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Richard Anderson on Software and Global Health: Assessing vaccine cold chains from national equipment inventories.
by Nicola Dell 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

This Thursday at Change UW CSE Professor Richard Anderson will talk about Software and Global Health: Assessing vaccine cold chains from national equipment inventories. Immunization is recognized as one of the most successful public health interventions ever devised. A critical component of immunization programs is the vaccine cold chain – the cold storage to keep vaccines safe from manufacture to eventual delivery to a child. Countries face challenges in managing their cold chains in ensuring sufficient storage capacity, optimizing allocation of equipment to control energy costs, and planning for the introduction of new and more expensive vaccines. The Cold Chain Equipment Manager (CCEM) project at PATH aims to support these processes through the development of cold chain planning and inventory tools. This talk describes the process of introducing the CCEM software to four countries in Africa and the results of using CCEM to analyze the country cold chain inventories. We will examine the roles of multiple stakeholders in adoption and use of the system. Main challenges include creating a system and work process that allows the equipment inventory to be kept up to date, and making information from the inventory accessible so that it can be used by decision makers. These will be addressed in future work through the development of web based tools with improved analysis and visualization capabilities and simplification of the modeling mechanism that the tool uses. Richard Anderson is a Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from Reed College in 1981, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University in 1985. In 1986 he joined the University of Washington after a one-year Postdoc at the Mathematical Science Research Institute in Berkeley, CA. He has held visiting positions with the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, India and with the Learning Sciences and Technology group at Microsoft Research. For the last two years he has been collaborating with PATH, a Seattle based public health NGO, applying computing technology to a range of problems in global health. *What:* Richard Anderson on Software and Global Health: Assessing vaccine cold chains from national equipment inventories. *When:* Thursday, January 5th at noon *Where:* Paul Allen Center, Room 203

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Course Announcement, Computing and Development Capstone
by Richard Anderson 02 Jan '12

02 Jan '12

Course Announcement Computing for Development Capstone (CSE 490D winter, CSE 481K spring) Richard Anderson (CSE), Ruth Anderson (CSE), Beth Kolko (HCDE) Students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design and implement computing projects to help address health challenges in low resource environment. The projects will focus on computing technologies to support health and wellness and will tie into research underway by the Computing for Development research group in CSE and HCDE. Candidate projects include: * Smartphone based vaccine registry to track children's immunization and improve coverage * Tools for developing interactive health videos * Application builder for Smartphone based job aids * Game based interface for simple public health modeling * Mobile device integration with health information systems The course is a two quarter sequence. The winter quarter course (CSE 490D) is a two-credit design seminar which meets Wednesdays, 4:00-5:50 pm, in CSE 203. Initial project design and scoping will take place during winter quarter. The spring quarter course (CSE 481K) is a five-credit CSE capstone course which will implement and test solutions developed in the winter. This course will be the fifth offering of the CSE capstone where students have worked on technologies targeting low resource environments. Projects from previous courses continued on as research and deployment projects and resulted in publications and travel opportunities for the students involved. For more information, please see the course web page: http://www.cs.washington.edu/education/courses/cse490d/12sp/ Or contact Richard Anderson (Anderson(a)cs.washington.edu)

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Fwd: Global Social Benefit Incubator
by Yaw Anokwa 30 Dec '11

30 Dec '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Scott McNeil <mcneil(a)globaldesktop.com> Santa Clara University has begun the application process for their 2012 Global Social Benefit Incubator, a program to assist social entrepreneurs in developing business plans that enable their organizations to become financially sustainable and scalable. http://www.socialedge.org/features/gsbi Scott -- Scott McNeil De Novo Group

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Fwd: Computational Sustainability at AAAI-12
by Yaw Anokwa 29 Dec '11

