Category Archives: Online News

Online News 5/17/13

Doctoral Student’s Data Sharing Solution Easy as Pi

When Joshua Kiepert ran into a problem testing ideas in his dissertation research in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, he found an innovative solution that was as easy as Raspberry Pi. Now other researchers may benefit.

A Raspberry Pi is an inexpensive, single-board computer about the size of a credit card that is capable of running Linux and other lightweight operating systems. Its processor is quite similar to those found in smartphones. Originally developed to make computing as cheap and available to as many people as possible, the Raspberry Pi (RPi) can be plugged into a monitor and keyboard and used to perform all of the popular functions of a regular desktop computer. Read more.

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NASA Robot to Explore Greenland Ice Sheet with Boise State Radar System

The same Boise State University technology used this year to measure snow accumulation and melt at Bogus Basin is on its way to Greenland to help answer questions about that country’s massive ice sheets.

Boise State graduate students Gabriel Trisca, computer science, and Mark Robertson, geophysics, leave Friday to spend a full month at Summit Camp at Greenland’s highest point, where they will help test the capabilities of a unique NASA robot and gather radar data to help scientists better understand the extent of summer 2012’s unusual ice melt. Read More

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See Photos of NASA Robot in Greenland

Click here to see photos from the first week of their month-long adventure.

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Students Learn about Global Citizenship in Belize

A dedicated group of 30 Boise State students and faculty spent their 2013 spring break on the inaugural Peace Village initiative in Corozal, Belize.

The Peace Village initiative is an international service program created to address root causes of poverty and disparity in emerging economies through the creation of strategic local partnerships. The program, led by Tony Songer, professor and chair in the Department of Construction Management, brought together faculty and students from the colleges of Engineering, Health Sciences and Education, as well as the multidisciplinary Honors College community. The collaboration provided Boise State students with an unforgettable educational, cultural and professional engagement experience. Read more

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COEN IT News

Fall 2013 Semester Lab Changes – Please Read

This information is intended for all staff and faculty requesting software and configuration changes in COEN Windows labs (ERB 3100, ENGR 120 Lab, ENGR 238, ENGR 212, ENGR 312, ENGR 336, MEC103, MEC402). Please communicate this information to department adjuncts as soon as possible for their inclusion in computer classroom/labs configuration.

Several of you have issued new software requests for the upcoming semester. The following are some packages that will be upgraded:

Ansys v 14.5
Eclipse
Labview Spring 2013
Wolfram Mathematica 9
Matlab 2013a
Microsoft Office 2013
MobaXTerm
RISA 3D 11.01

A comprehensive list of all software currently available in labs can currently be found at http://coen.boisestate.edu/its/coen-windows-labs-software .

If additional software is required for the Fall 2013 semester, we need the request (and the software) no later than July 12th.

Once classes are in session it is difficult to perform updates on lab machines, as all rooms are heavily scheduled throughout the calendar year. Please review this list and respond with any changes to coenits@cs.boisestate.edu.

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Faculty/Staff in Action

Vishal Saxena, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, received notification that IEEE has approved the formation of a Solid States Circuits (SSC) Chapter in the IEEE Boise Section. He will be its first chair. Read More

Don Stepich and Steve Villachica, faculty in the Department of Instructional and Performance Technology, presented “Problem-Based Learning that Transfers to the Workplace” at the Annual 2013 Performance Improvement Conference held in Reno, Nev., April 14-17. Read More

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Funding Opportunities

[SEES] Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene now accepting submissions

Elementa is an open-access, nonprofit journal, founded by BioOne and five collaborating academic institutions: Dartmouth, the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Michigan, and the University of Washington.
Elementa will publish original research reporting on new knowledge of the Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological systems; interactions between human and natural systems; and steps that can be taken to mitigate and adapt to global change. Embracing the concept that basic knowledge can foster sustainable solutions for society, Elementa is organized initially into six knowledge domains, each led by a prominent Editor-in-Chief. The following domains are now accepting submissions:
Atmospheric Science
Detlev Helmig, University of Colorado Boulder

Earth and Environmental Science
Joel D. Blum, University of Michigan

Ecology
Donald R. Zak, University of Michigan

Ocean Science
Jody W. Deming, University of Washington

Sustainable Engineering
Michael E. Chang, Georgia Institute of Technology

Elementa is published on an open-access, public-good basis. Open access allows research to be freely available to all—including those from developing countries whose academic institutions may not be able to afford costly publications—in the interests of accelerating scientific progress, and ultimately resulting in public good. Open access not only ensures the widest dissemination of research possible, but also the greatest impact, by allowing others to cite, re-purpose, and build upon existing published research.

Elementa is now accepting submissions through its online peer-review system (www.editorialmanager.com/elementa). Benefits of publishing with Elementa include rapid, rigorous peer-review; a detailed manuscript tracking system for authors; and publications of articles through a variety of human- and machine-intelligible formats: XML, HTML, JSON, PDF, EPUB, and Mobipocket, Elementa‘s first articles will be published on September 3rd.

Visit the site and follow us on Twitter for more details: www.elementascience.org, @elementascience.

If you would like to receive more information about Elementa, or to schedule an interview, please contact Clare Dean at cdean@elementascience.org.

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NSF: Engineering Research Centers (ERC)

Program Title:
Engineering Research Centers (ERC)
Partnerships in Transformational Research, Education and Technology

Synopsis of Program:
The goal of the Generation Three (Gen-3) Engineering Research Centers (ERC) Program is to create a culture in engineering research and education that integrates discovery with technological innovation to advance technology and produce graduates who will be creative U.S. innovators in a globally competitive economy. These ERCs are at the forefront as the U.S. competes in the 21st century global economy where R&D resources and engineering talent are internationally distributed. Recognizing that optimizing efficiency and product quality are no longer sufficient for U.S. industry to remain competitive, these ERCs integrate transformational academic engineering research and education to stimulate increased U.S. innovation in a global context.

The ERC is motivated by an engineered systems vision and structured by a strategic plan that defines a research program to address barriers in the way of realizing the vision. The strategic research plan structures an integrated program of fundamental and applied research that feeds into proof-of-concept enabling and systems technology test beds.

The ERC education program is comprised of a university program and a pre-college program. The university education mission of an ERC is to prepare students for effective practice in industry and to enhance their capacity for creative and innovative leadership throughout their careers. The pre-college education mission rests on long-term partnerships with K-12 institutions to expose teachers to engineering and deliver engineering concepts and experiences to their classrooms to stimulate student interest in engineering careers. The interface of the research and the educational culture of the ERC enriches the participating universities through the transfer of ERC-generated knowledge into engineering curricula.

Surrounding this research and education culture is the ERC’s innovation ecosystem, which is important for translating center advancements into actual adoption or use for U.S. competitive advantage. The innovation ecosystem of Gen-3 ERCs is achieved through a symbiotic relationship between the center researchers, industrial and practitioner members, and partner organizations devoted to stimulating entrepreneurship and innovation.

The ERC research and education culture, together with its innovation ecosystem, are developed by a team of faculty, students of all levels, and staff who share the ERC’s vision. They come from different disciplines and perspectives on research, education, and technological innovation, and they include the rich perspectives offered by diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, and other demographics.

In essence, this solicitation requires that effort be devoted to creating, developing, and enhancing capacities in ERCs to support the spectrum from transformational fundamental research to technological innovation and create pathways to success in engineering careers for diverse cadres of students from middle school to graduation with degrees in engineering.

Proposals are solicited in two tracks: (1) Open Topic ERCs, where the PI’s are free to structure the engineered systems vision and research program without restrictions on the research content and (2) Nanosystems ERCs (NERCs), where the PIs are free to structure the engineered systems vision but the research program must include a substantial body of nanoscale fundamental research.

For information, visit:http://www.nasa.gov

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Online News 4/19/13

Gang-Ryung Uh Receives Google Faculty Research Award

Gang-Ryung Uh, associate professor in the Department of Computer Science, has been awarded a highly competitive Google Faculty Research Award, created to support cutting-edge core research in computer science, engineering and related fields. Uh’s award is in the field of an optimizing compiler construction for a low-power ARM cortex processor (ARM, a UK-based chip designer, has been challenging market leader Intel for a greater share of the processor market). Read more.

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Ph.D. Students Work With St. Luke’s on Air Quality Project

Electrical and Computer Engineering doctoral students Jim Hall and Michael Pook are part of a research team that is working with St Luke’s surgical site infection initiative, Project Zero, to monitor and improve air quality and reduce infections for orthopedic surgery patients.

Boise State’s role in the project developed as the result of information shared at St. Luke’s first ever research symposium, held this past February, in which doctors met with scientists and business experts to form new partnerships. Over the coming year, Hall and Pook will use environmental monitoring equipment developed by the Hartman Systems Integration Laboratory at Boise State to analyze the air quality in St. Luke’s orthopedic surgery rooms. The study will pursue an understanding of the level of cleanliness of the orthopedic surgery rooms, how air flows through the operating room, and how pollutants vary throughout the day and with changing outdoor air quality.
Read More

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Osher Institute Announces Faculty Research Grant Recipients

Elton Graugnard, assistant professor of materials science and engineering has been announced as one of this year’s Osher Institute faculty grant recipients. Grantees and their projects were selected from applications from tenured and tenure track faculty across disciplines.

Each recipient will receive $5,000 to cover research expenses, made possible through the generosity of Osher Institute members. Funding is intended to defray expenses related to the proposed project; it is not a stipend. Read more.

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develop.idaho 2013

develop.idaho is the only event of its kind in the state. This half day, industry led event was created to connect software developers, designers, entrepreneurs and students with Idaho’s brightest software leaders and special guests. ”Find Your Platform” is the theme of this 3rd annual premier event. It is about showing how software companies are not just solving specific problems, but building integrated solutions that scale and serve a wide customer base. ”Find Your Platform” also challenges each of us to find our own platform for success OR through our mutual efforts, help someone else find theirs.

1pm to 5:30pm, April 17
Stueckle Sky Center

This event is hosted by Venture College under the Research and Economic Development office at Boise State University. Please visit the website for tickets and agenda. This event is free to students.

http://software.idahotechcouncil.org/develop.idaho

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COEN News

Call for COEN Award Nominations – Extended Deadline is April 24, 2013
The COEN Awards ceremony will be held on May 7, 2013 from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the ENGR 2nd Floor Atrium. Please take a few minutes to consider and submit nominations to recognize those who exemplify our “Unshakeable Focus on Student Success.” Download the nomination form here.

