ACM MemberNet - April 30, 2009
Welcome to the April 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 current and past issues of MemberNet online at http://membernet.acm.org/. Is there a person, event, or issue you'd like to see covered? Please email mn-editor at acm.org.
Read TechNews, ACM's digest of news and information for IT professionals published three times a week.
Washington Update, a monthly newsletter from USACM reporting on activities in Washington.
Published biweekly, ACM CareerNews provides summaries of articles on career-related topics in the computing field.
ACM-W newsletter (pdf) from ACM's Committee on Women in Computing
TOP STORIES
- An Interview with 2008 ACM Turing Award Winner Barbara Liskov
- ACM, Infosys Foundation Cite Network Pioneer for Revolutionary Advances in Web Search Techniques
- ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award Honors Processor Architect
- New Communications of the ACM Web Site Launches
Awards
- ACM Recognizes Women Leaders in Technology and Innovations to Digital Library
- Call for Nominations for New ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award
Member Recognition
- Call for ACM Senior and Distinguished Member Nominations
Conferences and Events
- 2009 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest Winners Announced
- STOC 2009 Symposium on Theory of Computing to Feature Athena Lecturer
- Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference Now Accepting Submissions
- Video Game Competition Added to SIGGRAPH 2009
- Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Now Accepting Scholarship Applications
- SC09 Technical Program to Focus on Bio-computing, Environment, 3D Internet
- SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 Call for Participation
Member Programs
- ACM Member-Get-A-Member 2008–2009 Campaign
- ACM Adds Four Offerings to Insurance Program
- Take Advantage of ACM's Lifetime Membership Plan
Online Books & Courses
- New Course Program in Online Books & Courses!
- Special ACM Membership Benefit: Upgrade Your Subscription to Safari Books Online Library
- Stevens-WebCampus Summer 2009 Course Registration Now Open
Career & Job Center
- ACM's Career & Job Center Has a New Look
Education
- Updated Undergraduate Curricula in Computing: IT2008 and CS2008
- SIGCSE 2009 Hosts CSTA Roadshow Outreach Workshop
- SC09 Summer Workshops for Faculty, Students Focus on HPC Curriculum, Professional Development
Student News
- Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
- 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
ACM-W News
- ACM-W Ambassador's Report: Canadian Students Bring IT to Aboriginal Communities
Publications News
- Journal of the ACM Seeking Editor-in-Chief
- acmqueue Revisits Network Front-end Processors
- interactions Reports: Who Can You Trust in the Digital Age?
ACM in the News
- "Battle of the Brains Crowns World Champions"
- "Tapia Conference Hits Record Attendance"
- "The Stranger Side of CHI 2009"
- "Q&A: Turing Award Winner Barbara Liskov"
TOP STORIES
An Interview with 2008 ACM Turing Award Winner Barbara Liskov
Barbara Liskov, the recipient of the 2008 ACM A.M. Turing Award, was interviewed recently by Stephen Ibaraki as part of his interview series for CIPS Connections. The 38-minute segment includes Liskov's recollections on her career and her views on a number of future technologies. Please visit An Interview with Barbara Liskov for selected excerpts, as well as additional background.
ACM, Infosys Foundation Cite Network Pioneer for Revolutionary Advances in Web Search Techniques
Jon Kleinberg, a professor at Cornell University, is the recipient of the 2008 ACM-Infosys Foundation Award in the Computing Sciences for his contributions to improving Web search techniques that allow billions of Web users worldwide to find relevant, credible information on the ever-evolving Internet. Kleinberg, 37, developed models that document how information is organized on the Web, how it spreads through large social networks, and how these networks are structured to create the small world phenomenon known as "six degrees of separation." The ACM-Infosys Foundation Award, established in August 2007, recognizes personal contributions by young scientists and system developers to a contemporary innovation that exemplifies the greatest recent achievements in the computing field. Financial support for the $150,000 award is provided by an endowment from the Infosys Foundation.
Read the press release.
ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award Honors Processor Architect
Joel Emer is to receive the prestigious ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award for pioneering contributions to performance analysis, modeling methodologies, and design innovations in several significant industry microprocessors. Emer developed quantitative methods including measurement of real machines, analytical modeling, and simulation techniques that are now widely employed to evaluate the performance of complex computer processors. He was also cited for his ability to bridge the gaps that often mark research and development as well as academia and industry. Emer will receive the 2009 Eckert-Mauchly Award, known as the most prestigious award in the computer architecture community, at the International Symposium on Computer Architecture, June 20-24, in Austin, TX. The Eckert-Mauchly Award is given for contributions to computer and digital systems architecture, and is co-sponsored by ACM and the IEEE Computer Society.
Read the press release.
New Communications of the ACM Web Site Launches
ACM has launched a new web site for its flagship publication Communications of the ACM, the world's premier monthly magazine for the computing and information technology fields. The web site features a wide range of high quality and topical News, Opinion, Research, and Practitioner-oriented content from the magazine, as well as original and user-generated content that is exclusive to the new site. Among the site's numerous features is the ability to access the complete CACM archive spanning more than 50 years of in-depth coverage of the computing profession, as well as the ability to search content from across the entire ACM Digital Library and other sources around the Web. In addition, the site contains extensive blog content, including blog@CACM, which provides a completely new forum for a growing community of the world's leading industry and academic experts on a range of topics within computing, and a Blog Roll of established syndicated bloggers that reflects the geographic and intellectual scope of the computing world. The site is updated daily and is accessible by both the general public and Communications of the ACM subscribers.
Read the press release.
Awards
ACM Recognizes Women Leaders in Technology and Innovations to Digital Library
ACM has announced the winners of three awards honoring significant contributions to the computing and information technology field. These awards recognize dedicated professionals whose creativity and commitment to innovation have changed the way the world works and lives, from expanded opportunities for technical women and vastly improved processor efficiency to greater access to digitized computing research. The recipients of the 2009–2010 Athena Lecturer Award, the Distinguished Service Award, and the Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award will be honored at the annual ACM Awards Banquet on June 27, in San Diego, CA.
Read the press release.
Call for Nominations for New ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award
The new ACM - IEEE CS Ken Kennedy Award recognizes substantial contributions to programmability and productivity in computing and substantial community service or mentoring contributions. The award honors the substantial research, service, and mentoring contributions of the late Ken Kennedy, the founder of Rice University's computer science program and one of the world's foremost experts on high-performance computing. The first presentation of this award will be in November 2009 at the SC 09 conference. The award is open to contributors at all stages of their careers. The winner of the award should be someone who has made an outstanding, innovative contribution or contributions to programming and productivity in computing, and has also contributed to computing through teaching, mentoring, or community service. Anyone may nominate. The award includes a $5,000 honorarium. The recipient will give a presentation, normally technical, at the SC conference at which it is announced, or at an ACM or IEEE conference of the winner's choosing during the year following the announcement. The deadline for nominations is July 1. Nominations that follow the guidelines on the Award Nominations page should be sent to the attention of the Kennedy Award Chair (see contact information under heading, "2008 Award Subcommittee Chairs and Members").
Member Recognition
Call for ACM Senior and Distinguished Member Nominations
The Senior Member advanced grade of membership 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 deadline for nominations is June 1.
The Distinguished 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.
Conferences and Events
2009 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest Winners Announced
Students from St. Petersburg State University of IT, Mechanics and Optics have been crowned the 2009 ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Champions. The 2009 World Finals Awards Ceremony took place in the Stockholm Concert Hall where the Nobel Prizes are presented every year. KTH, the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden hosted this year's event. Referred to as "The Battle of the Brains," the ACM-ICPC World Finals challenged the world's top 100 university teams to use open standard technology in designing software that solves real-world problems. The teams were awarded medals based on the number of problems they solved correctly in the shortest amount of time. Tsinghua University in China, St. Petersburg State University in Russia, and Saratov State University in Russia finished the competition in second, third, and fourth places and all won Gold medals. The ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest event is sponsored by IBM.
Read the ACM press release.
Read the IBM press release.
