MANCHESTER

           1824

School of Computer Science

Weekly Newsletter

5th June 2006

Contents

News from HoS

This Week

School Events

External Events

Funding Opps

Prize & Award Opps

Research Awards

Staff News

Vacancies

 

Links

Newsletter Archive

School Strategy

School Intranet

School Seminars

ESNW Seminars

NaCTeM Seminars

 

News from Head of School

Chair Interviews

This week sees significant recruitment activity, with presentations and interviews for the Chair in Computational Systems Biology on Monday and Tuesday, followed by presentations and interviews for the Chair in Computer Engineering on Thursday and Friday.  The details of the talks are below, and I’d encourage as many of you as possible to attend and ask searching questions.  These are both important appointments for the School and we have a strong field of candidates in both cases.

Making the Most of Open Days

Each year the School hosts a number of Undergraduate Open Days for prospective students. With falling numbers of applicants to CS, it is important that the School presents itself as an exciting, supportive and vibrant place for undergraduate study. Prospective students are given a brief presentation on the benefits of studying in Manchester and the programmes on offer, some demos to showcase our teaching and research, and the opportunity to take refreshments and talk to current students and, importantly, to the academic staff of the School.  We need to put on a good show, so if you are able to help out please contact Sophia or Bernard in the External Affairs Office.  The dates are (all 1000 – 1600):

Sat 24 Jun, Mon 4 Sep, and Sat 7 Oct

BA Media Fellowship

Congratulations to Mary Wood, who has been awarded a British Association for the Advancement of Science Media Fellowship – one of only ten awarded nationally this year.  This will provide a much needed boost in our understanding of dealing with the media.  The hope is that Mary will be able to pass on some of what she learns, so that we can all help to increase the media profile of the School.

UCU Action

A brief update on the effects of the UCU (the merged AUT and NATFHE) action.  I know that you will all be pleased to know that we should be able to produce reliable marks for the vast majority of final year UG exams (marking for just one exam is not resolved at present).  We will also have a mark for every final year project, though double marking will not generally be possible.  This means that we will be in a position to recommend the award of UG degrees on the normal timescale and to make informed decisions regarding degree class.  It also appears that we will have sufficient information to make sensible progression decisions for first and second year students, though some marks will be missing.  The plan is to mark second year papers as normal, once the action is lifted, providing reliable marks to carry forward to the third year.  Many thanks to those who have taken on an additional load (in the short-term) to make this possible.  Thanks also to AUT members involved in the action for their constructive approach to minimising the adverse affects on students.

 

Events this Week                                                               top

Chair in Computational Systems Biology New                                           5 Jun 06

Combining Quantitative Structure Activity Relationships and Systems Biology Approaches for Predicting Toxicity

Dr Sean Ekins, ACT LLC and University of Maryland

0930, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computational Systems Biology New                                           5 Jun 06

Modelling and Simulation of Biological Systems

Dr. Pedro J. P. Mendes, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Bioinformatics Institute

1045, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computational Systems Biology New                                           6 Jun 06

Computational systems biology: principles in signal transduction

Professor Roland Eils, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg

1100 hours, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computer Engineering New                                                             8 Jun 06

Magnetic Information Storage Towards Tb/in2 Areal Density and Beyond

Dr Bo Liu, Data Storage Institute (DSI), Singapore

0930, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computer Engineering New                                                             8 Jun 06

Approaches to Extremely High Density Magnetic Recording

Dr Hans Jόrgen Richter, Seagate Technology LLC, California

1130, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computer Engineering New                                                             8 Jun 06

Dr Tom Thomson, Hitachi San Jose Research Centre

Lithographically created Nanomagnets as a Probe of Anisotropy Distributions

1400, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Chair in Computer Engineering New                                                             8 Jun 06

Title to be announced

Prof C David Wright, University of Exeter

1600, Atlas 1, Kilburn

Regular Seminar Series

See links in contents bar for information on seminar series organised by the School of CS, E-Science North West and National Centre for Text Mining.

 

Future School Events                                                        top

UG Exam Boards New                                                                     14, 16 & 20 Jun 06

Wed 14 Jun: UG Special Circumstances Committee

Fri 16 Jun: UG Internal Exam Board

Tue 20 Jun: UG External Exam Board (External Examiners arrive Mon 19 Jun)

Requirements and Technologies for Provenance                                  22 Jun 06

ENSW technical meeting.  Volunteers required to give 10-15 min presentations.

