This story on the International Business Times website speaks about creating a new generation of programmers by reaching out to demographics that historically haven't considered coding as a profession. In it, Prof. Elliot Soloway says, "Coding is about giving kids the new pencil and paper, it's giving them the new typewriter, the new tool to say things that they couldn't say before." [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Programming  Soloway, Elliot  

Since its inception in February 2013, MHacks, the university's semi-annual event that helped spark the nation's college hackathon movement, has grown from a just-for-fun challenge to a sophisticated operation that draws big sponsors and students from a variety of backgrounds. Hacks have gone from short-term creations to impressive longer-term ventures. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Hacks  

Helen Hagos has been selected for a Dow Sustainability Fellowship for her work in the design of embedded systems for use in differentiated waste collection and management. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Computer Architecture  Diversity and Outreach  Graduate Students  Sustainability  Women in Computing  

Paul Myers, EE Senior, and Amin Sandoughsaz, EE PhD student, were selected as finalists for the 2015 Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship. They will present their project, A Wearable Haptic Device with Integrated Sensing and Actuation for Next Generation Communication Systems, at the Finals on March 23, 2015 in San Diego. The goal of the project is to augment the transmission of audio and video with the sense of touch [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Graduate Students  Undergraduate Students  

Four ECE faculty are recipients of CoE Awards: Prof. Jay Guo for Research Excellence; Prof. Stephane Lafortune for Service Excellence, Prof. Mingyan Liu for Education Excellence; and Prof. Wei Lu for Innovation Excellence. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Guo, L. Jay  Lafortune, Stephane  Liu, Mingyan  Lu, Wei  

CSE graduate student Ryan Wolcott has developed a navigation system for autonomous vehicles that leverages game technology and which could eliminate the need for expensive laser-scanning sensor systems. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Artificial Intelligence  Autonomous Vehicles   Graduate Students  

Four CSE faculty have been selected for 2014-15 College of Engineering Awards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to research and education: Todd Austin, Ronald Dreslinski, J. Alex Halderman, and Edwin Olson. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Austin, Todd  Dreslinski, Ron  Halderman, J. Alex  Olson, Edwin  

The EECS Outstanding Achievement Awards are presented annually to faculty members for their outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research, and service. The recipients of the 2015 EECS Outstanding Achievement Award are Benjamin Kuipers, Stephen Rand, and David Wentzloff. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Kuipers, Benjamin  Rand, Stephen  Wentzloff, David  

In Science Fiction, robots walk, run, and jump better than you. In reality, can you count on them to walk over rubble and pull you from a burning building? Not so much. Jessy Grizzle will give the lecture, Taking Bipedal Walking Robots from Science Fiction to Science Fact , in honor of being named the Elmer G. Gilbert Distinguished University Professor of Engineering. He will describe how the science of feedback systems is enhancing the ability to achieve highly dynamic locomotion in bipedal machines. The theory used in the talk will be amply illustrated with graphics and videos of his experiments to make the material accessible to a general audience. [Full Story]

The Engineering Career Resource Center has issued its Annual Report, which includes reported placement and salary survey data for College of Engineering students. By most measures, CS students and grads are the most sought and best compensated. [Full Story]

Two teams of students in Monolithic Amplifier Circuits (EECS 413) earned prizes for their final circuit design projects. First place went to Paul Myers, Tianyu Huang, Di Hu, and Rifat Sheikh for their project An Ultra-Low Power Energy Harvester with Integrated MPPT Circuit. Second place went to Seyed Amin Sandoughsaz Zardini, Chester Liu, Kanghwan Kim, and Shengshuo Lu for An Integrated Ultra-Low Power CMOS On-Chip Thermal Sensor. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Undergraduate Students  

The first City University of Hong Kong Distinguished Lecture of 2015 was delivered by Professor Stephen Forrest on the topic of "Making Small Things Big in the World of Organic Electronics." What interests Professor Forrest is that as devices get smaller, the potential to make things bigger was now available. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Forrest, Stephen  

The event took place at downtown Ann Arbor's Michigan Theater on the evening of January 8, 2015. It featured a screening of the movie, The Imitation Game, followed Prof. Kevin Compton's lecture on WWII cryptography and the life of Alan Turing. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Compton, Kevin  Cryptography  