Annual Building Safety Walk Through
Wednesday, April 24, we will have our annual State Division of Building Safety walk through in the Engineering building, Extended Studies building, Tech Help building, and ISBDC building. The four biggest issues that we have every year are items on top of bookcases within 18″ of the ceiling (this can block the fire sprinklers), having a clear 36″ path of egress out of a room, items stacked in front of electrical panels, and power strips piggy backed into each other. Also, we cannot use extension cords on a permanent basis.

Please make sure that your office and/or lab is free of these issues. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Paul Robertson as soon as possible.

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Faculty/Staff in Action

Casey Cline, assistant professor in the Department of Construction Management, was quoted in an Idaho Statesman story about plans to renovate meeting chambers for the Boise City Council as part of an existing overhaul. Cline commented on the advantage of …

Barbara Morgan Part of National Geographic Channel’s ’80s Series – The April 14-16 series is an epic and rollicking roller coaster ride told through original interviews of history-making participants in this unique decade. Read More

Jenn Ambrose, manager of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, and colleague Murali Medidi, a faculty member in the Computer Science Department, presented at the annual international ABET Symposium in Portland, Ore., on April 13. Their presentation, “A Survivor’s Guide … Read More

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Upcoming Events

MSE Seminar – April 19– Dr. Laura Bartolo, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

Senior Design Showcase – May 2 – Click here to view flyer

MSE Seminar – April 26 – Dr. Rebecca Mirsky – Department of Construction Management, BSU, Boise, Idaho

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Awards Recognize Computing and Technology Students

As part of an effort to encourage more young women to choose careers in technology, the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) and Boise State University’s Idaho Affiliate recognized 12 high-school women for their accomplishments and aspirations in …

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Boise State Honors Top Ten Scholars at April 16 Reception

Ten outstanding Boise State graduating seniors will be recognized for their exceptional academic success at the annual Top Ten Scholars reception April 16 in the Student Union Simplot Ballroom.

This year’s honorees include:

Marianna Budnikova, from Podolsk, Russia, a computer science major with a German minor. Budnikova’s honored faculty member is Tim Andersen, associate professor of computer science.

Ngoc Luong, from Vietnam, an electrical engineering major with a computer science minor.Luong’s honored faculty member is Wan Kuang, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering.

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Funding Opportunities

NSF: EHR Core Research (ECR)

Program Title: EHR Core Research (ECR)

Synopsis of Program: The EHR Core Research (ECR) program establishes a mechanism in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources to provide funding in foundational research areas that are broad, essential and enduring. EHR seeks proposals that will help synthesize, build and/or expand research foundations in the following core areas: STEM learning, STEM learning environments, workforce development, and broadening participation in STEM. We invite researchers to identify and conduct research on questions or issues in order to advance the improvement of STEM learning in general, or to address specific challenges of great importance. Two types of proposals are invited: Core Research Proposals (maximum 5 years, $1.5 million) that propose to study a foundational research question/issue designed to inform the transformation of STEM learning and education and Capacity Building Proposals (maximum 3 years, $300,000) intended to support groundwork necessary for advancing research within the four core areas.

For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13555/nsf13555.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

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NASA Announces Challenges for the 2013 International Space Apps Challenge

WASHINGTON — NASA and over 150 partner organizations worldwide will be hosting the International Space Apps Challenge on April 20-21, 2013. The International Space Apps Challenge is a technology development event during which citizens from around the world work together to solve challenges relevant to improving life on Earth and in space.

NASA and its partners have released 50 challenges for the second International Space Apps Challenge. Participants are encouraged to develop software, hardware, data visualization, and mobile/web applications that will contribute to space exploration missions and help improve life on Earth. Examples of challenges include:

Spot the Station: Extend the functionality of the Spot the Station website (spotthestation.nasa.gov) that allows you to share your sightings of the International Space Station with others.
Hitch a Ride to Mars: Design a CubeSat (a small research satellite) for an upcoming Mars mission.
3-D Printing Challenge: Create an open source model of space hardware that can be generated by a 3-D printer.
Curiosity at Home: Foster a connection between citizens and the Mars rover through software, visualizations, or an app.
Seven Minutes of Science: Develop a concept to make use of 330 pounds (150 kilograms) of ejectable mass during the entry and landing phase of a Mars mission to accomplish scientific or technical objectives.
Catch a Meteor: Create an app that would allow observers of a meteor shower to trace the location, color and size of the meteor.
Smart Cities, Smart Climate: Explore the impacts of atmospheric changes on the health, infrastructure and society in urban areas.
Why We Explore Space: Share the “why” of space exploration through the creation of compelling narratives and visualizations.

To register for a local International Space Apps Challenge event and to find more information, visit:
http://spaceappschallenge.org

For information about NASA’s programs and missions, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov

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NSF: Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER)

Program Title: Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER)

Synopsis of Program: The chief goal of WIDER is to transform institutions of higher education into supportive environments for STEM faculty members to substantially increase their use of evidence-based teaching and learning practices. The first recommendation in the Report of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), “Engage to Excel,” is to increase widespread implementation of evidence-based practices in order to increase persistence in STEM and contribute to the goal of producing 1 million additional STEM graduates.

Through this process, WIDER seeks to substantially increase the scale of application of highly effective methods of STEM teaching and learning in institutions of higher education, by employing instructional materials and methods that have a convincing evidentiary basis of effectiveness. In particular WIDER seeks this transformation for high enrollment, lower division courses required for many STEM majors and taken by many other students to fulfill general education distribution requirements.

Included in our broad definition of effective STEM teaching and learning are not only instructional practices in traditional learning environments, but also modern laboratory methods and field research, proven distance education methods (or hybrid designs incorporating both face-to-face and distance methods), and improved approaches to motivating student interest in STEM. In all cases, the primary goal of WIDER is to increase substantially the scale of these improvements within and across the higher education sector in order to achieve:

Improved student learning;
Increased numbers of students choosing STEM majors, particularly from demographic groups underrepresented in STEM;
Improved retention in the first two years of undergraduate study and to graduation of all STEM majors.

Applicants may apply for WIDER grants to begin institutional planning efforts, to support implementation efforts for evidence-based teaching and learning practices, and for research on how to increase the importance placed on evidence-based practices in institutional strategic planning and faculty rewards.
For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13552/nsf13552.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

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Opportunity for Boise State Students: Do you have an idea that will change the world?

Do you have an idea that will change the world? Do you want to start your own business or non-profit? Boise State will launch Venture College in the fall, a no-cost program to support Boise State students who intend to start their own enterprises. Venture College includes downtown office space, personalized instruction, mentors, internships and the opportunity to complete for cash resources. The program is free.

Students will gain real world skills in addition to having the opportunity to launch their own businesses in a supportive
environment.

Applications now being accepted. See venturecollege.boisestate.edu for additional information or contact Kevin Learned, Director,
kevinlearned@boisestate.edu or 208-426-3875.

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DARPA BAA: Probabilistic Programming for Advancing Machine Learning (PPAML)

Machine learning is at the heart of modern approaches to artificial intelligence. The field posits that teaching computers how to learn can be significantly more effective than programming them explicitly. This idea has revolutionized what computers can do in a wide range of domains, including Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), Predictive Analytics, Cyber, and various scientific disciplines. Example applications include self-driving cars, image search and activity detection, object tracking, topic models, spam filters, recommender systems, predictive databases, and gene sequencing. Unfortunately, building effective machine learning applications currently requires Herculean efforts on
the part of highly trained experts in machine learning. Probabilistic Programming is a new programming paradigm for managing uncertain information. The goal of the Probabilistic Programming for Advancing Machine Learning (PPAML) program is to facilitate the construction of machine learning applications by using probabilistic programming to:
(1) dramatically increase the number of people who can successfully build machine learning applications;
(2) make machine learning experts radically more effective; and
(3) enable new applications that are inconceivable today.

The PPAML program has four technical areas (TAs), depicted in Figure
1. The TAs are:
TA1: Domain Experts
TA2: Probabilistic Programming
TA3: Machine Learning
TA4: Inference Engine

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ONR BAA: Electronics Technology

The goal of this BAA is to stimulate innovative proposals that offer compelling advances in the radiation, reception, signal control and processing of microwave and Millimeter Wave (mmW) signals for Navy C4ISR systems. The primary focus is on STAR
electronics enablers.

Innovative solutions are sought in the specific areas of highly linear wideband receive electronics and low noise, high spectral purity transmit electronics. Highly linear low noise amplifier, mixer, filter, and analog-to-digital converter technologies that offer orders of magnitude receiver dynamic range improvement are sought. High spectral purity wideband RF transmitter designs possessing ultra-low noise characteristics are also sought. Both analog and digital transmitter designs are of interest, with a premium placed on power, noise, purity and dynamic range. Novel transmitter and receiver electronics that offer the highest potential performance advances and biggest effect on STAR operation should be highlighted. Wideband active and passive high isolation device and circuit technologies are of interest as they apply to STAR. Components of particular interest will operate wideband (at least an octave and preferably much wider) between 100 KHz and 100 GHz, with performance characteristics pushing extreme single aperture STAR capabilities. Linearity, noise, and bandwidth are the
most important performance parameters that will be used to measure the potential STAR impact. Size, weight and power dissipated during operation will also be technology and level of innovation differentiators. Due to the complex trade space and broad range of performance parameters of interest, solutions which address many but not all of the aggressive component criteria will be considered. Proposed technologies should clearly articulate the potential impact to STAR operation.

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DOE NEUP: General Scientific Infrastructure Support

The attached FOA is for the DOE-NEUP General Scientific Infrastructure program. This FOA is seeking applications from U.S. universities and colleges for equipment and instrumentation infrastructure to support nuclear energy-related engineering and science teaching and research laboratories.The infrastructure requested by a university should be individual, discrete, and definable items or capabilities that will support, maintain, or enhance the university’s or college’s capacity to attract and teach high quality students interested in nuclear energy-related studies; build the university’s or college’s NS&E basic research or education capabilities; or facilitate the university’s or college’s capability to perform R&D that is relevant to DOE-NE’s R&D mission.

Proposals are due on June 12, 2013. There may be cost share requirements (if your request is > $250,000), so please let us know if you are interested.

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Non-Tenured and Assistant Professors Only: NSF CAREER

The attached is the call for the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program. Eligibility criteria is detailed in the RFP (assistant prof/non-tenured until Oct. 1 2013/doctoral degree/employed etc) but I’m sure you already know the criteria.

If you are eligible and intend to submit a proposal this year, please let me know. The due date is July 23rd for engineering and July 22nd for CS. Karen, Linda, and I are all available to help out and would just like to get in touch with you early in the process so we all can avoid the last minute rush! There are multiple resources available to help you in the development of your proposal. We have several faculty members who have been successful in the past that may be able to provide guidance. If a draft of your proposal is available early enough we may be able to seek outside expert review. And of course within the university we are able to help through all stages of budget and narrative development. But at this point, the best thing we have to offer is time. It’s not too early to start. So once again, please let us know if you intend to submit a proposal.

