ACM MemberNet - December 20, 2011

Welcome to the December 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.

TOP STORIES

Awards Member Recognition SIG Awards Conferences and Events Public Policy Member Programs Learning Center Career & Job Center Education Student News Distinguished Speakers Program Chapters News ACM-W News Publications News ACM in the News
TOP STORIES

ACM Annual Report Highlights International Cooperation
Internationalization was a common thread running through many of ACM's activities over the past 2010–2011 fiscal year, from significant growth in membership and chapters to the continuing success of international versions of conferences such as SIGGRAPH and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. ACM continues to push for strong computer science education programs at home and abroad, as well as attracting women and underrepresented groups to the computing field. ACM's publishing program now boasts 78 periodicals and further enhancements to the Digital Library. The online ACM Learning Center introduced Tech Packs, innovative learning packages on cutting-edge topics.
Read this and other board and committee annual reports.

ACM Names 46 Fellows for Computing Advances
ACM has recognized 46 of its members for their contributions to computing that have provided fundamental knowledge to the computing field and generated multiple technology advances in industry, commerce, healthcare, entertainment, and education. The 2011 ACM Fellows, from the world's leading universities, corporations, and research labs, are helping to drive the innovations that will sustain competitiveness in the digital age. "These women and men, who are some of the leading thinkers and practitioners in computer science and engineering, are changing how the world lives and works," said ACM President Alain Chesnais. "They have mastered the tools of computing and computer science to address the many significant challenges that confront populations across the globe. These international luminaries are responsible for solutions that are transforming our society for the better—in healthcare, communications, cybersecurity, robotics, commerce, industry, and entertainment."
Read the press release.

ACM Names 54 Distinguished Members for Contributions to Computing
ACM has named 54 of its members as Distinguished Members for their individual contributions to computing, which are driving innovation and enabling economic competitiveness. This year's Distinguished Members include computer scientists, educators, and engineers from leading academic and corporate institutions across countries and continents. They hail from universities in Australia, China, Greece, Finland, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom in addition to North America. The new Distinguished Members were recognized for significant advances in computing technology that have dramatically influenced progress on a range of human endeavors. "This year's Distinguished Members reflect ACM's continuing commitment to recognizing excellence throughout the computing world," said Alain Chesnais, president of ACM. "These prominent men and women reflect the global nature of advances in technology that drive education and innovation in the digital information age. Their achievements provide the foundation for groundbreaking developments that sustain competitiveness in a global economy. We celebrate their entrepreneurial and creative spirit and their service to the computing community."
For more information about the selection criteria and a complete list of 2011 Distinguished Members, please visit the 2011 Distinguished Members page.
Read the press release.

Awards

Call for ACM Award Nominations
Each year, ACM recognizes technical and professional achievements within the computing and information technology community through its celebrated Awards Program. And annually, ACM's award committees evaluate the contributions of candidates for various awards that span a spectrum of professional and technological accomplishments. You and your colleagues are invited to nominate candidates for ACM awards, including:
  • ACM-IEEE CS Eckert-Mauchly Award: March 1, 2012
Please take a moment to consider those individuals in your community who may be suitable for nomination. Refer to http://www.acm.org/nominations for nomination guidelines and the complete listing of Award Subcommittee Chairs and Members.

Call for 2012–2013 ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award Nominations
The ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award celebrates outstanding women researchers who have made fundamental contributions to computer science. Candidates are nominated by Special Interest Group (SIG) officers; the Athena Lecturer gives a keynote at a SIG meeting of her and the SIG's choice, and receives a $10,000 honorarium, funded by Google. More information can be found on the Athena announcement page, which includes links to the nomination form and talks by previous winners. Nominations are due February 1, 2012.
 
Member Recognition

Call for ACM Senior 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 March 1, 2012.

