Entries in "News from the Field" ( for this category only)

Amelia Earhart Internship for Women Students in the Sciences and Engineering

For the Case community:
The Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and the Career Center will be co-sponsoring a new internship program this summer. Students interested in completing a summer internship in Cleveland in a science or engineering field are eligible to participate.

Develop your network and learn about what it's like to work with a variety of different science and engineering employers; work with your supervisor to make progress on the individual learning goals you identify as essential to your future career; and give and receive ongoing support with students placed in similar internships.

Deadline to sign-up: Friday, February 29, 2008

Contact:
WISER Coordinator Liz Lierman, Elizabeth.lierman@case.edu, 216.368.6858

Wii Preparation for Surgeons

Years ago we had reports that our Desert Storm pilots were better than their former colleagues, due to being raised as children with video games. Now, we a have a study that shows surgeons that warm up or train on Wii perform better in surgeries.

Game players scored nearly 50% higher on tool control and overall performance than other trainees.

Source: 'Wii warm-up' good for surgeons from BBC News (January 17, 2008)

Google 2008 Anita Borg Scholarship

The Google 2008 Anita Borg Scholarship is open for application until Friday, February 1, 2008.

As part of Google's ongoing commitment to furthering Anita's vision, we are pleased to announce the 2008 Google Anita Borg Scholarship, through which we hope to encourage women to excel in computing and technology and become active role models and leaders.

ALA Midwinter 2008

I will be heading to Philadelphia for ALA Midwinter in January. I will post my plans and updates here.

Anyone else going?

What can nano do for you?

Come to Science Café Cleveland: a lively, informal scientific discussion in an inviting atmosphere of food and drink.

This month’s topic: What can nano do for you?

Featuring:
Dr. Steven Eppell (CWRU Biomedical Engineering) & Dr. Alexis Abramson (Case Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering)

WHERE: The brewpub downstairs at Great Lakes Brewing Company (2516 Market Ave, Cleveland)

WHEN: Monday, December 10th; drinks at 6 pm, discussion starts around 6:30 pm

WHO: Sponsored by the CWRU chapter of Sigma Xi, WGBH Boston, and Great Lakes Brewing Company

Science Café Cleveland takes place on the second Monday of each month at GLBC. A few free appetizers are provided, and participants are welcome to purchase additional food and drinks.

Case Senior Completes NASA Internship

Mason Conrad, senior center on the Case basketball team and mechanical engineering major, conducted research for NASA Glenn Research Center on its Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). The CEV an be used for the future trips to the moon.

Read the full announcement.

ACS Nanotation

On Monday, Oct. 22nd, ACS Publications launched ACS Nanotation, a new website created to bring together the worldwide nano community. This free online resource enables nanoscientists to save time by reading reviews that identify the most significant, new research. It includes:

• Nano Picks
• Ask the Scientist: Nano Letters
• ACS Journals in Focus
• Image gallery, podcasts, and NanoTube
• Wiki of terminology

ACS Nanotation—it's new, it's free, and you could win an iPod® nano. One iPod® nano will be awarded each month through December 2007. Register at ACS Nanotation.

National Chemistry Week: October 21-27, 2007

During this week, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week as promoted by the American Chemical Society.

FREE ASM Trial Membership through October 1

Become an ASM Member or Trial Member to be eligible to WIN up to $10,000 in ASM products and services in the $35,000 ASM's Everything Material Sweepstakes.

FREE Trial Membership through October 1, 2007, no purchase necessary.

Web 3.0 on the Horizon

Have you learned everything about how to use web 2.0 effectively? If not, get ready to fall further behind. Articles are already starting to circulate about web 3.0 and what that will mean for Internet users.

CNNMoney.com in an article by Michael V. Copeland shared how researchers are looking into the efficient use of the semantic web. In other words how can computers help to organize all the data, including that within documents, for the benefit of Internet searchers.

If you are looking for future employment opportunities consider this data from the article:

One estimate pegs the market for products and services stemming from semantic Web technologies at $50 billion by 2010, up from about $7 billion today.

From D.C.

I hope to learn plenty at ALA Annual and I will share as much as possible.

