FAU Presidential search: updates

Semi-finalists for FAU Presidency to be Interviewed Feb. 25 

 

The five semi-finalists for the presidency of Florida Atlantic University will be on the Boca Raton campus on Thursday, Feb. 25, to be interviewed by the Presidential Search Committee. The interviews, to take place in the Majestic Palm Room of the Student Union, will begin at 8:30 a.m. and run throughout the day. Students, faculty, staff and members of the public are welcome to attend in person or via the web. The link to the webcast will be posted on the Presidential Search website at http://www.fau.edu/president/search/events.php.

 

To read the candidates’ resumes and letters of application, please see the Presidential Search website. Here is the interview schedule:

 

8:30-10 a.m. – Dr. Gary Miller

10:15-11:45 a.m. – Dr. Terry Hickey

11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. – Break

12:15-1:45 p.m. – Dr. Paul Ferguson
2-3:30 p.m. – Dr. Mary Jane Saunders
3:45-5:15 p.m. – Dr. Kathie Olsen

Deliberations will begin after the last candidate is interviewed. The Search Committee expects to narrow the field of candidates to three finalists who will be the featured guests at Open Forums on the Boca Raton, Davie, Jupiter and Treasure Coast campuses on March 1 & 2. Times and places of the Open Forums are listed on the Presidential Search website. They will be open to the public and available via webcast and videoconferencing.

 

Engineering Week 2010 (Feb. 15-18)

Engineering Week Activities Feb. 15-18

 

Engineering Week always brings a lot of fun and educational activities to FAU. Students, faculty and staff are invited to participate in the following events during this year’s Engineering Week, Feb. 15-18. All events will take place on the Boca Raton campus.

 

Tours of the new “green” Engineering Building, which is still under construction, will be offered on Monday, Feb. 15, at 10 a.m. and on Tuesday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Space is limited; please RSVP to Trudy Jeffries at jeffries@fau.edu. If accommodation of a disability is required, please notify Trudy five days in advance.

 

Welcome Event

Monday, Feb. 15, noon-1:30 p.m., Live Oak Pavilion

Get ready for a sensational start to E-Week as Engineering professors and staff serve a delicious lunch! There will also be prizes and giveaways.

 

Office Supply Exchange

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Engineering Buildings 36 and 43

Faculty, staff and students from throughout the University donate office supplies that they do not need for others to use.

 

Brain Bowl

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 3-4 p.m., Engineering Building 36, lobby

Come cheer on the contestants as Engineering departments compete against one another for prizes and bragging rights! Light refreshments will be served.

 

Entrepreneurship Speaker Series

Tuesday, Feb. 16, 8:45-9 p.m., General Classroom North, room 101

Greg Hanlon, vice president of FPL Energy Services, will focus on green/sustainability.

 

Engineering Leadership Forum

Wednesday, Feb. 17, noon-2 p.m., Live Oak Pavilion

Come network with industry leaders and professional engineers as they discuss the newest developments in sustainability and “green” engineering. Lunch will be provided, as well as prizes and giveaways.

 

E-Week the Green Way

Thursday, Feb. 18, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m., Live Oak Pavilion

Celebrate the conclusion of E-Week by wearing green and visiting the Live Oak Pavilion, where companies will be promoting “green initiatives” with displays and giveaways. Also featured will be student engineering club showcases, Mission Green Student Association fun games and activities, robotics demonstrations, music, refreshments and much more!

 

Astronaut Steve Swanson’s Presentation

(New date) Friday, Feb. 19, 10-11:30 a.m., University Theatre

Astronaut and FAU alumnus Dr. Steve Swanson will make a presentation on his recent NASA mission and present Dean Karl Stevens with the College of Engineering and Computer Science flag that he took into space.

 

“Dear Haiti: Notes of Peace and Compassion” Benefit Concert Feb. 21

In honor of the visit to FAU of His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama of Tibet, Hoot/Wisdom Recordings, FAU’s student-operated record label, is presenting a night of art and music aimed at raising continued support for the Haitian earthquake relief effort. “Dear Haiti: Notes of Peace and Compassion” will showcase a mixture of FAU musicians and artists. Sandra Devoe, project coordinator for Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States, will also participate.  

 

The event will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theater on the Boca Raton campus. Artwork donated by select FAU artists will be presented and then sold in a silent auction. Music groups from FAU will present their “letters of compassion” in the form of original musical stylings. Hoot/Wisdom Recording artists Danny B and Marcus Banks will headline the event. Other acts will include a jazz-fusion combo led by FAU graduate student Kiki Sanchez and original orchestral works of sophomore music student Alton Terry. There will be donation boxes as well as letter-writing stations for attendees who would like to send their own messages to the earthquake victims. All proceeds from the event will be donated to Food For The Poor. For more information, call 561- 929-2340 or send an email to swinikof@fau.edu.

