Announcements for UNC CS Grad Students

New Newton International Fellowships for post-docs to work in the U.K.

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 12:31:00 +0000

A new multi-million pound initiative to fund research collaborations and improve links between UK and overseas researchers has been launched.

The Newton International Fellowships aim to attract the most promising, early stage, post-doctoral researchers working overseas, who do not hold UK citizenship, in the fields of humanities, engineering, natural and social sciences.

The scheme provides funding to successful candidates for up to 2 years to work with research groups at a UK research Institution and to establish long term international collaborations.

The Fellowships, and the linked alumni association, are an initiative of the UK's leading research academies - the British Academy, The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society - and Research Councils UK (RCUK).

The funding will be distributed in the form of 50 research fellowships per round of applications. Successful candidates will receive an annual subsistence of £24,000, up to £8,000 for research expenses, and a one-off payment of £2,000 for relocation.

It is hoped that the collaborations and links formed during the course of the fellowship will continue to benefit Newton Fellows throughout their careers. To facilitate this, former Fellows will be eligible for follow-on funding of up to £6,000 per year, for up to ten years, to help develop lasting international networks with the UK.

Former Newton Fellows will also become members of the UK International Fellowship Association managed by RCUK, which aims to build a network of overseas researchers, help them maintain contact with the UK and provide networking opportunities to encourage new collaborations.

Applications for Newton International Fellowships are invited for Fellowships starting in 2009. The deadline for applications is Monday 4 August 2008.

For more information on the Newton International Fellowship Scheme please go to www.newtonfellowships.org or email any enquiries to info@newtonfellowships.org.

The Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:06:00 +0000

The Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science seeks to provide an optimal environment for pursuing doctoral studies in computer science. As a graduate, you undergo research-oriented training and experience a stimulating and scientifically challenging atmosphere. Advised by a dynamic crew of faculty members with international reputations, you can participate in one of the many research groups and find your way into top-notch research in a wide range of areas.

The Graduate School is a joint effort of the Department of Computer Science at Saarland University and the internationally renowned computer science research institutes co-located on the Saarbrücken Campus:

- the Max Planck Institute for Informatics
- the Max Planck Institue for Software Systems
- the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI)

We are looking for talented students with a strong interest in research from all over the world who wish to earn their doctorate. You should hold at least an excellent Bachelor's degree in computer science or in a related field. We are particularly interested in applications from women
with a strong academic background in these areas.

All accepted candidates can count on financial support for the duration of the program. Funding amounts to monthly scholarships of 750 Euros in the preparatory phase and around 1400 Euros in the dissertation phase.

The next *application deadline* for the winter semester 2008/2009 is *June 15th*.

Details of the program and the requested application materials can be found at

http://gradschool.cs.uni-sb.de

There you will also find all necessary contact information.

The Saarbrücken Graduate School of Computer Science is supported by the Initiative for Excellence of the German federal and state governments

Fall 2008 Future Faculty Fellowship Program

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:10:00 +0000

The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to announce the Fall 2008 Future Faculty Fellowship Program, to be held August 1, 4-8 (see the attached document containing the program description, application form, and guidelines for the letter of recommendation). We would ask that you please forward this information on to all eligible graduate students. The information in the attached document can also be found on our website at http://ctl.unc.edu/fdfffp.html

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Ed Neal at ed_neal@unc.edu or 966-1289.

Google Code Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Sat, 03 May 2008 13:46:00 +0000

Are you ready to test your coding skills? Join Google Code Jam, a competition where programmers and students solve complex coding challenges in a limited amount of time. Winners get cash prizes and a trip to a local Google office. Last year, one competitor even went on to intern at Google and helped to create a new version of Google Sky.

We began offering the Google Code Jam in 2003 as a great way for Google to support competitive programming around the world. Those earlier contests were powered by TopCoder, but we have been developing a platform to support coding competitions -- and now we are excited to produce our own Google Code Jam.

The new competition is planned for the end of Summer 2008, and we hope you'll join us and your fellow computer science students in this challenge. If you're interested, sign up for future announcements and updates about the contest at: http://groups.google.com/group/codejam-announce.

If you know someone else who would be interested, feel free to forward this email to them, too.