STOC 2009 Symposium on Theory of Computing to Feature Athena Lecturer
The 41st ACM Symposium on Theory of Computing (STOC 2009), sponsored by the ACM Special Interest Group on Algorithms and Computation Theory (SIGACT), will be held in Bethesda, Maryland May 31 to June 2, with a welcome reception and a celebration/workshop in honor of Prof. Leslie Valiant's 60th birthday on May 30. The Athena Lecture by 2008/09 winner Shafi Goldwasser will also be presented at STOC, the premier ACM conference on the foundations of Computer Science.
2009 Computers, Freedom & Privacy Conference Now Accepting Submissions
The 19th annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy conference, slated for June 1 to 4, 2009 in Washington, DC, is the leading policy conference exploring the impact of the internet, computers, and communications technologies on society. For more than a decade, CFP has anticipated policy trends and issues and has shaped the public debate on the future of privacy and freedom in an ever more technology-filled world. CFP focuses on topics such as freedom of speech, privacy, intellectual property, cybersecurity, telecommunications, electronic democracy, digital rights and responsibilities, and the future of technologies and their implications. Tutorials and workshops will include:- Data Mining: Privacy, Transparency, Democracy
- Twittering in the Trenches: Activism Using Social Networks
- Constitutional Law in Cyberspace
- Electronic Health Records
- Online Advertising: Pulling Back the Curtain
- Fusion Centers vs. Privacy Silos
- The Web Is a Dangerous Place
- Making NSA Security Work for You
SIGGRAPH 2009, the international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques, will launch GameJam!, a new international video game competition, this year. Programmers, artists and sound designers will collaborate as teams to compete for 24 consecutive hours to create, design, and implement their best effort at a comprehensive video game in the allotted time frame. Video games will be judged by a panel of industry experts, with prizes awarded in several categories including Best Game Play, Best Sound Design, Best Appearance, Best of Show, Crowd Favorite and Epic Failure. GameJam! was added to the SIGGRAPH 2009 program based upon past success with FJORG!, the SIGGRAPH iron-animator competition. Applications for this competition will be accepted until May 6.
Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Now Accepting Scholarship Applications
The 9th Annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing (GHC) presented by the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology (ABI), is the world's largest gathering of women in computing. The 2009 Grace Hopper Celebration will take place from September 30 to October 3, 2009 in Tucson, Arizona. This year's theme, "Creating Technology for Social Good," recognizes the significant role women play in defining technology used to solve social issues. Scholarship applications are now being accepted; the deadline is May 27. Registration opens June 1, and online hotel reservations are now available.
SC09 Technical Program to Focus on Bio-computing, Environment, 3D Internet
The SC09 Conference, scheduled for November 14 to 20 in Portland, Oregon, will focus on the role of high-performance computing (HPC) in biological sciences, environmental sustainability, and the emerging three-dimensional Internet. The Bio-Computing Focus Area will examine research that uses HPC to solve problems in the behaviors of genes and proteins that can trigger cancers or other serious diseases. The Sustainability Focus Area will explore how to maintain environmental quality, how to develop and deploy renewable and clean energy, and how to improve the energy efficiency of businesses, data centers, and homes. The 3D Internet Focus Area will examine how 3D visualization and immersive environments such as Second Life are changing how people communicate, share information, educate students, and explore scientific problems. The scheduled keynote speaker will be Al Gore. SC09 is the premier international conference on High Performance Computing (HPC), networking, storage and analysis.
Student Participation: The SC09 Student Job Fair is a face-to-face networking event that will enable students to meet with potential employers from any organization that is a contracted SC09 Exhibitor to discuss summer job, graduate school assistantship, or permanent employment opportunities. The SC09 Mentor/Protégé Program is designed to enhance the conference experience for its SC Communities participants. Each protégé is matched up with a volunteer Mentor at the conference.
Participation Grants: SC09's Broader Engagement program offers grants to support participation at the conference by individuals from groups that traditionally have been underrepresented in HPC. In addition to receiving complimentary conference registration, grant recipients will be reimbursed for their SC09 lodging and transportation expenses. Applications from students and young professionals in all computing-related disciplines are encouraged. Participation grant applications will be accepted between April 1 and August 3. Recipients will be notified in early September. To apply, visit the SC09 Submissions web site.
