ACM MemberNet - Sept. 27, 2007
Welcome to the September edition of ACM MemberNet, bringing you the world of ACM and beyond. Explore the many facets of ACM with our newsletter of member activities and events. Read MemberNet online at http://membernet.acm.org/
Read TechNews, ACM's digest of news and information for IT professionals published three times a week.
Published biweekly, ACM CareerNews provides summaries of articles on career-related topics in the computing field.
Awards
- Call for New ACM - Infosys Foundation Award Nominations
- Call for ACM Award Nominations
- Call for ACM Fellows and Advanced Member Level Nominations
- ACM SIG Awards Recognize Achievements in Diverse Fields
Member Benefits - Search Hundreds of Jobs in ACM's New Career & Job Center
- Online Courses: New Skillsoft IT Courses Added!
- Online Books: New Titles from Safari and Books24x7!
- New 2007/2008 Member-Get-A-Member Drive Launched
- ACM Adds Four New Offerings to Insurance Program
- Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
Conferences and Events - Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
- Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
- OOPSLA Conference to Feature Two ACM Turing Award Winners
- HPC Challenge Awards at SC07 Supercomputing Conference
Public Policy - ACM's Education Policy Committee Urges NSB to Include CS in Plan
Education - ACM Partners with MentorNet to Offer Mentoring Services
Student News - ACM Partners with MentorNet to Offer Mentoring Services
- Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions: CHI 08
- ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
- Student Volunteers Needed to Help Train High School CS Teachers
- Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
Publications News - New Editor-in-Chief for Transactions on Internet Technology
- George Neville-Neil Dishes on Common Web Security Problems in ACM Queue
- ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage Call for Papers
- ACM Seeks Missing SIG Newsletters for Digital Library
ACM in the News - "Where Have All the Techies Gone?"
- "Industry Experts to Showcase Innovative HPC Applications"
- "Group Says E-Voting Paper Trail Wouldn't Improve Security"
Awards
Call for New ACM - Infosys Foundation Award Nominations
The newly-established ACM - Infosys Foundation Award in the Computing Sciences recognizes personal contributions by young scientists and system developers to a contemporary innovation that, through its depth, fundamental impact and broad implications, exemplifies the greatest achievements in the discipline. The award is accompanied by a prize of $150,000. Financial support for the award is provided by an endowment from the Infosys Foundation. Nominations are due December 31, 2007.
Call for ACM Award Nominations
ACM brings broad recognition to outstanding technical and professional achievements within the computing and information technology community. Each year our award committees evaluate the contributions of candidates spanning a spectrum of professional and technological accomplishments. Nominations by ACM members of those who deserve recognition for their contributions to the field of computing are welcomed. This is a great opportunity to recognize some of the many unsung heroes.
The deadline for all ACM awards, including the A.M. Turing Award, is October 31, 2007, with the following exceptions:
The deadline for nominations for the ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award and the SIAM/ACM Award in Computational Science and Engineering is September 30, 2007. The deadline for the new ACM - Infosys Foundation Award is December 31, 2007.
Please refer to the ACM Awards page for:- award descriptions,
- lists containing the names of the previous ACM Award winners and their citations,
- nomination procedures for the 2007 awards, and
- contact information for the Chairs, and list of members, of the 2007 Award Committees.
ACM recognizes annually a class of ACM Fellows, our distinguished colleagues that ACM and its members look to for guidance and leadership. ACM also has advanced grade memberships of Distinguished Engineer/Scientist/Member and Senior Member.
Senior Member recognizes ACM members with at least 10 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who have demonstrated performance and accomplishment that set them apart from their peers. Nominations are accepted on a quarterly basis. The next deadline for nominations is November 30, 2007.
The Distinguished Engineer/Scientist/Member designation recognizes ACM members with at least 15 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who have demonstrated significant accomplishments or made a significant impact on the computing field. The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2008.
Fellows are outstanding ACM members with at least 5 years of continuous ACM Professional membership who are recognized for their technical, professional and leadership contributions that advance the objectives of ACM and the field as a whole. The deadline for nominations is September 9, 2008.
