A panel hosted by UM’s Center for Computational Science brought awareness to the lack of diversity in the industry.

By Megan Ondrizek
UM News

Sawsan Khuri, right, director of engagement for UM’s Center for Computational Science, moderates the Women in Tech Careers panel discussion, as Lien Tran of the School of Communication looks on.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (September 17, 2015) – With the percentage of computing jobs held by women falling from 35 percent in 1990 to just 26 percent in 2013, the University of Miami’s Center for Computational Science hosted a panel discussion Tuesday that not only addressed some of the challenges faced by women in tech careers but also strategies to overcome them.

Moderated by Sawsan Khuri, director of engagement for UM’s Center for Computational Science, the Women in Tech Careers discussion served as a forum where leaders from academia and the local tech community offered insights on how women can learn, achieve, and evolve in the industry. Read the full story

The University of Miami’s Center for Computational Science (CCS) is now accepting applications for the 2015-16 CCS Fellows Program, which is designed to inspire a new generation of leaders in computational science by offering students the opportunity to work in a broad, cross-disciplinary research setting.

Fellows will have the opportunity to use CCS’s world-class advanced computing facilities for their research and to work closely with CCS faculty, members, and staff. Fellows are expected to conduct a research project for the duration of the program under the guidance of two cross-disciplinary mentors. They also may enroll in appropriate courses for research credits and approach CCS faculty and staff for access to software or other facilities, as needed. Fellows will present their work at the CCS Fellows Program Symposium in spring 2016.

The program is open to graduate students in their second year of study or above, and to undergraduate students at a sophomore level or above from any school, college, or department at the University. Applicants must be of good academic standing and have an interest in computational science. Previous research experience is an advantage. The deadline for submitting an application is end of day on Monday, October 5.

The CCS Fellows opportunity is awarded to two undergraduate students and two graduate students per year. CCS Fellows gain valuable computational skills, and the program consistently results in continued cross-disciplinary collaborations among the participants and their mentors.

To apply, visit the CCS Fellow Program. For questions, contact [email protected].

Robin Bachin, assistant provost for civic and community engagement, discusses the MAP mission at The Beacon Council.

By Andres Tamayo
UM News

MIAMI, Fla. (May 29, 2015) – University of Miami officials last week officially launched the Miami Affordability Project, or MAP, an interactive online tool that provides rich data about affordable housing and development.

In a meeting at The Beacon Council, more than 100 community officials, executives, and local media turned out for the event, which has been more than a year-and-a-half in the making and was spearheaded by UM’s Office of Civic and Community Engagement and the Center for Computational Science.

The MAP program is free to use and visualizes neighborhood-level housing market dynamics, and assists in developing data-driven strategies for housing and community development.

“The overall goal of our housing and community development work is to increase the availability of affordable housing and to promote balanced, people- and place-based revitalization strategies that are sensitive to the history and culture of neighborhoods,” said Robin Bachin, assistant provost for civic and community engagement.

The project, which focuses on improving housing opportunities for residents of low- to moderate-income Miami neighborhoods, was funded through grants from JPMorgan Chase and the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund.

Liu joined fellow community officials Arden Shank, president and CEO of Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida, and Barbara “Bobbie” Ibarra, executive director of the Miami Coalition for the Homeless, as speakers. The launch also featured speakers from JPMorgan Chase and The Beacon Council.

The innovative project is only the second of its kind – the first was done in New York. For more information on the MAP and its capabilities, visit http://comte.ccs.miami.edu/housing/.

By Andres Tamayo
UM News

As conferees learned, the arms of the Da Vinci Xi robot can pick up small objects–and perform precise surgeries.

MIAMI, Fla. (May 5, 2015)—Victor Cruz, a computer engineer with Goverlan, Inc., sat with his head down and eyes focused in a 3-D simulator for the da Vinci Xi surgical robot at the Miami Beach Convention Center last Monday.

Gina Avellan, a representative for the robot, stood to his right, facing a crowd that had gathered to watch one of many simulated surgeries throughout the day. “Now, with your left hand, grab the rubber ring and place it here,” she said as she circled a ring on a raised screen for the group of visitors to see. “Good,” she exclaimed as Cruz impressively completed the task.

The Xi robot, a four-armed behemoth developed to help surgeons perform precise surgeries, is currently being used by UM surgeons and is one of the University’s most prized possessions.

“It’s mind-blowing,” Cruz said as he paused from the excitement of completing his first surgery. “It’s mind-blowing how natural the movements are. I would have never thought that a robot’s motion would be that natural.”

Xi, as it is commonly called, was one of many innovations that UM showcased at the second annual eMerge Americas technology conference May 1-5.

UM also displayed state-of-the-art work being conducted at the School of Architecture, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, and the Center for Computational Science (CCS) with the Office of Civic and Community Engagement. The School of Architecture featured an interactive social media coffee table that attracted tweets and Instagram posts based on certain hashtags embedded in coffee cups.

The Rosenstiel School boasted a fish tank full of mahi-mahi fry while the School of Business Administration showcased entrepreneurship and The Launch Pad, an on-campus accelerator that offers advice to UM students and alumni looking to start their own companies. The Office of Civic and Community Engagement and CCS demonstrated the Miami Affordability Project (MAP)—showing off a drone used for mapping cities in need of new infrastructure—for Julian Castro, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and JPMorgan Chase representatives. Chase is the lead funder of MAP, a free, publicly accessible tool developed by the Office of Civic and Community Engagement to visualize neighborhood-level housing market dynamics and develop data-driven community development strategies.

The conference, which aims to make Miami the technology hub of the Americas, was expected to attract 10,000 local, national, and international visitors over the five days. It is quickly becoming a showcase for businesses, higher education institutions, and others wanting to explain and explore the latest trends occurring in the technology and health sectors.

Various UM officials and faculty spoke during breakout sessions on May 4, including Provost Thomas J. LeBlanc; Architecture Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury; Eugene Anderson, dean of the School of Business Administration; and Norma Kenyon, chief innovation officer at the Miller School of Medicine. They spoke about the challenges Miami faces to attract and keep entrepreneurial talent in South Florida.

“We need to help our students learn to be entrepreneurs, and you can’t do that without creating a culture of entrepreneurship,” LeBlanc said.

Applications are now being accepted through Wednesday, October 29 for the Center for Computational Science (CCS) 2014-15 Fellows Program, which inspires a new generation of leaders in computational science by offering students the opportunity to work in a broad cross-disciplinary research setting. Fellowships are awarded to two undergraduate students and two graduate students per year.

Fellows will have the opportunity to use CCS’s world-class, high-performance computing facilities for their research and to work closely with CCS faculty, members, and staff. Fellows are expected to conduct a research project for the duration of the fellowship under the guidance of a mentor who must not be the student’s direct academic advisor or PI. Fellows may enroll in appropriate courses for research credits and approach CCS faculty and staff for access to software or HPC facilities as needed. Fellows will present their work at the CCS Fellows Program Symposium next spring.

The program is open to students who are at least in their second year of graduate school or beyond as well as to undergraduate students who are sophomores, juniors, or seniors—regardless of what UM department they are in.

Applicants must be of good academic standing and have an interest in computational science. Previous research experience is a plus. The deadline for submitting an application is Wednesday, October 29.

Last year’s program was a resounding success, resulting in three continued cross-disciplinary collaborations among fellows and their mentors.

To apply, visit http://ccs.miami.edu/?page_id=4165 or email [email protected].