Computer scientists and mathematicians from across the greater midwest region gathered at CSE on December 6, 2014 for the 66th Midwest Theory Day. The event provided an opportunity for the theory community to meet up, share research findings, and initiate collaborations. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Theory  

The Center for Future Architectures Research (C-FAR) held its Annual Research Review on Nov. 20-21 at the University of Michigan. The event featured research updates from some of the leading researchers in computer architecture on exciting new topics in the field. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Computer Architecture  

From operettas to oil refineries to pageants, Alexandria Strother has done it all. As Miss Washtenaw County and a double major in Electrical Engineering and Vocal Performance, Alexandria works to bridge her many different worlds with a lot of ambition and creative problem solving. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Student Profile  Undergraduate Students  

On December 16, 2014, computer architecture researchers and scientists assembled in the debating chamber of the University of Cambridge Union for a hot debate on whether or not the end of the road has been reached for the Von Neumann Architecture. Chairing the debate was Trevor Mudge, Bredt Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Computer Architecture  Mudge, Trevor  

Stephen Forrest, Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering, has been named Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election to NAI Fellow status is a high professional distinction given to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Forrest, Stephen  Technology Transfer  

MHacks is gearing up for their 5th hackathon, which will take place January 16th-18th, 2015 on North Campus at The University of Michigan. Over 1,000 students from 267 schools will be represented at this 36 straight hour event to think big, collaborate, and produce creative projects. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Hacks  

Michigan alumnus, philanthropist, scientist, and entrepreneur: J. Robert Beyster, a namesake of the Bob and Betty Beyster Building and funder of Michigan Engineering's largest fellowship program, has died at age 90. [Full Story]

Michigan is designing the microelectronics that are the eyes, ears, and brains of the tiny insect-like drones being developed under the Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) collaborative. The research at Michigan is part of the Center for Objective Microelectronics & Biomemetic Advanced Technology, directed by Prof. Kamal Sarabandi. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Applied Electromagnetics  Lab-Radiation (RADLAB)  MEMS and Microsystems  Sarabandi, Kamal  

Prof. Zhaohui Zhong is a co-founder of the startup company Arborlight, which promises the benefits of a window or skylight in offices where neither is available. Xconomy reports that their "Lightwell product looks and behaves just like a skylight. It tunes to geography and time, tracking the position of the sun throughout the day, mimicking the varying color, intensity, and directionality of daylight as normally experienced through traditional windows and skylights." [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Lab-Solid State Electronics (SSEL)  Solid-State Devices and Nanotechnology  Technology Transfer  Zhong, Zhaohui  

Prof. Robert Dick is co-founder of Stryd, a startup company that is getting ready to launch what they are calling the worlds first wearable power meter for runners. The device promises to help runners improve efficiency, monitor individual progress, and simplify training. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Dick, Robert  Embedded Computing and Systems  Lab-Michigan Integrated Circuits (MICL)  Technology Transfer  

A team of CSE researchers including Prof. Jason Mars, Prof Lingjia Tang, and graduate student Michael Laurenzano has developed Protean Code, a technique which efficiently and continuously transforms the way in which the application programs running in data centers are recompiled in order to adapt to changing compute environments. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Code Compliation  Data Centers  Mars, Jason  Tang, Lingjia  

In an event sponsored by CSE and designed to bring the local tech community together, Prof. Kevin Compton will speak on cryptography at Ann Arbor's historic Michigan Theater on January 8, 2015 in conjunction with a screening of the movie, The Imitation Game. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Compton, Kevin  Cryptography  

On Friday, December 12th, Tishman Hall in the Beyster Building had a lively crowd of over 100 attendees for the 2014 Computer Games Showcase. The event showcased the final projects of computer science seniors in EECS 494, Computer Game Design and Development. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Game Design and Development  Gibson, Jeremy  

The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Michigan Engineering Professor Stephen Forrests group a $1.35 million Next Generation Photovoltaics grant earlier this fall, aimed at advancing the practical viability of organic photovoltaics, a carbon-based version of solar technology that promises to radically change the way the suns energy is collected. Forrest is the Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Physics and the former U-M Vice President of Research. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Forrest, Stephen  LEDs  Lab-Optics and Photonics  Lab-Solid State Electronics (SSEL)  Optics and Photonics  Optoelectronics  Solar Cell Technology  Solid-State Devices and Nanotechnology  Sustainability  