We're excited about Google Code Jam 2008, and we hope to see you at the finals!

Sincerely,

Google's Code Jam Team

Google 2008 International Model Your Campus Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Dear students,

The 2008 International Model Your Campus Competition has launched! We're back with another opportunity for you to show off your modeling skills -- and this time we welcome submissions from colleges and universities from all over the world.

This Spring, you and your friends can honor your home turf and hone your 3D skills by entering Google SketchUp's 2008 International Model Your Campus Competition. Simply model your school's campus buildings in Google SketchUp, geo-reference them in Google Earth and submit them by uploading to the Google 3D Warehouse to earn lasting online glory and, for the winners, an Apple iPod Touch, a Nintendo Wii Console, and a Google t-shirt and hat.

You may enter the competition if you are a higher education student. Team up with other students, or take the project on yourself. Please read the official rules before registering. The deadline for competition entries is June 1, 2008.

We can't wait to see what you create. Join our Google Competition Group to discuss issues, ideas, and solutions for modeling. Good luck and happy modeling!

Academic Presentation Skills Workshops

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:05:00 +0000

The Graduate School is co-sponsoring two upcoming workshops for graduate and professional students.

Presentation Skills Workshop
This will be an interactive 2 hour seminar that addresses the core issues of a good research presentation. This introductory course focuses on the structure and preparation of a talk to ensure it is clear and engaging for any audience. Topics will include identifying the focus and theme, how to create effective visual aids, and how to begin and end a talk. Refreshments served.
Tuesday April 22, 2008
12:00pm-2:00pm, Medical Biomolecular Research Building, Room 202
Register: http://cfx.research.unc.edu/res_classreg/browse_single.cfm?New=1&event_id=21522

Presentation Skills Workshop for INTERNATIONAL Students
This workshop is specifically designed for those who speak English as a second language. Topics covered will include how to effectively talk about your research in formal and informal settings, how to overcome nervousness when speaking English, skills with circumlocution (what to do when you don't know a specific word in English), and building confidence with communication. Refreshments served.
Tuesday April 22, 2008
3:00pm-5:00pm, Graduate Student Center, 211A West Cameron Ave
Register: http://cfx.research.unc.edu/res_classreg/browse_single.cfm?New=1&event_id=21513

Identifying Funding Sources Workshop: How to search for funding opportunities for graduate research and study

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:25:00 +0000

When: Tuesday, April 1, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. OR
Friday, April 4, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Where: Conference room, lower level Bynum Hall

The GrantSource Library invites interested graduate and professional students from all disciplines to a workshop on finding funding for graduate research and study. The instructor will provide time-saving tips for conducting a funding search and an overview of resources available through the library

You will learn how to:

Make the most effective use of the COS and Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) multidisciplinary funding opportunity databases (how to search, important features, pros and cons)
Set up a customized funding alert in COS and other mailing lists about funding
Search for funding using special resources for graduate students
Identify UNC internal funding opportunities
Find online and print proposal writing guides

Advance registration is not required. For more information, see http://research.unc.edu/grantsource/workshops_help.php#workshops, or email gs@unc.edu or phone 962-3463.

Google Summer of Code 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:34:00 +0000

Google is excited to announce Google Summer of Code^TM 2008! Google Summer of Code is a program designed to encourage student participation in open source development and offers these developers stipends to write code for various open source projects. Google will be working with several open source, free software and technology-related groups to identify and fund several projects over a three month period.

Historically, the program has brought together over 1,500 students around the globe with over 130 open source projects, to create millions of lines of code. We are contacting you to invite your students and encourage them to apply and participate!

Here at Google, we want to inspire young developers to begin participating in open source development. Google Summer of Code provides opportunities for students in Computer Science and related fields to work on projects related to their academic pursuits. We will be accepting student applications from March 24 - March 31, 2008.