ACM SIG Awards Recognize Achievements in Diverse Fields
ACM's Special Interest Groups (SIGs) regularly cite outstanding individuals for their contributions in more than 30 distinct technological fields. Some awards presented at recent conferences were:- SIGCOMM Award
- SIGKDD Service Award
- SIGMOBILE Outstanding Contribution Award
- SIGSOFT Outstanding Research Award
- SIGWEB Ted Nelson and Douglas Engelbart Awards
Member Benefits
Search Hundreds of Jobs in ACM's New Career & Job Center
ACM's Career & Job Center has greatly expanded its scope of job opportunities in the computing industry. In addition, ACM members can benefit from exclusive career-enhancing features, including:- Access to hundreds of corporate job postings not often seen on commercial sites
- Resume posting, allowing you to stay connected to the employment market
- An advanced Job Alert system notifying you of opportunities matching your criteria
- Live career advice available to assist you in resume development, creating cover letters, company research, negotiating an offer, and more
Online Courses: New Skillsoft IT Courses Added!
To date more than 8,000 ACM members have utilized the 2,200 online technology and business courses available through SkillSoft. Project Management, Analyzing Project Risks, Project Lifecycle and Stakeholders, and The Mark of Leader are some of the most popular business skills courses. On the technical side, Design Concepts for Websites, XML, J2EE Architecture and GUI Java, Design Concepts for Websites, Web Service Technologies, Perl, Linux CLI, User Centered Design, and diverse .Net and C# courses have been popular. Now a wide variety of new Skillsoft IT courses have been added, including:- Analyzing Requirements
- Maintaining Operating Systems
- Project Management for Non-Project Managers
- Cryptography
- Telecommunications and Network Security
- Adding Multimedia and Animations to Presentations
- Team Dynamics
- Developing and Deploying Strategic Plans
- Quality Systems, Models, and Theories
- Optimizing Converged Cisco Networks (ONT)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Distributed Application Development
- Understanding and Supporting Networks
- Implementing IT Security
- XML Handling with C# 2005
- Asynchronous Programming and Deployment with C# 2005
- Customization and Security in Internet Explorer 7
- cons_01_a04_bs_enus
- Requirements Planning and Management
- Validating Requirements
- Information Security and Risk Management
- Security Architecture and Design
- Application Security
- Operations Security
- Understanding and Maintaining Networks
- Managing IT Security
Please take a look at the offerings and let us know what you think, by emailing [email protected].
Online Books: New Titles from Safari and Books24x7!
About 25 new electronic books from Safari are now available to ACM Professional members, including titles in AJAX, MySQL, Ruby, Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Photoshop, and lex & yacc. ACM Student and Professional members now have access to more than 70 new electronic books from Books 24x7, including titles in Web Services, Software Project Management, Networking, Data Mining, and many popular programming languages. Visit the Books main page for more information on the 1,100 books available to members in ACM's Online Books program.
New 2007/2008 Member-Get-A-Member Drive Launched
Now that ACM's 2006/2007 Member-Get-A-Member Recruitment Drive has come to a close, ACM would like to congratulate top recruiter Manikanta Kumar and second-place recruiter William Fielder, who were rewarded with a Video iPod and a Digital Camera respectively. The response to the program was our best to date, and we would like to thank all of our recruiters, and the new members, for their interest and participation! ACM recently launched its new 2007/2008 Member-Get-A-Member Recruitment Drive, with new prizes added to our already great selection, and an Apple iPhone grand prize! Current members are the ideal ambassadors to communicate the advantages of joining ACM to prospective members, and those who participate by telling friends and colleagues about ACM may be eligible for valuable gifts and special recognition. ACM's Online Member-Get-A-Member program is interactive, easy to use, and rewards members for helping to recruit new members. The drive ends June 30, 2008. For referral forms, recruitment tips and tools, prizes and rewards, and bonus gifts, visit the Member-Get-a-Member drive page.