Social Networks for Employment Recruiting

On my blog highlighting engineering news and resources, I just highlighted a newspaper article that discusses using social networks to accomplish employment recruiting.

Why mention it here? I have heard comments from those in the library profession say libraries "do not belong in the social networks" and "people do not want us there". Engineering companies and recruiters are highlighting their industry, educating potential future employers, and maintaining communication channels with future employees or customers. Lets learn from others!

Aerospace Industry is Graying & Recruits Virtually

According to the Akron Beacon Journal (Aerospace industry beckons, 5/28/07), 1 out of 4 in the aerospace industry will be eligible for retirement next year. Aerospace companies and recruiters are now using "virtual" tools to recruit, such as Facebook groups and chat rooms. These social tools are being used to educate potential future employers, peak interest in the industry, and maintain content with past interns.

Dexter Advances

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (May 12, 2007), Case Western Reserve University's robotic car, Dexter, has made it to the next round of playoffs with 52 other cars. The next round is site visits in June with 30 cars advancing to the semifinals in October. At stake is a $2 million prize.

Case School of Engineering Receives Electronic Design Grant

According to the Chip Design Magazine (May 9, 2007), the Case School of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University is the recipient of a Charles Babbage Grant sponsored by both Synopsys and HP.

Through the grant, Case's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will receive licenses of Synopsys' comprehensive electronic design automation (EDA) software and intellectual property, along with curricula, support and professor training, and sixteen dual core HP xw4400 Workstations to outfit the new Synopsys/HP EDA Laboratory.

2007 TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium

Registration is now open for the first annual Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium, sponsored by ALA TechSource and the Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL).

Gaming and literacy experts James Paul Gee and Henry Jenkins will keynote the event by exploring how libraries fit into the intersection of gaming and the digital learning landscape, while guest speakers Eli Neiburger (author of the 2007 title "Gamers…in the Library?! The Why, What, and How of Videogame Tournaments for All Ages") and Syracuse University Game Lab Director Scott Nicholson will kick off the discussions about why libraries do this. Gregory Trefry, a game designer from GameLab, will explore libraries and the concept of "big games," while social computing expert and gamer Liz Lawley will provide context and a broad view for the topics discussed.

More than 25 sessions in three tracks will cover such wide-ranging topics as creating games for information literacy, implementing gaming programs, teaching kids how to make their own games, gaming for adults, digital downloads for gamers, online fiction games, and more. In addition, a track dedicated to Second Life will highlight how libraries are creating a presence in this virtual world and what they are gaining from it.

Electron Devices Society PhD Student Fellowship Program

The IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) established the PhD Student Fellowship Program to promote, recognize, and support graduate level study and research within the Electron Devices Societies. Deadline is May 15, 2006, and nominations must be made by a EDS member. Students would receive $7,000 and a travel subsidy of up to $3,000 to attend the IEDM for presentation of award plaque. The EDS Newsletter will feature articles about the EDS Graduate Fellows and their work over the course of the next year.Make sure you see the PhD Student Fellowship Program for full details.

Kelvin Smith Library at Research ShowCASE

Make sure to stop into the Research ShowCASE on April 11th and 12th. Kelvin Smith Library has several opportunities for you on April 12th, including:

• The Freedman Center: From Inspiration to Presentation - Booth 469
• Kelvin Smith Library - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You! - Booth 467
• Online Historical Archives: Kelvin Smith Library, Digital Case, and the Future of Open Source Electronic Research Repositories (Mark Eddy, Social Sciences Librarian) - Poster 207
• Knovel as a Tool for Engineering Research and Education (Brian Gray, Engineering Librarian, and Mohan Sankaran, Professor in Chemical Engineering) - Poster 216

The Kelvin Smith Library would like to point out a couple more points of interest:

• Designing a Portable High Definition Stereoscopic Camera System for Capturing Cultural Content (Jared Bendis, Creative Director of New Media, Freedman Center) - Booth 468
• WPA Prints in Special Collections, Kelvin Smith Library (Ellen Landau, Professor Art History) - Poster 208)

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RESEARCH SHOWCASE 2007
THE FUTURE IS NOW

April 11th and 12th, 2007

RESEARCH SHOWCASE is a free public event held in the Veale Convocation Center on the campus of Case Western Reserve University. Hundreds of scientists and scholars will come together on April 11th and 12th, 2007 at Case Western Reserve University Veale Convocation Center to celebrate the broad range of research being conducted at Case and its affiliates.