SIG Awards

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 (or to be presented) at recent conferences:
Conferences and Events

ACM Queue Launches Online Programming Challenge
ACM Queue Magazine is offering an online programming competition based on the 2011 International Collegiate Programming Competition (ICPC) Challenge problem. The Queue ICPC Challenge consists of a game called "Coercion" in which participants code "players" in C++, C#, Java, Python or JavaScript to compete with other programmers. Participants will have four weeks to develop their players, and can compete against preliminary players. The game begins January 15 and ends at midnight GMT February 12, and is open to all ACM Queue readers. To enter the game, please register for a free ACM Web account if you do not already have one, or sign in if you do have one.

IHI 2012, ACM SIGHIT International Health Informatics Symposium
IHI 2012 is ACM's premier community forum concerned with the application of computer science principles, information science principles, information technology, and communication technology to address problems in healthcare, public health, and everyday wellness. The conference highlights the most novel technical contributions in computing-oriented health informatics and the related social and ethical implications. IHI 2012 will feature keynotes, a multi-track technical program including papers, demonstrations, and panels. Scheduled keynote speakers are Sophia Ananiadou, Director of the UK National Centre for Text Mining (NaCTeM) and Professor of Computer Science at University of Manchester; and Jonathan R. Wolpaw, Chief, Laboratory of Neural Injury and Repair, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health and State University of New York. New additions to the IHI 2012 program include tutorials and a doctoral consortium. The conference will be held in Miami, Florida, January 28 to 30, 2012. View the preliminary program.

SIGCSE 2012 Looks to Future of "Teaching, Learning, and Collaborating"
With the theme, "Teaching, Learning, and Collaborating," SIGCSE 2012, the Symposium of ACM's Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education, takes place February 29 to March 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Papers, panels, posters, special sessions, and workshops will address problems common among educators working to develop, implement and/or evaluate computing programs, curricula, and courses. Attendees will have opportunities to discuss computer science education in birds-of-a-feather sessions and informal settings. The symposium provides a forum for sharing new ideas for syllabi, laboratories, and other elements of teaching and pedagogy, at all levels of instruction. Scheduled keynote speakers are Frederick P. Brooks, Jr., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Hal Ableson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (winner of the 2012 SIGCSE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Computer Science Education); and Fernanda Viégas and Martin Wattenberg, Google's "Big Picture" visualization research group. Early registration for SIGCSE members is available up to January 30.

Public Policy

ACM Education Policy Committee Chair Bobby Schnabel Honored at White House
Bobby Schnabel, Chair of ACM's Education Policy Committee and Dean of the School of Informatics at Indiana University, was recently honored at the White House for leading efforts to recruit and retain girls and women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. He was one of a dozen honorees recognized as as "Champions of Change," a program created as a part of President Barack Obama's Winning the Future initiative. Schnabel is co-founder and executive team member of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), a national nonprofit organization aimed at increasing the participation of women and girls in information technology education and careers.
Read the Indiana University press release.
Read the PR-Canada press release.
 
Member Programs

ACM Member Referral Program Revamped as "Ambassadors for ACM"
ACM members like you are our greatest source of new members. Your first-hand experience with ACM's valuable career development and continuous learning programs makes you a perfect envoy to share your ACM experiences. That's why we're now calling this program Ambassadors for ACM. Along with a new name, we've refreshed the referral process as well as recruitment tips and opportunities for prizes, rewards and bonus gifts. Grand prizes for the 2011–2012 year now include an Android tablet and a Nook eBook reader. The top ACM Ambassador for November is Apoorv Baweja, with 7 referrals. Learn more about new rules, recruitment tips and tools, as well as rewards and prizes by visiting the Ambassadors for ACM site.

Live Chat Feature Now Available to Members
ACM's new interactive Live Chat feature provides members with an opportunity for real-time customer service from our Member Service Representatives. To start your chat, simply log in to myACM with your ACM web account username and password and click on the Live Chat icon. Live chat is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Any chats attempted after hours will automatically generate an email to ACM to be answered during regular business hours.