For more information on Google Summer of Code 2008 and how to apply, please visit: http://code.google.com/soc/

For those with further questions, email: google-summer-of-code-discuss@googlegroups.com

Future Faculty Fellowship Program applications due

noreply@blogger.com (Jan Prins) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Update: deadline extended to Monday March 24

Applications are solicited for the Spring 2008 Future Faculty Fellowship Program, to be held May 15-16, 19-22, 2008. The program description, application form, and guidelines for the letter of recommendation can be found at http://ctl.unc.edu/fdfffp.html

From the program description:

The Future Faculty Fellowship Program has three goals: to improve the educational experience of UNC students in courses taught by graduate students, to prepare graduate students for their first experience as independent instructors, and to help them understand the roles and responsibilities they will share as faculty members in higher education. The instructional program consists of an intensive, six-day seminar designed as a “capstone experience” for graduate students nearing the end of their degree programs. To recognize the value of the commitment to professional development that participation represents, each Fellow will receive a certificate and a $500 honorarium upon completion of the seminar. Participants will also receive a set of books on college teaching to use as texts in the seminar and as reference material for their teaching in the future.

Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:20:00 +0000

The Graduate School is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring. This award was established to recognize extraordinary performance and achievement in the mentoring of doctoral students. We will present the award at the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on May, 10, 2008 in Memorial Hall.

All graduate students who receive their doctoral degree in 2007/2008 are invited to nominate faculty for this special honor. This includes students who received their degrees in August and December 2007, and those who will receive their degrees in May 2008. Regular members of the Graduate Faculty at UNC Chapel Hill who have successfully guided at least one student through the completion of their doctoral training are eligible. The deadline for nominations is April 4, 2008. A call for nominations, outlining the criteria and eligibility for the award, and the nomination form can be found on the Graduate School web site at http://gradschool.unc.edu/awards.html.

Identifying Funding Sources Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:49:00 +0000

Identifying Funding Sources Workshop: How to search for funding opportunities for graduate research and study

When: Tuesday, March 4, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. OR
Friday, March 7, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Where: Conference room, lower level Bynum Hall, across from the entrance to the Cashier's Office.

You will learn how to:

Make the most effective use of the COS and Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) multidisciplinary funding opportunity databases (how to search, important features, pros and cons)
Set up a customized funding alert in COS and other mailing lists about funding
Search for funding using special resources for graduate students
Identify UNC internal funding opportunities
Find online and print proposal writing guides

Advance registration is not required. For more information, see http://research.unc.edu/grantsource/workshops_help.php#workshops, or email gs@unc.edu or phone 962-3463.

Doctoral Consortium at DESRIST 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:47:00 +0000

This seems to be for early PhD students trying to define a topic.

----

I am writing to invite your doctoral students at UNC to submit to the doctoral consortium at the Third International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology in Atlanta, Georgia on 6-7 May.

An NSF grant will will cover complete registration costs as well as partially support travel expenses for the students selected to attend the consortium.

We are working on pulling together an inter-disciplinary panel of researchers and mentors that will provide feedback and mentoring to the students at the consortium.

We hope that you will encourage the students to submit a short proposal. Here is the call - http://desrist2008.cis.gsu.edu/doctor.aspx. We may consider an extension of deadline if your students need more time to prepare for the submission.

Regards,

Ying Zhu and Sandeep Purao
DESRIST 2008 Doctoral Consortium Co-Chairs

Fourth Annual Research Symposium and Luncheon

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:46:00 +0000

Fourth Annual Research Symposium and Luncheon
Tuesday March 4th, 2008
FPG Student Union
Cash prizes including the Award for Innovative Research will be awarded
http://gpsf-wiki.unc.edu/confluence/display/gpsfExec/University+Research+Day
abstract due Feb 25.

Graduate TA Coffee Talk on Feb. 25th

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:43:00 +0000

Do you have problems with students in the classroom that

you just don’t know how to solve? Do you want to learn

how to be a better TA? Come join us!

Graduate TA Coffee Talk

Monday, February 25

4 pm - 5 pm

Graduate Student Center

211A W. Cameron Ave.

Free Coffee and Snacks

For directions: http://gradschool.unc.edu/student/gsc/

Co-sponsored by GPSF and CTL

Questions: Contact Chetna (chetna@unc.edu)

Tax Responsibilities Workshops for Graduate and Professional Students

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:31:00 +0000

It’s Tax Time! The Graduate Student Professional Development Program is sponsoring two workshops on Tax Responsibilities for Graduate and Professional Students

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Graduate Student Center, 211A West Cameron Ave.

