My Computer Science and Engineering Department

• Emma Drobina, Pay attention! Re-engaging 5th grade math students using an adaptive robot tutor.
• Judson James, Developing an App to Examine Young Children's Music Development through Serious Gaming
• Abraham Khan, The Computational Complexity of Enumerating the Linear Extensions of a Dimension Two Poset.
• Liudas Panavas, Part Criticality in Inventory Management

• Harrison Engoren, The Probability of Sudoku: The Bounds of the Cardinality of Minimal Fair Sudoku Puzzles
• Noemi Glaeser, Generating Geographic and Temporal Heat Maps of Aflatoxin Incidence using Regularized Linear Models
• Caleb Kisby, Exploring Non-finitely Based Finite Algebras
• Briana Luckey, Distributed Monitoring and Control of Photovoltaic Generation
• Jonathan Senn, Validating in vitro models for Aflatoxin production in maize using a new open database of field sample data
• Charles Daniels, Magellan Apprentice, Generalized Hough Transform on the Tegra X1 Embedded SOC Architecture

• De'Aira Bryant, Engaging Minorities in Computer Science via Online Game & Robot Hip-Hop Dance
• Bethany Janos, Monitoring Smoking Behavior through the use of Smartwatch Applications
• Molly Carlson, Enhancing Features of the Lone Woman Archive: An Interdisciplinary Approach

We are proud to announce that De’Aira Bryant, a Senior undergraduate student working in Dr. Jenay Beer’s Assistive Robotics and Technology Lab (ARTLab), has been awarded an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship. The fellowship provides financial support of $34,000/year for any 3 year period over the next 5 years. De’Aira’s selection as an NSF Graduate Fellowship awardee is a tremendous accomplishment. Congratulations De’Aira!!

 She is also featured in this USC News article and video.

March 17, 2017 The National Science Foundation (NSF) today named 2,000 individuals as this year's recipients of awards from its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). GRFP offers fellowships to applicants selected through a national competition. "This unique program has nurtured economic innovation and leadership in the U.S. continuously since 1952 -- by recruiting and supporting outstanding students with high potential in science, technology, engineering and mathematics very early in their graduate training," said Jim Lewis, NSF acting assistant director for Education and Human Resources. "These talented individuals have gone on to make important discoveries, win Nobel Prizes, train many generations of American scientists and engineers and create inventions that improve our lives." Awardees -- chosen from over 13,000 applicants -- represent a wide range of scientific disciplines and come from all states, as well as the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories. The group of 2,000 awardees is diverse, including 1,158 women, 498 individuals from underrepresented minority groups, 75 persons with disabilities, 26 veterans and 726 undergraduate seniors. The awardees come from 449 baccalaureate institutions. GRFP supports the graduate study of U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents attaining research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education at institutions located in the United States. Applicants are selected through the NSF peer review process. A complete list of those offered the fellowship for 2017 is available on FastLane. For general information about the program, visit NSF's GRFP website. About GRFP GRFP is a critical program in NSF's overall strategy to develop a globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation's leadership in advancing science and engineering (S&E) research and innovation. Former NSF fellows have made transformative breakthroughs in S&E, become leaders in their chosen careers, and been honored as Nobel laureates. A high priority for NSF and GRFP is increasing the diversity of the S&E workforce, including geographic distribution, and the participation of women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and veterans. GRFP provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period ($34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution). That support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in S&E. Fellows have opportunities for international research collaborations through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) initiative and professional career development with federal internships provided through the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). GRFP also supports NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative (NSF 13-099). The National Science Foundation (NSF) today named 2,000 individuals as this year's recipients of awards from its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). GRFP offers fellowships to applicants selected through a national competition. "This unique program has nurtured economic innovation and leadership in the U.S. continuously since 1952 -- by recruiting and supporting outstanding students with high potential in science, technology, engineering and mathematics very early in their graduate training," said Jim Lewis, NSF acting assistant director for Education and Human Resources. "These talented individuals have gone on to make important discoveries, win Nobel Prizes, train many generations of American scientists and engineers and create inventions that improve our lives." Awardees -- chosen from over 13,000 applicants -- represent a wide range of scientific disciplines and come from all states, as well as the District of Columbia, and U.S. commonwealths and territories. The group of 2,000 awardees is diverse, including 1,158 women, 498 individuals from underrepresented minority groups, 75 persons with disabilities, 26 veterans and 726 undergraduate seniors. The awardees come from 449 baccalaureate institutions. GRFP supports the graduate study of U.S. citizens, nationals and permanent residents attaining research-based master's and doctoral degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) or in STEM education at institutions located in the United States. Applicants are selected through the NSF peer review process. A complete list of those offered the fellowship for 2017 is available on FastLane. For general information about the program, visit NSF's GRFP website. About GRFP GRFP is a critical program in NSF's overall strategy to develop a globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation's leadership in advancing science and engineering (S&E) research and innovation. Former NSF fellows have made transformative breakthroughs in S&E, become leaders in their chosen careers, and been honored as Nobel laureates. A high priority for NSF and GRFP is increasing the diversity of the S&E workforce, including geographic distribution, and the participation of women, underrepresented minorities, persons with disabilities and veterans. GRFP provides three years of financial support within a five-year fellowship period ($34,000 annual stipend and $12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the graduate institution). That support is for graduate study that leads to a research-based master's or doctoral degree in S&E. Fellows have opportunities for international research collaborations through the Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) initiative and professional career development with federal internships provided through the Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). GRFP also supports NSF's Career-Life Balance (CLB) Initiative (NSF 13-099).

In their paper, the researchers describe how they added fake steps to a Fitbit fitness monitor and played a "malicious" music file from the speaker of a smartphone to control the phone’s accelerometer. That allowed them to interfere with software that relies on the smartphone, like an app used to pilot a radio-controlled toy car.

• Computer Engineering Outstanding Senior Award: Conor Campbell
• Computer Engineering SCSPE Award: Rickey Ward
• Computer Science Outstanding Senior Awards: Austin Pahl and Victor Reynolds
• Computer Information Systems Outstanding Senior Award: Caitlin Brock

"We discussed pivotal issues such as intersectionality, tokenism, and imposter syndrome—many of which I didn’t realize were issues facing the community, but rather just the way life worked for black women in computing. The open and enlightening conversations are ones that I still reflect upon today. For example, I learned that self-care and wellness are just as important as work deadlines. It’s not always worth, “getting degreed to get diabetes and die.

The community of women were extremely honest and inspiring in their experiences. I marveled at the presence of women who looked like me that had taken similar life paths—and had been successful. I am extremely grateful to the department for allowing me to experience this historical conference and gain so much from it. As I look to complete my final semester of undergrad at USC, I could not have asked for a better way to start it."

Csilla Farkas, associate professor in computer science and engineering, has long understood the need for cybersecurity to protect against such attacks. Hired in 2000, she has led the development of cybersecurity education at the University of South Carolina and serves as director of the university’s Center for Information Assurance Engineering. The center is a National Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Education (an achievement first earned in 2010 and bestowed jointly by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security); it earned the same designation for research in 2014.