ACM Adds Four New Offerings to Insurance Program
ACM is pleased to announce the addition of four new plans to the ACM Insurance Program. The new offerings are Group 10 or 20 Year Level Term Life Insurance, Long Term Care, and Group Dental Insurance. ACM members living in the US are eligible. Visit the insurance page to learn more about these programs, and all of ACM's Insurance Program plans.
Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
ACM Professional Members can enjoy the convenience of making a single payment for their entire tenure as an ACM Member, and also be protected from future price increases by taking advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership option. Pricing for ACM Lifetime Membership is based on age and current dues rates, and the option to include the ACM Digital Library is also available. ACM Lifetime Membership dues may be tax deductible under certain circumstances (please consult with your tax advisor).
Conferences and Events
Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing
With the theme "Passion in Computing, Diversity in Innovation," Tapia 2007 will take place October 14 to 17 in Orlando, Florida. The conference features speakers including former ACM President Maria Klawe, panels, workshops, and technical sessions covering information security, intelligent systems, human-centered design, and computational math and science. TAPIA 2007 also includes the Doctoral Consortium, an ACM Student Research Competition, and a robotics competition. The conference, held every other year, will be co-located with the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC 2007).
Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing
GHC 2007 supports women in their academic and professional lives as they expand their roles in the computing field. Participants will attend workshops in social innovation, machine learning, and many other topics, in a collaborative and stimulating environment. GHC will again host an ACM Student Research Competition. Former ACM President Maria Klawe and Numenta Founder, CEO and Chair Donna Dubinsky are the scheduled keynote speakers. A podcast of an interview with Klawe on women's participation in technology is available. The conference will be co-located with the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing (Tapia 2007), and will take place October 17 to 20 in Orlando, Florida. Registration ends October 8.
OOPSLA Conference to Feature Two ACM Turing Award Winners
Participants in the ACM SIGPLAN Conference on Object-Oriented Programming, Languages, Systems and Applications (OOPSLA 2007) will address the newest trends in improving programming languages, refining the practice of software development, and exploring new programming paradigms. Two Turing Award winners, Fred Brooks and John McCarthy, will be giving talks. Brooks, who won ACM's most prestigious award for landmark contributions to computer architecture, operating systems, and software engineering, will talk about collaboration and telecollaboration in design. McCarthy, who received the award for major contributions to the field of artificial intelligence, will present Elephant 2000, a proposed programming language for writing and verifying programs that interact with people and programs belonging to other organizations. OOPSLA 2007 takes place October 21 to 25 in Montreal.
HPC Challenge Awards at SC07 Supercomputing Conference
The HPC Challenge is designed to encourage the development of HPC hardware and software capabilities that will help make the use of HPC systems more productive. The awards session for this event will take place Tuesday, November 13, during SC07, the International Conference for High Performance Computing Networking, Storage and Analysis. Several awards will be given for performance and productivity. For more information, send email to [email protected].
Public Policy
ACM's Education Policy Committee Urges NSB to Include CS in Plan
ACM, through its newly created Education Policy Committee (EPC), called for Computer Science to be explicitly included in the National Science Board's plan to deal with shortcomings in the nation's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education system. Responding to a draft of the National Action Plan for Addressing the Critical Needs of the U.S. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education System (pdf) presented in early August, the EPC cited increasing demands for Computer Science-trained employees and the decline in Computer Science enrollments in its recommendations. This was the first action by the EPC, chaired by Robert Schnabel of Indiana University. See the September 5 issue of Washington Update for the full article. Read ACM's comments (pdf).
Education
ACM Partners with MentorNet to Offer Mentoring Services
ACM has partnered with MentorNet, the award-winning not-for-profit organization promoting e-mentoring relationships between professionals (mentors) and students (protégés) in the areas of engineering, science and math. The partnership provides an excellent opportunity for ACM Student Members to participate in MentorNet's One-on-One programs, matching them with mentors from industry, government, higher education, and other sectors. For professionals, participation in MentorNet's One-on-One Mentoring Program can make a big difference in a student's life by providing real-world information, encouragement and advice—in addition to being its own personally rewarding experience. Learn more about becoming a student protégé or a volunteer mentor at http://www.acm.org/mentornet.
