MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2013 Activities by Category - Academic Skills and Resources

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15.S60 Software Tools for Operations Research

Vishal Gupta, Dimitris Bertsimas, Boeing Professor of Operations Research

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: 15.093J

This is a multi-session course focusing on software tools specific to the practice of Operations Research.  Sessions will not focus on the theory or background on techniques used, but rather on the mechanics of using software to apply those techniques.  See individual descriptions for details.  

Course 15.S60 - see Stellar page for more information: http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/15/ia13/15.S60/index.html

Prerequisites:  Familiarity with optimization at the level of 15.093J or permission from instructor.  Proficiency in some mainstream programming language (C, C++, Python, Java, etc.)

 

Important:  Participants should bring a laptop to all sessions or make prior arrangements to share with another student.  All required software and datasets should be installed PRIOR to the start of the session.  Instructors will not delay class to assist with installation issues.  Detailed installation instructions are available on Stellar.  

Sponsor(s): Operations Research Center
Contact: Vishal Gupta, 516 417 4290, VGUPTA1@MIT.EDU


[R] for Operations Researchers

Jan/10 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop, please pre-install software

Introduces the statistical programming environment [R].  Participants will learn basic functionality, including importing and storing data and performing basic analyses.  Topics include linear/logistic regression, CART, random forests and clustering.  This session focuses on applying these techniques and assumes participants are comfortable with basic statistics.  

Allison O'Hair


Advanced [R] for Operations Researchers

Jan/15 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop, please preinstall software

Advanced tools and best programming practices in [R]. Topics include

  1. Performing SQL queries from R
  2. Best programming practices for handling large datasets
  3. Interfacing with other languages (Python, C)
  4. Advanced plotting (ggplot, google viz)
  5. Connecting to different APIs

This session builds on the previous session "[R] for Operations Researchers]

Andre Calmon


Modelling Linear Optimization w/Python

Jan/22 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop, please preinstall software

Introduce the Python-based linear/integer optimization problem modelling language "PuLP".  Participants will implement models for the facility location and product mixing problems. They will also be introduced to more advanced techniques like column generation and the solver-specific CPLEX/GUROBI python interfaces.

Python experience preferred, but not required.  See Stellar for some introductory Python material.  

Iain Dunning


Cplex Callback Mechanism

Jan/24 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop. Preinstall software.

Covers advanced cplex usage for integer optimization problems, specifically, the use of callbacks to:

  1.  Efficiently separate over exponentially many constraints,
  2. Insert heuristically generated integer solutions into the branch and bound tree.

TSP will be used as a running example.  Code lab assumes familiarity with the java/cplex interface.  .

 

Ross Anderson


Optimization on the Cloud

Jan/29 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop. Please preinstall software.

Students will learn to distribute a single large-scale linear optimization problem across multiple computers. Topics covered include an overview of decomposition techniques and a guided development of distributed optimization programs. Students will leave the course with working code examples they can apply in their own research. Some software setup is required before the class, as detailed on the course stellar page.

John Silberholz


CVX and CVXOpt for Convex Optimization

Jan/31 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM E62-221, Bring your laptop. Preinstall software.

 Introduces the Matlab based modelling language CVX for convex optimization.

  1. Formulating / solving convex problems
  2. Querying dual variables / solution attributes
  3. Tuning solver parameters

 We also introduce the Python-based optimization software CVXOPT.

  1. Efficiency gains over CVX
  2. Conic optimization problems
  3. Customizing interior point solvers through specialized linear algebra routines (advanced)

Vishal Gupta


2013 IAP UROP Expo

UROP & OME Staff

Jan/24 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM W16 Kresge Lobby

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Never participated in UROP? Want to get involved, but don't know where to start? Come to the 2013 IAP UROP Expo and meet faculty, staff, and students representing UROP departments, labs, and centers across campus. The Expo provides an excellent opportunity to find out about UROP in the areas that interest you most! Knowledgeable representatives from participating departments will be on hand to answer your UROP-related questions, such as: - When is the best time to start looking for a UROP? - What is the best way to approach faculty within the department? - What kind of experience might I need? - I'm interested in a specific type of research; who in the department should I contact? UROP students will display posters on their research and share their UROP experiences. UROP staff will be on hand to answer your questions about the UROP proposal process, research credit, funding, and other aspects of the program.