Auto and Home Insurance Benefit Available from Liberty Mutual
As an ACM member you could receive exclusive savings on your auto and home insurance. Plus, with Liberty Mutual, you get service and support when and where you need it. To learn more about Liberty Mutual insurance or to get a free, no-obligation quote, please visit http://www.libertymutual.com/acm or call 1-800-524-9400 and refer to group #8559.

ACM Member Benefit: The Association for Computing Machinery Platinum Plus MasterCard Credit Card
With the Association for Computing Machinery Platinum Plus MasterCard credit card with WorldPoints rewards, you'll earn points on purchases to redeem for cash, travel, merchandise, even unique adventures. Using this card benefits Association for Computing Machinery—at no additional expense to you. You can make an even bigger difference by redeeming your points to make a charitable donation. In addition, you'll get our Clarity Commitment summary—a simple explanation of key account terms written in plain language, so you understand what you're getting. And with Bank of America's $0 Liability Guarantee, you'll have fewer disruptions if you experience fraudulent charges.

Learn more about this and other ACM member programs by visiting the discounts and special offers page.

Attention Faculty: Order Complimentary Materials for Your Students
ACM offers the opportunity for faculty members to order complimentary materials for distribution to their students who are interested in the field of computing. Available items include ACM student membership brochures and posters, as well flyers featuring ACM's Digital Library, Code of Ethics, and student chapters, among others. Place your order using our easy online form and your request will be fulfilled promptly!
 
Learning Center

Webinar on Cloud Computing and Smart Devices Coming in January!
Mark your calendars for January 26 at 2 p.m. EST, when ACM will present its first free webinar on "The Cloud in Your Hands—Marriage of Cloud Computing with Smart Devices." Designed for IT managers and developers, this session will provide an introduction to the exciting new world of cloud-enabled mobile computing. Speakers Arjmand Samuel, Senior Research Program Manager, and Danny Dalal, Senior Development Lead (both at Microsoft Research) will lead the session moderated by David Johnson, Rice University professor and Past Chair of ACM SIGMOBILE. Innovations in wireless networking technology are driving our increasingly connected world, with mobile devices gaining acceptance for both professional and private use. The future promises a vast majority of devices relying on cloud services to enhance end user experiences. Registration is required for this event, as space is limited.

Mobility Tech Pack Explores Surging Field in Computing
Mobile Computing is the fastest growing area in computer science, fueled by the explosive growth of the smart phone and cell phone market, expected to reach 1.7 billion units shipped this year. The ACM Learning Center's newest Tech Pack, Mobility, edited and annotated by Roy Want, Chair of ACM SIGMOBILE, and his Mobility Tech Pack Committee, includes original work, must-read texts, and the latest research from the ACM Digital Library and beyond. In addition to valuable supplemental material such as tutorials, newsletters, blogs, and videos, the Tech Pack also includes ACM's recent podcast interview with Roy Want, who discusses his research, work on the Tech Pack, SIGMOBILE, and the future of mobile computing.

Visit the ACM Learning Center for online books, courses, Tech Packs, Learning Paths, webinars, podcasts, and other professional development resources.

Get Started in Python with ACM's New Python Learning Path!
The Python Learning Path, created by self-confessed "Pythonista" Bill Punch of Michigan State University, serves up a fun and unique introduction to the Python programming language. Starting with Python's history and philosophy, Punch provides a balanced overview of Python's strengths (and weaknesses). With his refreshingly informal and accessible language and practice problems, he guides users through startup basics, built-in datatypes, functions, classes and object-oriented programming (OOP), and offers a number of additional resources from the very rich and vibrant Python community.

New Element K Courseware for Programming, Information Security
This month Element K adds a number of new online courses for ACM members. VMware View 4.5 Fundamentals is the latest addition to the VMware series for those interested in virtualization technology. Linux fans will find a number of new titles in Linux System Administration: LPI Certification (2009 Objectives). Other notable additions include an eight-part series on Project Management Essentials and GIAC Information Security Fundamentals (GISF) Certification. View the course catalog in ACM's Learning Center for the complete list of courses.
 