Session A: 2:00-3:30 p.m. Register: http://cfx.research.unc.edu/res_classreg/browse_single.cfm?New=1&event_id=21433

Session B: 4:00-5:30 p.m. Register: http://cfx.research.unc.edu/res_classreg/browse_single.cfm?New=1&event_id=21434

Both sessions will cover the same information, please register for only one session.

The workshop will cover basics about fellowships, scholarships, assistantships as well as when and how to claim income as a graduate student. Publication 970 “Tax Benefits for Education” will be provided.

These classes do not represent individual tax advice. Please consult with your tax advisor. The information will not cover issues concerning North Carolina state taxes. The workshop is designed for students who are US Citizens or permanent residents. If you are an international student, please consult the International Student and Scholar Services for their tax seminars for international students and scholars.

Announcing Spring 2008 Future Faculty Fellowship Program

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 01:00:00 +0000

The Center for Teaching and Learning would like to announce the Spring 2008 Future Faculty Fellowship Program, to be held May 15-16, 19-22, 2008. For program description, application form, and guidelines for the letter of recommendation please visit http://ctl.unc.edu/fdfffp.html

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Ed Neal at ed_neal@unc.edu or 966-1289.

Identifying Funding Sources Workshop: How to search for funding opportunities for graduate research and study

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 20:04:00 +0000

When: Monday, February 4, 10:00-11:00 a.m. OR
Friday, February 7, 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Where: Conference room, lower level Bynum Hall, across from the entrance to the Cashier's Office.

You will learn how to:

Make the most effective use of the COS and Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) multidisciplinary funding opportunity databases (how to search, important features, pros and cons)
Set up a customized funding alert in COS and other mailing lists about funding
Search for funding using special resources for graduate students
Identify UNC internal funding opportunities
Find online and print proposal writing guides

Advance registration is not required. For more information, see http://research.unc.edu/grantsource/workshops_help.php#workshops, or email gs@unc.edu or phone 962-3463.

[diversity.at.carolina] Conversations with Cookie

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:11:00 +0000

We will be discussing " Insensitive Speech in the Classroom: What do we do when it happens?" at 6:00 tomorrow at the Campus Y at our latest "Conversations with Cookie." Faculty, staff and students are welcome!

Dr. Cookie Newsom

http://www.unc.edu/minorityaffairs/events.html

Worio search engine Beta testing

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:07:00 +0000

We are a group of students and former students of UBC CS developing a tag-based search engine in need of student Beta users to try out our engine and provide feedback.

o the engine uses machine learning to incorporate tags in the ranking algorithm
o every Web page comes with tags, created by other users and the machine learning algorithm
o you can use these tags to filter results
o you can tag pages yourself, and remove tags when you disagree with them
o the system learns from your tags and uses them to improve your search results

If you are interested in participating in the Beta, please visit us at http://worio.com and register.

Please note that this is a limited closed Beta that will only be sent out to select universities so you will need to use your official university e-mail address (ie, xxxxx@cs.unc.edu) to be granted access.

Jason Chong
Web of Research Marketing Co-op
jaschong@interchange.ubc.ca

New Deadlines for Drafts of MS Writing Requirement Papers

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:46:00 +0000

As you know, there is a writing requirement for the MS degree. A paper (there are several possible types) must be read and approved by two faculty members. We call this the Comprehensive Paper. There are alternative ways to satisfy this requirement, but this note applies only to the Comprehensive Paper.

We had some problems last year with graduating MS students who submitted the drafts to the readers very late in the semester, making it difficult to read the papers in time for the students to graduate. Therefore, we are instituting deadlines, effective this semester (spring 2008). The revised form CS-8 lists the deadlines, and has spaces for the two readers to sign to signify on-time receipt.

1. The draft for the primary reader must be submitted on or before 4 weeks prior to the last day of classes. This semester the deadline is March 28.

2. The draft must be submitted to the secondary reader on or before 2 weeks prior to the last day of classes. This semester the deadline is April 11.

I'd suggest that you allow more time than this, especially with the first reader, in order to enable multiple drafts. Also, make sure that you contact potential readers early in the semester to make sure that they schedule time for this.

