholarship has truly been a lifeline throughout my masters program in electrical engineering. Their financial assistance significantly eased the burden of tuition fees, allowing me to focus on my studies with greater dedication. As I approach the end of my academic journey, with graduation in May 2024, I am profoundly thankful for their support. Their generosity has not only helped me financially, but has also reinforced my commitment to excelling in my field. I express my sincere gratitude to the SWE ARDC Foundation for their instrumental role in my academic success.

Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing allocations of the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed amateur radio operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow amateur radios practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both amateur radio and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it.

Learn more about ARDC at ardc.net.

SWE Blog provides up-to-date information and news about the Society and how our members are making a difference every day. Youll find stories about SWE members, engineering, technology, and other STEM-related topics.

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The Impact of the ARDC Foundation's Scholarships for Women in Engineering - All Together - Society of Women Engineers

More than $9 Million Awarded to High School Scientists and Engineers at the Regeneron International Science and … – PR Newswire

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

Grace Sun, 16, receives $75,000 Top Award for a new kind of organic electrochemical transistor at the world's largest pre-college science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competition.

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and WASHINGTON, May 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Society for Science (the Society) announced that Grace Sun, 16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won the $75,000 top award, the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award, named in honor of the pioneering drug researcher and Regeneron co-Founder, Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer, in the 2024 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), the world's largest pre-college science and engineering competition. Other top prizes went to projects in second-order cone programming, microplastics filtration and multi-sensory therapy for dementia.

The top winners were honored during two award ceremonies: the Special Awards on May 16 and the Grand Awards Ceremony on the morning of May 17. In total, over $9 million USD was awarded to the finalists based on their projects' creativity, innovation and depth of scientific inquiry. The competition featured nearly 2,000 young scientists representing 49 U.S. states and nearly 70 countries, regions and territories across the world.

Grace Sun, 16, of Lexington, Kentucky, won first place and received the $75,000 George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award for her research on building a better organic electrochemical transistor that she hopes will be used to develop new electronic devices that could help detect and treat serious illnesses like diabetes, epilepsy and organ failure. To overcome the problems that have previously prevented such devices from working effectively inside the body, Grace developed a new way of chemically treating their organic components, which greatly improved their laboratory performance.

Michelle Wei, 17, of San Jose, California, received one of two Regeneron Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for her research to improve the speed and efficiency of a type of software that is useful in many fields such as machine learning, transportation and financial systems. Michelle's new approach involved determining a quick approximate solution to the second-order cone programming problem, then splitting the initial cone into smaller cones, which enabled her new algorithm to greatly outperform previous approaches.

Krish Pai, 17, of Del Mar, California, received the second Regeneron Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for his machine-learning research to identify microbial genetic sequences that can be modified to biodegrade plastic. His new software, called Microby, scans databases of microorganisms and determines which ones can be changed genetically to biodegrade plastics. In tests, he identified two microorganisms that can be genetically modified to degrade plastic at a cost he believes would be ten times less than traditional recycling.

"Congratulations to the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair 2024 winners," said Maya Ajmera, President and CEO, Society for Science and Executive Publisher, Science News. "I'm truly inspired by the ingenuity and determination shown by these remarkable students. Coming from around the world with diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines, these students have shown that it is possible to come together in unity to tackle some of the toughest challenges facing our world today, and I could not be prouder."

Regeneron ISEF provides a global stage for the world's best and brightest young scientists and engineers. Through this competition, Regeneron and the Society are fostering the next generation of STEM leaders who are pioneering solutions to improve our world. Since 2020, Regeneron has provided STEM experiences to approximately 2.4 million students, on track to meet its goal of 2.5 million by 2025.

"The talent, intelligence and potential of this year's Regeneron ISEF finalists is truly inspiring, and I congratulate each on their remarkable achievements," said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., co-Founder, Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron. "Science competitions like ISEF were pivotal in shaping my own career and fueling my passion to fight back against disease. I look forward to seeing these students continue to push the boundaries of science and technology to create positive and sustainable change for all humanity."