29 Dec '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Quinn <jquinn(a)cit.ac.ug> Date: Thu, Dec 29, 2011 at 14:20 Subject: Computational Sustainability at AAAI-12 To: sig-dev(a)googlegroups.com, ai-d(a)mit.edu Cc: "Carla P. Gomes" <gomes(a)cs.cornell.edu> Dear all, some people may be interested in the following track at next year's AAAI, which has a large overlap with AI-D/SIGDEV interests. John ========================================================= [Apologies if you receive multiple copies. Please distribute this call to interested parties.] AAAI-12 Special Track on Computational Sustainability and AI Important dates Abstract Submission Deadline: January 20 Paper Submission Deadline: January 24 Author Notification Deadline: March 27 Computational Sustainability - Best Paper Awards AAAI-12 is joining with the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) to promote work at the intersection of computing and sustainability on principles and applications that address environmental, economic, and societal needs in support of a sustainable future. An AAAI-12 awards subcommittee will identify best papers in this area and provide travel awards provided by CCC to authors of the best papers. The call for papers is available online here: http://www.aaai.org/Conferences/AAAI/2012/aaai12sustainabilitycall.php A PDF version of the call for papers is available here: http://www.aaai.org/Conferences/AAAI/2012/aaai12sustainabilitycall.pdf *********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** Call for Papers: Special Track on Computational Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence (CompSustAI) Track Cochairs: Carla Gomes, Cornell University, USA Brian Williams, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA Abstract Submission Deadline: January 20 Paper Submission Deadline: January 24 Author Notification Deadline: March 27 Computational sustainability is a new interdisciplinary field that aims to apply techniques from computer and information science and related disciplines (for example, operations research, applied mathematics, and statistics) to the balancing of environmental, economic, and societal needs, in order to support sustainable development and a sustainable future. Research in computational sustainability is inherently interdisciplinary: It brings together computational fields and a variety of fields with a long tradition in the study of sustainability problems, such as environmental sciences, biology, economics, and sociology. Artificial intelligence (AI), in particular, can play a key role in addressing challenges in computational sustainability. Sustainability domains and areas include the following: * Natural resources and the environment (for example, climate, atmosphere, water, oceans, forest, land, soil, biodiversity, species, and so on.) * Economics and human behavior (for example, human well-being, poverty, infectious diseases, over-population, resource harvesting, and so on.) * Energy resources (for example, renewable energy, smart grid, material discovery for fuel cell technology, and so on.) * Human-built systems and land use (for example, transportation systems, cities, buildings, datacenters, food systems, agriculture, and so on.) This special track invites the submission of research papers on novel concepts, models, algorithms, and systems, in order to address problems in computational sustainability. We are looking for a broad range of papers ranging from formal analysis to applied research. Examples include papers explaining how the research addresses specific computational problems, opportunities, or issues underlying sustainability challenges and papers describing a sustainability challenge or application that can be tackled using AI methods. Papers proposing general challenges and competitions for computational sustainability are also welcome. All AI topics that address computational sustainability issues are relevant. Examples of AI topics include the following: * Modeling and prediction of dynamic and spatiotemporal phenomena and systems. Examples include bird migration, invasive species diffusion, ocean spatial impacts of climate change, and poverty mapping. * Control and optimization of dynamic and spatiotemporal systems. Examples include constraint reasoning and optimization, MDPs/POMDPs, stochastic programming, model-based reasoning, and optimal control of hybrid dynamical systems for management and control of complex systems ranging from ecosystems and natural resources, to human-built systems such as transportation and energy networks, communities, and cities, to social-economic phenomena. * Network modeling, prediction, and optimization. Examples include transportation networks, power grid, food networks, epidemic networks, and social networks. * Modeling and control of complex high-dimensional systems by combining physics-based models, model-based reasoning, optimization and control methods, and machine learning models built from sensor data. Examples include global and regional climate models, ecosystems models, models of operation of office buildings and data centers. * Modeling the interactions of agents with different and often conflicting interests: multiagent systems, multiagent equilibrium models, game theory, and design of effective mechanisms and policies for the exchange of goods. * Sensor networks for monitoring environments: data collection, analysis, synthesis, and inference in large-scale autonomous sensor networks. * Support for public engagement and decision making by the public; collecting, modeling, and presenting relevant information via usable interfaces; preference elicitation and automated decision making for power purchases (managing the timing of appliance loads to minimize cost while maximizing preferences); crowd-sourcing and citizen science; computer games and intelligent tutoring systems; and models, methods and tools for dissemination and increasing awareness of sustainability practices. Papers will be reviewed by qualified reviewers that are drawn from a special track committee, in addition to the general program committee. Submissions to this special track that are deemed not relevant to the track may be considered for review for the general technical papers track, at the discretion of the track and conference cochairs. Computational Sustainability Awards AAAI-12 is joining with the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) to promote work at the intersection of computing and sustainability on principles and applications that address environmental, economic, and societal needs in support of a sustainable future. A AAAI-12 awards subcommittee will identify best papers in this area and provide travel awards provided by CCC to authors of the best papers. Author Registration Authors must register at the AAAI-12 CompSustAI web-based technical paper submission site (available December 2, 2012) before they submit their abstracts and papers. The software will assign a password, which will enable the author to log on to submit an abstract and paper. In order to avoid a rush at the last minute, authors are encouraged to register as soon as possible after December 2, and well in advance of the January 20 abstract deadline. Registration will close at 11:00 PM PST on January 20, 2012. Abstract submission will close at 11:59 PM PST on January 20, 2012. Final paper submission will close at 11:59 PM PST on January 24, 2012. Abstract and Paper Submission Papers may be no longer than 7 pages, where page 7 must contain only references, and no other text whatsoever. Papers must be in trouble-free, high-resolution PDF format, formatted for US Letter (8.5" x 11") paper, using Type 1 or TrueType fonts. Papers must be formatted in AAAI two-column, camera-ready style (see the author instructions page). Please note that these formatting instructions are for final, accepted papers; no additional pages can be purchased at the review stage. In addition, the copyright slug may be omitted in the initial submission phase. Please also refer to (INSERT URL) for instructions on how to prepare your paper for blind review. Electronic abstract and paper submission through the AAAI-12 CompSustAI paper submission site is required on or (preferably) before the deadline dates listed above. We cannot accept submissions by e-mail or fax. Authors will receive confirmation of receipt of their abstracts or papers, including an ID number, shortly after submission. AAAI will contact authors again only if problems are encountered with papers. Inquiries regarding lost papers must be made no later than January 27, 2012. Electronic abstract and paper submission through the AAAI-12 CompSustAI paper submission site is required on or (preferably) before the deadline dates listed above. We cannot accept submissions by e-mail or fax. Submissions to Other Conferences or Journals Papers submitted to this conference must not have been accepted for publication elsewhere or be under review for another AI conference. The guidelines of the AAAI policy on multiple submissions are fully detailed on this web page (INSERT URL) and must be carefully followed. Review Process Program committee members will identify papers they are qualified to review based on the information submitted electronically (the paper's title, keywords, and abstract). Their reviewing will be done blind to the identities of the authors and their institutions. Authors will have a limited opportunity to respond to initial reviews. This author's feedback may then be taken into account in the final reviews and recommendations. The program committee's reviews will make recommendations to the senior program committee, which in turn will make recommendations to the track cochairs. Although the track cochairs will formally make all final decisions, in practice almost all will be made earlier in the process. Publication Accepted papers will be allocated seven (7) pages in the conference proceedings. Up to two (2) additional pages may be used at a cost to the authors of US$ 275 per page. Final papers exceeding page limits and those violating the instructions to authors will not be included in the proceedings. Authors will be required to transfer copyright of their paper to AAAI. Questions and Suggestions Concerning author instructions and conference registration, write to aaai12(a)aaai.org. Concerning suggestions or other inquiries, write to the CompSustAI Track Cochairs. Concerning suggestions for the program and other inquiries, write to the special track cochairs.

