News 08-16-2002
College Students Turn Away From Dotcoms
Internet-related business is no longer the most preferred industry for a job
after college, according to survey of 6,000 undergraduate students at 56 universities
across the United States. Instead, students are casting toward the media and
entertainment industry, says the survey, done by Universum Communications, Inc.,
a market research firm. The single most desirable company to work for? PricewaterhouseCoopers.
PWC has launched a marketing campaign geared to the 22- and-under-audience,
including a recruiting website and print ads in 40 college newspapers. Undergraduates'
most commonly cited career goal was working internationally. They also are interested
in inspecting future workplaces, therefore internships are popular.
Sponsor: Syllabus fall2002 in Boston November 3-5
In its fourth year in the Boston area, Syllabus fall2002, a conference for
faculty, administrators and IT professionals who want to explore the application
of information technology in higher education institutions will be held November
3-5 at the Boston Marriott Newton Hotel in Newton, Mass. Highlights include
keynote speakers, breakout sessions and featured track sessions and a vendor
fair. Syllabus fall2002 will provide you with new insights into cutting edge
technology and pedagogy, as well as ample opportunity for networking.
For more information and registration details, go to: http://www.syllabus.com/fall2002
DePaul Develops Sign Language Translator
A team of faculty and students at DePaul University's School of Computer Science
has created a computer-generated synthetic interpreter capable of translating
spoken English into American Sign Language (ASL). The program, dubbed "Paula,"
uses speech recognition and sophisticated animation. Using the system, a hearing
person speaks through a headset connected to the computer. The animated figure
of Paula then translates intoASL through hand gestures and facial expressions
on the computer screen. The project required four years and more than 25,000
hours worth of work by the project team. "Most people are not aware that ASL
is not simply a signed form of English," said Rosalee Wolfe, professor of computer
science at DePaul and one of the leaders of the research team. "It is a series
of hand configurations, hand positions, body positions and movement and facial
expressions that are used in certain specific combinations. Hence, creating
an animated translator is a very intricate and detailed process."
For more information, visit: http://asl.cs.depaul.edu
Teachers, Robots Meet at Middlesex College
Tim Oates, a researcher in robotic technology, will demonstrate how to teach
robots to talk at Middlesex County College next week. Oats is part of the "Building
for Tomorrow" Institute, a week-long program begun by the College to "to ignite
enthusiasm in high school students by demonstrating real-world applications
for science, mathematics, engineering and technology to their teachers," said
Robert Sicora, director of the New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological
Education (NJCATE) at Middlesex.
"The idea is that if teachers get excited about
technology, so will their students." At the Institute, teachers will learn about
student competitions that are held throughout the country, such as the F.I.R.S.T.
robotics competition, Botball and RoboRocks! held at Middlesex. "We expect that
they will emerge from the institute motivated and prepared to organize their
own teams," Sicora added.
For more information, contact: Bob Sicora or Karen Ford at (732) 906-4178,
http://www.njcate.org
Intergraph Seeds GIS, Mapping Research
Intergraph has launched a program to provide technology and development support
in the geosciences for non-commercial applied research teams. The geospatial
tech firm's Registered Research Lab program will support researchers working
in geospatial information management (GIM), land information management (LIM),
and map production. Qualified programs will be granted Integraph GeoMedia license
providing GeoMedia license that provides access to the gamut of GeoMedia applications,
including GeoMedia Professional, GeoMedia WebMap Professional, GeoMedia Terrain,
and Spatial Metadata Management System (SMMS). Universities and non-commercial
labs are invited to submit proposals for the GeoMedia Registered Research Lab
Program. Those labs chosen will be required to submit a minimum of two research
papers per year.
For more information, visit http://www.teamgeomedia.com/rrl
Awards, Deals, Contracts, in Higher Education
-- Indiana University signed a multi-year agreement to run Symantec's antivirus
applications from Symantec Corp. on the desktops used by 30,000 students, faculty
and staff members. The agreement also calls for IU to use PC management tool
Symantec Ghost to streamline the configuration of networked workstations and
reduce IT costs.
-- Harvard University's Graduate School of Design a signed an agreement that
will give it access to 3D design software from PTC Inc. The deal provides the
design program PTC's Pro/Desktop and Pro/Engineer 3D design software, teacher
training and instructional materials.