With over 500 poster presentations and live demonstrations, Research ShowCASE is the perfect opportunity for business, government and civic leaders, researchers and investors to meet. Provocative forums throughout the day highlight research in the context of current local and global issues and the commercial aspects of research and discovery.

This year’s panels include The Information Revolution with guest speaker Ambassador Joseph Wilson, author of The Politics of Truth, Race and the Nation – Snapshot of America in Change, with guest speaker Anna Deavere Smith, actress, playwright and MacArthur Foundation Fellow, Fast Forward – the Future of Funding, including guest speaker John Osher, Entrepreneur and Spin Brush Developer and Magic Technology – Advances in Bio-Imaging, including speakers from the academic and corporate research areas of the newest bio-imaging technology.

Breakout sessions throughout the day on April 12th include Speed Mentoring, Bio-Imaging and Women of Excellence – Honoring Women Researchers and Scholars.

For more information about Research ShowCASE, including a complete program schedule, registration, parking, directions, maps and lodging, visit http://showcase.case.edu or contact us at 216-368-5963.

Case is Strong in Licensing Revenue

Case Western Reserve University led Ohio universities, hospitals and research institutes by collecting $29.4 million in licensing revenues over the last three years, almost more than all other institutions in Ohio combined, according to the recently released U.S. Licensing Survey for fiscal year 2005 by the Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).

[VIA: CASE DAILY, March 27, 2007]

NEW - Society of Nanoscience & Nanotechnology

The Society of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (SNN) is a worldwide organisation set up to serve the needs of the “nano” community. SNN was officially launched to the international community during the recent and very successful “International Meeting on Developments in Materials, Processes and Applications of Nanotechnology”, MPA-2007, organised by SNN, which was held at the University of Ulster, UK on 15 January 2007.

From About Us:

• Promote all aspects of nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Educate and bring awareness to people about nanotechnology and its impact on society
• Raise, discuss and debate nano-related issues, including government policies on nanotechnology
• Offer different levels of memberships, with benefits, to people working in nanoscience and nanotechnology
• Organise and manage international nano-related conferences
• Provide an effective advertising platform for companies to promote their business
• Promote education and training through organising workshops, short educational courses, seminars, etc.
• Bringing to the front, current and most recent up-to-date scientific and technical information to the public
• Provide consultancy services to both people from academia and industry
• Alert people about new job opportunities
• Publish journals, reports, books and newsletters
• National, European and international research projects: identify, link partners and coordinate projects

Challenge to Society Publishers

Kimberly Douglas and Dana L. Roth, both of the California Institute of Technology, put forth a challenge for society publishers to not follow in the path of the commercial publishers. In addition, they provide some background into how librarians are "ranking" quality in tough budget times.

University faculty and administrators need to engage with librarians to ensure that the best decisions are being made for the longterm.

[VIA: Chemical & Engineering News, November 20, 2006, Volume 84, Number 47, pp.82-84]

Continue reading "Challenge to Society Publishers"

Ohio Nanotechnology Summit

Case Western Reserve University is a cosponsor of the Ohio Nanotechnology Summit that will take place April 23-25 at the University of Akron. Faculty and students can submit research posters for consideration. The deadline to submit titles and abstracts is March 22 and should be sent by e-mail to janas@uakron.edu.

The Ohio Nanotechnology Summit is the premier nanotechnology event in Ohio drawing both national and local leaders in nanotechnology. Including all sectors and disciplines, the summit delivers a concentrated program spanning key issues ranging from nanotechnology research to development to commercialization. The Ohio Nanotechnology Summit will offer a unique opportunity to get a first-hand perspective on the boundless potential that this exciting technical field holds. The 2007 Program will feature 4 areas:

• Nano Materials
• Nano Processing
• Nano Bio
• Nano Photonics and Electronics

[VIA: CASE DAILY, March 15, 2007]

What Does Cleveland 2.0 Look Like?