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Online News 3/15/13

Boise State Construction Management Team Receives Honors in Regional Competition

Front row (left to right): Guy DiBartolo, Erin Redmond, Justin Misseldine Second row: CJ McCurdy, Dan Boel (team alternate), Chase Cooper, Brandon Grote, Wendy Wendrowski (CM faculty advisor), Bryce Parker (industry coach, Beniton Construction)

Boise State Construction Management students placed third in the Determining Project Risk problem category at the 2013 Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) regional interscholastic competition held February 6-9 in Reno, NV.

This year’s Region 6 and 7 combined competition was the 26th consecutive running of the largest construction program college student competition in the world. There were more than 1,200 student competitors in 160 teams from 41 universities and 17 states. The 15 industry-sponsored competition “problems” were based on actual multimillion dollar construction projects and judged by professional constructors.

Determining Project Risk is one of nine national problem categories that are open to teams outside the region and attract teams from across the country. Boise State students also fielded teams in the problem categories of Design-Build, Heavy Civil, Marine, and Mixed-Use construction. Read more

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Researcher Works to Build a Better Battery

Squeezing more life out of Lithium-ion batteries is a high priority, given the fact that so many consumer electronics — particularly handheld devices — are powered by them. The Li-ion batteries are so popular because they have high energy to last longer than conventional batteries. On the flip side, they’re also less stable than their old-school cousins, leaving room for improvement.

“Battery safety and stability are critical and challenging problems for the life of a Li-ion battery,” said Claire Xiong, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and co-author of a study conducted with colleagues from the Argonne National Laboratory and University of Chicago. Read More

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EVERYONE Folder Purged Monday March 25th at 5:00pm!

EVERYONE Directory Maintenance
The “everyone” folder on the “W” drive is out of space. It will be purged Monday March 25th at 5:00pm.

This folder is for temporary file sharing access only. It is periodically purged to effectively manage server space and to preserve the health of the system.

Questions?
For questions regarding the “W” drive server or the “everyone” folder, please contact COEN ITS staff at coenits@cs.boisestate.edu, or refer to http://coen.boisestate.edu/its/get-to-know-your-w-drive-.

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Bronco Appathon 2013

Team Athena

Sixty five students took part in the Bronco Appathon where teams had 48 hours to create web or mobile apps. Several teams were composed of majors from multiple disciplines such as computer science, engineering, information technology management and others. Computer science team Athena (Marianna Budnikova, Gabriel Trisca, Scott Kausler) won the best native app award. Computer science teams Angry Meerkat and 8-bit Avengers won the overall 2nd and 3rd place awards.

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Faculty in Action

Congratulations to Darryl Butt and Marc Bechard, named Boise State University’s Distinguished Professors.

Two Boise State faculty have been designated Distinguished Professors, one of the highest honors that can be accorded to a faculty member. The title recognizes distinguished achievement in the combined areas of teaching, research and public service and is reserved for a small number of faculty who have made major contributions to their academic disciplines. Read more

Idaho Technology : Boise Code Camp poised to make an impact in tech community
by Amit Jain

A critical part of building a vibrant technology community is providing opportunities for professionals to engage, learn and collaborate. Because the computer science industry moves so quickly, the entire community benefits when knowledge is shared. That’s why Boise Code Camp’s free technical training event provides great value to software developers in the Treasure Valley.

This year’s Boise Code Camp will be hosted by the computer science department in the College of Engineering at Boise State University and is organized by a group of tech professionals led by Scott Nichols. Read more

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Upcoming Events

Boise Code Camp– March 16 – Come join us for Boise’s #1 technical event. Boise Code Camp is a free event for developers, hardware geeks, and the curious to come and learn from their peers. We’ll even have free breakfast and lunch! Interested? Learn more about Code Camp! And don’t get lost the day of the event—read up on where we’ll be.

Spring Break – March 24-29

Perspectives on STEM Careers Lecture –April 5
MEC 106, 1:30pm – 2:20pm
Admiral (Retired) Archie Clemins President of Caribou Technologies, Inc.

MSE Seminar – April 5– Dr. Jaswinder Sharma, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN

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Engineering Students Shine in Competition

Megan Beck, a junior majoring in materials science and engineering, was the undergraduate winner in the Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division in this year’s Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Technical Division Student Poster Contest. Beck’s poster, “Dynamic Recrystallization of Stainless Steel 316L: A Comparison of Experimental Results to Computer Simulation,” was one of two winners (one undergraduate and one graduate) selected from each of the five TMS technical divisions to receive $500 awards.

The poster contest was among several student activities at the annual meeting and exhibition, held March 3-7 in San Antonio, Texas. Beck currently is pursuing a triple major in materials science an engineering, mathematics, and applied mathematics, as well as a minor in physics. She is engaged in undergraduate research with MSE sssociate professor Megan Frary, along with her poster co-authors, MSE undergrads Koyuki Fritchman and Chris Stifter, and MSE graduate student Callum Poole.

The TMS is a professional organization that encompasses the entire range of materials and engineering, from minerals processing and primary metals production to basic research and the advanced applications of materials. The TMS annual meeting and exhibition is a global forum that attracts more than 4,000 materials science and engineering professionals representing industry, academia and government. More than 70 students participated in this year’s poster contest.

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NSF: Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering

Program Title:
Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering

Synopsis of Program:
This solicitation aims at introducing nanoscale science, engineering, and technology through a variety of interdisciplinary approaches into undergraduate engineering education. The focus of the FY 2013 competition is on nanoscale engineering education with relevance to devices and systems and/or on the societal, ethical, economic and/or environmental issues relevant to nanotechnology.

Related funding opportunities are posted on the web site for the National Nanotechnology Initiative, www.nsf.gov/nano. In addition, research and education projects in nanoscale science and engineering will continue to be supported in the relevant NSF programs and divisions.

Estimated Number of Awards: 10

Anticipated Funding Amount: $1,900,000 pending availability of funds. Each award will be up to a maximum of $200,000 for two years.

Eligibility Information

Organization Limit:
Proposals may only be submitted by the following:

Universities and Colleges – Universities and two- and four-year colleges (including community colleges) accredited in, and having a campus located in the US, acting on behalf of their faculty members. Such organizations also are referred to as academic institutions.

PI Limit:
The lead PI must hold a faculty appointment within a College/Department of Engineering or College/Department of Engineering Technology within the submitting US academic institution.

Limit on Number of Proposals per Organization: 1
Only one (1) proposal may be submitted by a US academic institution, College/Department of Engineering or College/Department of Engineering Technology as the lead institution with the following exception: A US academic institution may submit a second proposal as the lead institution, only if it is focused on the societal, ethical, economic and/or environmental issues relevant to nanotechnology.

Limit on Number of Proposals per PI: 1
An individual may serve as the Principal Investigator (PI) or co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) on no more than one proposal.

For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13541/nsf13541.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

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Online News 3/1/13

News from the Library

When you are accessing the Library resources from off campus, have you ever wanted to login before you access a Library-paid resource? Now you can!

On the Library’s home page, there is now a button (in Boise State Orange) labeled: Library Off Campus Sign In.

See the graphic above.

When you are off campus, click the button and then login with your Boise State Broncoweb username and password. The login will be active during your current browser session, but not if you open a new browser. One note– there is still a separate sign-in when accessing ebooks from the EBL vendor.

The previous method of a login prompt when accessing a Library-paid resource still works. In both cases, the proxy session times out after 20 minutes of inactivity.

Questions? Email Beth at: bbrin@boisestate.edu

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Gates, Zuckerberg: Kids, learn to code

By Brandon Griggs, CNN

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates says computer programming is easy: “Addition, subtraction, that’s about it.”

(CNN) — Hey kids! Forget trying to become a doctor or rapper or a football star, not to mention all the teasing you may get in school for being a nerd — computers are where it’s at.

That’s one message of a new video in which Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey and other tech execs urge young people to learn computer programming.

“Learning how to program didn’t start off with wanting to learn all of computer science or trying to master this discipline or anything like that,” Zuckerberg says. “It started off because I wanted to do this one simple thing — I wanted to make something that was fun for myself and my sisters.”

Gates says, “I was 13 when I first got access to a computer. I wrote a program to play tick-tack-toe.”

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Bronco Appathon Open to Student Programmers

College student programmers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs are invited to participate in the second annual Boise State Bronco Appathon March 8-10.

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Program Awards $45,200 in Research Fellowships

The fellowships will allow the students to pursue independent academic and creative work and engage in research and scholarship under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

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Upcoming Events

MSE Seminar – March 8 – Patrick Woodward – Materials Science and Engineering

CS Seminar – March 8 – Jared Cheney, Paul Kreiner, Brandon Zehm From TSheets – High Availability Without High Headaches, MEC 307, 12:00pm – 1:00pm

MSE Seminar – March 15– Sado Takabayashi– Materials Science and Engineering, BSU, Boise, Idaho

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Boise Code Camp

March 16, 2013 | Boise State University

Come join us for Boise’s #1 technical event. Boise Code Camp is a free event for developers, hardware geeks, and the curious to come and learn from their peers. We’ll even have free breakfast and lunch! Interested? Learn more about Code Camp! And don’t get lost the day of the event—read up on where we’ll be.

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NSF: Smart and Connected Health (SCH)

Synopsis of Program:

The goal of the Smart and Connected Health (SCH) Program is to accelerate the development and use of innovative approaches that would support the much needed transformation of healthcare from reactive and hospital-centered to preventive, proactive, evidence-based, person-centered and focused on well-being rather than disease. Approaches that partner technology-based solutions with biobehavioral health research are supported by multiple agencies of the federal government including the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The purpose of this program is to develop next generation health care solutions and encourage existing and new research communities to focus on breakthrough ideas in a variety of areas of value to health, such as sensor technology, networking, information and machine learning technology, decision support systems, modeling of behavioral and cognitive processes, as well as system and process modeling. Effective solutions must satisfy a multitude of constraints arising from clinical/medical needs, social interactions, cognitive limitations, barriers to behavioral change, heterogeneity of data, semantic mismatch and limitations of current cyberphysical systems. Such solutions demand multidisciplinary teams ready to address technical, behavioral and clinical issues ranging from fundamental science to clinical practice.

