Friday, December 11, 2015

National Center for Atmospheric Research - Engineering Internship - Summer 2016

Summer Undergraduate Program for Engineering Research
The Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) is committed to building a professional STEM workforce for future generations, and offers a unique experience with foundations in observational science and engineering to undergraduate students. EOL hires undergraduate engineering students who would like to gain skills and knowledge in the atmospheric sciences during the summer months for the Summer Undergraduate Program in Engineering Research (SUPER). SUPER interns work hand-in-hand with NCAR/EOL engineers and technicians on atmospheric observing systems and developments, including radar, lidar, and sounding systems and associated software developments. Interns may spend part of the summer participating in a field deployment, operating and supporting one or more EOL observing systems.

While working at EOL, interns help develop new instrumentation and improve our existing suite of NSF/NCAR Lower Atmospheric Observing Facilities. Some internships offer the opportunity to gain practical field experience by operating and maintaining equipment during an NSF-funded research project.

Interns are encouraged to develop their own engineering solutions as they work with and are mentored by professional, experienced engineers and technicians. During the internship, interns have access to a large number of resources such as sophisticated testing and calibration instruments, technical documentation, and state-of-the art fabrication capabilities.

EOL’s mission primarily requires electrical, mechanical, optical, and computer engineering skills but we encourage all engineering students to apply. Undergraduate students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities are eligible to apply for SUPER internships. However, note that some projects may require that the intern be (a) a U.S. citizen; (b) lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States; or (c) a protected individual as defined by 8 USC1324b(a)(3).
EOL provides an hourly wage as well as travel support and housing while in Boulder and expenses in the field.

Link to apply:

Link to EOL’s SUPER Website:

Thursday, December 10, 2015

$10,000 Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Award


The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is currently seeking applicants for their $10,000 (2016-2017) academic year award. 
Applicants from all Science, Technology, Engineering or Math (STEM) fields qualify and applicants are not required to pursue the Astronaut Corp.

Application materials may be found at the following URL: http://www.waspacegrant.org/for_students/undergraduate_programs/scholarships/
Notice that faculty nomination is required, so it is recommended that you approach STEM faculty that you work with as soon as possible to discuss applying for this prestigious award.
Ensure that you review the eligibility criteria as well. 

The local deadline is February 19, 2016.
Applications will be reviewed by Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (housed at UW’s Earth and Space Sciences Department) and the top two applicants will be nominated; however, ASF makes the final selection.

NASA Multidisciplinary Aeronautics Research Team Initiative

NASA MARTI offers an intense, integrated, multidisciplinary opportunity for students with career aspirations in the national aeronautics or aerospace enterprise. The MARTI experience helps prepare aspiring young professionals for employment by providing opportunities for direct science and engineering experience with an awareness of the complex managerial, political, financial, social, and human issues faced by current and future aerospace programs.

Experience an Integrated systems, multidisciplinary, team-based aerospace research environment
10 - 12 weeks in duration, four NASA centers participate (Ames, Armstrong, Glenn and Langley)

Requirements: 

US Citizen; at least 18 years of age; minimum GPA of 3.2; engineering or related discipline majors; junior - second year grad school level of study
Applications open only at http://www.martiapp.com  through February 16, 2016.  Successful applicants will be notified of acceptance in March, 2016. 
Student housing and an allowance for travel/food expenses will be provided.
Depending on the NASA Center, MARTI programs begin late May-mid June and conclude in early to mid August.
*MARTI is a research program, sponsored by the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. As with all NASA research programs, MARTI is subject to available federal funds.  MARTI is not posted on OSSI.