See information on SC09's summer workshops in this issue of MemberNet.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 Call for Participation
The second SIGGRAPH Asia 2009 conference follows a very successful inaugural conference last year, where researchers, developers, producers, and providers of computer graphics and interactive techniques found a new international venue in which to newtork and share ideas. The 2009 conference, which will take place December 16 to 19 in Yokohama, Japan, is accepting proposals for its Art Gallery; Computer Animation Festival; Courses; Educators, Emerging Techologies, and Student Internship programs; sketches and posters; and papers. Most submission deadlines are in May and June; visit the SIGGRAPH ASIA 2009 web site for more information.
Member Programs
ACM Member-Get-A-Member 2008–2009 Campaign
There's still plenty of time to participate in the ACM 2008–2009 Member-Get-A-Member Recruitment Drive! Eligible recruiters can choose from a great selection of prizes, and compete for our 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, 2009. For referral forms, recruitment tips and tools, prizes and rewards, and bonus gifts, visit the Member-Get-a-Member drive page.
ACM Adds Four Offerings to Insurance Program
ACM has added four 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). Lifetime Members will receive a certificate of recognition suitable for framing, and enjoy all of the benefits of ACM Professional Membership.
Online Books & Courses
New Course Program in Online Books & Courses!
ACM is excited to have recently launched a new online course program through leading provider Element K®. This program includes more than 2,500+ online courses on a wide range of computing and business topics in multiple languages, 1,000 unique vLab exercises, an e-Reference Library, as well as a downloadable player that allows members to access assessments and self-study courses offline. The ACM Online Course Program is open to ACM Professional and Student Members. Log in to myACM and follow the "Element K Courses" link to try out our new online courses.
Special ACM Membership Benefit: Upgrade Your Subscription to Safari Books Online Library
Upgrade today to a Premium Library or Essential Tech Library subscription and gain access to thousands more books, videos and guides from top publishers. For a limited time, receive 40% off of the subscription fee to the Safari® Books Online Premium Library (ACM Member Price: $311) or Essential Tech Library (ACM Member Price: $239) when you upgrade by June 15. Go to the About Safari Books Online page to find out more.
Stevens-WebCampus Summer 2009 Course Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the Stevens-WebCampus Summer 2009 session. Choose from over 120 sections in Project Management, Information Systems, Financial Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Technology Management, Telecommunications Management, Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, and more. Stevens is also launching a new online program in Service Management. Students who are members of ACM receive a 10% discount when they enroll in WebCampus courses. View the list of courses available for Summer 2009.
Career & Job Center
ACM's Career & Job Center Has a New Look
ACM's redesigned Job Board debuted recently with new and updated graphics and easier-to-navigate categories for both job seekers and employers. In an effort to provide the most up-to-date functionality to job seekers, the site now includes an advanced resumé data parsing system that allows users to simply upload their resumés as a Word or PDF document. Whether you are an active job seeker or just like to keep abreast of what's available in the computing industry and academia, be sure to visit ACM's Job Board to update your resumé, create a new resumé in the Resumé Bank, or view job openings. For more information, please contact Jennifer Ruzicka.
Education
Updated Undergraduate Curricula in Computing: IT2008 and CS2008
The ACM Education Board and IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) have approved the IT2008 Curriculum and CS2008 Body of Knowledge Interim Updates. These revisions were produced by a joint task force and will be used to update college curricula in Information Technology and Computer Science, respectively. They can be found on the Curricula Recommendations home page.
SIGCSE 2009 Hosts CSTA Roadshow Outreach Workshop
Special Birds of a Feather sessions based on the sucessful Bring IT On! and CSTA/Google Roadshow workshops gave attendees at SIGCSE 2009 an opportunity to learn about how to create an engaging K–12 outreach program, share ideas, and build community. At the Roadshow Roadmap: Guide for Established Outreach Programs BoF, Suzanne Menzel (Indiana University), Bill Hogan (Cornell University), and Katie Siek (University of Colorado at Boulder) led a discussion about the realities of keeping a viable outreach program going. The Roadshow Roadmap: Getting Started with K–12 Outreach workshop was aimed at faculty, staff, and students who wanted to start a K–12 outreach program or improve an already established program. During the first part of the workshop, attendees learned why we do outreach and why it is important to create sustainable programs. After an outreach brainstorming session, attendees created a short outreach presentation and learned how to make their presentations more engaging. The series concluded on Friday, March 6, with a workshop organized by Chris Stephenson (CSTA), Sam Kamin (UIUC), Michelle Hutton (The Girl's Middle School, Mountain View, California), Sriram Mohan (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology), Joseph Cottam (Indiana University), Samantha Foley (Indiana University), Suzanne Menzel, and Katie Siek. At the end of each session, attendees were invited to join the Roadshow Google Group where the community can communicate and share materials. For more information, visit the SIGCSE 2009 Roadshow Roadmap Series page.