Due in large part to advances in high throughput and connective computing, medicine is at the cusp of a sector-wide transformation that – if nurtured through rigorous scientific innovation – promises to accelerate discovery, improve patient outcomes, decrease costs, and address the complexity of such challenging health problems as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and neurological degeneration. These transformative changes are possible in areas ranging from the basic science of molecular genomics and proteomics to decision support for physicians, patients and caregivers through data mining to support behavior change through technology-enabled social and motivational support. In addition to these scientific discoveries, innovative approaches are required to address delivery of high quality, economically-efficient healthcare that is rapidly becoming one of the key economic, societal and scientific challenges in the United States.

The need for a significant healthcare transformation has been recognized by numerous organizations including the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), National Research Council (NRC), Institute of Medicine (IOM), Computing Community Consortium (CCC), and the National Academy of Engineering. Additionally, a congressionally mandated review of Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) emphasized the critical role that networking and information technology will play in spurring innovation to solve the nation’s most pressing challenges, beginning with health and healthcare. Several of these agencies explicitly encouraged the Department of Health and Human Services (e.g., NIH, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Office National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT)) to work explicitly with the National Science Foundation to realize the scientific potential of digitally supported health and healthcare. Recommendations also called for joint funding between these agencies to conduct cross-cutting research into the social, cognitive, and behavioral processes underlying efficient use of the new technologies, and the analytic demands implied by the new large scale databases.

The purpose of this interagency program solicitation is the development of next generation health and healthcare research through high-risk, high-reward advances in the understanding of and applications in information science, technology, behavior, cognition, sensors, robotics, bioimaging, and engineering. Collaboration between academic, industry, non-profit and other organizations is strongly encouraged to establish better linkages between fundamental science, clinical practice and technology development, deployment and use. This solicitation is aligned with the visions (e.g., PCAST, NRC, IOM) calling for major changes in health and wellbeing as well as healthcare delivery and is aimed at the fundamental research to enable the change. Realizing the promise of disruptive transformation in health and healthcare will require well-coordinated, multi-disciplinary approaches that draw from the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, engineering, medicine, biology, and computer and information sciences

Two classes of proposals will be considered in response to this solicitation

Exploratory Projects (EXP): One or more investigators spanning 1 to 3 years.

Integrative Projects (INT): Multi-disciplinary teams spanning 1 to 4 years.

As detailed in this solicitation, appropriate scientific areas of investigations may be related to any of the participating funding organizations. Questions concerning a particular project’s focus, direction and relevance to a participating funding organization should be addressed to the appropriate person in the list of agency contacts found in section VIII of the solicitation.

For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13543/nsf13543.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

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Call for Proposals – ISGC Grant Opportunities

Attention Researchers:

The Idaho Space Grant Consortium has two grant opportunities to share…

The NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium is now accepting proposals for the Research Seed Grant Program for 2013-2014. The ISGC contribution is limited to $25,000 per year for up to two years ($50,000 total). Researchers are strongly encouraged to apply for two years of funding, with second year funding contingent upon significant progress made during the first year, AND a letter of support from a researcher at a NASA Center.

http://id.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=funding-opportunities

To submit a proposal, please go on-line at: https://spacegrant.net/proposals/submit/?sponsor_id=12

Please Note: The grant period is June 25, 2013 – June 24, 2014.
Deadline for proposals is Friday, March 22, 2013 by 5pm PT.
Please contact our office at (208) 885-6438 if you have any questions.

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Online News 2/15/13

Instructional and Performance Technology Gets New Name

After 25 years, the Instructional and Performance Technology (IPT) department in the College of Engineering is changing its name. Beginning in August 2013, the name of the department will be Organizational Performance and Workplace Learning (OPWL). Read More

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Photo of the Week — Feb. 8

Thousands of K-12 students like Aria Graham got to experience science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and have plenty of fun, during STEM Exploration Day at Boise State. Chemistry student Peter Barnes was one of several students and faculty members who helped younger students design bridges, ride Segways, build an edible aquifer, or experience a wind tunnel. About 5,000 visitors attended STEM Exploration Day. View photo gallery.
Wankun Sirichotiyakul photo

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Service-Learning STEM Students Lead March 2 Workshop that Explores Wind Energy

Boise State students who are studying the STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math — will lead a community workshop aimed at exploring wind as an energy resource. The students have been exploring turbine-building kits known as KidWind, and will …

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Bronco Appathon Open to Student Programmers

College student programmers, designers, developers and entrepreneurs are invited to participate in the second annual Boise State Bronco Appathon March 8-10.

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Program Awards $45,200 in Research Fellowships

The fellowships will allow the students to pursue independent academic and creative work and engage in research and scholarship under the supervision of a faculty mentor.

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Upcoming Events

National Engineers Week – February 19-22 Download flyer here

Annual Career Fair is February 20 – The Career Center will host the 2013 Career Fair from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 20, in the Student Union Jordan Ballroom. All students, alumni, faculty and staff are invited to attend. In today’s competitive job market, networking is more … Read More

MSE Seminar – February 22 – Guozhong Cao – Materials Science and Engineering

MSE Seminar – March 1– Dr. Paul Michaels – Department of Geosciences, BSU, Boise, Idaho

Rube Goldberg Contest – The Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering is hosting a Rube Goldberg Competition on March 11, 2013. We have room for six teams and the event will be judged by industry professionals around the valley.

Join Justin Larson on Friday, February 15 shortly after 12 pm in ENGR 103 for an orientation to the competition, what the rules are, and how to get involved. Open to all COEN students.

For a peek at a couple great examples, go here:
OK Go – This Too Shall Pass – Rube Goldberg Machine version http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w

The Falling Water coktail making machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLkFb6y4A8

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Boise Code Camp

March 16, 2013 | Boise State University

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ENGR 120 - Peanut Butter Cracker Manufacturing Operators needed Feb 21 and 22

The ENGR 120 class is looking for volunteers to come to their class and be Peanut Butter Cracker Manufacturing Operators. If you would like to help out reply to 120PBcracker@gmail.com with the specific sessions they would like to volunteer for. Session times are listed below.

PB Cracker Operator Schedule – Spring 2013 (Feb 21 & 22)

Session 1 – Thurs, Feb 21, 9:10 am to 9:40 am
Session 2 – Thurs, Feb 21, 9:40 am to 10:10 am

Session 3 – Thurs, Feb 21, 12:10 pm to 12:40 pm
Session 4 – Thurs, Feb 21, 12:40 pm to 1:10 pm

Session 5 – Thurs, Feb 21, 1:40 pm to 2:10 pm
Session 6 – Thurs, Feb 21, 2:10 pm to 2:40 pm

Session 7 – Thurs, Feb 21, 4:40 pm to 5:10pm
Session 8 – Thurs, Feb 21, 5:10 pm to 5:40 pm

Session 9 – Fri, Feb 22, 7:40 am to 8:10 am
Session 10 – Fri, Feb 22, 8:10 am to 8:40 am

Session 11 – Fri, Feb 22, 10:40 am to 11:10 am
Session 12 – Fri, Feb 22, 11:10 am to 11:40 am

Session 13 – Fri, Feb 22, 1:40 pm to 2:10 pm
Session 14 – Fri, Feb 22, 2:10 pm to 2:40 pm

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NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships March 1 Proposal Due Date

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) supports NASA’s goal to expand scientific understanding of the Earth and the universe in which we live.

Selected by a competitive peer-review process, NPP Fellows complete one- to three-year Fellowship appointments that offer scientists and engineers unique opportunities to conduct research in fields of science relevant to NASA.

These opportunities advance NASA’s missions in Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, space bioscience, aeronautics and engineering, human exploration and space operations, and astrobiology. Opportunities are available at NASA Centers and other NASA-approved sites.

As a result, NPP Fellows contribute to national priorities for scientific exploration, confirm NASA’s leadership in fundamental research, and complement the efforts of NASA’s partners in the national science community.

U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and foreign nationals eligible for J-1 status as a Research Scholar may apply. Applicants must have completed a Ph.D. or equivalent degree before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the degree requirements. Applicants who earned the Ph.D. more than five years before the deadline date are categorized as Senior Fellows; all applicants, no matter their category, must apply and become eligible for an NPP award via the same process.

Interested applicants may apply by one of three annual application deadlines: March 1, July 1, and November 1.

For more information and application procedures, go to http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/

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Call for Proposals – ISGC Grant Opportunities

Attention Researchers:

The Idaho Space Grant Consortium has two grant opportunities to share…

http://id.spacegrant.org/index.php?page=funding-opportunities

To submit a proposal, please go on-line at: https://spacegrant.net/proposals/submit/?sponsor_id=12

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Online News 2/1/13

Families Invited to Explore STEM through Hands-on Learning Saturday February 2

By: Kathleen Tuck

Families are invited to explore science, technology, engineering and math at STEM Exploration Day from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2, at Boise State. Formerly called Discover Engineering Day, all events are located in the Engineering Complex at 1375 University Drive and are free. No registration is required.

Free parking is available in the Lincoln Parking Garage at Lincoln Avenue and University Drive, across the street from the Student Union Building. For more information, call 426-4432 or visit coen.boisestate.edu/STEMExploration. Read More

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Boise State Community Celebrates Life of Former Student

By: Sherry Squires

Students, faculty and staff will gather on Monday, Feb. 4, to celebrate the life of former Boise State student Kosette Leperi. The celebration of life begins at 4 p.m. in the Norco Building, Room 114, and will be followed by a reception.

Leperi, originally from Rockville, Md., was majoring in materials science and engineering and was a recipient of the prestigious Brown Scholarship. As an active student leader, Leperi played club sports lacrosse and was a member of the Honors College. Leperi also was engaged in undergraduate research activities and spent last summer working on a grant from the National Science Foundation.

For more information, contact Honors College director Andrew Finstuen at 426-1205 or andrewfinstuen@boisestate.edu, or dean of students Christian Wuthrich at 426-1527 or chriswuthrich@boisestate.edu.

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Boise State Explore 2013 Highlights Research Acumen

By: Sherry Squires

Boise State’s dynamic research programs are showcased in the latest issue of Explore magazine, including stories about faculty recipients of prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER awards, doctoral student research, the impact of computer science programs, and how local collaborations strengthen the university and community. Read More

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WordPress Training Session – Thursday February 7

There will be a one hour WordPress training session for anyone interested in learning more about the new template.

Thursday February 7
MEC 301
12-1pm

This session will cover:

How to login
Tour of the dashboard
New features
How to add & edit pages
How to add media
Q & A

If you are unable to make this session a Powerpoint file will be posted on the Web Design Services website after the session. coen.boisestate.edu/wds

If you would like to schedule individual or small group training please contact marmstro@boisestate.edu.