Have you tried Second Life yet? I have been participating since late last year. Many libraries have built virtual offices and buildings. I personally have been using it as a tool to communicate and share ideas with other librarians. I have already attended several online conferences and poster sessions within Second Life. It has been a nice networking tool to meet with people from other libraries that do not attend the same real world meetings or conferences as me.

I am excited to see OneCleveland and that Case is leading the way. For more local information, see the following articles:

• Cleveland 2.0: Where avatars fly, chat, tour the Rock Hall, The Plain Dealer, Friday, March 16, 2007, Tom Feran
• Plain Dealer Early Edition: Cleveland gets a Second Life, The Plain Dealer, Friday, March 15, 2007, Tom Feran
• Plain Dealer Early Edition: Want a Second Life? It's Yours, The Plain Dealer, Friday, March 15, 2007, Tom Feran

I took these photos over the weekend.

The map that greats visitors to OneCleveland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangray/890245864/

Kelvin Smith Library in OneCleveland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/briangray/542633772/

$400,000 to Case School of Engineering

From the Case Daily (March 05, 2007):

Case School of Engineering Dean Norman Tien announced two new gifts to the school totaling nearly $400,000. The gifts are $270,000 from Medtronic to support fellowships in the Department of Biomedical Engineering; and $125,000 from Don Richards (CIT '79, MGT '81), managing director for applications outsourcing at Accenture, to support students in the Master of Engineering and Management (MEM), a joint program with the Weatherhead School of Management.

The Minneapolis-based Medtronic is a longtime School of Engineering partner. The company sponsored the school's Engineering Festival and was a primary sponsor of the 2007 Midwest Biomedical Engineering Conference, both of which the university hosted in conjunction with Engineering Week activities.

Case Professor Authors Award Winning Combustion Paper

Chih-Jen Sung, an associate professor in the mechanical and aerospace engineering department, and his coauthors received the Distinguished Paper Award in Colloquium Laminar Flames from the 31st International Symposium on Combustion.

[VIA: Case Daily - March 02, 2007]

Case's Robotic Car - Dexter

The Cleveland Plain Dealer recently highlighted Case's robotic car.

Later this year, Dexter's creators -- a brash, overachieving young team of more than 50 engineering and computer-science students and professors from Case Western Reserve University -- aim to win an international contest. To do so, their car must navigate a 60-mile mock urban course filled with unfamiliar roads, oncoming traffic and unexpected obstacles.

[VIA: The Plain Dealer, Sunday, February 25, 2007]

What You Post Today Can Get You Fired Later

Here is another example of a person forgetting that the Internet is open to the world and you cannot take back you email once you hit send. In this case, it was a city worker forwarding political cartoons using a work computer. After being forwarded several times among other people, it was forwarded to the local newspaper as an example of government waste. What do you think - 6 month of investigation or weeks of secret interviews and computer filtering? No, the paper had it in less than 6 hours of the email starting its circulation.

UPDATE: Link fixed on March 5, 2007.

CSA Trust - Winter Newsletter

The Chemical Structure Association (CSA) Trust has published its winter Newsletter, which is freely available to all at http://csa-trust.org.

The Chemical Structure Association Trust (CSA Trust) is an internationally recognized, registered charity which promotes education, research and development in the field of storage, processing and retrieval of information about chemical structures, reactions and compounds. Many students and researchers world-wide, who work in this area, have benefited from the Trust Awards and Grants programmes to further their research work.

Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.) Challenge

IBM is pleased to announce an excellent opportunity for you to put your skills to the test and allow innovation to take the lead!

You can participate in this contest whether you have little or no Cell/B.E. Processor experience, some understanding of the techology, or have mastered this subject for some time now.

What you really need is the drive and competitive spirit to expand your mind, learn about this cutting edge technology, and show off your coding prowess. With some hard work and dedication, you could win some great cash prizes!

Learn more about the contest.