Other top honors from the competition include:

Justin Huang and Victoria Ou, both 17, of Woodlands, Texas, received the Gordon E. Moore Award for Positive Outcomes for Future Generations of $50,000 for their new prototype filtration system that uses ultrasonic waves to remove microscopic plastic particles from water. In lab tests, the acoustic force from the high-frequency sound waves removed between 84% and 94% of the suspended microplastic particles in a single pass. The students are now working to scale up and fine-tune their experimental system.

Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, 17, of Hong Kong, China received the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation of $10,000 for her research on using a multi-sensory therapy for dementia patients. Her mixed therapy app would allow patients to practice physical and cognitive skills through a personalized, immersive environment using virtual reality headsets. Ingrid conducted an eight-week study with six people living with dementia and found that the cognitive function of patients who used her prototype improved in several areas. She believes her app could serve as a viable option for dementia patients with limited access to in-person professional therapy.

Tanishka Balaji Aglave, 15, of Valrico, Florida, received the H. Robert Horvitz Prize for Fundamental Research of $10,000 for her investigation into a natural alternative treatment against citrus greening, a disease that threatens citrus farming in many parts of the world and is currently only treated with antibiotics. Tanishka injected the trunks of infected trees with an extract from the curry leaf tree, and found through tests that this potential method could effectively and sustainably manage citrus greening disease.

Maddux Alexander Springer, 18, of Honolulu, Hawaii, received the Peggy Scripps Award for Science Communication of $10,000 for his research into fibropapillomatosis (FP), a disease that is the primary cause of death in green sea turtles. Some turtles he studied in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, were stricken with a disease that causes internal and external tumors that inhibit their everyday lives. After analyzing the turtles' diet of green algae, Maddux concluded that this disease, wastewater, invasive algae and the amino acid arginine all pose a grave risk to these endangered sea creatures.

Ria Kamat, 17, of Hackensack, New Jersey; Anna Oliva, 17, of Houston, TX; and Shuhan Luo, 18, of Worcester, MA, received the Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS Award, which provides finalists an all-expense paid trip to attend the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar during Nobel Week in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jack Shannon, 18, of Clane, Kildare, Ireland, and Nikhil Vemuri, 17, of Cary, North Carolina, received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award. Their projects will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this September in Katowice, Poland.

For more information about the top winners and access to visual assets visit: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.

The full list of Special Award ISEF 2024 Finalists can be found at https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-special-awards-winners.

In addition to the Top Award winners, more than 450 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including "First Award" winners, who each received a $5,000 prize.

The following lists the First Award winners for each of the 22 categories, from which the Top Awards were chosen:

Animal Sciences, sponsored by Society for ScienceMaddux Alexander Springer, Honolulu, Hawaii

Behavioral and Social Sciences, sponsored by Society for ScienceAndrew Y. Liang, San Jose, California

Biochemistry, sponsored by RegeneronAmy Hong Xiao, Garden City, New York

Biomedical and Health Sciences, sponsored by RegeneronRia Kamat, Hackensack, New Jersey; Kevin Xuan Lei, Shanghai, China

Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by Alfred E. Mann CharitiesAyush Garg, Dublin, California; Divij Motwani, Palo Alto, California; Akash Ashish Pai, Portland, Oregon

Cellular and Molecular Biology, sponsored by RegeneronLara and Maya Sarah Hammoud, Beverly Hills, Michigan

Chemistry, sponsored by Society for ScienceAkilan Sankaran, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Arjun Suresh Malpani and Siddharth Daniel D'costa, Portland, Oregon

Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, sponsored by RegeneronKun-Hyung Roh, Bronx, New York

Earth and Environmental Sciences, sponsored by Google.orgNikhil Vemuri, Durham, North Carolina; Justin Yizhou Huang and Victoria Ou, The Woodlands, Texas

Embedded Systems, sponsored by HPChloe Rae and Sophie Rose Filion, Welland, Ontario, Canada

Energy: Sustainable Materials and Design, sponsored by Siemens EnergyAlia Wahban, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Engineering Technology: Statics and Dynamics, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationChiyo Nakatsuji, Bunkyoku, Tokyo, Japan; Kevin Shen, Olympia, Washington