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Faculty and Students in Action

Tony Marker, associate professor in Instructional & Performance Technology, and Rebecca Mirsky, associate professor in Construction Management, presented a session on sustainability for the 8th annual Boise Safety Fest of the Great Northwest. Read More

Mechanical engineering major and senior Derek Wade received an award for Best Student Oral Presentation at the 15th Conference on Atmospheric Chemistry at the American Meteorological Society’s 93rd annual meeting in Austin, Texas, Jan. 6-10. Wade, who is also a … Read More

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Upcoming Events

Science Competition Day/STEM Exploration – February 2, 2013
Registrations are still being accepted for the annual Science Competition Day at Boise State on Saturday, February 2. Read More

Reno Showdown – February 6-9, 2013
Boise State University’s Department of Construction Management takes on some of the best schools in the region at the 26th annual Associated Schools of Construction student competition in Reno. Check out last years Blog.

MSE Seminar – February 8: Ben Albiston, Materials Science and Engineering

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Business Leader Addresses Gap Between Jobs, Qualified Applicants

By: Sherry Squires

The College of Education, the College of Engineering and the College of Business and Economics met jointly this month to hear a presentation by Bob Lokken, founder and CEO of WhiteCloud Analytics.

Lokken also is an active member of Idaho Business for Education, a group of Idaho business leaders who champion improvements in K-12 education. His presentation focused on his study on the needs of Idaho’s businesses for university graduates, and the gap between business needs and higher education’s ability to meet those needs. Watch the presentation here.

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NASA: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

This call invites innovative, technically credible advanced concepts that could one day change the possible in aeronautics and space.
NIAC will support innovative research through two phases of study. The Phase I awards culminating from this call will be nine-month efforts to explore the overall feasibility and viability of visionary concepts. A follow-on Phase II proposal call will later be released to eligible recipients of Phase I awards, past and present, to further develop the most promising Phase I concepts for up to two years and to explore potential infusion options within NASA and beyond.

NIAC focuses on early studies of visionary aerospace concepts. These will be architecture, mission, or system concepts, typically Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 1-2 in maturity (see Appendix A) and aiming ten or more years in the future.

Please see attached pdf for more information.

http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=init&solId={3351C810-DEAF-4F2F-ED2E-C150772DDA2F}&path=open

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NSF: Hydrologic Sciences

Program Title:
Hydrologic Sciences

Synopsis of Program:

The Hydrologic Sciences Program focuses on the fluxes of water in the environment that constitute the water cycle as well as the mass and energy transport function of the water cycle in the environment. The Program supports studying processes from rainfall to runoff to infiltration and streamflow; evaporation and transpiration; as well as the flow of water in soils and aquifers and the transport of suspended, dissolved and colloidal components. Water is seen as the mode of coupling among various components of the environment and emphasis is placed on how the coupling is enabled by the water cycle and how it functions as a process. The Hydrologic Sciences Program retains a strong focus on linking the fluxes of water and the components carried by water across the boundaries between various interacting components of the terrestrial system and the mechanisms by which these fluxes co-organize over a variety of timescales and/or alter the fundamentals of the interacting components. The Program is also interested in how water interacts with the solid phase, the landscape and the ecosystem as well as how such interactions and couplings are altered by land use and climate change. Studies may address aqueous geochemistry and solid phase interactions as well as physical, chemical, and biological processes as coupled to water transport. These studies commonly involve expertise from basic sciences and mathematics, and proposals may require joint review with related programs. The Hydrologic Sciences Program will also consider some synthesis activities.

For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13531/nsf13531.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

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COEN Online News 1/11/13

Boise State Team Selected for Microgravity University for Fifth Year

by Kathleen Tuck

Boise State’s proposal is titled “The Effects of Teriparatide on Calcium Signaling in Bone Cells During Parabolic Flight,” and research could benefit people who suffer from osteoporosis and other bone loss diseases. Read More

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Jelly the Labrador

Jelly the Labrador joined the College of Engineering (and Bronco Nation) on Dec. 12. Currently 11 weeks old, she is a puppy-in-training from Canine Companions for Independence (CCI), which provides highly trained assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, free of charge. Read More

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STEM Exploration, 2013 (previously Discover Engineering Day) February 2

Mark your calendar for the annual community event hosted by the College of Engineering at Boise State. STEM Exploration is a free event, open to students of all ages! Bring your family, or find out how you can volunteer by contact laburusa@boisestate.edu Check out the website here: http://coen.boisestate.edu/STEMExploration/

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The College of Engineering Web Site Has Been Switched Over to New Template

Please look over your department or personal pages. To report any issue please contact coenits@cs.boisestate.edu or marmstro@boisestate.edu

To login to your sites just type login at the end of the url. (there is no longer a login link at the bottom of the pages)
Note: There needs to be a / in front of login.

For more information click the following links.
WPAnnoucetoAll-Final3.docx
WayfindingD4.docx
NEWCOENWebsiteNavDesign.docx

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New Hires and Departures

New Hires

Computer Science
Elena Sherman – Assistant Professor

Materials Science
Claire Xiong – Assistant Professor
Elton Graugnard – Assistant Professor
Lan Li – Assistant Professor
Janelle Wharry – Assistant Professor

Mechanical & Biomedical Engineering
Cameron Hawkins (January 28th) – Lecturer
Yanliang Zhang (February 1st) – Assistant Professor

Departures
Jim Stevenson

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Upcoming Events

Great Ideas for Teaching and Learning Symposium – Tuesday January 15, Simplot Ballroom SUB. Please consider attending at least one session. If you can’t attend Tuesday, it is worthwhile to try to attend at least one ctl workshop every semester.
For more info: ctl.boisestate.edu

Spring Forum 2013: We have an exciting and unique meeting planned for you at 2:00 PM on January 16 in the Skaggs Hall of Learning, located in the new MBEB business building. Bob Lokken, CEO of White Cloud Analytic will present to us, as well as members of the College of Business and Economics and the College of Education. Bob can always be counted on to “shake things up” and provide thought-provoking information. Please plan on attending.

Discover Boise State – January 19, 2013 and March 2, 2013
For more information click here.

Martin Luther King, Jr./ Idaho Human Rights Day – January 21, 2013, University is closed.

Spring Semester Begins – January 22, 2013

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Construction Update – From Paul Robertson

The Computer Science Tutoring Center in ET 111 is just about finished up. The construction is done and we are finishing the installation of white boards and desks. Marty is working on setting up the computers and we should be operational by the end of the month.

The work in MEC is actually a couple days ahead of schedule. The new concrete floor is scheduled to be poured this Friday in rooms 104, 105A and 105B. The cabinets in room 208 should be removed by the end of this week which will complete the majority of the inside demolition.

The new A/C units have been installed in MEC 204, the server room and the new ducting should be installed starting next week.

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NASA: OFFICE OF THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGIST NASA INNOVATIVE ADVANCED CONCEPTS:

Phase I Studies NASA Research Announcement 2013

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Headquarters is releasing a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for initial studies of visionary aerospace concepts. NNH13ZUA001N, entitled NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts: Phase I Studies, will be available as of January 15, 2013 by opening the NASA Research Opportunities homepage at http://nspires.nasaprs.com/ and then linking through the menu listings Solicitations to Open Solicitations. This solicitation represents continuation of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program, which issued its first solicitation on March 1, 2011. More information is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/niac .

This NRA will solicit multiple studies, each of which will investigate an architecture, mission, or system concept with the potential to enable a great leap in space or aeronautics. NIAC is part of the Space Technology Program in the Office of Chief Technologist. Aerospace architecture, mission, or system concepts proposed for NIAC Phase I studies must be exciting, unexplored, far-term, and credible. Proposals for narrow technology or subsystem development, or incremental or near-term advancement, are explicitly out of scope for this program. Finally, while NIAC encourages daring vision and accepts the accompanying risk, proposals must be technically credible and plausibly implementable. The 2013 NIAC Phase I solicitation will be a two-step process.

Step A will be a 3-page white paper. Proposals shall be submitted electronically, and all Step A proposers shall use the NASA Solicitation and Proposal Integrated Review and Evaluation System (NSPIRES), accessible at http://nspires.nasaprs.com , or the Grants.gov system. Step B full proposals will be eligible only if invited, after review of a Step A submission.

Step B proposals shall be submitted electronically through NSPIRES only. This solicitation will be an open announcement; anyone is welcome to respond. Affiliation with any educational institution, commercial or not-for-profit organization, research laboratory, government agency, or NASA Center (including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory) is permitted. Individuals may submit, as long as they meet the registration requirements for NSPIRES. Every organization that intends to submit a proposal in response to this NRA must be registered with NSPIRES, and such registration must identify the authorized organizational representative(s) who will submit the electronic proposal.

Each electronic proposal system places requirements on the registration of principal investigators and other participants (e.g. co-investigators). Potential proposers and proposing organizations are urged to access the electronic proposal system(s) well in advance of the proposal due date(s) to familiarize themselves with its structure and enter the requested information. Specific proposal submission deadline dates, evaluation criteria, and submission information will be identified in the NRA. Step A White Papers will be due on or before Friday, February 14, 2013; Step B full Proposals will be due on or before April 18, 2013. The number of awards will be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Comments and questions may be addressed by e-mail to NIAC Program representatives at hq-niac@mail.nasa.gov. Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and also included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of persons/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.

For more information go to: https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=3765af54693a2d289061972146a9fb11&tab=core&_cview=0

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2nd Annual International Space Station Research and Development Conference

The 2nd Annual International Space Station (ISS) Research and Development and Conference will be held July 16-18, 2013, at the Denver Marriott City Center. This conference is organized by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) in partnership with the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) and NASA.

A Call for Papers is posted at http://www.astronautical.org/sites/default/files/attachment/ISS%20CALL%20FOR%20PAPERS_0.pdf. Abstracts are solicited under the categories of Discoveries in Microgravity Science; Discoveries in Space Science, Earth Science, Engineering and Education; Applications Benefiting Earth; Applications Enabling Exploration; and Opportunities. Topics should relate to science and technology activities (past, present, planned and proposed) on the International Space Station. Accepted abstracts will be selected for plenary sessions, parallel technical sessions or poster displays. The deadline for submitting abstracts is February 8, 2013.

This conference will focus on ISS discoveries, applications and opportunities in physical sciences, life sciences, Earth and space sciences, STEM education and spacecraft technology development. Plenary sessions will highlight major results and pathways to future opportunities. Parallel technical sessions will provide tracks for scientists to be updated on significant accomplishments to date within their disciplines. Organizations managing and funding research on ISS, including NASA programs and the ISS National Laboratory will provide overviews of upcoming opportunities. The meeting also includes a workshop designed to help new users take this information and develop their own ideas for experiments using this unique laboratory. Potential ISS users who attend will learn: “What can I do on the ISS? How can I do it? What are sources for funding?”