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Delayed messages to Change list
by Yaw Anokwa 27 Dec '11

27 Dec '11

If you have been trying to send messages to the Change list over the last week and find that they have not gone through, please try again. There was an attack on the mail server which processes our mail, but everything looks normal now. Yaw

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Earn credits while studying ICTs in Ghana
by Chris Rothschild 27 Dec '11

27 Dec '11

Hi, Next summer, Dr. Araba Sey and I will be directing an Exploration Seminar in Ghana. We directed one there last year and are excited to bring a new group of students in 2012! The seminar is about research, development, communication, and technology. Students can receive graduate or undergraduate credits. We will be holding information sessions on this early next year. Until then, I wanted to pass along information about the program (see below). I’m happy to answer any questions you have so feel free to contact me. Thanks! Chris Chris Rothschild Research Analyst Technology & Social Change Group (TASCHA) University of Washington Information School chriskr(a)uw.edu<mailto:chriskr@uw.edu> _________________________________________________________________ http://studyabroad.washington.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram… Access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Ghana ranges from no access in many rural areas to access comparable to some major US cities. What strategies do people with low incomes use to connect to others and get the information they need? How does this impact their lives? We can get answers to these questions through research and direct experience. Whether you are interested in the uses and impacts of ICTs on the lives of people in developing countries or more generally in learning about how to do field research, this seminar is an opportunity to explore researched-based learning through immersion in the people and culture of Ghana. In this seminar students will examine how people in different types of communities (urban and rural) use ICTs in their daily activities and how they feel about the impacts on their well-being. In contrast to historical notions of development where outside agencies determine goals with little input from the target populations, we will focus on development from the perspective of low-income populations. Students can apply the experience to their individual areas of interest, whether they be information systems, health, education, or other fields. The program will provide instruction and practical experience on using field research methods to investigate the role of ICTs in the livelihoods of low and middle-income populations. If you are interested in ICTs, development, or just want to learn more about conducting field research, we encourage you to apply! If you have any questions about the program, feel free to email us. The course satisfies the research methods requirement for MLIS students (LIS 570) and Informatics Students (INFO 470).