Career & Job Center

Import your LinkedIn Profile in ACM's Career & Job Center!
Now available when posting a résumé in the Résumé Bank: import your LinkedIn profile. You will be required to sign in to your LinkedIn account. Please note that LinkedIn does not have exactly the same fields as ACM so you will have to review the imported information and update where necessary. Once you have a résumés created and saved in our system, you can publish it to the Résumé Bank so employers find you! Or keep it private and use it when applying online for jobs. So log in to ACM's Job Board and post your résumé today!

In addition, ACM offers CareerNews, which provides summaries of articles on career-related topics of interest to students and professionals in the computing field, in a bi-weekly email alert to ACM members. ACM members can subscribe to the CareerNews email alert service.

For more information about the Career & Job Center please contact Jennifer Ruzicka.
 
Education

ACM Education Policy Committee Chair Bobby Schnabel Honored at White House (See story under Public Policy)


New Edition of K–12 Curriculum Report Released at CSEdWeek
The Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) took the opportunity during CSEdWeek (December 4–10) to unveil the 2011 edition of the ACM K–12 CS Model Curriculum. The Curriculum delineates a core set of learning standards designed to provide the foundation for a complete computer science curriculum and its implementation at the K–12 level. The report's Executive Summary states: "Significant progress has been made since the ACM Model Curriculum for K–12 Computer Science Education was first published in 2003 and revised in 2006. Many follow-up efforts are still needed, however, to sustain the momentum these standards generate. Teacher training, curriculum innovation, teaching resources, and dissemination are but a few of these challenges."

CS2013 Steering Committee Conducting "Characteristics of Graduates" Survey
The CS2013 Steering Committee, a joint ACM/IEEE Computer Society task force charged with producing revised computer science curricular guidelines, is conducting an important survey of the characteristics of CS graduates. The survey is based on the expected characteristics of computer science graduates from the CS2008 guidelines. Please take a moment to fill out the survey. Your feedback is crucial to the success of CS2013.
 
Student News

Upcoming ACM Student Research Competitions
ACM Student Research Competitions (SRCs), sponsored by Microsoft Research, offer a unique forum for undergraduate and graduate students to present their original research at well-known ACM sponsored and co-sponsored conferences before a panel of judges and attendees. The most recent SRC winners presented at SC 2011. The next conferences accepting submissions are:
  • CHI 2012, May 5–10, 2012, deadline January 9, 2012
  • ICSE 2012, June 2–9, 2012, deadline January 15, 2012
  • SIGGRAPH 2012, August 5–9, 2012, deadline February 21, 2012
  • SPLASH 2012, October 19–26, 2012, deadline June 29, 2012
  • ASSETS 2012, October 22–24, 2012, deadline June 29, 2012
Learn about more competitions on the SRC submissions page.

CRA's URO Zone Connects Students with Opportunities for Undergraduate Research
The Computing Research Association (CRA) has launched a new website to help undergraduate students identify computing research opportunities. The site—URO Zone, for Undergraduate Research Opportunities—provides links to a range of summer undergraduate research resources. It also posts profiles of undergraduates and details their recent computing research projects. URO Zone offers guidelines to help discover research opportunities in a variety of areas, from applied to theoretical computer science. It also defines specific research fields, describes CRA and ACM undergraduate awards programs, and lists links for finding computing research opportunities.