Please plan to join us for this second annual conference offering perspectives on the full breadth of research and technology development on ISS, including one stop for the full suite of opportunities for future research. Details and registration information will be posted on the web site http://astronautical.org/node/184.

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NSF Grant Proposal Guide Update

NSF Has Updated its Grant Proposal Guide
Beginning next Monday, January 14, 2013, faculty preparing proposals or submitting project reports to NSF must begin using updated proposal development guidance in its new Grant Proposal Guide (GPG) v 13-1.

What’s Changed
NSF has made what it calls “numerous clarifications.” What’s changed is:

How you will submit a few proposal components, and

The guidance NSF is providing reviewers as they evaluate proposal merit criteria. We believe NSF may be trying to push the review culture to get reviewers to put more emphasis on broader impacts as opposed to the science alone. However, whether this effort will change what proposals NSF accepts remains to be seen.

When You Begin a Proposal
When you are ready to write your first or next NSF proposal, please contact Linda Georgiev and Karen Marker, and we will provide complete instructions. We also have optional templates for the Project Summary, Project Description, and Biographical Sketch that incorporate the changes. And at your request, we are happy to sit down with individuals or groups to provide more details.

Award Reporting Updates
The federal government is in the process or rolling out a primarily post-award website called “research.gov.” Beginning February 1, 2013, it will replace report submission in FastLane. Reporting requirements may change for other federal agencies as well. The Office of Sponsored Programs will host a webinar on this topic on January 16, 2013, and will send out an announcement when you can sign up, if interested.

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Undergraduate Student Instrument Project Educational Flight Opportunity (USIP-2013)

Solicitation Number: NNH13ZDA004N
FedBizOpps Posted Date: December 21, 2012
NSPIRES Release Date: December 21, 2012
Question and Answer Telecon: January 17, 2013
Proposals Due: April 5, 2013, 5 pm EDT

The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) is releasing this Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) Educational Flight Opportunity (EFO) to solicit U.S. university proposals to develop an Earth or space science payload that will fly on a NASA suborbital vehicle, such as a sounding rocket, balloon, aircraft, or commercial suborbital reusable launch vehicle. SMD designed USIP to promote interest and proficiency in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and to develop careers in the STEM related fields through offering NASA’s unique suborbital research platforms for student educational flight opportunities.

This EFO is intended to provide multidiscipline undergraduate student teams an exciting hands-on project, while at the same time promoting the technical and project management skills necessary to train the country’s future science and technology leaders.

The maximum funding available from SMD for a proposed project, including the design, development, and testing of the science payload, is $50K. The science payload funding may be supplemented with contributions by the implementing university; however, there are no expectations as to the amount of the university contributions. The university contribution is determined strictly by the university based on the university’s capabilities and the project’s needs. The cost of payload integration with the suborbital vehicle and the launch/flight is provided by NASA at no cost to the university team. The selected projects must be launched or flight-ready within 13-16 months from the project initiation date. SMD expects to select approximately 15-20 projects, subject to available funding.

The first goal of this USIP Educational Flight Opportunity is:

To provide a hands-on flight project experience to enhance the science, technical, leadership, and project skills for the selected U.S. university undergraduate student team.

The second goal of this solicitation is:

To fly a science payload having a purpose relevant to the Science Mission Directorate’s science goals (http://nasascience.nasa.gov/).

This solicitation will be available on or about December 21, 2012, at the NASA Research Opportunities homepage athttp://nspires.nasaprs.com/and then linking through the menu listing “Solicitations” to “Open Solicitations.”

The Point of Contact for further information and inquiries about the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project Educational Flight Opportunity is:

David Pierce
Science Mission Directorate
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Washington, DC 20546-0001
Telephone: (202) 358-3808
E-mail: david.l.pierce@nasa.gov

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Industry Funded Research Opportunity

There is an opportunity to perform funded research and development for one of the world’s leading medical technology companies http://www.stryker.com/.

Stryker is looking to partner with Boise State to develop a hydrogen peroxide sensor with the following specifications:

Environmental conditions to accurately and repeatedly measure as a function of time with battery operated sensors:

Temperature (15-135°C)
Absolute pressure (0-3 bars)
RH or moisture level or H2O concentration (0-100% RH)
H2O2 vapor (0-30 mg/L)

This project would be funded by Stryker and would begin in as soon as possible.

Teams of faculty are welcome. If you are interested or have questions, please email Mary Andrews MaryAndrews@boisestate.edu as soon as possible.

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COEN Online News 12/14/12

Electrical Engineering Students Awarded National Scholarships

by Kathleen Tuck

Two electrical and computer engineering (ECE) students have been awarded scholarships by the IEEE Power and Energy Society (PES). Cody Breckenridge, sophomore, and Adam Hull, junior, were among 228 students at 100 universities selected to receive the awards. Read more

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Finals Relief Refreshments in the Advising Office, December 17, 18, 19

The Advising Office will provide donuts and other refreshments during finals week, December 17, 18, 19. This has been a very popular event
for students! We are seeking donations to purchase the refreshments. $5, $10, $20 – anything helps. You are also welcome to purchased baked goods and bring them to the Advising Office.

Please bring money to ENGR 101, or let me know what day you can bring baked goods by December 14th. A list of contributors will be posted during that week in ENGR 101.

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Support your Broncos and the Military

Bronco Nation,

First, we wish you a Happy Holidays from Boise State athletics. Your support this season has been tremendous and we certainly would not be going to our 11th straight bowl game without you. We’re asking you to rally one more time in 2012 for the Broncos and give us the extra edge against Washington on December 22 in the Maaco Bowl Las Vegas.

If Holiday plans do not allow for a trip to Las Vegas, Boise State has created an easy way to support the Broncos and your military at the same time.

All you have to do is purchase a ticket to the Maaco Bowl through Boise State and the Broncos will donate the game ticket to a military member. Our presence in Las Vegas also sends a message to future bowls on how Bronco Nation supports their team.

The top three ticket purchasers will also receive a personally signed limited edition Bronco football game helmet from Coach Pete.

To donate a ticket or to secure your travel plans to Las Vegas please visit www.broncosports.com/BowlCentral, call 208-426-4737 or visit the Bronco Athletic Ticket Office outside Bronco Stadium.

As always, we very much appreciate your support of the Broncos!

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New College of Engineering “B” Logos Available

Printing & Graphics, in collaboration with Communications and Marketing, will provide all departments and colleges on campus with new logos. When provided they will be added to the branding toolkit page.

Some of the new “B” logos for the College of Engineering and departments are currently on the Branding Toolkit page: http://coen.boisestate.edu/resources/branding-toolkit

These will replace the diamond logos. The primary engineering logo may be used on a white background. A black and white logo and a reversed version of the logo will be available soon.

The electronic logo files are 300 dpi and will available in various formats including .eps (Illustrator), .tif and .jpg extensions. These files are for printed materials, only, and are not to be manipulated or edited in any way, except for resizing. They are not intended for use on web pages. For more information and usage guidelines, please visit brandstandards.boisestate.edu.

NOTE: Please use department reserves of existing stationery with the old diamond logo before placing a new order. Orders for printed materials from November 2012 on should include the new “B” Boise State or College of Engineering logos.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Michele Armstrong at marmstro@boisestate.edu

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Website Changes at COEN: New Template Go-Live Thursday 1/3/13 at 10:00am

For more information click the following links.
WPAnnoucetoAll-Final3.docx
WayfindingD4.docx
NEWCOENWebsiteNavDesign.docx

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WordPress Information Security/Privacy

Site Admins, Authors, and Editors,

To ensure the privacy and security of personal information keep the following in mind when developing web pages, posts and forms.

Employee/Student ID is the campus-wide solution for unique identity used by Boise State University. This number should be used as the primary factor of identification when user identity is required.

Social Security Numbers (SSNs) should not be harvested or disclosed in WordPress pages, posts or secureforms.
Credit card or financial data should not be harvested or disclosed in WordPress pages, posts or secureforms, as this is a direct violation of credit card Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards.

This is not an exhaustive list. If you are unsure, please contact the OIT helpdesk – call 426-4357, or e-mail helpdesk@boisestate.edu.

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Recycling Ink Cartridges

Please place your print cartridges–preferably in boxes–at one of these locations below, and they will be picked up by recycling.

1st, 2nd & 3rd vending areas + Rooms 201, 212, 213, 214, 215 236 & 239,3rd floor by Rm 301

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MEC Construction Update

On Monday, December 17th contractors will begin demolition of the ceiling in the 403 office suite. This work is necessary to install steel supports for a new exhaust fan that will be installed on the roof. The majority of the work will happen above the cubicles just outside rooms 403 E, F, G, and M. Access to the offices in this area will be available at all times.

Also during the week of December 17th contractors will remove cabinets out of the 3rd floor labs. They will keep the noise down because of finals, but please be aware of the extra traffic as they pack these out of the building.

There will be interruptions in in the HVAC between December 26-28. The plan is to only shut down the first and third floors for about an hour at a time, but the entire building may need to be shut down.

On January 2, there will be a power shut down from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00am.

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COEN Systems Downtime Jan 2 7:00am to 10am

What Is Happening

All systems will be shut down in preparation for the MEC building power outage. COEN servers will be unavailable Wednesday January 2^nd from 7:00am to 10:00am, when power is anticipated to be restored and systems are gradually brought online.

What this means to COEN users

Prior to the power outage systems will be down/unavailable:

W: drive and U: drive mappings (COEN-Maple)
Networked Printers (ENGR-NT2 and COEN-Birch)
ENGR-NT2 (Research Server Space and Windows Domain Access)
cs.boisestate.edu
COEN Intranet (SP1)
COENFILE
COENGrid
COENGate
COEN-LX1
Barth
Bioinformatics
Licensing servers
Redhawk
Onyx
Beowulf Cluster
Coen-lx0

***Please shut down any electrical equipment in the MEC building at the end of the day December 31^st (including computers, printers, and laboratory instruments) to prevent damage from the outage.

Questions?

Contact IT Support for the College of Engineering at coenits@cs.boisestate.edu, or Maureen Moore at 426-1415.

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Spring 2013 Semester Lab Changes – Please Read!

This information is intended for all staff and faculty requesting software and configuration changes in COEN Windows labs (ERB 3100, ENGR 212, ENGR 312, ENGR 120 Lab, ENGR 238, MEC103, MEC402). Please communicate this information to your department adjuncts not yet assigned to a course as soon as possible for their inclusion in labs configuration.

Several of you have issued new software requests for the upcoming semester.

A comprehensive list of all software currently available in labs can be found online at http://coen.boisestate.edu/its/welcome/computer_labs/ by clicking the Windows Labs – Software List hyperlink.

