Microsoft Academic Developer Evangelist to Speak about the Imagine Cup Competition

Please join us for the ACM Club Meeting on Wednesday at 5:00 for the following introduction to Microsoft's Imagine Cup Competition.

Speaker: Lindsay Lindstrom, Academic Developer Evangelist, Microsoft Corporation
Location: Olmsted 245E
Date: Wednesday, February 2nd, 5pm
Topic: Imagine Cup

It's a theme of global proportions.
Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems.
Get Recognition. Build up your Resume. Jump-Start your Career. And maybe you'll even win $25,000 and a trip to New York City!

What is Imagine Cup?
Imagine Cup is the world's premier student technology competition. It is open to undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities, as well as high-school students. This annual competition, sponsored by Microsoft, challenges students to create innovative solutions to some of the world's toughest problems (inspired by the U.N. Millennium Development Goals) and literally change lives.

Why take part in Imagine Cup?
Where else can you win great prizes-like $25,000 and a trip to the worldwide finals in New York City-and be recognized as a technology leader? It's an excellent way to build your resume and jump-start your career. Some past winners have landed jobs with top technology companies, including Microsoft, Lockheed Martin, Avanade, and Orbitz. Other winners have gotten help launching their own businesses. Sign up today and let Imagine Cup open doors for you. Learn more at www.imaginecup.us

Each year hundreds of technical students from around the world compete on the worldwide stage for the "Olympics of Technology". Imagine if you were among them representing the United States.

James Cameron, acclaimed director of the Titanic and Avatar, commented on student projects by saying "It's pretty inspirational to see what they are coming up with... they are really thinking outside the box". Craig Mundie, Chief Research and Strategy Officer commented last year's U.S. Finals by saying "Nothing here is science fiction". Bill Gates added "Imagine Cup is one of my favorite student programming events".

What are the competition categories?
Students can compete in any or all of these five exciting categories:
1) Software Design - Develop an application that helps solve one of the world's toughest problems.
2) Embedded Development - From mobile phones and GPS units to electronic switches, develop an embedded system or device that addresses a critical issue.
3) Game Design - Multilevel or single player, 3-D or 2-D, web, Xbox, Windows, or phone, it's up to you. Everybody wins with games that solve real world problems
4) Digital Media - Go viral with your music, videos, or photos. Come up with the hottest new problem-solving idea in digital media.
5) IT Challenge - Show what you know about architectures, Microsoft technologies, and IT issues and earn the right to compete at the highest level. The first round is simply a 30 questions IT quiz. Why not test your IT knowledge? You can enter individually and take the quiz from the comfort of your computer. Do not miss this easy entry point to the Imagine Cup competition!


AND THERE'S FREE PIZZA COURTESY OF MICROSOFT!!!

The ACM/Outdoor Clubs are Hosting a Skiing and Snowboarding Trip

The ACM Club and the Outdoor Club are hosting a skiing/snowboarding trip on 2/11/11 departing at 3:30 and returning at about 11PM. if interested sign ups will be posted on the Sun Lab door in the west wing of 2nd floor in the Olmsted building. Cost to students is only $5!!!!!!!! Sign-up sheet will be up after 5PM. Questions? Email Andy Anske at anske (at) psu (dot) edu.

Math Student Receives Memorial Scholarship

Penn State Harrisburg student Khizra Hussain has been awarded the Dr. Mary Ravita Memorial Scholarship for outstanding academic record, performance, and leadership.
Hussain received the $3000 scholarship at the 2010 Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (PASCD) Annual Conference. A Secondary Mathematics Education major, Hussain has made the Dean’s List every semester, earning a 3.77 GPA.

“Hussain works tirelessly for others without any self-serving expectations, yet remains committed to her studies,” said Associate Professor of Education Denise G. Meister. “Most importantly, she loves children and is committed to a lifetime of teaching.”

One of three scholarships offered by PASCD, the Mary Ravita scholarship is the most prestigious and highest amount awarded.

Reposted from Penn State Harrisburg's News: Student receives memorial scholarship

Crime.Com: Post-modern Criminal Behavior

You are invited to attend a talk, "Crime.Com: Post-modern Criminal Behavior" by Hal Berghel, Professor and Director of the School of Informatics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Date/Time: Thursday, January 20th, 5 pm
Location: Penn State Harrisburg, Science and Technology Building, TL 118

Abstract

This talk begins with an overview of the role of crime in general, and digital crime in particular, in the shadow economies of the world. It illustrates this via a sequence of specific criminal activities that have been studied by the author. This talk will explain the latest digital crime scene in terms of sources, modus operandi, and the digital techniques involved. Examples will be drawn from actual case files and published media reports, and the techniques will be explained and in some cases actually demonstrated. Exploits include: bank card skimming, ATM hacking, digital gas pump hijacking, phishing scams, bank card brokering and internet dumpsites, hotel room invasions, physical counterfeiting (e.g., Superdollar), digital counterfeiting and some brute-force techniques as well.

About the Speaker

Hal Berghel is currently Professor and Director of the School of Informatics at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he has previously served as Director of the School of Computer Science and Associate Dean of the College of Engineering. He is also the founding Director of both the Center for CyberSecurity Research, and the Identity Theft and Financial Fraud Research and Operations Center. His research interests are both catholic and eclectic, ranging from logic programming and expert systems, relational database design, algorithms for non-resolution based inferencing, approximate string matching, digital watermarking and steganography, and digital security (including both computer and network forensics), For the past decade he has applied his work in digital security to law enforcement, particularly with respect to digital crime, cyberterrorism, and information warfare. His research has been supported by both industry and government for over thirty years. His current in secure credentialing technology is funded by the Department of Justice. In addition to his academic positions, Berghel is also a popular columnist, author, frequent, talk show guest, inventor, and keynote speaker. For nearly fifteen years he wrote the popular Digital Village column for the Communications of the ACM.

Berghel is a Fellow of both the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Association for Computing Machinery, and serves both societies as a Distinguished Lecturer. He has received the ACM Outstanding Lecturer of the Year Award four times and was recognized for Lifetime Achievement in 2004. He has also received both the ACM Outstanding Contribution and Distinguished Service awards. He is also the founder and owner of Berghel.Net, a consultancy serving business and industry, and co-owner of BC Innovations Management, a startup company in IP and DRM.

---
Jeremy Blum, D.Sc.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science
Penn State Harrisburg
777 W. Harrisburg Pike
Middletown, PA 17057
Email: jjb24@psu.edu
Phone: (717) 948-6686