SCE Ph.D. student MD. Nahid Hossain recently received funding for his research, “Radiation Hardened Multilayer Graphene Nanoribbon Flash Memory”. His project is funded by a $7000 UMKC School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Research Grant.
Tag Archives: UMKC School of Computing and Engineering
SCE Hosts Second Annual FIRST Tech Challenge Kansas City Qualifier
2014 marked the second year for the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering to host the Kansas City Qualifier for the FIRST Tech Challenge.
This year, over 250 students from 25 teams participated in the qualifier, despite inclement weather and a delayed start. Of the 25 teams from Missouri, Kansas, Indiana and Arkansas, four will now move on to the Missouri State Championships, held March 1st in Rolla, MO.
The four teams advancing are:
- Café Bot, an independent team from Webster Groves, MO
- Astromechs, a community team from Kansas City, MO
- S.W.A.T., Smithville High School from Smithville, MO
- The Red Hot Techie Peppers, LEARN Science and Math Club from Kansas City, MO
Faculty, staff and students from the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering worked with the KC STEM Alliance to organize this year’s qualifier.
The FIRST Tech Challenge is a competition designed for students in middle and high school to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building and programming their robots.
SCE Scholarship Donors Honored at Recognition Luncheon
The School of Computing and Engineering honored our scholarship donors and student scholars on Oct. 18 at the 2013 Donor and Student Scholarship Recognition Luncheon held at Pierson Auditorium in the Atterbury Student Success Center.
Many SCE computer science, engineering and information technology students rely on the scholarship assistance provided to them as they complete their degree. This year, a record number of 70 student scholars received SCE scholarship awards. Each award represents the generosity and foresight of the families, individuals and companies that have established a SCE scholarship fund.
Dr. Sejun Song Announced as Recipient of Teaching Award
Dr. Sejun Song, Associate Professor in the Computer Science Electrical Engineering department at UMKC, was recently announced as a winner of the 2013-2014 Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholars Award. SCE welcomed Dr. Song onto the teaching and research faculty in August 2013 and commends him on this great achievement.
EyeVerify Winner of 2013 Silicon Prairie Awards
UMKC’s EyeVerify, a Kansas City startup developing biometric identification devices for mobile phones, was recently selected as a winner of two 2013 Silicon Prairie Awards. Out of the hundreds of nominees, only 12 received awards at the Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines, IA. EyeVerify received the Startup of the Year award, and Riddhiman Das, software developer for EyeVerify, received the Technologist of the Year award.
Civil Engineering Students Plan Grandview Construction Project
UMKC civil engineering students will be developing construction plans for a public park project this fall. The Civil Engineering Planning and Scheduling Class visited the construction site at the intersection of 8th and Main in Grandview, MO earlier this month. Eric Davis from Landworks Studio Architects gave a tour of the construction site and talked about different sequencing and staging details of the project. After the project is completed, 8th and Main will serve as the city’s entrance to the Farmers’ Market, as well as provide an urban pocket park for many planned community events. The class will work during this semester to generate an estimate and schedule for the construction project with the help of the City of Grandview Public Works Director Denise Randolph. The project is expected to be finished by December 2013.
Start-up EyeVerify using technology developed by SCE professor Reza Derakhshani
KCTV5 featured start-up EyeVerify in its June 7th Building An Entrepreneurial City segment. The start-up company, headed by entrepreneur Toby Rush, is using the biometric technology developed by Dr. Reza Derakhshani and colleagues in an application that will make your eye the only password you will ever need to secure your smart phone and mobile devices. The company has raised $1,400,000 and plans to pilot the product this Fall with the commercial release in early 2013. EyeVerify was recently featured in VentureBeat and also listed as one of Silicon Prairie’s notable tech start-ups in the Kansas City Star article, Tech startups sprout on Silicon Prairie.
UMKC programs offer STEM Career Challenge for Veterans
Military veterans building credentials for future careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields found new tools for job search success this June through UMKC. Kansas City Building an Alliance for New Careers in STEM (KC-BANCS), a joint project of the UMKC Institute for Human Development and the UMKC School of Computing and Engineering, hosted the June “Veterans in STEM Career Readiness Challenge.” The challenge was a series of events and workshops designed to boost veterans’ preparedness for job searches, taking them to the next level of professional self-presentation, personal branding, and networking know-how. Participants learned how to program an online portfolio, a new trend that is being called the next generation of the traditional resume. Website and “eportfolio” specialists guided veterans from start to finish in one session. June challenge veterans also had access to a closed networking event, called STEM Talks, with STEM industry representatives incorporating facilitated speed-networking, free professionally photographed headshots for personal use, a business-level etiquette dinner, and a full-day expert-packed event on June 21st.
The Veterans in STEM June Challenge was open to any veteran or military service member, whether attending college or not. The program was completely free. For more information: Read our article in the KC Star. Watch coverage about us on NBC local news.
SCE students mentored award winning First Lego League teams
The Rock’n Robo Rabbits, a First Lego League team of homeschool students from the Learn Science and Math Club, earned the first place inspiration award at the First Lego League world competition held in St. Louis on April 28th. SCE mechanical engineering student Taya Upkes and SCE computer science student Sarah Withee mentored both the Rock’n Robo Rabbits and the ShawdowKnights during 2011-2012. Together Taya and Sarah logged over 150 hours mentoring the teams as they built and programmed their robots. Both teams competed in the December 2011 local qualifier competition winning awards and earned the right to compete at the January 2012 regional competition. The Rock’n Robo Rabbits won the Chairman’s award at the regionals and then the First Place Inspiration Award for extraordinary outreach and community service efforts at the April 2012 world competition. The ShadowKnights placed in the top twelve at regionals.
Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute funds John Kevern’s Research
Dr. John Kevern received $15,000 in funding from the Expanded Shale, Clay and Slate Institute to study “Reducing the Curing Requirements of Pervious Concrete Using Prewetted Lightweight Aggregate for Internal Curing.” This is a one-year project, beginning immediately. According to the ESCSI website, “ESCSI is the international trade association for manufacturers of rotary kiln-produced expanded shale, expanded clay and expanded slate lightweight aggregate.”