August 2012 - change - Mailing Lists

Congratulations to Abie Flaxman
by Gaetano Borriello 04 Sep '12

04 Sep '12

for being named to 2012's TR-35 list. http://www.technologyreview.com/tr35/profile.aspx?trid=1323

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Code for America
by Gaetano Borriello 31 Aug '12

31 Aug '12

*A Peace Corps for Civic-Minded Geeks* *Wall Street Journal (08/26/12) P. C12 Holly Finn* The new nonprofit Code for America (CfA), a kind of peace corps for geeks, has led the way in bringing online efficiency to offline government systems, handpicking a team of tech stars each year to take time off from their jobs and offer their services to local governments. CfA fellows have designed more than 35 apps, for everything from urban blight to school buses, and the group also runs an Accelerator program for civic startups. It took two CfA fellows just two and a half months to complete one government project that was expected to take two years and cost $2 million. CfA puts its fellows in a warehouse in San Francisco, where they bond with each other. "Coding sprints, design sprints, they're with us," says CfA executive director Jennifer Pahlka. The CfA fellows act more like a stealth team of computer-savvy SEALs when they fan out to do five-week research residences within city governments across the country. There are 26 fellows in eight cities this year, while 550 people have applied for 25 to 30 spots next year. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444270404577605622944527722.h…

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Fwd: Call for Applications - Opportunities in Global Health
by Gaetano Borriello 28 Aug '12

28 Aug '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: KELSEY PIERCE <kpierce2(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Fri, Aug 24, 2012 at 2:48 PM Subject: Call for Applications - Opportunities in Global Health To: [image: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: cid:image001.png@01CD7AFB.5CF39660]**** ** ** Dear Colleague, **** I am contacting you with two great opportunities at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation and the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. Please share this message with prospective PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and physicians with research interests. **** Post-Graduate Fellowship Program *Advancing the Science of Health Measurement through Innovation, Education, and Collaboration***** The Post-Graduate Fellowship program is for recent PhD and MD researchers and combines academic research, education and training, and professional work with progressive, on-the-job training and mentoring from an illustrious group of professors and researchers. We are now accepting applications for our 2013 cohort. The program description and instructions on how to apply are attached and linked below. *Our application deadline is November 1, 2012.*** * * For more information on how to apply, please visit our Web page: http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org/education-training/post-graduate-… **** PhD in Global Health *A Measurable Difference***** The new PhD program in Global Health builds on the expertise of our faculty in the areas of Metrics and Implementation Science. This unique, interdisciplinary program is comprised of a core curriculum in advanced quantitative methods, epidemiology, population health measurement, impact evaluations, and implementation science methods. Students develop skills through a combination of didactic courses, seminars, and research activities including primary data collection and analysis. This program trains global health researchers for careers in academic institutions, international organizations, ministries of health, foundations, and the private sector. *Our application deadline is December 1, 2012. ***** ** ** For more information on how to apply, please visit our Web page: http://globalhealth.washington.edu/phd **** ** ** All the best,**** Kelsey Pierce**** Project Officer**** Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation | University of Washington**** 2301 5th Avenue, Suite 600 | Seattle, WA 98121**** http://healthmetricsandevaluation.org**** ** ** ** ** [image: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: Description: cid:image004.png@01CD7AFB.5CF39660]**** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **

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Fwd: IPA Internship - Rural SMS-based Program
by Yaw Anokwa 26 Aug '12

26 Aug '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Trina Gorman <tgorman(a)poverty-action.org> Date: Sat, Aug 25, 2012 at 8:31 PM Subject: IPA Internship - Rural SMS-based Program ...you might know someone who would be interested in the following internship. Note that its unpaid and they will hire quickly, but it could be a good fit for someone who is available soon, passionate about evaluation, and interested in helping design a SMS-based application that allows citizens to voice opinions about their local government. http://www.poverty-action.org/getinvolved/internships/Africa/IPAUganda100713 Their best guess now is that 60% of the position will be the first bullet: liaising with the NGO partner to design, pilot, and implement this SMS application in accordance with the study design; 40% will be on the data collection side. Below is an excerpt from the project description - the last sentence hints at their intervention (publicizing results of a counselor scorecard in rural villages and then allowing residents to text their feedback to local officials): However, government remains the primary actor who administers, allocates resources to, sets standards for, and monitors public service delivery. For this reason, policy interventions that do not change the incentives of political actors are unlikely to have a large-scale or sustainable impact on the provision of public services. Rather than circumventing political actors, the main goal of this study is to test ways to strengthen the weak political accountability mechanism preventing citizens from receiving adequate levels of social services. In collaboration with a leading Ugandan NGO (ACODE), this study will test two innovations to mitigate information-based barriers that weaken the political accountability of local government councilors in Uganda. Feel free to pass this onto anyone who might be interested. ~Trina || Acting Deputy Country Director || Innovations for Poverty Action, Uganda || Mobile: +256 (0) 787 922 896 || Skype: trinajeangorman ||