Sponsor(s): Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, Office of Minority Education
Contact: UROP Staff, 7-104, x3-7306, urop@mit.edu


ACT (Art, Culture & Technology) TA Training

Val Grimm, Academic Assistant

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/17
Limited to 12 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This workshop is designed to simulate an ACT class. Most ACT classes have a hands-on component and involve the exhibition of work. TA administrative tasks include marketing, budget management, and facilitating approvals. The hands-on and administrative elements are incorporated into the workshop. Emulating the structure and requirements of a course allows facilitators to introduce prospective TAs to the flow and needs of courses, identify potential issues, and discuss methods and resources for addressing issues.

Please register at  http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DKG29XS by December 17th and contact valgrimm@mit.edu with questions.

Sponsor(s): Architecture
Contact: Val Grimm, E15-213, 617-324-6289, valgrimm@mit.edu


January 28

Jan/28 Mon 09:30AM-12:30PM E15, 2nd floor

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Val Grimm - Staff, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Assistant, Martin Seymour - Media Assistant, Mike Enos - Financial Assistant, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


January 29

Jan/29 Tue 09:30AM-12:30PM E15, 2nd floor

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Val Grimm - Staff, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Assistant, Martin Seymour - Media Assistant, Mike Enos - Financial Assistant, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


January 30

Jan/30 Wed 09:30AM-12:30PM E15, 2nd floor

Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Staff, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Assistant, Martin Seymour - Media Assistant, Mike Enos - Financial Assistant, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


January 31

Jan/31 Thu 09:30AM-12:30PM E15, 2nd floor

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Val Grimm - Staff, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Assistant, Martin Seymour - Media Assistant, Mike Enos - Financial Assistant, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


February 1

Feb/01 Fri 09:30AM-12:30PM E15, 2nd floor

Marion Cunningham - Administrative Officer, Val Grimm - Academic Assistant, Val Grimm - Staff, Madeleine Gallagher - Media Assistant, Martin Seymour - Media Assistant, Mike Enos - Financial Assistant, Laura Chichisan - Administrative Assistant, Jeremy Grubman - Librarian/Archivist


All about UROP Panel

Katherine Julian, Staff Associate, UAAP

Jan/23 Wed 12:30PM-01:30PM 4-149, Lunch is provided

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Want to find a UROP? Not sure where to start? Don't know if you'll have time? Come to a UROP panel sponsored by the Baker Foundation and the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming. Get the inside scoop from undergraduates who have done UROPs in several different departments. This is a great way to gear up for the IAP UROP expo which takes place the next day. Lunch will be provided!

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming
Contact: Katherine Julian, 7-103, 617 253-9764, KJULIAN@MIT.EDU


Annotation Studio Workshop

Kurt Fendt

Jan/31 Thu 03:00PM-06:00PM 56-180

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/25
Limited to 20 participants

Have you ever wondered how to annotate online texts with your thoughts, comments, or associations? Does an image better express what you are imagining while reading a literary text? How about sharing your comments with friends, fellow students, or colleagues? How can you integrate digital text annotation in your teaching? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, please join us during IAP for HyperStudio's workshop on digital annotation tools designed for humanities students, scholars, and educators.

In this hands-on workshop you'll learn how to create, tag, link, and share annotations in web-based environments. The workshop will include:

Introduction to digital text annotation - evaluate various online text annotation tools
Hands-on sessions - work with your own text using Annotation Studio
Text annotation for teaching and scholarship - Discuss how to best apply these tools in your research and scholarship.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies
Contact: Gabriella Horvath, ghorvath@mit.edu


BIOBASE Knowledge Library

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Jan/18 Fri 01:00PM-02:30PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Interested in finding out what's known in the scientific literature about a particular gene, disease or drug? Want to apply that information to high-throughput data analysis? Interested in finding out about transcription factors related to your research? Learn to search the BIOBASE Knowledge Library (Proteome/TRANSFAC) by topic or multi-gene data sets. Please register: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190104

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


BIOBASE's Explain Analysis Tool

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Jan/18 Fri 02:30PM-04:00PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Interested in microarray, ChIP-chip or ChIP-seq analysis? Biobase's ExPlain™ is a unique upstream data analysis system that combines promoter and pathway analysis tools and enables you to identify transcription factors affecting gene expression in your microarray and RNA-Seq experiments, as well as predict how they, in combination, can induce observed gene expression patterns. Come learn how to take your analysis further and gain insight into the key upstream signaling regulators influencing the activity of these transcription factors. Please register: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190105

