Ever wanted to be a model? Marketing needs engineering students.

Remember if you go into your preferences for the blog, you can choose which categories to get in your inbox. Here is one if you want your face up on campus…

UW is looking for some more Engineering students to participate in a photo shoot on Friday. CSE folks might be eligible too, just ask them.

___________________________________________________

Many thanks to those of you that sent me your schedules and availability for the College of Engineering/UW photo shoots this week. They were very helpful as I pulled together this schedule. I apologize I was not able to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate – these shoots come up occasionally, so if you are interested in participating in future shoots, please let me know and I’ll save your contact information.

We are still looking for additional students to participate. If you have friends in engineering that would also be interested in coming to be photographed, feel free to bring them along and/or pass on this message. If they have questions they are welcome to e-mail or call me.

Friday, May 4^th from noon to four is the current block we have with our photographer. There will be a few different locations for the shoot but we only ask that you arrive when you are able. You are free to stay for as many of the different shoots as interest you or that you are free for. If you show up and then location is empty, call me at 206-779-5044 and I will direct you to our shooting location – they should all be close together.

Currently we are scheduled to begin around 12:15 PM in Loew Hall, room 213 (part of the Engineering Academic Study Center) where we will photograph students in front of a white background. Following that, we will take pictures in a “study-hall” setting, a classroom, and on campus (if the weather is good) around the engineering buildings and the fountain. Again, if you arrive at the location and we are not there, just call and I will direct you to the next location. I will try to send out e-mail updates to participating students when we move locations.

These photographs will be used broadly across engineering and the UW, in marketing materials such as the web site, brochures and newsletters.

We ask that you dress in colorful, non-branded clothing (avoid logos and sayings). UW clothing is fine. Please avoid low-cut tops, short skirts and short shorts.

If you plan on attending on Friday and have not yet responded to me by e-mail with your availability, please let me know if you will be joining us and I will be sure to include you on any future e-mails with location updates etc. If you have responded saying you are available in the listed block of time, but will not be making it, it would also be helpful to know that as well.

Questions – let me know! Many thanks, and I look forward to seeing you Friday.

Regards,

Kristin

Kristin Hofmeister
Assistant Director of Advancement

Marketing and Communications
College of Engineering

Mail: 371 Loew Hall, Box 352180, Seattle, WA 98195
206.543-7556 fax 206.685.0666
khofmeis@uw.edu www.engr.washington.edu

May 2, 2012

Social Innovation Leadership Series: Developing and commercializing appropriate social products for low-resource settings

Social Innovation Leadership Series: Developing and commercializing appropriate social products for low-resource settings

Date: Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Time: 6:00 – 8:00 PM

Location: PACCAR Hall – 394

FREE BUT PLEASE REGISTER: https://catalyst.uw.edu/webq/survey/gsec/165741

Join the Global Business Center for its first Social Innovation Leadership Series on approaching product development and commercialization for social products in low-resource settings.

Featuring speakers Tim Elliott and Andy Beddoe from PATH, the workshop will present a case study to demonstrate this approach from PATH’s work in sanitation.

The event will also provide students the chance to learn about and find team members for the 2013 Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC).

This is a great practical learning opportunity for student in any discipline interested in entrepreneurship in developing economies and as well as participation in the 9^th annual GSEC.

Extensive time for Q & A and network will be provided. Attendees will be recruiting for GSEC 2013 teams.

Topics covered:

· Challenges of starting a business in developing economies

· Multidisciplinary development teams

· Product design, construction, financing, marketing, and sales considerations

· PATH’s Commercialization Toolkit

Speakers:

· Tim Elliott (Special Initiatives Officer, PATH)

· Andy Beddoe (Technical Officer, PATH & UW Foster School EMBA)

Who should attend?

· ALL STUDENTS interested in entrepreneurship in developing economies & apply to GSEC!

Questions?

· Contact Wren McNally (wrenmc@uw.edu)

· More info: http://www.foster.washington.edu/news/pages/eventdetails.aspx?id=b6067072-05c0-441b-97ce-ee69c3d5af0c&startDate=20120508

Co-promoter: UW Social Entrepreneurship Association (UWSEA)

May 2, 2012

The Microsoft Windows Azure user experience team needs your help

From: Sabina Webb <sawebb@microsoft.com>
The Microsoft Windows Azure user experience team needs your help! If you use Git regularly for source control and deployment through Heroku and/or App Harbor, we are very interested in talking to you about participating in a usability study which would take place at the Microsoft Redmond Campus. The session will take about 1.5 – 2 hours, and you will receive a gratuity for your participation, in addition to being able to test out the next release of Azure before it is made available to the public.

If you are interested in participating or have any questions, please send an email to sawebb@microsoft.com. The sessions will take place starting the week of 4/30. We will work with you to find out what date and time is most convenient for you to participate.