By the way, a student who wrote a good paper for the PRP can use it to fulfill this requirement by just filing form CS-8. The student would typically just ask the adviser to sign as the primary reader, and one of the examiners to sign as the secondary.

The rules are on page

http://www.cs.unc.edu/Admin/AcademicPrograms/Masters/MastersReqOfficial.html

and the forms on

http://www.cs.unc.edu/Admin/Forms/

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Upcoming Seminar: Advanced Programming in Matlab

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 16:50:00 +0000

On January 24, 2008, Loren Shure from the Mathworks will be in
Chapel Hill to conduct a master class on Advanced Programming
Techniques in Matlab. This event is free and will be held at the
Friday Center. Note that the announcement includes a URL for
registration.

**************************************************

Seminar Title Advanced Programming Techniques in MATLAB(r)

When: Thursday, January 24, 2008 2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Where: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill The William and Ida
Friday Center Redbud AB Room Chapel Hill, NC

Register now at www.mathworks.com/seminars/chapelhilljan08

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Presenter Loren Shure, Principal Software Developer The MathWorks

Agenda 2:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. Registration Sign-in (walk-ins welcome)

2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m. This master class will illustrate the usage and
explain the benefits of many of the different function types
available in MATLAB 7. You will learn how using the right function
type can lead to more robust and maintainable code. Demonstrations
will show how to apply these techniques to solve optimization
problems and make it easier to program GUIs in MATLAB. This session
will also provide you with an understanding of how different MATLAB
data types are stored in memory. This is not a hands-on class;
however, if you have Matlab installed on your laptop, you are
welcome to bring it along to try things out.

About the presenter Loren Shure is a Principal MATLAB Developer and
has worked at The MathWorks for more than 20 years. She has
co-authored several MathWorks products in addition to adding core
functionality to MATLAB. Loren currently works on the design of the
MATLAB language. She graduated from MIT with a B.S. in Physics, and
from the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution
of Oceanography with a Ph.D. in Marine Geophysics. Loren writes
about MATLAB on her blog: http://blogs.mathworks.com/loren/.

Boka Hadzija Student Award - call for nominations

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 14:35:00 +0000

The Boka W. Hadzija Award for

Distinguished University Service by a Graduate or Professional Student

2008

The Award

In honor of her students, Dr. Boka Hadzija, Professor in the School of Pharmacy, established The Boka Hadzija award in 2000. This award recognizes a graduate or professional student who has been judged the most outstanding in character, scholarship, leadership, and service to the University. The recipient will be recognized with a cash award and plaque at the Graduate School’s Student Recognition Ceremony April 3, 2008. This award is also one of the few graduate awards to be recognized at the Chancellor’s Award Ceremony on April 16, 2008.

Eligibility

Eligibility is extended to any graduate or professional degree-seeking student who is enrolled during the 2007-2008 academic year.

Nominations

The Graduate School is now accepting nominations for the Boka Hadzija award. Nominations are welcomed from any faculty, staff, or student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To nominate a student, simply use the Chancellor’s Awards nomination form (http://chancellorsawards.unc.edu/info.html) and indicate you are nominating the student for the Boka W. Hadzija Award. Nominations are due by 5:00 pm February 5, 2008.

Selection Committee

The selection committee for this award is comprised of graduate and professional students, faculty, and an administrator. The decision by the selection committee is final.

Dr. Boka W. Hadzija

Dr. Boka Hadzija is known and admired throughout campus as an award-winning teacher and mentor, having earned the 2005 C. Knox Massey Distinguished award and no less than 33 awards for excellence in teaching over the past 30+ years. She has exemplified excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service to Carolina. In recognition of her numerous contributions that have advanced the University, she has been inducted into the Order of the Grail-Valkyries, Order of the Golden Fleece, and Order of the Old Well. She is recognized by students and peers as an inspirational mentor, a generous donor in support of students, and as an outstanding leader. Dr. Hadzija has always demonstrated tremendous strength of character and a deep commitment to serving her students. Dr. Hadzija established this award in 2000 to express her deep appreciation for the outstanding graduate and professional students with whom she has worked and to demonstrate her strong commitment to graduate and professional education.