For more information, visit http://www.martiapp.com.  Questions about MARTI may be directed to Dr. Liz Ward, 

Dr. Elizabeth B. Ward
ARMD MARTI Program
Aeronautics Research Directorate
NASA Langley Research Center
Hampton, VA  23681
phone:  757-864-7638

NSF REU Program at Texas A&M University - application due on Feb 1st

Texas A&M University will be hosting a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program from May 31-August 5, 2016. This summer program will provide opportunities for undergraduate students to learn about mechatronics, robotics, and automated system design. Program objectives are to help participants to understand the research process, to acquire laboratory skills, and to be well-positioned for graduate school and career success. Activities will include joining a research group led by a faculty mentor, completion of a 10-week research project, and participation in weekly seminars, field trips, and career development workshops. Students will write a report and present their research to their REU cohort and at an REU poster session on campus.
Each participant will receive a stipend of $500/week for participation in the program. Other benefits include housing, meal and travel allowances; 1.0 credit hour of undergraduate course credit; and full access to university recreational facilities.
Students and incoming students at two-year and four-year institutions are eligible to apply. Participants will be selected based on the following criteria: 1) desire to participate in research and interest in a career in mechatronics, robotics or automated system design, as evidenced by application responses and faculty recommendations; 2) interest in a career in a STEM field; 3) GPA of 3.00 or above; and 4) citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or its possessions. Students who are from academic institutions with limited research opportunities in STEM or who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in engineering and science are highly encouraged to apply.
An application form is available at:  http://hsieh.tamu.edu/REU-Mechatronics/
For more information, please contact the site director, Professor Sheng-Jen ("Tony") Hsieh at hsieh@tamu.edu

Buerke Center Innovation Challenges

Prototype Funding Application Window is Open until Dec 14th midnight!

Prototype funding for the Health Innovation Challenge


When:
Monday Nov 23rd – Midnight, Monday Dec 14th 
Where:
online application  https://app.reviewr.com/site/HIC
More:
Prototype funding can spur development and help convey your idea to a broader audience. We have funding available to help with creating a physical model, object, or device.
Student teams are invited to apply for funds that can be used to purchase materials, rent equipment, or hire short-term workers with high level skills beyond the team’s capacity.
Application period opens November 23rd and the deadline is Monday, December 14th midnight.
 
Funds are provided in the form of a debit card that is available for teams with students from the state of Washington.

Be brief.  There are word limits.  This application should take about 60 minutes to complete. You may start, save, and return.  Let the review committee know you have worked hard to get discounts, free items, pro-bono work from experts that will augment your need for funds.
Prototype funding may not be used for marketing, business cards, displays, signage, visuals, etc. You cannot buy computers, 3-D printers, phones, or pay team members, transportation or lodging.  You cannot use funds for legal or other professional fees.  Awards generally are between $500 and $3000, although other requests will be considered. All expenditures must be accounted for with receipts and the Buerk Center spending log, which will be provided. Good luck!

Questions? Email Terri Butler at TLButler@uw.edu


Science and Technology Showcase (STS) 2016 Application, sponsored by SEBA and the Buerk Center!

The details….
Are you working on a technology that has potential for commercialization? Do you have a business idea in the science and technology space that you’d like to explore in more depth? Would you like a chance to win cash prizes?
Participating in STS allows you to further explore the commercialization potential of your science- and technology-based ideas by presenting them to an audience of fellow scientists and engineers, MBA students, and a panel of judges that includes prominent entrepreneurs and investors from the Seattle business community.
When: January 21st, 2016 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (Event will open to everyone for Networking Night from 7:00 – 8:30 pm)
Where: Anthony’s Forum, Dempsey Hall
Applications here and due Friday, December 18th by 5pm. Selected presenters will be notified via email by Monday, December 21st by 5pm.


Apply for funding to build your prototype -application HERE, due Dec 20!
Student teams are invited to apply for funding to build prototypes for the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Chal­lenge. These funds can be used to purchase materials, rent equipment, or hire short-term workers with skills beyond the team’s capacity. Application closes Sunday, Dec. 20 at midnight.

About the Environmental Innovation Challenge
Students are our best hope for solving the world’s most pressing environmental problems. If you have passion and the desire to make an im­pact, the Challenge is for you. In the EIC, interdisciplinary student teams define an en­vironmental problem, design a solution, build a prototype and/or a computer simulation, and create a business summary that demonstrates the market potential.

What is eligible?

Any product, process or service that reduces waste, minimizes en­ergy consumption, and contributes to a healthier planet. Re-use, recycling, water usage, energy generation, green consumer prod­ucts, and nanotechnology - all are ripe for innovation.