ACM-W Student Scholarships for Attendance at Research Conferences
The ACM Women's Council (ACM-W), with funding from Wipro Technologies, provides support for women undergraduate or graduate students in computer science and related programs who wish to attend research conferences. The student does not have to present a paper at the conference she attends. High school students will also be considered for conference support. As of 2011, 20 ACM-W/Wipro scholarships are funded annually: 10 scholarships of up to $600 will be awarded for intra-continental conference travel, and 10 scholarships of up to $1,200 will be awarded for intercontinental conference travel. ACM-W encourages the student's home department to match the scholarship award and recognize the student's achievement locally within her department. In addition, if the award is for attendance at one of several ACM special interest group conferences (SIGACCESS, SIGACT, SIGARCH, SIGCOMM, SIGCSE, SIGDA, SIGECOM, SIGSOFT, SIGGRAPH, SIGITE, SIGOPS, and SIGPLAN), the SIG will provide complementary conference registration and a mentor during the conference. Applications are evaluated in six groups each year, in order to distribute awards across a range of conferences. For application form, notification dates and more information, please visit the scholarships page.

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.
 
Distinguished Speakers Program

Featured Distinguished Speaker: Mohammad Tehranipoor
The Distinguished Speakers Program (DSP) is one of ACM's most valued outreach programs, providing universities, corporations, event and conference planners, and local ACM chapters with direct access to top technology leaders and innovators from nearly every sector of the computing industry.

This month's featured speaker is Mohammad Tehranipoor. Mohammad is currently an associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Connecticut. His current research projects include: computer-aided design and test for CMOS VLSI designs, reliable systems design at nanoscale, design-for-testability, at-speed test, secure design and IC trust. Tehranipoor has published over 105 journal articles and refereed conference papers in these areas, as well as two books on nanotechnology. He is a member of ACM and ACM SIGDA, and a senior member of IEEE. He served as Program Chair of several IEEE workshops, and co-founded the IEEE International Symposium on Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust.

For more information on Mohammad, please visit his DSP speaker information page.

ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program Expands to Colleges, Universities, Corporations
ACM's Distinguished Speakers Program (DSP) is expanding its venues for delivering compelling content on computing and IT to colleges, universities, and corporations. Previously available only to ACM Local Chapters, the DSP technology leaders and innovators offer more than 250 presentations on topics covering software engineering, high performance computing, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, gaming, mobile computing, and dozens more. Nearly 100 speakers can be booked through the ACM DSP to educate technical staff, ramp up the knowledge of teams, provide opportunities for direct speaker interaction, and boost attendance at meetings and events. ACM's Distinguished Speakers represent prominent companies, colleges and universities from around the world. These renowned thought leaders have proven abilities to address current issues, including Electronic Voting in the 21st Century; Software Engineering Best Practices; Software Under Siege: Viruses and Worms; Spatial Databases and Geographic Information Systems; and Careers in Computing—How to Prepare and What to Expect.

Read more about the ACM Distinguished Speakers Program and how to search for and select speakers on the DSP home page.
 
Chapters News

Welcome New ACM Chapters
Chapters are the "local neighborhoods" of ACM. The regional ACM Professional, Student, ACM-W, and Special Interest Group (SIG) chapters around the globe involve members locally in competitions, seminars, lectures, workshops, and networking opportunities. ACM welcomes these new chapters that were chartered November 10 to December 9:

ACM Student Chapters:
  • CSU ACM Student Chapter, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Grinnell College ACM Student Chapter, Grinnell, Iowa
  • ISM Dhanbad ACM Student Chapter, Dhanbad, India
  • Nairobi-Kenya ACM-W Chapter
  • Reed College ACM Student Chapter, Portland, Oregon
  • Sullamussalam Science College Malappuram, Kerala, India
  • University of Kansas ACM Student Chapter, Lawrence
Notice of Chapters to Be De-chartered
ACM is considering the de-charter of the following chapters due to inactivity. Members interested in revitalizing their chapters should contact Samantha Goldberg, Local Activities Coordinator, at [email protected]. ACM will terminate the chapters listed below after 90 days (January 25, 2012) unless interested volunteers express a desire to reactivate their chapter by preparing acceptable revitalization plans.