For more information please contact Dr. Leslie Lerea

(919) 962-6329

lerea@unc.edu

NASA/NC Space Grant - Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities Available - Applications Due 2/15/08

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:51:00 +0000

In 2008-09, NC Space Grant will provide over $150,000 in fellowship and
scholarship support for graduate and undergraduate students. Awards are
for summer or academic support ranging from $1000 to $7500. Please
visit http://www.ncspacegrant.org for various
program opportunities. Applications are due 2/15/08.

The *NC Space Grant* is a consortium of 11 academic institutions that
have gathered together to promote, develop, and support aeronautics and
space-related science, engineering, and technology education and
training in North Carolina. Partnering with NASA, industry, non-profit
organizations, and state government agencies, NC Space Grant conducts
programs that are designed to equip the current and future aero/space
workforce in North Carolina.

Jobi B. Cook

Associate Director, NC Space Grant
Box 7515, NC State University

1009 Capability Drive, Suite 210
Raleigh, NC 27695
919-515-5933
919-515-5934 (Fax)
jobi_cook@ncsu.edu

www.ncspacegrant.org

PITAP GRAD courses for Spring 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 18:30:00 +0000

As you know, the Preparing International Teaching Assistants Program (PITAP), sponsored by the Graduate School, continues to support the training and development of international teaching assistants and scholars here at UNC. This semester, we are offering two courses, GRAD 810, Communicating in the American Classroom and GRAD 811 Advanced Communicating in the American Classroom. These courses are open to all current graduate and professional students as 2 credit courses, at no additional charge to the enrolled student. The courses specifically focus on language skills, cross-cultural communication, interactions with undergraduate students, and pedagogical skills. Please encourage international students in your department to enroll in the courses.

I am excited to announce a new development in the PITAP program. Liv Thorstensson Davila, a graduate student in the School of Education/Culture, Curriculum & Change program, is now a teaching assistant with PITAP. She brings expertise in teaching learners of English as a Second Language and will be working with students enrolled in PITAP courses in class and on a one-to-one basis. She will also be developing and implementing new lessons targeted to improve students’ oral language skills. Liv is a great resource and will enhance the development of ITAs at UNC.

Feel free to contact me with questions about the PITAP courses. I also welcome comments and suggestions in how to best support the international students in your department.

Classes will begin meeting on Monday January 14, 2008.

Brian

__________________________________

Brian Rybarczyk, Ph.D.

Director, Graduate Student Academic & Professional Development

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The Graduate Student Center

211A West Cameron Avenue

CB# 5492

Chapel Hill, NC 27599-5492

Office: (919) 962-2505

Fax: (919) 962-5134

Email: brybar@unc.edu

Google Workshop for Women Engineers

noreply@blogger.com (Anselmo Lastra) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 23:56:00 +0000

The 2008 Google Workshop for Women Engineers

As part of Google's ongoing commitment to encouraging women to excel in computing and technology, we are pleased to host the 2008 Google Workshop for Women Engineers to recognize and reward deserving women students in computer science, and inspire them to become active participants and leaders in creating technology.

Up to 150 female computer scientists will be selected to attend a 3 day all-expenses paid workshop at Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California February 21-23, 2008. This special workshop will include technical talks and career workshops, and a unique occasion to build and strengthen networks of women in technology. Students will also enjoy tours of the Googleplex, have the opportunity to meet with Google engineers in their fields, and have fun exploring the San Francisco bay area.

Visit our website for more information
www.google.com/jobs/students/workshopforwomen

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

be female computer science students currently enrolled in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD program at a university in the United States. Undergraduate and graduate students in any year of study are encouraged to apply
demonstrate academic excellence and leadership in the computing field
maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale or 4.3 on a 5.0 scale or equivalent in their current program

Students pursuing degrees in related technical fields are also encouraged to apply

Application Deadline: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Visit our website for more information about the application process
www.google.com/jobs/students/workshopforwomen

Please note that recommendation letters are not required for this application process. All recipients selected to attend the retreat will be asked to submit unofficial or official transcripts prior to attending the event to verify reported GPA.