Campus Briefs
DOUBLE-EDGED SECURITY.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (PA) and officials
from the Korean Information Security Agency (KISA) have joined forces to develop
advanced technologies to open a new era of more secure computers, networks,
and communications systems. The Koreans will foot the $6 million to establish
CyLab Korea on the CMU campus in Pittsburgh, and CyLab in Seoul. The international
business community will be the ultimate beneficiary; the research is expected
to thwart worms and viruses that cost companies more than $150 billion a year.
THE FUTURE’S IN THE FIBER.
The Ohio State University and several other Ohio institutions
are among the sites now connected to the Third Frontier Network, the country’s
first statewide, high-speed, fiber-optic network for research and education.
The state has lit more than 1,600 miles of fiber to create a backbone to connect
its research, education, and manufacturing communities. The initiative, operated
by OARnet, is expected to achieve economies of scale that will benefit institutions
throughout the state, while enabling advanced networking as needed by researchers.
(DATA) INTENSE MOMENTS.
Today’s high-performance computers process intensive problems with ease,
but the massive datasets produced by modern research are causing the infrastructure
for managing, searching, and analyzing them to play a curious game of catch-up.
With a $1.8 million NSF award, however, researchers at Cornell University
(NY) are developing a large-scale information access-and-analysis system to
support data-intensive computing projects, one of which will develop precision
models of the structure and evolution of the World Wide Web.
SCHOOLS ON RECORDS.
IT leaders are watching nervously as the proposed Integrated Postsecondary
Education Data System (IPEDS) wends its way toward legislation. Though concerns
range from technical issues to privacy, results of a feasibility study (due
to be submitted to congress in February) may move IPEDS to the next stage, and
higher ed closer to the standard student unit record. Field testing is slated
for 2006-2007; implementation in 2007-2008.
VIDEO-CENTRIC INSTRUCTION.
What if high-resolution, interactive, multi-party video conferencing was the
campus norm—a staple in your everyday technology arsenal? Case
Western Reserve University (OH), under the IT leadership of Lev Gonick,
is building out its groundbreaking visual communications network on campus,
to deliver customized visual communications and video conferencing services
to laptops, desktops, and meeting rooms. The goal is to completely alter the
educational experience and offer students more productive and efficient choices,
such as viewing lectures in real time from anywhere, virtual office hours and
study groups, or access to archived class videos.
CHANGING THE IMAGE.
Most digital imaging programs have focused on biomedicine and biotechnology,
but the demand for trained digital-image analysis specialists is now coming
from fields like criminal justice and forensic science. Accordingly, Cuyahoga
Community College (OH) has launched a new program to train students
as scientific-imaging technicians.
TRUSTWORTHY RECIPIENTS.
In time for Christmas, Microsoft announced 10 awards totaling $500,000 for
the Microsoft Research/University Relations Trustworthy Computing RFP, which
focuses on introducing the fundamentals of “trustworthy computing”
in courses across computer science, engineering, information systems, business,
and law programs. Head to research.microsoft.com/ for a list of winners.