ACM Student Chapters:
Bahria University ACM Student Chapter; Boston College; Bryant & Stratton College - Milwaukee; Case Western Reserve University; Colby College ACM Student Chapter; Colorado State University/Pueblo; Computer Technology Club, Bowie State University; COMSATS Institute of Technology ACM Student Chapter; East Central University; Fatih University; Francis Marion University ACM Student Chapter; Gonzaga University; Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Bidar Student Chapter of ACM; Illinois Institute of Tech; Immaculata University; Instituto Tecnologico de Saltillo ACM Student Chapter; Instituto Tecnologico Superior de Irapuato; Lafayette College; Lakehead University ACM Student Chapter; Louisiana Technical University; Macalester College; Maine School of Science and Mathematics; MenTe ACM-W Student Chapter; Middle Tennessee State University; MUST ACM Student Chapter; Nassau Community College ACM Student Chapter; NUCES-FAST Peshawar ACM Student Chapter; Ohio University ACM Student SIGGRAPH; Saint Xavier University ACM Student Chapter; Samford University; Seattle University ACM Student Chapter; Shorter College ACM Student Chapter; Siena College; Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune ACM Student Chapter; State University of NY at Potsdam; Tuskegee University; UAE University CIT ACM Student Chapter; Univ of Bristol Student ACM SIGGRAPH; University of Akron Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences; University of Cape Town Student Computing Association; University of Central Florida ACM Student SIGGRAPH; University of Colorado Denver; University of Colorado Denver ACM Computer Science Club; University of Karachi; University of Maine; University of Massachusetts/Lowell; University of New South Wales; University of Southern California ACM Student Chapter; University of Waikato; Utah State University SIGECOM ACM Student Chapter; Utah Valley State College; Valdosta State University ACM Student Chapter; Vanderbilt University Chapter; Vardhaman College of Engineering ACM Student Chapter; Wayne State College; Wilkes University Math/CS Club

ACM Professional Chapters:
Central Russia ACM SIGCHI; Metro Manila ACM SIGGRAPH; Mumbai ACM SIGCHI; South India ACM SIGCHI

ACM-W News

ACM-W Athena Lecturer Award Call for Nominations (see story under Awards)

TRIWIC Regional Celebration Provides Networking, Mentoring, and Support
by TRIWIC Conference Coordinator Maureen Doyle, Northern Kentucky University
The Lexington-Louisville-Cincinnati Regional Celebration of Women in Computing (TRIWIC), held November 18 to 19 at General Butler State Park, brought together over 120 technical women (and men who support them) to learn, network and relax. The national CRA-W/CDC-sponsored keynote speakers were Tracy Camp from Colorado School of Mines and Dulce Ponceleon from IBM Almaden. Camp spoke on "What I Know Now…What I Wish I Knew Then," and Ponceleon discussed her current research in multimedia. Two regional speakers, Jane Hayes from University of Kentucky and Kristine Sturgeon from DefineMyStyle. In addition to panels, jewelry making and lightening talks, Joanne Cohoon from NCWIT and Barbara Gee from the Anita Borg Institute presented. The winner of the undergraduate poster contest was "Knowledge Elicitation Study for a Speech Enabled GIS to Handle Uncertainties in Human-Computer Communication," by Ava Gailliot, Computer Information Technology major, with Hongmei Wang et. al., both of Northern Kentucky University. The winner of the graduate research competition was "Mining Windows Registry for Data Exfiltration Detection" by Rubaiyat Hossain, Computer Science MS student, advised by Yi Hu, both of Northern Kentucky University. Ava and Ruby each won a scholarship to the 2012 national Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing.
This conference is part of the regional Grace Hopper Consortium and was primarily funded through DePauw University's NSF Broadening Participation in Computing Program grant.

The Grace Hopper Regional Consortium, a project of ACM-W, provides programming that showcases female role models, encourages mentoring and networking, supplies accurate information about computing careers and creates opportunities for women to participate in the program—often for the first time in their careers. Visit the Grace Hopper Regional Consortium site to find out more about future conferences planned for winter and spring 2012.