Student News
ACM Partners with MentorNet to Offer Mentoring Services (see story under "Education")
Upcoming ACM Student Research Competition Call for Submissions: CHI 08
ACM Student Research Competitions take place at ACM-sponsored conferences throughout the year. Students present their papers in poster sessions to compete for the Grand Finals prizes, and network with luminaries from academia and industry. CHI 08 is the next conference accepting submissions. The deadline is January 8, 2008.
ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
A program launched by ACM's Committee on Women in Computing (ACM-W) provides support for undergraduate or graduate women students in Computer Science programs who are interested in attending research conferences. It is not required that the student present a paper at the conference she attends. High school students will also be considered for conference support. Initially, up to 12 scholarships of up to $500 each will be awarded annually. ACM-W also encourages the student's home department to match the scholarship award and recognize the student's achievement locally within her department. Applications will be evaluated in four groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences, with two to three awards given each quarter. For application form, notification dates and more information, please visit the scholarships page.
Student Volunteers Needed to Help Teach High School CS Teachers
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) is seeking Computer Science college students proficient in Java and other new programming languages and environments to train high school CS teachers in these technologies. Java Engagement for Teacher Training (JETT) and Teacher Enrichment in Computer Science (TECS) are one- and two-day workshops for high school teachers, hosted by college and university CS students and faculty. Hosting a JETT or TECS workshop is a great volunteer experience for individual student ACM members, as well as student chapters. For more information please contact Gail Chapman, the JETT and TECS workshop coordinator.
Graduating Students Eligible for Special Transition Rate
ACM offers a special ACM Professional Membership for $49 USD (regularly $99) to help graduating students make the transition to professional careers, and take advantage of continuous learning opportunities, including free online books and courses and access to ACM's Career & Job Center. This one-year-only transition rate includes all the benefits of Professional Membership plus the option of purchasing a Digital Library subscription for $50. Recent graduates can access this special transition offer through ACM's convenient online renewal form, or by following the instructions on the paper renewal form.
Publications News
New Editor-in-Chief for Transactions on Internet Technology
Patrick McDaniel has been named Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (TOIT). McDaniel was an Associate Editor for the publication. He is an Associate Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Pennsylvania State University.
George Neville-Neil Dishes on Common Web Security Problems in ACM Queue
Lately it seems like the term "secure Web application" is an oxymoron. But before you throw up your hands, take a look at the ACM Queue article Building Secure Web Applications. Author George Neville-Neil discusses the most common Web security problems, the current state of existing solutions, and the unsolved problems that continue to plague large Web applications.
ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage Call for Papers
ACM's new Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage (JOCCH) is seeking papers on the use of information and communications technology in support of Cultural Heritage, such as on-site and remotely sensed data collection; metadata, classification schema, ontologies and semantic processing; and intelligent tools for digital reconstruction. Visit the JOCCH Web site for more information.
ACM Seeks Missing SIG Newsletters for Digital Library
ACM is seeking to complete its Digital Library archive of Special Interest Group (SIG) newsletters. (Thanks to all who have contributed so far--we're 98% there!) Please review the spreadsheet of missing SIG newsletter issues and, if you have any of the ones on the list, contact Craig Rodkin with your list and for shipping details. Be sure to let Craig know if you'd like the newsletters returned to you.
ACM in the News
"Where Have All the Techies Gone?"
St. Petersburg Times (FL), September 23, 2007
Computer Science Teachers Association Executive Director Chris Stephenson says recent drop in enrollment Of CS students has been much more marked than in previous years.
"Industry Experts to Showcase Innovative HPC Applications"
HPC Wire, September 19, 2007
SC07's Masterworks sessions will give attendees at the supercomputing conference an opportunity to learn how high performance computing, communications, and storage technologies are impacting everything from golf clubs, race cars, and biofuels to household appliances.
"Group Says E-Voting Paper Trail Wouldn't Improve Security"
Computerworld, September 18, 2007
USACM Chair Eugene Spafford says safety-critical systems have been developed in other contexts using rigorous standards that are not applied to voting machines.
Read more ACM in the News.
Copyright © 2007, ACM, Inc.