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Job: Global Director, mPowering Frontline Health Workers
by Yaw Anokwa 24 Aug '12

24 Aug '12

Forwarded from https://jobs-jhpiego.icims.com/jobs/1633/global-director,-mpowering-frontli… The Global Director, mPowering Frontline Health Workers, will provide strategic leadership and oversee the initiative with the aim of improving health outcomes for pregnant women, newborns, and children under five by leveraging mobile technologies and content to improve the quality of services and information provided by frontline health workers. The Director will play a critical role in facilitating the overall design and launching, managing, growing and sustaining this three-year public-private partnership. The Director will be responsible for harnessing the resources and expertise of this multi-stakeholder coalition to strengthen the recruitment, training, management, and performance of frontline health workers to effectively deliver high quality maternal and child health services through a range of low to high end mobile technology platforms and content, including creative multimedia digital health content designed for feature and smart phones. Links to other mobile services, including mobile money will be explored to improve overall job satisfaction and retention of paid and volunteer frontline health workers. S/he will lead the coalition in developing a cloud-based multi-lingual digital health content library and incentive structures for collecting and distributing mobile content, catalyzing country coalitions to accelerate the scale-up of mHealth solutions for frontline health workers-including delivery mechanisms for mobile content, and advancing global learning by sharing tools, best practices and evaluation results to mobilize resources for expanding the use of mobile technology to improve health outcomes for women and children through frontline healthcare in developing countries.

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Call for papers: DEV 2013
by Aaditeshwar Seth 18 Aug '12

18 Aug '12

ACM DEV 2013 3rd Symposium on Computing for Development Co-located with COMSNETS January 11-12, 2013 Bangalore, India http://dev2013.org/ Important Dates: Submissions due: September 7, 2012 (11:59pm UTC) - firm deadline Author notification: October 26, 2012 Camera-ready: December 7, 2012 Conference: January 11-12, 2013 DEV 2013 provides an international forum for research in the design and implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development. In particular, we focus on emerging contexts where conventional computing solutions are often inappropriate due to various contextual factors - including, but not limited to, cost, language, literacy, and the availability of power and bandwidth. Papers should describe original and previously unpublished research. Three metrics will be applied to judge papers: (a) Relevance of the problem for development; (b) Novelty of the technical solution; (c) Evaluation of the solution, making a case for development-focused impact. All DEV paper submissions should either provide or directly motivate a novel technical solution that has direct implications for development. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Networks/Systems/Security/Architecture Low-cost wireless connectivity Intermittent networks and systems Power-efficient systems Low-cost computing devices Mobile systems and applications Mixed networks, e.g., telephony and IP Special-purpose sensor systems Security challenges in developing regions HCI/Applications User interfaces for low-literacy populations Multi-lingual computing User-interfaces for low-cost devices Participatory methods and user-centered design Accessibility to disabled populations in developing regions Design and evaluation of applications for health, microfinance, education, agriculture, entertainment AI/NLP/Data Mining/Speech/Vision Machine learning techniques for large-scale data analysis in development contexts Adapting content and applications to local languages and education levels Understanding social relationships and information flows in disadvantaged societies Speech interfaces and speech recognition for low-resource languages Development of new AI-centric tools/solutions for development Computer vision challenges in development We also welcome papers outside of these topics that address the DEV focus on computing innovations supporting social and economic development. Conference co-chairs: Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India <thies(a)microsoft.com> Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs <namit(a)in.ibm.com> PC co-chairs: Richard Anderson, University of Washington <anderson(a)cs.washington.edu> Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi <aseth(a)cse.iitd.ernet.in> Program committee (confirmed so far): Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Amarjeet Singh, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs Andrew Dearden, Sheffield Hallam University Anirudh Joshi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bhaskaran Raman, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India Brian DeRenzi, University of Washington Elizabeth Belding, UC Santa Barbara Emma Brunskill, Carnegie Mellon University Etienne Barnard, University of Pretoria Gaetano Borriello, University of Washington James Davis, UC Santa Cruz Jana Iyengar, Franklin and Marshall College Jay Chen, New York University John Bennett, University of Colorado Boulder John Quinn, Makerere University Kentaro Toyama, UC Berkeley Lakshmi Subramanian, New York University Neal Lesh, Dimagi Neil Patel, Awaaz De Niloy Ganguli, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Richard Anderson, University of Washington Roni Rosenfeld, Carnegie Mellon University Saurabh Panjwani, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Sharad Jaiswal, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Srinivasan Keshav, University of Waterloo Tapan Parikh, UC Berkeley Vanessa Frias Martinez, Telefonica Research