Join ACM-W's Membership Email List
Did you know that ACM-W offers a general email distribution list for its members? This ACMW-public list is a communication channel for disseminating general information about ACM-W, bulletins and upcoming events. To join the list: http://signup.acm.org/listserv_index.cfm?ln=ACM-W-PUBLIC.
And to keep more informed about the activities of ACM-W and its members, you can sign up for our quarterly CIS Newsletter notification. Be sure to read the current issue for the latest news on ACM-W activities and events on the ACM-W CIS Newsletter issues page.
 
Publications News

CACM Reports: The Promise and Problems of Artificial Intelligence
John McCarthy, recipient of the 1971 ACM Turing Award in part for his pioneering work in artificial intelligence (AI), initiated the study of logical AI. In the January Communications of the ACM (CACM) cover story, science and technology writer Paul Hyman surveys the late computer scientist's contributions to building intelligent systems, including coining the term "artificial intelligence." Also in the issue, Editor-in-Chief Moshe Y. Vardi probes the tensions surrounding AI between overpromising pioneers and underappreciated accomplishments. In this centennial year of the birth of computing icon Alan Turing, who explored the concept of machine learning, Communications reports on a range of planned global events including ACM's two-day celebration June 15-16 in San Francisco that will bring together 32 Turing Award winners. (The January issue will be available later this month.)
Communications, the flagship publication of ACM, offers readers access to this generation's most significant leaders and innovators in computing and information technology, and is available online in digital format.
Read the press release.

acm Queue Presents: Bufferbloat: Dark Buffers in the Internet
In Bufferbloat: Dark Buffers in the Internet, Jim Gettys from Bell Labs and Kathleen Nichols from Pollere Inc. make the case that the Internet is in danger of collapse due to "bufferbloat," the existence of excessively large and frequently full buffers inside the network. Their solution is AQM (active queue management), which is not deployed as widely as it should be.
Read the comments on Slashdot.

Free Sample Issue of Communications of the ACM for Non-members!
New offer for ACM non-members! Fill out the online form and receive a free trial issue of Communications of the ACM. Read about the latest developments in the computing field, covered by today's leading experts.

ACM in the News

"Out of the Box: 3-D entertainment steps beyond the glasses and headaches"
ScienceNews, December 17, 2011
Four LCD screens stacked on top of one another showing videos from up to seven viewpoints via the same trick were on display at this month's SIGGRAPH Asia conference in Hong Kong.

"Vint Cerf: SOPA Means 'Unprecedented Censorship' of the Web"
CNet, December 15, 2011
Google chief Internet evangelist and 2004 ACM A.M. Turing Award winner Vint Cerf has sent a letter to U.S. House Judiciary chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), adding his voice to those of many other Internet and cybersecurity experts opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which Smith authored.

"Invisible Computing Comes to Asia Tech Expo"
Agence France-Presse, December 14, 2011
A robotic cook, a coloring book that comes to virtual life and movies that read your mind were some of the innovations on display at SIGGRAPH Asia in Hong Kong this week.

"High-Energy Physicists Set Record for Network Data Transfer"
California Institute of Technology, December 13, 2011
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology, the University of Victoria, the University of Michigan, the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN), and Florida International University transferred data in opposite directions at a combined rate of 186 gigabits per second (Gbps) in a wide-area network circuit at the recent SC11 supercomputing conference, setting a new world record for data transfer.

"Where My (Computer Science) Ladies At?"
CBC Spark, December 4 & 7, 2011
A recent CBC Spark podcast on increasing gender diversity in university computer science programs includes an interview with Harvey Mudd College president and former ACM president Maria Klawe.

"Overhauling Computer Science Education"
T.H.E Journal, December 5, 2011
A Computer Science Teachers Association study found that courses in CS basics often are not credited as general electives in high school or as college-preparatory electives. "So…it has to count for something and the simplest thing—which a lot of states have done—is to make it count as a graduation requirement as a math or science credit," says CSTA executive director Chris Stephenson.
 

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