On Tuesday, December 16th, a number of students and professors attended the first-ever EECS 183 Showcase at Palmer Commons. Non-CS students from EECS 183, Elementary Programming Concepts, presented what they learned about CS this semester in a day-long showcase that featured 183 projects made by over 750 students. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Dorf, Mary Lou  Gibson, Jeremy  

Research that aims to find a happy medium between fuel economy and drivability in hybrid electric vehicles was recognized with the 2014 IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology (TCST) Outstanding Paper Award. The research was directed by Prof. Jessy Grizzle, and published in TCST as, "An Energy Management Controller to Optimally Trade Off Fuel Economy and Drivability for Hybrid Vehicles." [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Automotive industry  Awards  Control Systems  Electric Vehicles and HEVs  Energy  Environment  Grizzle, Jessy  Lab-Systems  Sustainability  

Nick Yang has always been ahead of his time. As an undergraduate student at Michigan, Yang and several classmates developed a working prototype of a product similar to Microsofts XBOX Kinect 15 years before that product was launched with great success and critical acclaim. While their product failed to find any buyers when pitched to video game manufacturers, the experience gave Yang the bug of entrepreneurship. But he didn't catch it from anyone around him. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Alumni  Entrepreneurship  Internet of Things  

When Ed Tang, '11, and Allan Evans, MS'07, PhD'09, of Avegant turned to Kickstarter earlier this year to raise money for their company's new prototype of their premium headphones, they were hoping for $250,000. They surpassed their goal in less than four hours and ended up raising $1.5 million in a mere 30 days. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Alumni  Entrepreneurship  

Hansford Farris (Ph.D. EE 58), professor emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering, passed away December 7, 2014 at the age of 95. Prof. Farris served as an active and highly respected member of the College of Engineering for more than 20 years before his retirement in 1982. He had served as Department Chair, Associate Dean of Engineering, and twice as Acting Dean. Prof. Farris, known to his friends and colleagues as Bill, always acted in a manner that reflected his roots as a Kentucky gentleman. Prof. Farris left a lasting impression on many colleagues and friends. We salute his contributions and thank him for all that he contributed to the department and the discipline. [Full Story]

The 2014 LNF (Lurie Nanofabrication Facility) User Symposium highlighted the cutting-edge research enabled by Michigan's world-class facility. The Symposium included technical talks, a poster session, and the opportunity for discussion and networking. Attendees represented many departments throughout the University, as well as industrial users of the LNF. Stephen Forrest, Paul G. Goebel Professor of Engineering, presented the events keynote address, Making small things big in the world of organic electronics. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Forrest, Stephen  LNF  Lab-Solid State Electronics (SSEL)  

The Victors, a team of U-M computer science students, has advanced to the 39th Annual ACM-ICPC World Finals after competing in the East Central North American regional competition at Grand Valley State University in November. The ACM-ICPC is the largest and most prestigious computer programming competition in the world. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Compton, Kevin  Programming  

Lynn Conway, Professor Emerita of EECS, has been selected to receive the 2015 IEEE/RSE Wolfson James Clerk Maxwell Award, for contributions to and leadership in design methodology and pedagogy enabling rapid advances and dissemination of VLSI design tools and systems. This award is one of the highest presented by IEEE. Prof. Conway, sometimes called the hidden hand in the microchip design revolution, was a major source of innovation in a field that eventually made personal computers and smartphones possible. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Conway, Lynn  Diversity and Outreach  Women in Computing  

CSE Associate Chair and Prof. Scott Mahlke has been named an IEEE Fellow, Class of 2015, "for contributions to compiler code generation and automatic processor customization." [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Computer Architecture  Mahlke, Scott  Parallel Computing  

Amr Ibrahim, graduate student in Electrical Engineering, received a Rackham International Student Fellowship to support his research in the area of sub-millimeterwave (Sub-MMW) radar systems. The main driving force to develop these systems originates from security applications and, in particular, stand-off imaging of persons and hidden objects, including illicit drugs and explosives [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Applied Electromagnetics  Graduate Students  Lab-Radiation (RADLAB)  Remote Sensing  Sarabandi, Kamal  