Message from FAU President re: Haiti

To the Florida Atlantic University community:

First of all, I’d like to express sincere thanks to everyone for the outpouring of concern throughout the University following news of the massive earthquake in Haiti. Ways in which we might help the hundreds of thousands of people affected by this huge disaster immediately took shape. In an effort to coordinate and consolidate FAU’s outreach to Haiti, the Division of Student Affairs, Konbit Kreyol and Student Government have developed the following plan, in consultation with Food for the Poor, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization based in Coconut Creek that has a long record of rendering humanitarian aid to Haiti:

 

• Boxes have been set up on all campuses for the collection of clothing suitable for the tropics and non-perishable food items, with special need for the following: pop-top cans of evaporated milk, fish and meat, and bottles of water. Please do not give anything in a can that has to be opened with a can opener. Look for the collection boxes on the Boca Raton campus Breezeway, in Chartwells locations, in Student Government offices on all campuses, and in the following partner campus locations:

 

Broward Campuses

Davie Student Union, LA 109, LA 122, HEC 507 and ST 119 (lobby)

 

Jupiter Campus

SR 119 (Student Affairs)

 

Treasure Coast Campus

JU 113 (Student Services)

 

Harbor Branch

Cafeteria

 

Hours of collection on the Breezeway are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; donations may be made at the other locations during normal business hours Monday-Friday. Collections will continue at least until Jan. 29 and possibly beyond that date. Cash and checks will not be accepted at any FAU location.

 

 

• The food, milk and water will be turned over to Food for the Poor for delivery to Haiti. The Weppner Center for Civic Engagment and Service will deliver the clothing items to the General Consulate of Haiti, which will handle its transfer to Haiti.

 

• Volunteers are needed to staff the Breezeway collection point (four per hour) and to separate the food donations from the clothing donations. To place your name on the volunteer schedule, please contact the Weppner Center at 561-297-3607.

 

• If you would like to make a monetary donation to the relief effort, you can do so on the Food for the Poor website: http://www.foodforthepoor.org/ Go to the “Click Here to Help” link and make a donation in any amount by checking a box. Although the lowest amount that appears on the page is $35, you can make a smaller donation in the “Enter an Amount” box.

In addition to donating funds via Food for the Poor, you can make a contribution through Haitian musician Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation in one of two ways:

 

• Use your cellphone to text “YELE” to 501501, which will result in an automatic donation of $5 to the Yele Earthquake Fund. The charge will appear on your cellphone bill. 

• Visit http://www.yele.org and click on the "Donate" link at the top of the page. This website also provides an address to which you can mail a check.

 

Free counseling services are available to members of the University community who have been affected by this disaster in any way. Students should contact the FAU Counseling Center. Faculty and staff (including contract employees) seeking counseling support should contact the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, Horizon Health, by calling1-800-865-3200 or logging onto http://www.horizoncarelink.com; the user ID is Florida Atlantic University and the password is EAP. Click on “My Benefits”and then on “EAP Services.”

 

“Reflection Banners," where members of the University community can express their feelings about the tragedy, have been set up on the second floor of the Boca Raton Student Union and in the Oasis Lounge area of the Davie Student Union.

 

Together, we can and will make a difference in helping the people of Haiti cope with this terrible misfortune that has befallen them.

 

Sincerely,

John F. Pritchett

President (Interim)

 

Help for Haiti @ FAU

From FAU's Announcements:

Help for Haiti

 

The University is doing all it can to send help to the people of Haiti and offer comfort to students, faculty and staff with family members and friends in that earthquake-devastated Caribbean nation. Donations of canned food, non-perishable items and clothing may be made on the Breezeway of the Boca Raton campus from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the remainder of this week. In Broward, donations may be dropped off at the following locations: LA109, LA122, the Davie Student Union, HEC507 and ST119 (lobby).

 

Free counseling services are available to members of the University community who have been affected by the disaster in any way. Students should contact the FAU Counseling Center. Faculty and staff seeking counseling support should contact the University’s Employee Assistance Program provider, Horizon Health, by calling1-800-865-3200 or logging onto www.horizoncarelink.com; the user ID is Florida Atlantic University and the password is EAP. Click on “My Benefits”and then on “EAP Services.”

 

“Reflection Banners," where members of the University community can express their feelings about the tragedy, have been set up on the second floor of the Boca Raton Student Union and in the Oasis Lounge area of the Davie Student Union.