SC09 Summer Workshops for Faculty, Students Focus on HPC Curriculum, Professional Development
The SC Education Program of the International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis (SC09) provides week-long summer workshops in computational science and engineering, as well as high performance computing, emphasizing education and curriculum development for faculty, administrators, and students. These workshops focus on curriculum change and professional development, concentrating on today's high performance computing environments. Topics for the 2009 summer workshop series include:- Introduction to Computational Thinking
- Parallel Programming and Cluster Computing
- Computational Biology for Biology Educators
- Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators
- Computational Engineering for Engineering Educators
- Computational Physics for Physics Educators
- Computational Thinking in the Grade 6-12 Classroom
Student News
Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions Call for Submissions
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. PACT 2009 is the next conference accepting submissions. The deadline is June 13, 8:00 AM EDT. Learn about more competitions on the SRC submissions page.
ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
A program launched by the ACM Women's Council (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. For more information, visit the Reasons to Transition to Professional Membership page.
ACM-W News
ACM-W Ambassador's Report: Canadian Students Bring IT to Aboriginal Communities
The Science Ambassadors Program sends Canadian senior undergraduate and graduate students to Aboriginal Communities for extended periods of time to help their teachers to find and prepare hands-on science activities, experiments, and games, as well as culturally appropriate ways to explain science laws or phenomena. Learn more about this exciting outreach program in the latest installment of ACM-W's News Blog, by Canadian ACM-W Ambassador Julita Vassileva.
Publications News
Journal of the ACM Seeking Editor-in-Chief
The Journal of the ACM (JACM) is accepting nominations for Editor-in-Chief. Candidates will be evaluated after July 1. For more information please visit the JACM EIC search page.
acmqueue Revisits Network Front-end Processors
A highlight of Queue's focus on high-performance networking is Mike O'Dell's article Network Front-end Processors, Yet Again. Sometimes called TOEs (TCP offload engines), these processors are designed to boost network performance by offloading the execution of communications protocols to a separate processor. Rather than discussing the overall merits and viability of NFEs, O'Dell uses NFEs to illustrate the tradeoffs that influence the location choice for network stack software in a larger systems context.
interactions Reports: Who Can You Trust in the Digital Age?
The March + April issue of interactions magazine investigates the central role of trust in designing interfaces and interactions for today's social technologies. The issue also examines the burgeoning risks to online identity, the challenges of protecting your virtual self, and the potential for creating a digital self-image to foster self-trust. The idea of trust also applies to the need for collaboration in design interaction, and several articles demonstrate the importance of cross-organizational, cross-disciplinary collaboration. interactions, a bimonthly publication of ACM, focuses on the interactions among experiences, people, and technology.
View the digital edition and read the press release.
ACM in the News
"Battle of the Brains Crowns World Champions"
TG Daily, April 21, 2009
Team from St. Petersburg State University of IT, Mechanics and Optics wins ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Championship for second straight year.
"Tapia Conference Hits Record Attendance"
HPC Wire, April 16, 2009
Record 400 people from academia, industry, and government attended this year's Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference.
"The Stranger Side of CHI 2009"
Technology Review, April 13, 2009
ACM's Computer-Human Interaction (CHI) 2009 conference spotlighted many new inventions and concepts, some of which were decidedly unusual, such as a wearable system that tracks eye movements to facilitate computer control.
"Q&A: Turing Award Winner Barbara Liskov"
CNet, April 10, 2009
ACM's 2008 A.M. Turing Award winner Barbar Liskov identifies two components of writing good software: comprehending the fundamental techniques that one can use, and cultivating craft that favors simplicity over complexity.
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