Cybersecurity, networking and technology-related news highlights from our Members.
Pinckney Cyber Training Institute Greets Community With Grand Opening
Pinckney Community High School celebrated the grand opening of the Pinckney Cyber Training Institute (PCTI) in early December. PCTI is a cybersecurity training center that offers hands-on experience with exercises and cybersecurity certification courses. Community members, partners and institute leaders came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and to get a glimpse of the Cyber Range Hub’s setup on December 7th.
The Sounds of Safer Driving
Helping vehicle drivers focus on the road and not on their emotional state is the goal of a research project at Michigan Technological University. Myounghoon “Philart” Jeon, an associate professor of cognitive and learning sciences and computer science at MTU, and his team are developing in-vehicle speech interaction technology that can engage the driver in what’s known as attention deployment. A sensor-equipped car could detect the driver’s heart rate, facial expressions, breathing patterns and other relevant data to gauge that person’s emotional state. If the driver shifts into a “non-optimal” state, the car would chat with the driver to refocus attention on the road, not on emotion.
Cornell Faculty Receive $1 Million Grant from NSF Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure
Cornell University’s Computing and Information Science faculty members Deborah Estrin (CS/Cornell Tech), Nate Foster (CS), Fred Schneider (CS) as well as Arnaud Sahuguet (Cornell Tech) and David Shmoys (ORIE) have received a $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Cybersecurity Innovation for Cyberinfrastructure (CICI) program. Their project will develop a software framework to support the implementation of data-driven planning applications where individuals will have fine-grained control over use of their data.
NJEDge.Net Joins the New Jersey Big Data Alliance
The New Jersey Big Data Alliance (NJBDA) was established by the Rutgers Office of Research and Economic Development and the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute to spark collaboration among New Jersey government, academia and industry to address the challenges posed by the enormous growth of digital data. Its founding members are Kean University, Montclair State University, N.J. Institute of Technology, Rowan University, Stockton University, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology and The College of New Jersey.
Marine Technology Camp in Traverse City
Northwest Michigan College is hosting a week-long, hands-on experience using several marine technologies on May 21-27, 2017 in Traverse City. Participants will assist with projects on research vessels, collect data using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), sonar, sensors and buoys and learn about the multiple applications of these technologies. The Marine Technology Camp provides students with an opportunity to deploy research equipment and gain hands-on experience using several technologies.
$2.25 Million NIH Grant Lights up CMU Neuroscience Research
Central Michigan University recently received a $2.25 million National Institutes of Health grant for a project investigating the use of light to control and repair damaged cells in the brain. CMU neuroscientist and College of Medicine faculty member Ute Hochgeschwender is leading a team of researchers that include colleagues from Brown University in Rhode Island and Scintillon Institute for Biomedical and Bioenergy Research in California. The project is examining the activity of cells through a process called bioluminescent optogenetics (BL-OG).
Driving Simulator Lab Helps Researchers, Drivers Understand Distractions
Researchers in Wayne State University’s occupational therapy and pharmaceutical sciences departments continually test the effects of distracted driving, using a stationary 2001 full-size sedan that’s equipped with a state-of-the-art data collection system. The simulator’s software enables researchers to create a variety of scenarios, ranging from peaceful country roads to busy city streets or even interstate freeways. Traffic volumes, lighting and weather conditions also can be manipulated in the virtual environment.
Symposium will Honor 50th Anniversary of Apollo 1 Tragedy
Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut and Grand Rapids native who died during testing on Apollo I in 1967, will be honored during a two-day symposium hosted by Grand Valley State University and Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM). A free conference, “Roger That! A Celebration of Space Exploration in Honor of Roger B. Chaffee,” will take place February 10 at the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s Pew Grand Rapids Campus.