On June 1, the Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced at Queen’s University that the Government of Canada will invest $29.6 million this year through the CREATE Program to help young scientists and engineers acquire the professional, leadership and entrepreneurial skills they need to make a successful transition into the workplace and keep Canada’s economy growing. Full Story here.
David Rappaport:Research with Dinosaurs?
Dear all,
The Queen’s School of Computing is again in the news today. Please read about David’s exciting new project on digitizing dinosaur bones:
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3176683
Selim
David Skillicorn comments: Education seen as protection from ‘radical’ sites
Researchers studying the online habits of terrorists, hate groups and young people are advocating calm in the face of a recently released RCMP report.
RCMP Sgt. Marc LaPorte said that al-Qaida groups, their Somali affiliates, al-Shabaab, and others are “actively recruiting” people in Ontario via the Internet.
The report, Youth Online and At Risk, warns parents that terrorist groups are using more diverse tools in their online recruiting campaigns, such as games, graphic visuals and music.
“If we look at the investigations that are associated with national security,” said LaPorte from RCMP headquarters in Toronto, “all the major ones have had links to these types of Internet interactions.”
David Skillicorn is a professor in the Queen’s University School of Computing who specializes in counterterrorism, fraud, radicalization, data mining and law enforcement.
He said that while the RCMP’s report is valid, the effect of radical content on the Internet “is pretty small across the board.”
“At some level, this report is unobjectionable. It’s entirely reasonable, good advice,” he said.
Full Story here:
Very Successful Year for Undergraduate Recruitment
Dear all,
Yesterday was the deadline for Ontario high-school students to choose a university for September 2011. Students from the rest of Canada can still select an Ontario university past the deadline. As of today, the number of applicants who have accepted an offer of admission to the QSC is very encouraging indeed and, I am told, it is expected to rise. We are grateful to our colleagues in the Registrar’s Office and the Faculty of Arts and Science for their continued support of our recruiting efforts.
As we wrap up another successful recruiting season, I would like to express, on your behalf, my deep appreciation to all the volunteers who put their time and energy in promoting the School at the two Fall Previews, at the Ontario Universities Fair, at the three Open House events in December, March, and May, at the Spring Reunion, at the numerous lab tours, and at so many other occasions where they enthusiastically responded to the School’s call. It is so gratifying to work with such fantastic group of people.
Today, I would like to recognize those members of the School who participated in our telephone campaign this spring:
- Margaret Lamb
- Juergen Dingel
- Doug Wightman
- Wendy Powley
- Bob Tennent
- David Skillicorn
- Janice Glasgow
- Farhana Zulkernine
- Nick Graham
- Alan McLeod
- Randy Ellis
- David Rappaport
- Mary McCollam
- Dean Mckeown
- Andrew Dickinson
- Sacha Robinson
Thank you all and have a great summer.
Selim
LinkedIn Group reaches milestone!
The “Queen’s School of Computing” group on LinkedIn has reached 120 members – can we make it 220?
CREATE grant awarded to the Queen’s School of Computing
Dear all,
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada announced yesterday the award of a CREATE grant to the Queen’s School of Computing. This funding is to establish a new QSC graduate program for the training of professionals at the Master’s and Doctoral levels in ultra large-scale software systems. Congratulations to Professor Jim Cordy (PI) and the entire software group for this momentous achievement, and best wishes for future successes.
http://www.thewhig.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3150377
Selim Akl
Professor and Director
Queen’s School of Computing
Elevator Shutdown June 6 to June 8
ELEVATOR SHUTDOWN
The Goodwin Hall elevator will be shutdown on Monday, June 6th from 8:00 a.m. until Wednesday, June 8th at 8:00 a.m. to replace the elevator ropes. The work is being completed by Thyssen Krupp Elevator Contractors.
We ask that you please inform everyone in your department of this notice.
If you have any questions regarding this elevator shutdown please contact Perry Conrad, Manager Specialty Shop, Physical Plant Services at extension #36481 or the Fixit Desk at extension #77301.
Karen Walker
Physical Plant Services
Queen’s University
Kingston, ON K7L 3N6
Tel: 613-533-6757
Fax: 613-533-6469
Spring Reunion returnee recalls working on Queen’s first computer
Christopher “Kit” Pullen, ’61, came to Queen’s from Oakville in 1957 to study mechanical engineering. He planned to work in the field after he graduated. Everything was going according to plan until one day in his final year.
“I still recall sitting in my thermodynamics class,” says Pullen, who is coming back to Queen’s this weekend to take part in Spring Reunion, “when [Engineering] Dean Conn, our professor, told us that the university just got its first computer.”
Dean Conn then showed Pullen and his classmates the new Bendix G-15 computer. Produced by Bendix, a manufacturer of washing machines, the computer stood 5 by 3 feet, and weighed a staggering 950 lbs. It cost $60,000. The computer was housed in Richardson Hall.
http://www.queensu.ca/news/articles/spring-reunion-returnee-recalls-working-queens-first-computer
School of Computing opens doors to share research activity
The Queen’s School of Computing held an open house today with several demonstrations at Goodwin Hall and the laboratory located at 141 Collingwood Street. The tour allowed Queen’s alumni and community members to learn about the latest research and interact with faculty members and graduate students.
Joey Pape, a master’s student in the Engineering Interactive Systems at Queen’s University (EQUIS) Lab, explains his research to Queen’s professor Nancy Salay. Mr. Pape’s master’s research examines social gaming on a multi-touch tabletop computer.
http://www.queensu.ca/news/articles/school-computing-opens-doors-share-research-activity
Gaming’s next great breakthrough? AI that doesn’t act like AI
Today, video games have become far more sophisticated: Computers can adapt to their human opponent’s patterns, and games can precisely match the physical movements of an at-home player to an avatar on screen.