Sabina Alteras-Honig | UX Researcher II

sawebb@microsoft.com

April 30, 2012

Summer Business Courses

Summer Business courses

The UW offers two business certificates programs designed to serve non-business majors for SUMMER QUARTER. These programs focus on practical business skills to complement your degree program and to enable graduates entering the business world to be more successful. Here are the two programs:

Certificate in Business Essentials

FOR MATRICULATED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Courses in Marketing (3 credits), Accounting and Finance (3 credits) and Management (3 credits)

o More information: http://tinyurl.com/6pdq9zp

Certificate in Business Administration

FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS (Seniors graduating in June may also qualify for admission)
Graduate credit course ADMIN 510 (15 credits) – includes Marketing, Accounting, Finance, Management, Negotiation,
More information: http://www.pce.uw.edu/certificates/business-administration-intensive.html
Note: information on campus – Paccar 290 at 12:30 on Tuesday May 1^st

If you would like more information, please contact me by e-mail or phone.

Thanks,

Andy

Andrew Hoover | Senior Director | Educational Outreach| 206.221.7385 |ahoover@uw.edu

W UNIVERSITY of WASHINGTON

April 30, 2012

IEEE membership/recruitment

Hi everyone, IEEE is hosting a game night next week!! Get ready to have some fun next Thursday 4/26 from 6:30-9:00 in EEB 403. We’ll have both video games (Halo, Smash Bros, etc) and board games. Food provided.

If you have any consoles and games you would like to bring, please email Josh at joshs@uwieee.org! We’re hoping to have a big LAN tournament and could really use the help. 🙂

In addition, are you interested in becoming an IEEE officer for next year? Well, you’re in luck! The IEEE student chapter is excited to be filling officer positions for next year.

Officer positions include:

– Corporate Liaison

– Treasurer

– Events Coordinator

– Operations Manager

– Membership Director

– Public Relations Director

– Marketing Director

– Chair

Check out which officer position you’re most interested in: http://bit.ly/HJG0sv

And then fill out the officer application: http://bit.ly/HGDgNc

Why should you become an officer?

– Gain leadership skills

– Looks great on the resume

– Coordinate events

– Network with companies

If you have any questions or want to hear more, come to game night on 4/26 or contact Josh at joshs@uwieee.org. Thanks!

April 25, 2012

Events in the building this weekend

On Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 10:52 AM, Tracy Erbeck <> wrote:

We have a few different large events in the building this weekend…..the exterior doors will be unlocked for most of both Saturday and Sunday.

The events are not CSE, so the usual etiquette applies (the food/drink are for the event attendees only).

Thank you!

Tracy Erbeck

Facilities Manager, CSE, University of Washington

tracy@cs.washington.edu

206.543.9264 (office)

206.543.2969 (fax)

April 25, 2012

Discovery Days reminder

From David Rispoli:

A reminder that the 2012 College of Engineering Open House, Discovery Days, will take place tomorrow, April 20 and Saturday, April 21. Here is what to expect:

FRIDAY

Campus Event: 9 am to 2 pm. Mostly middle school aged students.

Allen Center Exhibits: CSE: 10 am to 1 pm only; EE: 9 am to 2 pm; all non-building occupants restricted to the atrium.

Undergraduate volunteers and CSE staff will be watching the upper floors from the catwalks and should be visible from all floors. Please let us know if you see any unauthorized visitors on the second floor or above.

SATURDAY

Campus and Allen Center Events: 10 am to 2 pm. Mostly high school students.

While there will be guided tours throughout the CSE building, most of the activities will again be restricted to the atrium. On Saturday visitors will be allowed on the upper floors between 10 and 2, but please let the CSE staff in the first floor atrium know if you see unsupervised younger students or any suspicious activities.

Husky Fest is also taking place today, tomorrow and Saturday http://www.washington.edu/150/huskyfest/ and is expected to draw thousands more to campus. Many here for Husky Fest will most likely also find their way to our building. However we are prepared for potentially larger crowds for this year’s event.

Thank you for your cooperation. Please let me know if you have any questions about Discovery Days activities.

April 19, 2012

NY Times article

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: James Landay

Mike Krieger, one of the two founders, worked with Scott Klemmer at Stanford and published a CHI 2009 paper.

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 14, 2012, at 9:27 AM, “Ed Lazowska” wrote:

> This NY Times article on Instagram is terrific:
>
> http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/14/technology/instagram-founders-were-helped-by-bay-area-connections.html

_

April 19, 2012

Another research study looking for volunteers

Attention Mac users!

Want to share your opinions about the iCal app on Mac OS X? We’re conducting a user research study on iCal, giving you the chance to share your gripes or praises about iCal.

The study will either be held this Saturday or this Sunday on the UW campus, depending on the availability of the participants.

To participate in the study, you should meet the following requirements:

Currently use a Mac
Currently use iCal or have used iCal at least once before
Be over 18 years of age

Participants will receive a $5 Amazon gift card and will be given snacks and beverages during the study.
Want to participate? Fill out this short questionnaire and we’ll contact you by Friday if you’re an appropriate match.