Team Formation website is open!
Need to find a team/teammates for the EIC, HIC or BPC. Enter info
here.

Due Dates (open to students from all colleges and universities in the Pacific NW)
·         Prototype Application Due Dec. 20, midnight.  Application Here!  You’ll be notified by Jan 6.
·         Team Registration, January 22 to February 1. Open your online account with basic team information.
·         EIC OFFICIAL ENTRY February 21, your 5-7 page business summary is due.  Top 21 teams will be selected to present at the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Chal­lenge which is held on March 31, 2016.
Learn More: Visit eic.washington.edu or facebook.com/uweic  or contact,
Business Plan Practicum
Are you entre-curious but not sure how to begin? Have you always dreamed of starting your own business? Do you already have a start-up and want to take it to the next level? Then register for ENTRE 540: Business Plan Practicum, a 2-credit course winter quarter Thursdays from 6–7:50 p.m. to make it happen!

Each class features the expertise of guest lecturers including top entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and professionals who know what it takes to launch an idea. And if you want to participate in the Environmental Innovation Challenge (EIC), the new Health Innovation Challenge (HIC), or the Business Plan Competition (BPC)—either starting a company or joining a team—this is a great way to learn what made past winners so successful.

Registration Info:
·         MBA students—Request an add code for ENTRE 540 by emailing mbaregis@uw.edu.
·         Non-Foster graduate students—Registration opens for non-MBA grad students November 30. Request an add code for ENTRE 540 by emailing mbaregis@uw.edu.
·         Undergraduate students register per usual process.

Questions? Contact Amy Sallin.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Hiring Tour Guides - Undergraduate Admissions

The student tour guide application is open. Please share this opportunity with students whom you feel would be excellent representatives of the University and your department. There is more than one successful guide “type”. Some prospective students and visitors connect with cheerful, effusive guides; others prefer polite, friendly, yet more reserved ambassadors. Admissions is keenly interested in students who come from diverse backgrounds. Fluency in more than one language is desired, not required.

The position pays $13/hour and is open to all undergraduate students. Tour guides usually work two to four hours per week, except during the spring rush in March and April, where they can work upwards of 19.5 hours per week. Full-time employment—40 hours—is available during the summer and breaks. If students want more hours throughout the academic year, there are opportunities to serve on the Admissions Front Desk team.

Please refer students to the following contacts:

·         Philip Arbaugh, ’15, Student Director, pca5@uw.edu
·         Megan Herndon, ’15, Student Director, mherndon@uw.edu

Build the Shield Security Competition: Registration is Open!

Build the Shield is Microsoft’s annual Security competition for University students and registration for 2016 is now open!

Microsoft is committed to providing best-in-class security systems and invites you to participate in our “Build the Shield” Capture the Flag security challenge!  We are looking for university students with hacker mindsets to compete and push their skills to deliver secure, private, and reliable computing solutions in our 2016 security battle.

Learn More and Register today!

Event Dates:
-          Registration deadline: January 12, 2016
-          Qualifying Events: January 16, 2016
-          Main Event : March 12, 2016

For more info:
-          Visit our Website: bts.microsoft.com/us
-          Find us on Facebook: Facebook.com/MicrosoftBTS
Contact us: reachbts@microsoft.com

Boren Scholarship for study abroad

Here’s the CliffsNotes version of the Boren Undergraduate Scholarship:

Award Amounts:
·         $8,000 for a summer program (special initiative for STEM students only)
·         $10,000 for a semester abroad (think about anyone you know going on a relevant exchange)
·         $20,000 for a full academic year

Basics:
·         Scholarship to be used for study abroad programs that include language
·         Preference given to less commonly taught languages: http://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarship/preferences.html
·         Students must be able to articulate the significance of their proposed country, region or language to U.S. National Security. This is broadly defined and could include challenges of global society: sustainable development, environmental degradation, global disease and hunger, population growth and migration, economic competitiveness among others. 
·         If awarded, students must agree to work for the government. 
o   Examples of Service
§  Intelligence Analyst, Central Intelligence Agency
§  Foreign Service Officer, Department of State
§  Policy Analyst, Department of Defense
§  Asylum Officer, Department of Homeland Security
§  Private Sector Analyst, Department of Homeland Security
§  Foreign Affairs Intern, Congress
§  Family and Military Community Coordinator, Department of Defense
§  International Affairs Specialist, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
§  Fisheries Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Monday, December 7, 2015

Recruitment for FYP Student Leadership Positions - Now Open!