[VIA: Case Daily - February 20, 2007]

Student Travel Grants Available for Industrial Electronics Symposium

The 2007 IEEE Symposium on Industrial Electronics (ISIE) will be granting nine scholarships of $500 each for students who wish to attend ISIE between 4-7 June 2007. The purpose of ISIE is to provide a forum for presentation and discussion of state-of-the-art industrial electronics and related areas. Students seeking travel grants must be active student members of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, should reside outside of Vigo, Spain, where the conference is taking place. Applicants must also have a paper that has been accepted at ISIE and will be presenting it. Applications are due on 9 March 2007. For more information, visit: http://www.dte.uvigo.es/isie2007/studentstravelgrant.php

Midwest Biomedical Engineering Conference

The Case School of Engineering is hosting the Midwest Biomedical Engineering Conference on February 23. Online registration, abstract submission, and resume submission are now open. All abstracts and resumes must be submitted by February 9. For more information, go to http://www.mbecconference.org/.

From website:

MBEC 2007: "Showcasing the future of biomedical engineering"

The Midwest Biomedical Engineering Conference (MBEC) 2007 is designed to bring together students & practitioners of Biomedical Engineering and the Life Sciences for panel discussions, technical sessions, and informal extended exchange of ideas important to the future of Biomedical Engineering in the Midwest. Some conference highlights include:

• Assisting participants in planning their academic and industrial careers
• Introducing companies to the wealth of intellectual prowess rooted in the Midwest
• Exposing participants to innovative research in biomedical engineering and allied areas

MBEC 2007 is hosted by Case Western Reserve University. All universities are welcome to attend.

[VIA: Case Daily - February 02, 2007]

Continue reading "Midwest Biomedical Engineering Conference"

Engineering Reality TV Program

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) recognizes the importance of developing interest in engineering among today's youth. IEEE has invested in a reality TV program being developed by WGBH Boston (PBS). Design Squad will take the reality TV approach by following high school students through various design competitions.

Other major funding for Design Squad is provided by the National Science Foundation and the Intel Foundation. Additional funding is provided by Tyco Electronics, National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying, The Harold and Esther Edgerton Family Foundation, Noyce Foundation, Intel Corporation, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the IEEE.

[VIA: Engineering Education Gets Its Own Reality TV Show]

Continue reading "Engineering Reality TV Program"

Conference - PolyImpact Northeast Ohio (PINO) 2007

The Macro Student Organization (MSO) of the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering is organizing a one-day symposium on March 31 titled "PolyImpact Northeast Ohio" or PINO 2007. The symposium aims to provide a platform for senior undergraduates and graduate students in polymer-related research fields to present and communicate their research to peers and experts as well as experience a unique exposure to future career paths and opportunities in the polymer industry. The symposium will contain selected talks and poster presentations/competition from graduate researchers, expert talks from industry, a job fair, and a panel discussion on career opportunities for polymer students. Cash prizes awarded. The deadline for registration is January 31. To submit abstract and register or for other details, refer to http://polymers.case.edu/mso/PINO.

[VIA: Case Daily - January 29, 2007]

Moon Base in the Future?

According to the National Geographic (December 4, 2006), a moon base has been announced by NASA. I hope Cleveland and institutions like NASA Glenn or Case benefit from these future research and Development opportunities.

Case BME Professor Wins World Technology Award

P. Hunter Peckham, professor of biomedical engineering, recently received the 2006 World Technology Award for Health and Medicine. His research focuses on functional restoration of paralyzed arms in individuals with spinal cord injury.

The World Technology Network (WTN) is a global meeting ground, a virtual think tank, and an elite club whose members are all focused on the business and science of bringing important emerging technologies of all types (from biotech to new materials, from IT to new energy sources) into reality. The WTN's membership is comprised of approximately 1000 members from more than 60 countries, judged by their peers to be the most innovative in the technology world.

[VIA: Case Daily, December 1, 2006]

Case Student to Present at International Conference on Applications of Lasers and Electro-Optics

David Poerschke, junior materials science major, received SOURCE travel funding to present his poster at the 25th International Congress on Applications of Lasers and Electro-Optics (ICALEO) held October 30 to November 2 in Scottsdale, Ariz. His research mentor is David Schwam, research associate professor of materials science and engineering.