Environmental Engineering, sponsored by JacobsKrish Pai, San Diego, California; Jack Shannon, Clane, Kildare, Ireland

Materials Science, sponsored by Howmet Aerospace FoundationGrace Sun, Lexington, Kentucky

Mathematics, sponsored by Akamai FoundationAnna Oliva, Houston, Texas

Microbiology, sponsored by Schattner FoundationMatthew Chang, Irvine, California

Physics and Astronomy, sponsored by Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust IIHarini Thiagarajan and Vishal Ranganath Yalla, Bothell, Washington; Shuhan Luo, Worcester, Massachusetts

Plant Sciences, sponsored by Society for SciencePauline Estrada, Fresno, California; Tanishka Balaji Aglave, Dover, Florida

Robotics and Intelligent Machines, sponsored by RegeneronMichal Lajciak, Dubnica nad Vahom, Trenciansky kraj, Slovakia; Anthony Efthimiadis, Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Systems Software, sponsored by MicrosoftMichelle Wei, San Jose, California

Technology Enhances the Arts, sponsored by Society for ScienceAnant Khandelwal, Sritan Motati and Siddhant Sood, Alexandria, Virginia

Translational Medical Science, sponsored by RegeneronZheng-Chi Lee, West Lafayette, Indiana; Ingrid Wai Hin Chan, Hong Kong, China

The full list of all award-winning ISEF 2024 finalists is available here: https://www.societyforscience.org/press-release/regeneron-isef-2024-full-awards.

View all the finalists' research here: https://projectboard.world/isef.

About the Regeneron International Science and Engineering FairThe Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (Regeneron ISEF), a program of Society for Science for over 70 years, is the world's largest global science competition for high school students. Through a global network of local, regional and national science fairs, millions of students are encouraged to explore their passion for scientific inquiry. Each spring, a group of these students is selected as finalists and offered the opportunity to compete for approximately U.S. $9 million in awards and scholarships.

In 2019, Regeneron became the title sponsor of ISEF to help reward and celebrate the best and brightest young minds globally and encourage them to pursue careers in STEM to positively impact the world. Regeneron ISEF is supported by a community of additional sponsors, including Akamai Foundation, Alfred E. Mann Charities, Aramco, Caltech, Google.org, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Howmet Aerospace Foundation, HP, , Jacobs, King Abdulaziz & his Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, Microsoft, National Geographic Society, Richard F. Caris Charitable Trust II, Rise, an initiative of Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, Schattner Foundation, Siemens Energy, Annenburg Foundation, Ballmer Group, Broadcom Foundation, Cesco Linguistic Services, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Edison International, Insaco, Oracle Academy, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and US Army ROTC. Many are entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries. Learn more at https://www.societyforscience.org/isef/.

About Society for ScienceSociety for Science is a champion for science, dedicated to promoting the understanding and appreciation of science and the vital role it plays in human advancement. Established in 1921, Society for Science is best known for its award-winning journalism through Science News and Science News Explores, its world-class science research competitions for students, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, and its outreach and equity programming that seeks to ensure that all students have an opportunity to pursue a career in STEM. A 501(c)(3) membership organization, Society for Science is committed to inform, educate and inspire. Learn more at http://www.societyforscience.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat (Society4Science).

About RegeneronRegeneron(NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents,developsand commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique ability torepeatedly and consistently translate scienceinto medicine has led to numerous approved treatments andproduct candidates in development, most of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectiousdiseases and rare diseases.

Regeneron believes that operating as a good corporate citizen is crucial to delivering on our mission. We approach corporate responsibility with three goals in mind: to improve the lives of people with serious diseases, to foster a culture of integrity and excellence and to build sustainable communities. Regeneron is proud to be included on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Civic 50 list of the most "community-minded" companies in the U.S. Throughout the year, Regeneron empowers and supports employees to give back through our volunteering, pro bono and matching gift programs. Our most significant philanthropic commitments are in the area of early science education, including the Regeneron Science Talent Search and the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF).

For more information, please visit http://www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X.