Prof. Michael Flynn has been elected IEEE Fellow for contributions to analog-digital interfaces. He has achieved important breakthroughs in the performance and energy efficiency of analog-digital interfaces. His research has significantly impacted three primary areas: 1) analog to digital conversion; 2) the analog-digital interface in wired and wireless communication systems; and 3) applications to complete systems, particularly brain-machine interfaces. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Flynn, Michael  Lab-Michigan Integrated Circuits (MICL)  

CSE is observing Computer Science Education Week beginning today -- and this includes a challenge! There is a puzzle hidden in the building which will require some computational thinking to solve. Find it and solve the entire challenge and you will be eligible to win a prize. [Full Story]

Prof. Valeria Bertacco has been named ACM Distinguished Scientist by the Association for Computing Machinery. The Distinguished Member Grade recognizes those ACM members with at least 15 years of professional experience and 5 years of continuous Professional Membership who have achieved significant accomplishments or have made a significant impact on the computing field. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Bertacco, Valeria  Lab-Advanced Computer Architecture  Women in Computing  

In this audio interview, Prof. Edwin Olson speaks about the 36-acre Mobility Transformation Facility at Michigan and his work in developing and testing technologies for use in autonomous vehicles. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Autonomous Vehicles   Olson, Edwin  

[BBC News: Nov 20] Hundreds of handheld audio computers, called Talking Books, are to be given to some of Ghana's poorest communities to help spread potentially life-saving information. Leading the low power chip design for the devices at Michigan are Profs. David Blaauw and Peter Chen. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Blaauw, David  Chen, Peter  Lab-Michigan Integrated Circuits (MICL)  

Cameron Polack, senior in EE, is taking engineering to the real world. A founding member of the student team BLUElab India, organized in fall of 2013, Cameron is intent on using her major to benefit others as directly as possible. The team was recently awarded 3rd place in the Dow Distinguished Award for Interdisciplinary Sustainability, part of U-Ms Dow Sustainability Fellows Program. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Student Profile  Student Teams  Sustainability  Undergraduate Students  

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a CSE sponsored organization, recently hosted Girls Night Out. The event was a small engineering outreach event geared towards middle school girls. Its purpose was to give girls a better idea of engineering by showcasing the different types of engineering and how engineering affects nearly every aspect of society. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Women in Computing  

Over 100 high school girls and their parents attended Girls Encoded, an exciting all-day event designed to educate and encourage girls to study computer science. The event, which took place on November 8th, was run under the coordination of students Allison McDonald, Ariana Mirian, Lauren Molley, and CSE Prof. Rada Mihalcea. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Mihalcea, Rada  Mower Provost, Emily  Women in Computing  

Prof. Kevin Fu is quoted in this article in The Atlantic, which summarizes a number of factors that contribute toward vulnerabilities in medical devices like insulin pumps, defibrillators, fetal monitors, and scanners. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Fu, Kevin  Medical Device Security  Security (Computing)  

New ideas abounded at 2014s Graduate Symposium, the College of Engineerings annual event to highlight research and engage prospective graduate students. ECE researchers had a strong presence at this year's event, comprising nearly 80 of the day's more than 240 presentations. Several of these placed first or second in their field in the poster presentation contest. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Graduate Students  

Shayna Simon has been busy. A Michigan native from West Bloomfield and a senior in Electrical Engineering, shes already taken huge steps to getting her career on track after graduation. Shayna recently accepted a job offer at General Motors, and will dive into a position in infotainment there after school. Shell be working on a team serving as a bridge between software and hardware development. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Student Profile  Undergraduate Students  

Computer science researchers including Prof. J. Alex Halderman and CSE graduate student James Kasten have announced Let's Encrypt, a free, automated, and open certificate authority that is intended to bring secure encryption to the entire web. Let's Encrypt was developed with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla and will debut in summer 2015. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Halderman, J. Alex  Networks and Networking  Security (Computing)  Software Lab  

Prof. Rada Mihalcea has been selected to serve as general chair for the 2015 Conference of the North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL). Rada Mihalcea is overseeing the entire conference. It is the largest computational linguistics conference in North America, and one of the largest worldwide. [Full Story]
Related Topics:  Lab-Artificial Intelligence  Lab-Interactive Systems  Mihalcea, Rada  Women in Computing