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NextDrop is Hiring
by Yaw Anokwa 27 Dec '11

27 Dec '11

NextDrop, a social enterprise that provides water delivery timing information to residents in urban India, seeks a candidate to serve as the technical lead to work on developing the NextDrop IVR/SMS platform, as well as custom dashboarding technologies for urban water utility clients. Founded in 2009 by graduate students from UC Berkeley’s Civil Engineering Dept., Public Policy School, Information School, and Stanford Business School, NextDrop is working to create a sustainable and scalable solution to intermittent water in India and in developing countries around the world. The technical lead will be responsible for: • Creation of web-based dashboard technology for urban water utilities. • Maintenance of NextDrop water information database. • Maintenance and expansion of NextDrop SMS/IVR system. For more information, see attached document or contact Anu Sridharan: anu(a)nextdrop.org

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Grameen is hiring an mHealth Deputy Project Director
by Yaw Anokwa 27 Dec '11

27 Dec '11

if you'll remember, david gave a talk at change a few weeks ago. you can find his slide deck at http://change.washington.edu/2011/12/john-tippett-and-david-hutchful-on-the…. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Hutchful <dhutchful(a)gmail.com> Grameen Foundation is hiring for the position of Deputy Project Director for our mHealth program in Ghana - Mobile Technology for Community Health. The position is to lead this project through an exciting phase of expansion - more details attached. In this position you get involved with a broad range of project areas (technology, health, fieldwork, business modeling) and interact with a diverse group of stakeholders (government, telcos, development partners, private sector), so it's a great opportunity. Please forward to suitable candidates. More info below. Thanks! Job Summary: The Deputy Project Director will be responsible for leading the day-to-day management of the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) implementation in Ghana. The project is a partnership between Ghana Health Service and Grameen Foundation which aims to use mobile phones to increase the quantity and quality of antenatal and neonatal care in Ghana. The Deputy Project Director will lead the expansion of this program to three new districts with funding from two new donor grants. Responsibilities include devising and implementing a project plan, managing the field and call center teams, managing budget, tracking and reporting results, developing technical and operational processes suitable for scale, defining and overseeing implementation plans, and making decisions regarding immediate and long term technical needs. The Deputy Project Director will also work closely with the MOTECH management team to develop and execute sustainability plans and business models while building and cultivating relationships with a range of partners such as Ghana Health Service, telecommunications providers and development partners. The Deputy Project Director will support the Country Director by providing input into strategic decisions and helping to define the long term vision for MOTECH in Ghana and beyond. For more info and to apply, see https://lists.csail.mit.edu/pipermail/ict4dev/attachments/20111222/5a64c8cb….

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Grameen is hiring an mHealth Deputy Project Director
by Yaw Anokwa 25 Dec '11

25 Dec '11

if you'll remember, david gave a talk at change a few weeks ago. you can find his slide deck at http://change.washington.edu/2011/12/john-tippett-and-david-hutchful-on-the…. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Hutchful <dhutchful(a)gmail.com> Grameen Foundation is hiring for the position of Deputy Project Director for our mHealth program in Ghana - Mobile Technology for Community Health. The position is to lead this project through an exciting phase of expansion - more details attached. In this position you get involved with a broad range of project areas (technology, health, fieldwork, business modeling) and interact with a diverse group of stakeholders (government, telcos, development partners, private sector), so it's a great opportunity. Please forward to suitable candidates. More info below. Thanks! Job Summary: The Deputy Project Director will be responsible for leading the day-to-day management of the Mobile Technology for Community Health (MOTECH) implementation in Ghana. The project is a partnership between Ghana Health Service and Grameen Foundation which aims to use mobile phones to increase the quantity and quality of antenatal and neonatal care in Ghana. The Deputy Project Director will lead the expansion of this program to three new districts with funding from two new donor grants. Responsibilities include devising and implementing a project plan, managing the field and call center teams, managing budget, tracking and reporting results, developing technical and operational processes suitable for scale, defining and overseeing implementation plans, and making decisions regarding immediate and long term technical needs. The Deputy Project Director will also work closely with the MOTECH management team to develop and execute sustainability plans and business models while building and cultivating relationships with a range of partners such as Ghana Health Service, telecommunications providers and development partners. The Deputy Project Director will support the Country Director by providing input into strategic decisions and helping to define the long term vision for MOTECH in Ghana and beyond. For more info and to apply, see https://lists.csail.mit.edu/pipermail/ict4dev/attachments/20111222/5a64c8cb….

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Fwd: Echoing Green Fellowship
by Yaw Anokwa 19 Dec '11

19 Dec '11

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <techbridgeworld-students-request(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu> Date: Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 09:00 Subject: TechBridgeWorld-Students Digest, Vol 58, Issue 3 To: techbridgeworld-students(a)lists.andrew.cmu.edu Could you use up to $90,000 to launch your idea to change the world? Echoing Green unleashes next generation talent to solve the world?s biggest problems. Through our Fellowship program, we identify promising social entrepreneurs with bold ideas and provide them with up to $90,000 in seed funding, strategic support, leadership development, and a powerful community of nearly 500 other Fellows and Alumni. For more information, visit: http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellowship. Deadline: January 9, 2012 For eligibility details, visit: http://www.echoinggreen.org/fellowship/echoing-green-fellowship#eligibility Join the Echoing Green email list to be the first to know when more information is announced: http://bit.ly/2bp1Qp.

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