Additional Information

This is a group study. You will be seated with a group of other people and asked to share your thoughts out loud. This study may be recorded. Videos may be made publicly viewable for presentations and student portfolios unless participants request that their information remains confidential.

The information gathered from this study will be used for a class project for a course within the Human Centered Design & Engineering department.

Thank you!

April 17, 2012

Research study needs volunteers

Dear STEM student,

My name is Alma Emadi and I’m a Presidential scholar and a senior in the Industrial and Systems Engineering department. My team and I are conducting a research study in use and allocation of colors in designing displays. We are looking for graduate and undergraduate students in the science, technology, mathematics and engineering majors to take part in our experiment. Our experiment will be set up as a 15-minute information session followed by a 5-minute simulation game. . The whole procedure should not take more than 30 minutes and will be conducted in a convenient location on campus. We will schedule the experiment with our subject at a time of your convenience and will provide free delicious food to those who participate. We will not be collecting any personal data apart from gender and age and will not keep a separate link between our subjects and the acquired data. There are no physical risks associated with this experiment, and it should be relatively easy for you to do. Please help us by spreading the word in your department and between your friends. We would greatly appreciate your help!. If you want to read more about our research, you can read a short summary of it below this letter. Furthermore, if you’d like to get more information about it, you can reach us at aemadi@uw.edu or by phone at (206)-501-6946. You can also schedule your participation appointment at: http://www.doodle.com/i445dmq4mek377x8. If none of those times work for you, just email us and we will find another time that works for you.

Best regards,

Alma Emadi

Do you wonder how displays are classified and defined?

Displays in general are designed objects meant for communication and notification. The display design has become even more important as the necessity of such information communication increases, such as displays used in control rooms and in manufacturing systems. The ineffectiveness of such displays can lead the operator to be in one of the following situations: The operator will make a type-one error, where he/she falsely detects a signal, or the operator will make a type-two error, where he/she fails to detect the signal when the signal is actually present. Lastly, the operator will be under heavy stress and even though he/she might not make a mistake yet, the chances of such occurrence increase dramatically. While there have been many advancements in the physical configuration of displays, the use of color in designing such objects has not been studied excessively and there have been contradicting results in regard to the benefits of using colors in display design. Moreover, with regards to the selection of colors and allocating them on the display, no general solution exists.

What is this research about exactly?

This research will place an emphasis on finding a methodology for the use and allocation of colors in display design and will be an innovative contribution to the field of display design and, more generally, human factors engineering. Our research question is divided into two parts. The first part is that we will determine if incorporating colors into displays is effective in reducing recognition time and increasing accuracy of signals. Secondly, we will investigate how colors should be allocated and successful methods of color-coding. Our research hypothesis is that use of colors will yield higher accuracy rate and lower detection time; however, we will weight accuracy more strongly than speed. In that matter, we believe that using colors as an additional tag of data will improve both priorities. The form our experiment would be similar to a short simulation game. We have designed a display using a simulation program called NetLogo. The display has multiple elements. It is programed in a way that would automatically simulate a thermodynamic reaction when activated. Users will be asked to detect the signals in a timely manner and respond to prompts appearing on the screen. The simulation game will record the time and accuracy of the responses. These data will be analyzed and conclusions will be drawn.

What am I asked to do exactly?

You will be asked to seat in front of a projected computer screen and a keyboard. You will be asked to monitor the screen and look for any signals, alarms, and commands appearing on the screen. A typical alarm would be a flashing red signal indicating that a value has gone over the accepted value. A typical signal would be a flashing light indicating a change in an indicated value, and a typical command would be a text based command appearing on the screen asking the subject to key in the value of a given element (e.g temperature valve) using the numerical keys on the keyboard. All the alarms and signals will be connected to an alphabetical key on the keyboard and will indicate that on the screen. You will only use the keyboard to enter the requested information. The simulation game will automatically record two data points for each signal, alarm, or signal. The first data point will be recording the time from signal initiation to signal detection by the user, and the second data point will record the accuracy of the input. This data point can have two different kinds of values: the first kind is for indicating whether or not the detected signal by the user was an actual signal or not (if it’s false alarm or not). The second type of data point will record the actual numerical value of the input the subject has given in response to a command from the simulation game. These data will not have identifying tags and will be only recording experiment number. These data will be kept on a flash drive that is password protected and will only be accessible by the investigators and the advising faculty. After the simulation game is done, we will ask you to take a very short survey about your experience and will ask you to provide us with your age, gender, and opinion about using colors in designing displays. This survey should not take more than 5 minutes to complete. After the survey you will be treated to some delicious food! We thank you in advance for helping us out and we hope you enjoy the experience.

Please note that if you have been diagnosed with color-blindness we will unfortunately be unable to accept you as a subject for this experiment.

April 16, 2012