 

Related Resources/Links:

 

Federal Response Number: 1-888-407-4747

Department of State: http://www.state.gov - main page includes contact number and donation information

U.S. Embassy in Haiti:  http://haiti.usembassy.gov

Embassy of Haiti in the U.S.: http://www.haiti.org 

Haiti Consular Section in Miami: Phone: (305) 859-2003; Fax: (305) 854-7441

Open Assistant Professor position at FAU

I'm part of the Search Committee for an Assistant Professor position in the fields of Computer Animation/Game Design. Details about the position follow:

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, is seeking an Assistant Professor, tenure track, in Game Design and Computer Animation.  Candidates must be able to offer instruction in storyboarding and animatics, character animation, rendering and compositing, and have considerable practical experience with modeling, texturing, rigging, 3D environments, CG lighting, and game engines.  Applicants must possess a high degree of technical competency to participate in partnerships with art, entertainment, science, and/or industry.  Candidates must also be skilled in an appropriate range of software packages.  Effective date of employment: August 2010.  MFA, MS or Ph.D. required; preference will go to candidates with active exhibition history, significant practical experience in an active production environment, as well as teaching experience.  Application deadline: March 1, 2010.

Application must be made through FAU’s employment site: http://jobs.fau.edu ( quicklink: http://jobs.fau.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=53272 ). Position number: 991611.  Attach letter of application and CV to your on-line application.  Applicants must also send via standard mail three letters of professional or academic recommendation, and a formal portfolio or reel of creative work; include samples of personal and professional work, and student work if appropriate.

Mailing address:
Dr. Eric Freedman
Chair, Game Design Search Committee, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Florida Atlantic University
111 E. Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301.

E-mail for inquiries only: efreedma@fau.edu.  For detailed information on FAU, visit our web site at: http://www.fau.edu/scms.  A background check is required for the person selected for this position.  Florida Atlantic University is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution.

Mathias Lux's visit + talk at FAU

I'm happy to announce that Professor Mathias Lux from Klagenfurt University (Austria) will visit FAU next week. He is a world renowned expert in the fields of multimedia annotation, search, and retrieval, particularly semantic aspects of multimedia metadata.

He will present an IEEE Signal Processing Society Palm Beach Section Seminar on "User Intentions in Multimedia ("The Other End of the Camera")", on Tuesday (December 8), 10:45 AM, room ED 119 (College of Education building -- Northwest side of the Boca Raton campus).
You can download a flyer with additional information from: http://public.eng.fau.edu/cse/oge/Flyer_Talk_Mathias_Dec09_IEEE.pdf

If you have any further question, don't hesitate to contact me.

Hope to see you there!

FAU Presidential search

FAU is searching for a new president.
Who do you think should apply?

Open position at FAU

I'm part of the Search Committee for an Assistant Professor position in the fields of Computer Animation/Game Design. Details about the position follow:

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, School of Communication and Multimedia Studies, is seeking an Assistant Professor, tenure track, in Computer Animation/Game Design. The School seeks an artist with expertise in game design and 3D animation. Ideal candidates will demonstrate knowledge of and research interest in gaming systems, character animation and environmental design. Candidates must be able to offer instruction in storyboarding and animatics, character animation, rendering and compositing, and have considerable practical experience with character modeling and texturing, character rigging and animation, 3D environments, CG lighting, and game engines. Applicants must possess a high degree of technical competency to participate in partnerships with art, entertainment, science, and/or industry.

Candidates must also be skilled in a range of software packages such as Maya, Modo, Mudbox, zBrush, 3D Studio Max, Blender, Softimage, Shake, Nuke, Final Cut, Premiere, and Photoshop. Additional experience with Motion Builder, Python, or other software scripting (MEL) is desirable.

Effective date of employment: August 2010.

MFA or Ph.D. required; preference will go to candidates with active exhibition history, significant practical experience in an active production environment, as well as teaching experience.

Application deadline: November 16, 2009.

Application must be made through FAU’s employment site: http://jobs.fau.edu. Position number: 991611. Attach letter of application and CV to your on-line application. Applicants must also send via standard mail three letters of professional or academic recommendation, and a formal portfolio or reel of creative work; include samples of personal and professional work, and student work if appropriate.

Mailing address:
Dr. Eric Freedman, Chair,
Animation Search Committee,
School of Communication and Multimedia Studies,
Florida Atlantic University,
111 E. Las Olas Blvd,
Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33301.

E-mail for inquiries only: efreedma@fau.edu>. For detailed information on FAU, visit our web site at: http://www.fau.edu/scms. A background check is required for the person selected for this position. Florida Atlantic University is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Institution.