First Year Programs is currently recruiting for our First-year Interest Group (FIG) Leader and Orientation Leader (OL) student positions!  

The FIG program is looking for students from all departments who are UW-Seattle undergraduates with strong organizational skills (i.e., not over-committed), and a genuine interest in working with freshmen as they face the challenges and opportunities presented to them as new students.   For more information please attend one of our information sessions listed below or email figs@uw.edu.

Orientation Leaders play a vital role in the orientation process, working closely with new students and their families on a wide variety of topics including academics, student involvement, housing options, and more. Orientation Leaders work during summer quarter and are paid 30-40/hrs per week.   Please email us at uwao@uw.edu or come to one of the information sessions below with any questions.

Leadership in FYP Workshops:  (All workshops will be held in MGH 120)
  • Tuesday 1/5 – 2:30pm
  • Thursday 1/7 – 3:30pm
  • Monday 1/11 – 11:30am
  • Wednesday 1/13 – 3:30pm
  • Friday 1/30 – 2:30pm

Applications are available online at fyp.washington.edu/apply.  The application deadline is Tuesday, January 19th by 8:00am.

HCDE Seminar Series: "Being Human in a Big Data World: Human-Centered Data Science, " a talk by Cecilia Aragon

Being Human in a Big Data World: Human-Centered Data ScienceCECILIA ARAGON, HCDE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
DECEMBER 9, 2015
4:30—5:20 P.M.
241 MARY GATES HALL
Small scale, qualitative approaches to data collection and analysis offer researchers the opportunity to obtain very rich, deep insights about very specific phenomena - often in a very bounded or limited context. Such studies often face challenges related to generalization, extension, verification, and validation. On the other hand, large scale, quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis offer researchers broad assemblages of data, but such data is often much more shallow - missing the rich detail associated with deep study.
But what happens as qualitative data sets grow ever larger? With the ease of collecting qualitative data such as text and multimedia photos and videos, such data sets are becoming an increasing challenge to analyze with the same level of detail and depth. How do we preserve the richness so well associated with traditional qualitative techniques in a world of such Big Data? How can we be sure not to lose the compelling and inspiring stories of individuals in the sea of aggregated data at scale?
There are clear advantages of each perspective - one can choose methods and techniques which facilitate deep, but narrow analysis, or one can be broad, but shallow. In this talk, Cecilia Aragon will discuss and explore some of the particular sets of problems and challenges sociotechnical researchers face with regards to this small-data versus big-data tension, and seek ways of overcoming (or at least identifying potential solutions to) these problems and addressing the challenges.
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About Cecilia Aragon
Dr. Cecilia Aragon is an associate professor in the department of Human Centered Design & Engineering and a Senior Data Science Fellow at the eScience Institute at the University of Washington. She directs the Human-Centered Data Science Lab. Previously, she was a data scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory for six years, after earning her Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 2004. She earned her B.S. in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology.
Her research focuses on human-centered data science, an emerging field at the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), and the statistical and computational techniques of data science. She and her students develop collaborative visual analytics tools to facilitate data science, and study current scientific practice around large and complex data sets. Her research interests span the areas of HCI, CSCW, data science, visual analytics, machine learning, and astrophysics. In 2009, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her work in collaborative data-intensive science.

Funding opportunity for your innovative ideas!

Do you have an idea that you think has commercial potential? Do you dream of starting a company sometime in the future? If your answers are yes, then the National Science Foundation I-Corps program may be right for you.

Each I-Corps grant will provide $2,500 to eligible teams as they gain first-hand feedback from potential customers and clients. See details and apply at http://comotion.uw.edu/start-up/icorps

Deadline is January 15, 2016.

Questions? Please send them to icorps@uw.edu.