1400 – 1700, ESNW Access Grid room, adjacent to 1.17 Kilburn

Email Dean Kuo or visit wiki

Research Retreat                                                                                     29 - 30 Jun 06

Palace Hotel, Buxton

Programme under development, input welcomed (email Ursula)

School UG Graduation Party                                                                            5 Jul 06

We will (hopefully) be celebrating the graduation of our UG students

1430 – 1530, prize-giving 1445, graduation ceremony 1645.

School BBQ                                                                                                        14 Jul 06

Details to follow

 

Future External Events                                                      top

Brouwer and the Development of his Foundational Views                  13 Jun 06 

Prof Dirk van Dalen (Utrecht)

A guided tour through the highlights of Brouwer's intuitionism(!)

1400, G17 Newman Building

EPSRC Regional Academic Seminars                                                       14 Jun 06

14 June 2006 Manchester: Manchester Conference Centre (register by 2nd June)

More Information

Microsoft Invites you on a Deep Dive!                                               27 – 29 Jun 06

The UK Academia Team is partnering with DevelopMentor, to host an intense, hands-on technical event for academics in June 2006.

More Information & Registration

CLASS (Clerical and Secretarial Support) Network:                               30 Jul 06

One Day Conference giving staff the opportunity to attend a range of personal and professional development sessions and the chance to network with colleagues from across the University.  The keynote speaker will be Albert McMenemy, University Registrar and Secretary and Head of Administration.

More details and Registration

Interdisciplinary Summer School on Complex Systems             20 – 29 Aug 06

From Individual to Collective Behaviour in Large-Scale Complex Systems

Organised by the Schools of Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics

Young researchers (PhD students and postdocs) in mathematics, physics, computer science, biology, and quantitative social sciences are invited to apply.

St. Martin's College, Ambleside.

More Information

Lunchtime Yoga Classes – Karon Mee                                                   Every Tues

1200 – 1300 Tues, Staff House

UMSA members £1.50; non-UMSA £2.00 per class

 

Funding Opportunities                                                       top

RAEng Industrial Secondment Scheme                                                            Open

An opportunity for university lecturers in engineering to gain state-of-the-art industrial experience.

More Information

BBSRC International Scientific Interchange Scheme (ISIS)                         Open

To help scientists make and establish new contacts with their international counterparts.

More Information

RAEng Global Research Awards                                                                        Open

Projects in centres of excellence overseas focussing on stimulating wealth creation and improvements in the quality of life.

More Information

BBSRC Research Equipment Initiative (REI) 2006                                 28 Jun 06

For the purchase of mid-range multi-user, multi-project equipment.

More Information

EPSRC Postdoctoral Fellowships                                                              26 Sep 06

For talented young researchers, shortly or immediately after completing a PhD.

More Information

 

Prize and Award Opportunities                                          top

We have acknowledged the need to raise the profile of the School both nationally and internationally.  Nominating individuals for awards, and working actively with others to ensure that deserving individuals are nominated is one way of doing that.

Microsoft European Science Award                                                          31 May 06

For a major contribution to the advancement of science through the use of computational methods.  More Information

The IEEE Richard W. Hamming Medal                                                           1 Jul 06

'For exceptional contributions to information sciences, systems and technology.'

More Information

The IEEE John von Neumann Medal                                                             1 Jul 06

'For outstanding achievements in computer-related science and technology.'

More Information

 

Research Awards                                                               top

 

None this week

 

Staff News                                                                           top

Awards and Promotions

None this week

Academic Arrivals

None this week

Academic Departures

None this week

Research Arrivals

None this week

Research Departures

None this week

Administrative Arrivals

None this week

Administrative Departures

None this week

Sabbatical Leave

Andrei Voronkov: Microsoft Research, Redmond USA
Aug 05 – Aug 06.

Ian Horrocks: University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bell Labs, and Stanford University
Feb 06 – Sep 06.

Peter Aczel: Nijmegen University, and Maths Institute at the University of Munich
Jan 06 – Sep 06.

Alasdair Rawsthorne: 80% secondment to Transitive Technologies
Oct 05 – Sep 06.

Alvaro Fernandes: IBM Almaden Research Centre US
Jul – Dec 06.

 

Vacancies                                                                            top

Academic Staff

None

Research Staff

Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow, ISBE

More Information

Academic-Related Staff

Manchester Centre for MesoScience and NanoTechnology:

Senior Experimental Officer and Technical Director

More Information

Administrative Staff

None