First classes of the Fall

It feels good to be back to the classroom. I just finished teaching my second class of the day ("Cutting-Edge Web Technologies", a very popular class ever since it was first offered in the Fall 0f 2007, and for which I won a department "Hot Course Award"). Earlier today, I had the pleasure of teaching Digital Image Processing, after more than two years since the course was last offered.

In both classes, I have a good mix of undergraduate and graduate students. I'm confident that many exciting projects and ideas will emerge from both courses and I look forward to sharing some of them with the readers of this blog.

Now, back to those slides for Thursday's lectures...
:-)

FAU on Wikipedia's main page

Check it out... before it's too late: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page
;-)

Commencement

Today is Commencement Day at FAU.

As I have stated earlier in this blog, it is a great day to remind ourselves of the "hidden dimensions" of our students' lives (particularly family and friends) and use the opportunity to congratulate them for this great achievement well worth celebrating.

I'm particularly happy for Joel Gibson, who is graduating with a MS in Computer Engineering. Joel completed a phenomenal Master's Thesis in the topic of fuzzy image matting using GPUs under my supervision. I wish him (and his loved ones) all the best!

End-of-year appreciation lunch

Uh-oh... Our department will have an end-of-year appreciation lunch in a few days.
Should I be worried? :-)

"Is there a particular faculty or staff member at FAU who especially helped you succeed? Who and how?"

This is a question that FAU seniors are asked on the Graduating Senior Survey, one of the many useful instruments devised and maintained by FAU's Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis.

Survey results for 2007-08 have just been published and are available here (as well as results for previous years). 

Browsing through the survey results and thinking about the students who wrote their comments and the faculty and staff who impacted their lives for better is a great way to examine how it feels to be on either end of the equation. It is also a powerful reminder of why I chose to be a teacher in the first place.

Talk tomorrow

Tomorrow I'll present a brief talk on 'Scene Recognition and Classification' during the first part of my colleague Dr. Elan Barenholtz's "Seminar in Human Perception" class. It's a good way to warm up in preparation for the "Foundations of Vision" graduate-level course that I'll be teaching in the Spring 2009 term.

Accreditation

Tomorrow our department will be visited by the ABET committee in charge of the accreditation process of our Computer Science and Computer Engineering programs.

Which reminds me of another great excerpt from the ever-inspiring "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" book:

Then one student, apparently a partisan of the governor, said angrily that the legislature would prevent the school from losing its accreditation.

Phædrus asked how.

The student said they would post police to prevent it.

Phædrus pondered this for a while, then realized the enormity of the student's misconception of what accreditation was all about.

Cooperation between FAU and Brazil

I met with Dr. Luis Fernando Schettino, Secretary of the Research Units Coordination, Ministry of Science and Technology, Brazil on Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

Dr. Schettino gave a talk at FAU on that same day (see slides here) and presented a very positive picture of the research landscape scenario in Brazil. I'm confident that his talk will generate a number of collaboration initiatives between FAU and some of the leading Brazilian research institutes and I'm happy to be part of this effort.

FAU Innovation Village

FAU is moving forward with one of the major additions in the history of the university: the Innovation Village (which includes the FAU Football Stadium).

This is a video showing a "Virtual Tour" of the proposed new facilities.

Fall 2008 term in full motion

The Fall 2008 semester is in full motion at FAU. I'm very happy to be back to the classroom. As I've written many times before, "I do what I love... and I love what I do".

This semester I'm teaching two regular classes:

• CNT 4104 - Introduction to Data and Computer Communications
• COP 4930/5930 - Cutting-edge Web Technologies

In September I'll also be teaching the "Advanced Internet Programming" class for our Weekend MS Program.

Last, but not least, I'm also helping my colleague Dr. Elan Barenholtz with the first of a two-course sequence on 'Foundations of Human Vision' (listed under the Dept of Psychology as "Seminar in Human Perception", EXP 6208). I'll be the leading instructor for the second course, "Foundations of Vision", to appear in the Spring 2009 term.

Hurricane season

Living and working in Florida means having to learn how to prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms that might be headed our way between early June and late November every year.

During the past 11 years, there were a number of times when the FAU campuses were closed, classes were cancelled, and life as we know it had to change to accommodate the weather-induced changes. The Fall 2005 term was by far the most disrupted semester, with a brief closure due to Katrina early in the term and a much longer one due to Wilma later in that term. Hurricane Wilma caused a lot of damage on campus, forced many faculty members in the S&E building (myself included) to move elsewhere on campus, and required a comprehensive recovery plan. 

In a few hours, FAU will be closing for the first time this hurricane season, to prepare for Tropical Storm / Hurricane Fay. Please check: www.fau.edu for updates.