If additional packages are required for the Spring 2013 semester, we need the request (and the software) no later than Wednesday December 19th.

Once classes are in session it is extremely difficult to find available time frames large enough to perform updates on lab machines, as all rooms are heavily scheduled. Please review this list and respond with any changes to coenits@cs.boisestate.edu.

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DARPA: Young Faculty Award

Program Description: The DARPA Young Faculty Award (YFA) program aims to identify and engage rising stars in junior faculty positions in academia and equivalent positions at non-profit research institutions and expose them to Department of Defense (DoD) and National Security challenges and needs. In particular, YFA will provide high-impact funding to elite researchers early in their careers to develop innovative new research directions in the context of enabling transformative DoD capabilities. The long term goal of the program is to develop the next generation of scientists and engineers in the research community who will focus a significant portion of their future careers on DoD and National Security issues.

This RA solicits ground-breaking single investigator proposals for research and development in specific technical areas of interest within Physical Sciences, Engineering, Materials, Mathematics, Biology, Computing, Informatics, and Manufacturing of interest to DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) and Defense Sciences Office (DSO). Further detail regarding technical areas of interest can be found in the Technical Areas topics list. Proposals that fail to respond directly to a Technical Area will be considered nonresponsive.

Participation is limited to untenured Assistant or Associate Professors within 5 years of appointment to a tenure-track position at a U.S. institution of higher education or equivalent at a non-profit science and technology research institution.

For more information visit: https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=adfae398a8461797ca81d55c62bac4b0&tab=core&_cview=0Posted

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NSF/DTRA/NGA: Algorithms for Threat Detection (ATD)

The Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) has formed a partnership with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) to develop the next generation of mathematical and statistical algorithms for the detection of chemical agents, biological threats, and threats inferred from geospatial information.

This program solicits proposals from the mathematical sciences community in two main thrust areas: mathematical and statistical techniques for genomics, and mathematical and statistical techniques for the analysis of data from sensor systems.

For more information visit: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2012/nsf12502/nsf12502.htm

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On the Lighter Side

Star Wars Holiday Special Part 1

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COEN Online News 11/30/12

Boise State University: Unifying the Brand

Blue and Orange, Broncos and the B

Boise State University is revising and unifying its branding efforts with the introduction of a primary “B” logo to represent the university. Boise State worked in collaboration with Nike to create a consistent visual identity program for the academic and athletic departments.

“With Boise State’s reputation growing nationally, it is an ideal time for Boise State to present its identity in a unified manner,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra. “The redesigned B serves all of us in the Bronco family and represents our personality traits of being determined, strong, innovative and community based. We are boldly moving forward into the future.” Read More

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New College of Engineering “B” Logos Available

Some of the new “B” logos for the College of Engineering and departments are currently on the Branding Toolkit page: http://coen.boisestate.edu/resources/branding-toolkit

These will replace the diamond logos. The primary engineering logo may be used on a white background. A black and white logo and a reversed version of the logo will be available soon.

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Michele Armstrong at marmstro@boisestate.edu

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Finals Relief Refreshments in the Advising Office, December 17, 18, 19

Please bring money to ENGR 101, or let me know what day you can bring baked goods by December 13th. A list of contributors will be posted during that week in ENGR 101.

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Holiday Help Sponsorship

We have received information about our Holiday Family (information is attached) – if you want to contribute funds or a specific item, please let me know.
Cash donations should be submitted to Norma Kindall by Monday, December 10 (to give us time to purchase items or gift cards)
Item donations should be turned into the Dean’s Office by Wednesday morning, December 12.

This is voluntary participation.

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Bronco Shop Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night is Dec. 7

The Bronco Shop is offering a 30 percent discount to all employees at Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7. The event is sponsored by the Bronco Shop and Boise State Athletics.

The discount applies to regular priced merchandise including general books and gifts, apparel and Boise State insignia items, with campus ID. The discount does not apply to textbooks, electronics or previously reduced items. Discounts for faculty and staff will be given at all Bookstore and Bronco Shop locations.

Free parking is available in the Lincoln Avenue Garage from 3:30-7:30 p.m.

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Annual Winter Gathering is Dec. 5

Faculty and staff are invited to attend the annual Winter Gathering in celebration of the holiday season. Refreshments will be provided.

Join President Bob Kustra and vice presidents Martin Schimpf, Stacy Pearson, Mark Rudin, Lisa Harris, Laura Simic and Kevin Satterlee from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5, in the Student Union Simplot Ballroom. One hour of release time has been authorized.

Holiday music will be provided by the Boise State Meistersingers and the Boise State Vox Angelis women’s chorus. Holiday food and beverages will be provided by Aramark Catering.

There also will be raffle items — every in-person guest will receive a free raffle ticket (raffle tickets are not for sale) to be used in a drawing for the item you’d most like to win. A drawing will be held the following day. Items being raffled include:

Two tickets to “The Nutcracker” at 8 p.m. Dec. 21: Morrison Center
Two tickets to “The Messiah” by Boise Philharmonic: Morrison Center
Boise State holiday items: Boise State Bookstore
One free reserved parking permit: Transportation and Parking
A term membership: Recreation Center
And more

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Faculty and Staff in Action

In the current issue of Performance Improvement Quarterly (PIQ), the article, “Content Analysis of the 20 most influential HPT articles,” identifies work by Instructional & Performance Technology assistant professor Linda Huglin. Her 2009 article is titled “HPT roots and branches: Analyzing over 45 years of the field’s own citations: Part 1,” Performance Improvement Quarterly, 21(4), 95-115.

The citation for the PIZ article is: Yonjoo Cho, & Sunyoung Park. (2012). Content analysis of the 20 most influential articles in PIQ. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 25(3), 7-22. doi: 10.1002/piq.21126

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2013 NASA ASP Scholarship Application

The 2013 NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Application is now open. The NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program seeks to attract students interested in the field of aeronautics to work with NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) which is directed toward enhancing the state of aeronautics for the nation, transforming the nation’s air transportation system, and developing the knowledge, tools, and technologies to support future air and space vehicles. The ARMD focus is on cutting-edge, fundamental research in traditional aeronautical disciplines, as well as emerging fields with promising application to aeronautics.

Undergraduate Students

$15,000 awarded for each school year, to be used for educational related expenses
$10,000 Summer internship at a NASA Research Center
Up to 2 years of support

Graduate Students

$35,000 stipend
$11,000 awarded each year, to be used for educational related expenses
$10,000 Summer internship at a NASA Research Center
2 years of support, with an option for a 3rd year

The application deadline is January 15, 2013. All transcripts, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, essays and other supporting materials must be received by the deadline of January 15, 2013.

For more information or to start an application, please visit
https://nasa.asee.org/.

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University of Kentucky REU

The University of Kentucky is currently accepting applications for its Research Experience for Undergraduates in Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices. For additional information see the attached flyer or visit http://nsfreu.engr.uky.edu/ . Please share this with your undergraduate students.

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Funding Opportunities

Webinar to Support FY 2013 Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research Funding Opportunity Announcement to be Held December 13th

The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) invites you to participate in an upcoming, two-part webinar.

In prior years, DOE-NE issued multiple solicitations for research and development (R&D) opportunities through the Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP) and the Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET) Crosscutting Technology Development Program. In fiscal year (FY) 2013, DOE-NE is integrating these competitively-funded R&D opportunities into a Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA).

The purpose of this webinar is to 1) brief potential applicants on the Consolidated Innovative Nuclear Research FOA, provide details on participation eligibility, restrictions and requirements, and 2) discuss additional workscopes not previously addressed during the FY 2013 NEUP webinar.

An extended Q&A session will follow each webinar session.

Separate registrations are required to attend both sessions.

FY 2013 Funding Opportunity Announcement Discussion

Date: December 13, 2012

Time: 11:00 am-1:00 pm ET

Reserve a Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/968203937

FY 2013 Workscope Discussion (Excluding workscopes previously presented at the FY 2013 NEUP Workshop)

Date: December 13, 2012

Time: 2:00 pm-3:00 pm ET

Reserve a Webinar seat now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/886903497

NSF: Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE)

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13518/nsf13518.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click

Program Title:

Integrated NSF Support Promoting Interdisciplinary Research and Education (INSPIRE)
to support bold interdisciplinary projects in all NSF-supported areas of science, engineering, and education research

Synopsis of Program:

The INSPIRE awards program was established to address some of the most complicated and pressing scientific problems that lie at the intersection of traditional disciplines. It is intended to encourage investigators to submit bold, exceptional proposals that some may consider to be at a disadvantage in a standard NSF review process; it is not intended for proposals that are more appropriate for existing award mechanisms. INSPIRE is open to interdisciplinary proposals on any NSF-supported topic, submitted by invitation only after a preliminary inquiry process initiated by submission of a required Letter of Intent. In fiscal year 2013, INSPIRE provides support through the following three pilot grant mechanisms:

INSPIRE Track 1. This is essentially a continuation of the pilot CREATIV mechanism from FY 2012, which was detailed for 2012 in Dear Colleague Letter NSF 12-011.
INSPIRE Track 2. These are “mid-scale” research awards at a larger scale than Track 1, allowing for requests of up to $3,000,000 over a duration of up to five years. Expectations for cross-cutting advances and for broader impacts are greater than in Track 1, and the review process includes external review.
Director’s INSPIRE Awards. These are prestigious individual awards to single-investigator proposals that present ideas for interdisciplinary advances with unusually strong, exciting transformative potential.

All NSF directorates and programmatic offices participated in INSPIRE in FY 2012 and are continuing their participation in FY 2013.

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COEN Online News 11/9/12

Engineering Students Finish in Top Fifth in Global Competition

By: Rebecca Mirsky Published 8:28 am / November 6, 2012

Chances are, when someone mentions “extreme challenge,” your first thought is not computer programming. But that’s exactly what Boise State College of Engineering students found themselves in the middle of, along with 1,900 teams from around the world, in the IEEEXtreme 6.0 programming competition. Read More

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Schedule for Carpet Cleaning in the MEC building

It is time for us to have the carpets cleaned in the MEC building beginning Nov. 12. Please take a look at the attached spreadsheet to see when your office/area is scheduled to be cleaned. Before you leave work the night before your cleaning, please be sure to have everything off of the floor. The cleaning crew will move chairs, but that is it.

If you have any questions, please let Paul Robertson know. proberts@boisestate.edu

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Construction to begin in MEC Building-A Message from Paul Robertson

Beginning Monday, November 12, the Remodel work in MEC hits full speed. The contractors will begin on the first floor with the demo work and then jump up to the fourth floor. There will not be much impact to how you get around the building for the first few days, but on Saturday, Nov. 17, they will begin sawcutting in the first floor. It is unlikely that they will be able to get everything put back together by the time classes resume on Nov. 26, so expect some detours if you use rooms 106 or 103.