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New IBM Research Lab to Open In Kenya
by Gaetano Borriello 13 Aug '12

13 Aug '12

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ibm-research-lab-open-kenya-110000305.html

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GRA Position – Ethnic Minority Female Youth as Info Mediaries - Autumn 2012
by Karen Fisher 10 Aug '12

10 Aug '12

Hi everyone, we’re looking for a GRA for the fall; contact me, Prof Karen Fisher (fisher(a)uw.edu<mailto:fisher@uw.edu>) at the iSchool for more info. It’s a pilot project funded by Microsoft and the UW. Thanks. Graduate Research Assistant – Ethnic Minority Female Youth as Info Mediaries<https://ischool.uw.edu/jobs/students> Autumn Quarter 2012 University of Washington Information School Location Information School, Mary Gates Hall Position Title Graduate Research Assistant –Info Mediary Pilot Project Start Date: 09/16/2012 End Date: 12/15/2012, this position is for Autumn quarter 2012 only, it will not be extended. Deadline to Apply: This position is open until filled. Priority will be given to applicants that apply before 9/2/12. This position will average 20 hours per week. Project Description The University of Washington Information School has an outstanding opportunity for a Graduate Research Assistant to help conduct a pilot study addressing how immigrant and refugee female youth act as Info Mediaries to members of their social networks, especially female elders. During the Fall Quarter 2012 we will engage 20-24 youth using our Teen Design Day Methodology to understand how (1) they surface the needs of others, communicate/provide information and technical help, and how they manage information; (2) how elders and others engage with youth and benefit from provided assistance; and, (3) how these behaviors can be supported by participatory design. Working with several community partners, the youth will keep diaries of their Info Mediary behavior. At regular Teen Design Thinking Days located in community centers in South Seattle the teens will work with technology experts from the UW and Microsoft Research to devise ways of facilitating their own behavior as well as future diary keeping, capturing and reporting. At the Teen Design Thinking Days, community members will participate in meeting the teens’ needs for physical activity, competence & achievement, self-definition, creative expression, positive social interaction, structure and clear limits, meaningful participation) in cross-culturally ways, e.g., African dance class, cooking, drumming, beading. The project will end with a community/family showcase where the teens share their work with their parents, and the project funders, instructors, and parents select a winning design for further development in Stage Two in the Winter. Time permitting we will also engage with the parents of the teen design days participants as well as other community leaders to better understand the community and the context at large. This research based on our past work funded by the federal government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that shows 2/3rds of the public seek information on behalf others using public library technology, and that youth--especially those who speak languages other than English at home—have the greatest propensity for involvement. Position Description The University of Washington Information School is seeking applicants for a Research Assistant position working directly with immigrant and refugee female youth and their elders. The successful applicant will assist the investigators (Karen Fisher, iSchool Professor and Phil Fawcett, iSchool PhD student and Microsoft) with carrying out key phases of the study, including organizing Teen Days, recruiting participants, collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data, and writing research reports. The PIs are seeking an applicant who is highly organized, self-motivated, competent with using diverse research methodologies—including social network analysis, enjoys working with community stake holders and has a high aptitude for the areas of design and human information behavior. Duties include: * Conduct and summarize literature reviews to support publications and grant proposals * Keep project webpages current and updated during the pilot and subsequent phases of the project * Work with the PIs to plan and conduct the Teen Days * Collect and analyze field and social network data * Assist/support writing of grant proposals, publications, funder reports, project website, etc Requirements * Significant knowledge of human information behavior, especially among youth, ethnic minorities, immigrants, community * Strong organizational, scheduling, and coordination skills and the ability to work across organizational and cultural frameworks. * Experience working in a team setting and with community stakeholders * Excellent written and verbal communication skills * Excellent search skills * Strong attention to detail * Able to work efficiently and independently in a rapidly changing work environment * Computer-proficient and comfortable using software applications such as MS SharePoint, MS Office and Outlook, Internet Explorer, and social media * Demonstrated experience using research software such as SPSS, SAS, and Atlas.ti or SQL. Preferred Qualifications: · Experience with teaching technical disciplines to Middle School and High School students · Prior experience in event planning and coordination * Familiarity with website design and web tools including HTML 5; SQL or related database tools; programming principles, programming languages, programing logic preferred; Microsoft Touch Develop, (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/touchdevelop/) MIT Scratch (http://scratch.mit.edu/ ), Microsoft Kodu,( http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/kodu/, Microsoft .NET Gadgeteer (http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projects/gadgeteer/default.aspx ), the .Net Microsoft framework http://www.netmf.com/ and C # programming language * Experience working with Immigrant populations and environments with English as a 2nd language (ESL) or in developing countries. This position is open to University of Washington graduate level students enrolled in the Information School, Computer Science & Engineering, Jackson School, Evans School, Psychology, Social Work, and Women’s Studies. Students will be compensated at the union regulated rate with tuition and benefits. Questions regarding compensation should be directed to Crystal Yost, Assistant HR Manager crystaly(a)uw.edu<mailto:crystaly@uw.edu>. To apply 1. Please include a cover letter describing your skills and experiences relevant to position, program in which you’re enrolled and level, and future goals. 2. Attach a current resume that includes your work history, academic accomplishments and names of three references. Please submit all application materials to iSchool Human Resources at iApply(a)uw.edu<mailto:iApply@uw.edu> with “Graduate RA – LIMtB Pilot Project” in the subject line by Sunday, September 2, 2012. All candidates will be contacted within two weeks of closing date. This job classification is governed by a negotiated labor contract and is subject to union shop provisions. For more information about union shop provisions, visit: www.washington.edu/admin/hr/jobs/apl/union-info.html<http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/jobs/apl/union-info.html> The University of Washington is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans are encouraged to apply.

