Yearly Archives: 2018

CoE’s Todd Austin recognized for outstanding achievements

By | October 12, 2018
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Professor Todd Austin

Professor of computer science and engineering Todd Austin, a recognized leader in the area of computer architecture research, was recently recognized with the University of Michigan’s Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award, which honors senior faculty who have consistently demonstrated outstanding achievements in the areas of scholarly research or creative endeavors, teaching and mentoring of students and junior faculty, service, and… Read More »

Keep your personal software up-to-date

By | October 12, 2018
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Blond woman working at computer with another woman in the background viewing a large video screen.

We all should be in the habit of keeping our software up-to-date. This is necessary because vendors and others regularly identify security vulnerabilities in software and apps, and then release updates and patches to fix them. Additionally, keeping your software current enables you to take advantage of other improvements, such as better performance or new functionality. Personal computers… Read More »

Software companies lead 2018 tech startups at U-M

By | October 11, 2018
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Man standing in front of posters showing lists of start ups by year.

The number of startups launched at U-M nearly doubled in fiscal year 2018 to 21 as U-M inventors went to market with a broad array of discoveries. Nine of the 21 startups are software companies. The majority of this year’s startups are also headquartered in southeast Michigan, where they’re creating jobs and helping to diversify the economy. “We… Read More »

U-M tool measures ‘iffy’ news on social media

By | October 11, 2018
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As the mid-term election approaches, the U-M Center for Social Media Responsibility offers media and the public a tool to help monitor the prevalence of fake news on social media through a Platform Health Metric called the Iffy Quotient. Housed in the U-M School of Information, the center’s first report confirms from a deep analysis what was suspected… Read More »

A champion for women in computer science

By | October 11, 2018
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Rada Mihalcea, professor of computer science and engineering, was selected as the Center for the Education of Women’s 2018 Carol Hollenshead Award recipient for her work to increase the pipeline and retention of women in engineering and computer science. Mihalcea has dedicated substantial effort to developing programs that introduce more women to the world of computing and encourage them to pursue… Read More »

Michigan Online: “Here to Learn” — Together

By | October 10, 2018
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Some of Michigan’s most innovative strategies for online learning are based on values held throughout its 200-plus year history. In an interview with “Campus Technology” magazine, James DeVaney, U-M’s associate vice provost for academic innovation, explains why Michigan Online — a relatively recent initiative — brings communities of motivated learners together, both to learn together and to apply their knowledge to solving significant problems.… Read More »

Turn on two-factor for your personal accounts

By | October 10, 2018
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Many popular services and websites offer two-factor authentication. Information Assurance (IA) encourages you to turn it on whenever it’s available to protect your personal accounts. Duo may be an option If you already use the Duo Mobile app for two-factor at U-M, you might be able to use it with your personal, non-university accounts. If a service’s instructions… Read More »

WebNow and Perceptive Content system compatibility update

By | October 9, 2018
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illustration of central file folder drive linked to an array of other file drives

WebNow, also known as Perceptive Content, will not work with some newer operating system versions and with certain browsers. WebNow is the university’s document imaging system, which can be used to upload and store documents as electronic files in a secure online environment. These system limitations will be eliminated after the system is upgraded this summer. More information… Read More »

Cavium ThunderX delivers 10x Big Data performance increase

By | October 8, 2018
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cavium nodes

Recently, ARC-TS and the School of Information used the new Big Data platform Cavium ThunderX to reduce run times of the school’s analytics pipeline by a factor of 10, taking overall run time from almost a week to only a few hours. Cavium ThunderX is a free-to-use Big Data platform for researchers at U-M. Currently ThunderX supports mapreduce, Spark,… Read More »

U-M makes waves at Tapia 2018

By | October 5, 2018
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Eight U-M students from Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) got the chance to network and celebrate diversity in computing at the 2018 Richard Tapia Conference, which took place in Orlando, Florida September 19–22. This year’s conference theme was “Diversity: Roots of Innovation,” acknowledging the historical role of diversity in STEM innovation and its essential role in innovating the… Read More »

Michigan Medicine announces launch of Michigan Healthcare Security Operations Center

By | October 4, 2018
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Seven people stand in front of a glass building. They standing close together and smiling while holding a giant pair of scissors moments before cutting a blue ribbon.

With the launch of the Michigan Healthcare Security Operations Center, Michigan Medicine is among the first in the nation working with four other healthcare organizations to continuously monitor and improve cybersecurity. The MI-HSOC is a group of highly-skilled teams that leverage shared technologies, process, and skills to prevent, detect, analyze, and respond to cybersecurity events. The new shared environment,… Read More »

Bots, Part One: Of bots, and bleeps, and other things

By | October 4, 2018
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Screenshot of the ELIZA Talking website, showing an old VT100 digivox terminal with keyboard, microphone, speaker, and vox (voice) dial button. There is text on the monitor which provides a description of the project ("ELIZA is a mock Rogerian psychotherapist), credits, and instructions for use.

Last December, I was turned on to the importance of bots while attending the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network (MCSMN) Annual Meeting in Arizona. Since then, I’ve been digging into the topic, trying to learn more, and hoping to get a bot implemented on our departmental website, but there is just so much to talk about! We decided… Read More »

Attend the 2018 Michigan IT Symposium

By | October 1, 2018
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Michigan IT Symposium: November 28 & 29, 2018

The 2018 Michigan IT Symposium will take place November 28 & 29, 2018 in the Michigan League. This annual event focuses on creating connections between Michigan IT community members while showcasing the innovation occurring across all U-M campuses. Registration for this year’s symposium will open on October 15, 2018. Mark your calendars and make plans to attend. The… Read More »

Dearborn hosts GIS Day Wednesday, Nov. 14

By | September 27, 2018
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GIS Day, Wednesday, 14 November 2018

  GIS Day is a global event celebrating the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). It provides an international forum for users of GIS technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society. At the University of Michigan you can join the celebration by attending UM-Dearborn’s GIS Day Event (8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Wednesday, November 14.) Activities will… Read More »

Participate in National Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October!

By | September 27, 2018
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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Photo of hand holding cell phone.

Every October, Information Assurance (IA) leads a celebration of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) by hosting events, sharing tips, and reminding everyone of our shared responsibility to protect and secure university and personal systems and the sensitive information they contain. NCSAM is spearheaded by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This year,… Read More »

Use antivirus software to protect U-M and personal computers

By | September 26, 2018
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Don't let your software get rusty! image of rusty lock and chain

Antivirus software should be installed and kept up-to-date on all of your computers—both your own and those owned by the university. MiWorkspace computers already have antivirus software installed, and it is updated automatically. For U-M computers Information Assurance (IA) recommends these antivirus products that are licensed for use on UM-owned computers: Windows 8 and 10. Use Windows Defender,… Read More »