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


BIOBASE's Human Gene Mutation Database

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Jan/18 Fri 04:00PM-05:00PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Interested in human inherited diseases and their associated mutations? Learn to use the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD), a comprehensive database on human germ-line mutations associated with disease, to determine whether an identified gene lesion is novel, search for known mutations within a given gene, or search for a type of gene mutation within a chromosomal location. Please register: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190106

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Bioinformatics for Beginners

Courtney Crummett, Bioinformatics and Biosciences Librarian

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Entrez family of databases is the foundation of knowledge for molecular level bioscience research. Class attendees will learn about the organization and interconnectedness of NCBI databases while focusing on several specific databases. The session is a hands-on practicum and an excellent starting point for people who are new to or curious about bioinformatics research tools. This session is offered twice covering the same material; participants welcome at any session. Registration required.

Friday January 11th, 2013 10-11:30AM http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190090

Wednesday January 16th, 2012 3-4:30PM http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190091

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-134, 617 324-8290, CRUMMETT@MIT.EDU


Jan/11 Fri 10:00AM-11:30AM DIRC 14N-132

Register here: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190090


Jan/16 Wed 03:00PM-04:30PM DIRC 14N-132

Register here: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=190091


Citation Management Tools

Peter Cohn, Anita Perkins, Mathew Willmott

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Citation software (also called "bibliographic software," "citation managers," or "reference managers") helps you import citations from your favorite databases and websites, build and organization bibliographies and format citations while writing. Come to one or all of these sessions to see how you can use these tools to make writing and citing easier.

 

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Peter Cohn, 7-238, 617 258-5596, PCOHN@MIT.EDU


Mendeley Basics

Jan/17 Thu 04:00PM-05:00PM 14N-132

Mendeley is a free tool that can help you organize and manage your citations and PDFs. Learn how to use Mendeley to discover the latest research, collaborate with others, and automatically generate bibliographies. Registration is required for this event. You can register here.

Peter Cohn


Citation Management Tools Overview

Jan/22 Tue 12:00PM-01:15PM 14N-132

Using citation management software to create and maintain a collection of references or PDFs is becoming more common and important in today's academic world. These software packages (EndNoteRefWorksZotero, & Mendeley) allow users to search databases, retrieve relevant citations, and build a bibliography to be added to a paper or thesis or stored for future reference. We'll take a look at these 4 tools. Register here

Peter Cohn


EndNote Basics

Jan/24 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

EndNote is a "personal bibliographic software" package which allows you to create and manage a database of bibliographic references. Attendees will create a personal database of cited literature by importing references from databases & other sources of published literature.

Please register for this session.

Anita Perkins


Zotero Basics

Jan/31 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Zotero is a free, open-source program that helps you collect, manage, cite, and share your citations and files.  With one click, save PDFs and citations for most articles, then cite them in Word or OpenOffice.  Make a searchable PDF library and find out how to publish dynamic bibliographies and collaborate by using group collections. Bring a laptop or use one of our computers. 

Please register for this session.

Mathew Willmott


Commercialize your science or engineering research

Howard Silver, MIT Libraries

Jan/17 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/17
Limited to 30 participants

This session will introduce scientists and engineers to business information resources that will help you understand the commercial potential for your ideas, how to find partners, and sources for financial support.  We will use realistic examples and hands-on exercises with key resources to demonstrate how to match your ideas and discoveries with the opportunities and realities of the marketplace.

 

Please Register

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Howard Silver, 14S-134, 617 253-9319, HSILVER@MIT.EDU


Critical Reasoning Boot Camp

Sally Haslanger, Professor of Philosophy

Jan/14 Mon 01:00PM-03:00PM 32-D461
Jan/16 Wed 01:00PM-03:00PM 32-D461
Jan/18 Fri 01:00PM-03:00PM 32-D461

Enrollment: Sign-up desirable but not required
Sign-up by 01/13
Limited to 60 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

The ability to recognize, analyze, and evaluate arguments is an important life skill that everyone should have. This course will help students acquire and hone this skill. We will look at elementary logic, common fallacies, and probabilistic reasoning. We will also analyze real-world arguments to find their weak points.