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UW CSE's FoneAstra scores in IEEE President's Change the World Competition (fwd)
by Ruth Anderson 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

Congrats to the FoneAstra team! ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ed Lazowska <lazowska(a)cs.washington.edu> A new item has been published at UW CSE News, 'UW CSE's FoneAstra scores in IEEE Presidents’ Change the World Competition' The IEEE Presidents’ Change the World Competition recognizes students who develop unique solutions to real-world problems using engineering, science, computing, and leadership skills to benefit their community, the world at large, or both. UW CSE's FoneAstra has been recognized with third place in the 2012 competition. FoneAstra is an ARM7-based board that plugs into the data port [...] You may view the latest post at http://news.cs.washington.edu/2012/07/28/uw-cses-foneastr-scores-in-ieee-pr…

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Fwd: Evergreen Apps Challenge + Geeks on a Ferry
by Gaetano Borriello 09 Aug '12

09 Aug '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Day, Elliott Date: Thursday, August 9, 2012 Subject: Evergreen Apps Challenge + Geeks on a Ferry To: "Day, Elliott" <Elliott.Day(a)seattle.gov> Greetings, Please share the attached information about upcoming opportunities with the Evergreen Apps Challenge with your networks and students. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions. Elliott Day elliott.day(a)seattle.gov Build an app, make a difference: More than 75K in prizes available Last week, The City of Seattle, King County and Washington State announced the opening of the Evergreen Apps Challenge, designed to encourage the development of applications using government data while stimulating economic development throughout our state. More than $75,000 dollars in prizes will be awarded on October 1, 2012 and students across Washington state are strongly encouraged to participate. The Evergreen Apps Challenge is open to people who live, work or study in Washington State. Learn more about the contest at http://www.evergreenapps.org. Join us for Geeks on Ferry, Tuesday, August 14 Evergreen Apps is hosting a networking and information session called Geeks on Ferry. For only $15, students can take the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton, meet like-minded geeks, network with the government and private sector sponsors then spend a few hours in Bremerton. This event includes dinner, presentations on Evergreen Apps, mobile development using Socrata and ESRI and plenty of time for questions and coding. Bring a laptop or tablet, ideas and questions! Register now at http://evergreenapps.eventbrite.com/, seats are limited and students pay only $15. Please help us get the word out to students Will you please help us spread the word by posting a flyer at your campus or forwarding this email to your student lists? Questions or ideas? Please email evergreen.apps(a)seattle.gov and thanks much for helping us get information out.

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