ICALEO is for anyone interested in laser materials processing from the basic understanding of the interaction between a laser beam and a material, to those interested in how a process can be integrated and optimized for an application. Laser Institute of America's goal for ICALEO is to bring both academic and industrial people together who may benefit from laser technology. This includes end-users and scientists as well as engineers and technicians engaged in developing laser technology.

[VIA: Case Daily, November 29, 2006]

Money for Portable Fuel Cells

The Plain Dealer (November 15, 2006) reports that NorTech has distributed $1 million in grant money, includings funds to Case.

The Wright Fuel Cell Group will receive $150,000 to build portable fuel cells created with Ohio-made products. Case Western Reserve University, Graf-Tech, HydroGen, Contained Energy, Northeast Hydrogen and Chemsultants are part of the fuel cell group.

[VIA: Case Daily, November 15, 2006]

Do you Think of Ohio for Fuel Cells?

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (November 12, 2006), millions of research money has been focused into Ohio's fuel cell research programs.

• The Wright Fuel Cell Group built by Case on the old Mt. Sinai property
• Rolls-Royce PLC is creating a fuel cell subsidiary in North Canton
• UltraCell Corp. is building a factory near Dayton
• HydroGen Corp. will run a 400-kilowatt prototype fuel cell power plant at an Ashta Chemicals factory in Ashtabula
• Painesville-based Pemery Corp. has successfully tested tiny fuel cells for the Army
• GrafTech International Ltd. in Parma wins $2.3 million federal grant

[VIA: Case Daily, November 13, 2006]

Case Math Student Wins Travel Award

Rachel Hageman, a math graduate student, has received one of 10 national Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) travel awards to present her research at the national meeting of the American Mathematical Society in January 2007, in New Orleans. Professor Daniela Calvetti is her academic adviser.

[VIA: Case Daily, October 19, 2006]

Topology - Entire Editorial Board Resigns

Several sources, such as the ACRLog, have announced that all the members of the editorial board of the mathematics journal Topology have resigned due to the pricing policy of its publisher Elsevier.

We have heard other reports like this over the last few years, and may see more actions like this in the future as journal prices climb quicker than the money available for their purchase.

Case has access to Topology through the OhioLINK Electronic Journal Center.

Fourth Joint Sheffield Conference on Chemoinformatics: Call for Papers

The Chemical Structure Association Trust and the Molecular Graphics and Modelling Society announce their Fourth Joint Sheffield Conference on Chemoinformatics. The conference will be held in The Octagon Centre and the Stephenson and Tapton Halls of Residence, University of Sheffield, UK, from 18th-20th June 2007.

Offers of papers are welcomed in all aspects of chemoinformatics.
Possible topics include (but are not limited to):

• High-Throughput Screening, including: assay quality control; design of screening collections; systems based design
• Virtual Screening including, including: docking and pharmacophore analysis, similarity and clustering methods; machine learning
• Computational Methods for Lead Identification and Optimisation including: modelling and structure-activity methods; structure-based design; ADMET prediction
• New Algorithms and Technologies including: data mining; searching methods; distributed processing; data handling and visualisation;
• Case Histories, incorporating practical experience of any of the above

The programme will have space for ca. two dozen oral presentations, and there will also be extensive opportunities for poster presentations. Authors wishing to submit a paper should send a title and abstract (minimum 500 words) by 31st January 2007 to cheminf2007@sheffield.ac.uk, stating whether they wish to be considered for an oral or for a poster presentation.

Submissions will be selected as either oral contributions or posters by the Organising Committee, with notification of acceptance by 28th February 2007. In selecting papers for oral presentation, the Committee will seek to achieve a balance between the various areas of the subject and between new methodologies and successful applications of existing techniques.

Further details of the conference, including registration information and opportunities for sponsorship and participation in the conference exhibition will follow later in the year, and will be posted at the conference website.

[VIA: CHMINF-L listserv]