If you have a class in MEC 307 or 309, there will be some ceiling tiles missing for about 2 weeks. The overhead work will be done at night and the rooms will be usable during the daytime.

The bathrooms on the third floor are scheduled to close sometime next week for mechanical and plumbing work. Please use the restrooms in the ET building. There will be signs directing people, but you may need to remind students.

Paul will be scheduling some time to meet with you in the next week or two if your lab/office area is directly affected.

He will try to keep these emails to a once a week occurrence, and he encourage you to read them to know what is going to be happening.

If you have any questions, please let Paul Robertson know. proberts@boisestate.edu

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COEN’s Friday Conversations

We had a very interesting Friday Conversations last week about “elearning” and then on Sunday there were a couple articles in the Education section of the New York Times. Below is the link on MOOCs
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html?ref=edlife

There is quite a bit of work already going on in COEN exploring many different ways to enhance our teaching with “emethods”. Ask around you might be surprised what some of your colleagues are doing. You may not realize this but IPT graduate programs are 100% online. Joe Guarino is using funding from HP to develop a video game that teaches Algebra I skills. Kirsten Davis is using mobile devices in her classes. Jim Conrad is using Facebook for student discussions. And Krishna Pakala is capturing his recitation classes for thermodynamics and posting the videos so student can review how to do problems. I know there are many others experimenting as well. Pretty exciting stuff!

This week will be our last Friday Conversation.
Michele Armstrong will review the new web template!
See you on Friday
1:30 pm
MEC 114

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STEM lunch discussion (Thurs 11/15): Research: the new face of STEM Service-Learning

You are invited to a lunch discussion with other STEM faculty on Thursday, November 15, at noon in the Center for Teaching and Learning (ILC 315). Please RSVP at this link. FREE BAGEL LUNCH! Co-hosted by STEM Station. Details are below.

Service-Learning can take many forms, two of which fit well with most STEM classes: field research and background research/needs assessments. This session will offer examples, tips, and connections with community partners. Faculty will take away new ideas for SL research projects, ideas of how to integrate the SL research project into the course, and a clear sense of what’s involved and next steps. Service-Learning focuses on nonprofit and public agencies, at which students apply STEM principles while also learning about societal issues related to the discipline.

Date: Thursday, November 15, 2012
Time: 12:00 PM (Duration: 1.25 Hours)
Location: ILC 315
Facilitator: Kara Brascia
Email: karabrascia@boisestate.edu
Phone: 426-2380

http://ctl.boisestate.edu/events/workshops/details.asp?1423

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Nov. 16 — NSF Data Managment Plans Session

Announcing November’s OSP Proposal Development Series:

TOPIC: NSF Data Management Plans
WHEN: Friday, November 16, 2012, 10-11:30 a.m.
WHERE: SUB- Trueblood Room

Description:
The National Science Foundation requires “data management plans” for all proposals. In this session, In this session, Office of Sponsored Program staff will present the NSF policy and review some tools and resources available to faculty to help with developing data management plans. This is also an opportunity to provide input about the types of assistance you may need to develop your data management plan.

If you can provide specific questions ahead of time it will help inform the discussion. Please submit them to Kimberly Page, Office of Sponsored Programs: kimberlypage@boisestate.edu If you are unable to attend this session but would be interested in attending a session on this topic in the spring semester please send an email to Kimberly Page.

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Faculty and Staff in Action

Tony Marker, associate professor in the Department of Instructional and Performance Technology, presented his research findings at two conferences this fall.
Read More

A column written by John Gardner, professor of mechanical engineering and director of the energy efficiency initiative at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies, in the Idaho Statesman looks at energy policies proposed by the leading presidential candidates
Read More

Joshua Anghel, a graduate student working with assistant professor of computer science Alark Joshi, presented a paper titled “Visualizing disease incidence in the context of socioeconomic factors” at the 2012 International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction (VINCI) in Hangzhou, China.

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Funding Opportunities

FY 2013 Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program BAA Released

The Office of Naval Research has released a Broad Agency Announcement to solicit proposals for its Young Investigator Program for fiscal year (FY) 2013. This program seeks to attract standout faculty in
their first or second full-time, tenure track position in order to cultivate their research base at ONR. The program often serves as a way for promising young faculty to break into Department of Defense (DOD) funding and familiarize them with DOD research activities. Proposals must align with ONR’s research interests across its six departments— Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare and Combating Terrorism (Code 30); Command, Control Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (Code 31); Ocean Battlespace Sensing (Code 32); Sea Warfare and Weapons (Code 33); Warfighter Performance (Code 34); and Naval Air Warfare and Weapons (Code 35). Basic (6.1) and applied (6.2) research proposals are accepted; ONR will fund some advanced technology development (6.3) research through this BAA as well.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the appropriate program officer or division director to discuss research proposals. Detailed descriptions of specific ONR program and division research foci can be
found on the webpage below. White papers are not required, but interested faculty may submit brief informal pre-proposals to facilitate these discussions. Additionally, applicants must submit a supporting letter through an appropriate university official as ONR makes awards to institutions, not individual faculty.

This is a historically popular program; in FY 2012, 369 proposals were received, resulting in 25 awards. Despite fierce competition, research proposals not selected through this program are still considered for
ONR’s regular research programs, with many past proposals receiving funding this way.

Letters of Intent: Not applicable. However, researchers can begin the process by contacting an appropriate program officer or division director to discuss research topics and how they align with ONR priorities. DOD encourages this as a way to establish the most appropriate areas applicants should address.

Due Dates: Full proposals must be submitted by 4:00 PM Eastern time on January 4, 2013. Questions regarding the program must be submitted by December 21.

Total Funding and Award Size: ONR intends to award a total of up to $9 million through this BAA. Proposals can request up to $170,000 annually for three years. Cost sharing is not required. ONR expects to fund about 17 proposals.

Eligibility and Limitations: The competition is open to faculty at U.S. institutions of higher education.

Sources and Additional Background:

The complete BAA can be found here

In addition, the eligibility information states:

“Further, the Principal Investigator of a proposal must be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident (on the date proposals are due), holding a first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent faculty position at that university, and who for FY2013 have begun her/his first full-time appointment on or after 01 November 2007. The term “national” of the United States includes a native resident of a possession of the United States, such as American Samoa.”

If you fit the above criteria for YIP and are interested in developing a proposal for this program, please let Karen Marker or myself know. We would like to help!

Program Title: Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability (XPS)

http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13507/nsf13507.htm

Synopsis of Program:
Computing systems have undergone a fundamental transformation from the single-processor devices of the turn of the century to today’s ubiquitous and networked devices and warehouse-scale computing via the cloud. Parallelism has become ubiquitous at many levels. The proliferation of multi- and many-core processors, ever-increasing numbers of interconnected high performance and data intensive edge devices, and the data centers servicing them, is enabling a new set of global applications with large economic and social impact. At the same time, semiconductor technology is facing fundamental physical limits and single processor performance has plateaued. This means that the ability to achieve predictable performance improvements through improved processor technologies has ended.

The Exploiting Parallelism and Scalability (XPS) program aims to support groundbreaking research leading to a new era of parallel computing. XPS seeks research re-evaluating, and possibly re-designing, the traditional computer hardware and software stack for today’s heterogeneous parallel and distributed systems and exploring new holistic approaches to parallelism and scalability. Achieving the needed breakthroughs will require a collaborative effort among researchers representing all areas– from the application layer down to the micro-architecture– and will be built on new concepts and new foundational principles. New approaches to achieve scalable performance and usability need new abstract models and algorithms, programming models and languages, hardware architectures, compilers, operating systems and run-time systems, and exploit domain and application-specific knowledge. Research should also focus on energy- and communication-efficiency and on enabling the division of effort between edge devices and clouds.
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Category Archives: Online News

Online News 5/17/13

Doctoral Student’s Data Sharing Solution Easy as Pi

NASA Robot to Explore Greenland Ice Sheet with Boise State Radar System

See Photos of NASA Robot in Greenland

Students Learn about Global Citizenship in Belize

COEN IT News

Faculty/Staff in Action

Funding Opportunities

Online News 4/19/13

Gang-Ryung Uh Receives Google Faculty Research Award

Ph.D. Students Work With St. Luke’s on Air Quality Project

Osher Institute Announces Faculty Research Grant Recipients

develop.idaho 2013

COEN News

Faculty/Staff in Action

Upcoming Events

Awards Recognize Computing and Technology Students

Boise State Honors Top Ten Scholars at April 16 Reception

Funding Opportunities

Online News 3/15/13

Boise State Construction Management Team Receives Honors in Regional Competition

Researcher Works to Build a Better Battery

EVERYONE Folder Purged Monday March 25th at 5:00pm!

Bronco Appathon 2013

Faculty in Action

Upcoming Events

Engineering Students Shine in Competition

NSF: Nanotechnology Undergraduate Education (NUE) in Engineering

Online News 3/1/13

News from the Library

Gates, Zuckerberg: Kids, learn to code

Bronco Appathon Open to Student Programmers

Program Awards $45,200 in Research Fellowships

Upcoming Events

Boise Code Camp

March 16, 2013 | Boise State University

NSF: Smart and Connected Health (SCH)

Call for Proposals – ISGC Grant Opportunities

Online News 2/15/13

Instructional and Performance Technology Gets New Name

Photo of the Week — Feb. 8

Service-Learning STEM Students Lead March 2 Workshop that Explores Wind Energy

Bronco Appathon Open to Student Programmers

Program Awards $45,200 in Research Fellowships

Upcoming Events

Boise Code Camp

March 16, 2013 | Boise State University

ENGR 120 - Peanut Butter Cracker Manufacturing Operators needed Feb 21 and 22

NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellowships March 1 Proposal Due Date

Call for Proposals – ISGC Grant Opportunities

Online News 2/1/13

Families Invited to Explore STEM through Hands-on Learning Saturday February 2

Boise State Community Celebrates Life of Former Student

Boise State Explore 2013 Highlights Research Acumen

WordPress Training Session – Thursday February 7

Faculty and Students in Action

Upcoming Events

Business Leader Addresses Gap Between Jobs, Qualified Applicants

NASA: NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

NSF: Hydrologic Sciences

COEN Online News 1/11/13

Boise State Team Selected for Microgravity University for Fifth Year

Jelly the Labrador

STEM Exploration, 2013 (previously Discover Engineering Day) February 2

The College of Engineering Web Site Has Been Switched Over to New Template

New Hires and Departures