More information about the top winners and access to visual assets visit: https://www.societyforscience.org/isef-2024-media-kit.

Media ContactsJoseph Brown, Regeneron [emailprotected]

Gayle Kansagor, Society for Science [emailprotected]

SOURCE Society for Science

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More than $9 Million Awarded to High School Scientists and Engineers at the Regeneron International Science and ... - PR Newswire

Microvast lays off more employees, but plans to move engineering, R&D to Clarksville – ClarksvilleNow.com – Clarksville Now

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) Electric vehicle battery maker Microvast on Friday laid off additional employees at its Clarksville plant, but they announced plans to relocate their engineering and research-and-development operations to Clarksville.

Microvast announced in February 2021 they would bring an EV battery plant to Clarksville. As previously reported, the company is still committed to employing 230 people by 2025, but they have had to walk back their production schedule as they seek financing to finish the plant. The Clarksville plant is about halfway complete, and another $150 million is needed to finish it. On April 19, Microvast laid off 45 employees, saying they needed more time to begin production.

We continue to focus on closing our Clarksville financing, while remaining committed to fulfilling planned customer and revenue growth, a Microvast company official said in a statement shared Friday with Clarksville Now. We are continually exploring additional customer sales opportunities in North America, including within the Canadian commercial vehicle market.

The company is reducing their workforce across locations, including in Colorado and Florida. For our manufacturing facility in Clarksville, we are slowing operations until we are able raise the capital required to complete construction, the statement said. Once a financing solution is in place, we will resume operations to finish the project; including hiring of appropriate staff.

The Colorado battery cell production and battery pack assembly plant, currently in Timnath, Colorado, just outside Fort Collins, will move to Clarksville, along with the R&D operations from Lake Mary, Florida, near Orlando.

I want to highlight that part of our strategic cost cutting plan includes consolidating of our engineering and energy storage business from Colorado to Clarksville, TN. Once project funding is established, our business consolidation in Clarksville will lead to further increases in the workforce. This additional workforce expands beyond production personnel to include incremental engineering and R&D employees that were not originally planned for the Clarksville location.

Business is already lined up once the plant begins production: Microvast has confidential agreements in place with approximately five key customers.

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Microvast lays off more employees, but plans to move engineering, R&D to Clarksville - ClarksvilleNow.com - Clarksville Now

Black and Reeder Scholarship Recipient to Study Biomedical Engineering – University of Arkansas Newswire

May 18, 2024 | Author: admin

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Jackson Hudnall

U of A alumni Sherman Black and Lynnette Reeder Black have announced this year's recipient of the Black and Reeder Scholarship, which is awarded to a Greenwood High School student seeking a degree in engineering or business at the UofA.

Jackson Hudnall will graduate from Greenwood High School on May 24 and will pursue biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering.

Hudnall plans to use his biomedical degree as a springboard to medical school, with aspirations to become a radiologist. With many members of his family working in medical fields, he considers going into medicine to be a family legacy.

He said he chose biomedical engineering for his undergraduate studies because it lends itself to many career paths. He was convinced after attending Razorback 101 on the U of A campus in July 2023.

As a student at Greenwood High School, Hudnall was involved in National Beta Club, Partners Club, National Honors Society and HOSA-Future Health Professionals. He also helped in the office as an aide.

The Blacks created the scholarship as a way to give back to the community and honor their parents, Galen and Wilma Black and Van and Carolyn Reeder, longtime residents of Greenwood. Recipients' $4,000 annual awards are renewable if they meet scholarship requirements.

Black and Reeder Scholarship recipient Noah Doss graduated in December 2023 with a bachelor's degree from the Sam M. Walton College of Business.

Black and Reeder Scholarship recipients whose awards will continue next fall are Trey Smith, a senior in biomedical engineering; Gavin Holland, a junior in electrical engineering; and Maggie Leonard, a sophomore in business.

Black and Reeder Scholarship Recipient to Study Biomedical Engineering - University of Arkansas Newswire

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Black and Reeder Scholarship Recipient to Study Biomedical Engineering – University of Arkansas Newswire

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