Sponsor(s): Linguistics and Philosophy
Contact: Sally Haslanger, 32-D926, 617 253-4458, SHASLANG@MIT.EDU


Departmental Exploration (DEX)

Katherine Julian, Staff Associate, Bruno Faviero, Aliya Dincer

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

First-year students, have you picked your passion yet? Don't miss this inaugural series of departmental exploration (DEX) events sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming and the Undergraduate Association.

DEX will be a structured time at the end of IAP for academic discovery that will allow students to experience what it’s like to be an undergrad in each department. Events include: student topic panels, open houses and showcases of projects and research.

The events will primarily focus on departments in the School of Science and School of Engineering. Additionally, departments in the School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Sloan School of Management and School of Humanities Arts and Social Sciences will also be highlighted throughout the week.

Events will take place on January 28, 29, 31, and February 1. No sign up is necessary, just come to whatever sessions you are interested in!

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming, Undergraduate Association
Contact: Katherine Julian, 7-103, 617 253-9764, KJULIAN@MIT.EDU


Technological Engineering Topic Panel

Jan/28 Mon 01:00PM-02:30PM 34-101

Student representatives of courses 1, 2, 6, 12, 16 and 22 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topic of technological engineering. 


Active link to NASA Telescope

Jan/29 Tue 09:00AM-11:00AM 54-427

Come see a live connection to a NASA optical telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii that is operated from the MIT campus.  Join with Professor Richard Binzel to learn about the science program of asteroid observations conducted using NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility 3-meter telescope.  Drop in for all or part of the time. No advance sign-up necessary.


Open Hours, Atmospheric Chemistry Lab

Jan/29 Tue 10:00AM-11:00AM 54-131

Atmospheric aerosol particles can affect the Earth's climate system by absorbing or scattering solar and terrestrial radiation, or by acting as the seeds on which cloud droplets and ice crystals form. Visit our laboratory to see the experiments we run to understand the fundamental processes involved in particle formation and evolution.


Chemistry Demo Show

Jan/29 Tue 11:00AM-12:00PM 4-149

Chemistry has wide ranging applications in materials, medicine, energy, and many other areas. Join Course 5 students and members of the M.I.T. Chemistry Outreach Program for fun and informational demonstrations of simple chemistry applications.


Energy Minor Demo Show

Jan/29 Tue 12:00PM-01:00PM 34-101

What do a fireball, homemade OLEDs, an electric go-cart, and low-power sensors have in common? Come to our Energy Demo Hour and find out! See firsthand how fun studying energy can be. All MIT students are welcome.


Biology/Life Science Topic Panel

Jan/29 Tue 01:00PM-02:00PM 34-101

Student representatives from courses 7, 6-7, 9, 20, 10B, and 12 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topics of biology and the life sciences.

 


Chemistry Topic Panel

Jan/29 Tue 02:00PM-03:00PM 34-101

Student representatives from courses 5, 3, 10, and 12 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topic of chemistry.


Brain and Cognitive Science open house

Jan/29 Tue 03:00PM-04:00PM 34-101

Come learn about brain and cognitive science through general Q&A with course 9 undergrads before and after watching videos of faculty describing aspects of course 9 at 3:30. Light refreshments provided!


Course 7 and 20 lab tours

Jan/29 Tue 03:30PM-04:30PM 68-074 & 16-352

Come tour labs in Course 7 (68-074) and Course 20 (16-352), where lab classes such as 7.02 and 20.309 are held. Each lab will conduct two half hour sessions, starting at 3:30 PM and 4:00 PM. Come to either lab at those times!


Lightning Lectures

Jan/29 Tue 04:30PM-06:00PM 36-144

Upperclassmen from courses 7, 9, 20, and 6-7 will give short lectures about their research projects and classes, sharing their perspectives on the opportunities in their major. Lectures will be followed by a brief Q&A with the student. Each lecture is no more than ten minutes long. 

 


Architecture Department Tour

Jan/31 Thu 11:00AM-12:00PM 7-431

Architecture will be hosting a department tour and presentation of student and faculty research and design work.  You will get a chance to visit the studios, workshops, and labs where you can see current students at work and the various fabrication methods and equipment.  After the tour, there will be a short presentation of the work you could be involved in as a Course 4 major through studios, internships, or UROPs.


Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium

Jan/31 Thu 12:00PM-05:00PM 68-181

The Biology Undergraduate Research Symposium is an annual event sponsored by the Biology department to give top undergraduate students the opportunity to showcase their research to the Biology community at large. This year, fourteen students will give presentations of fifteen minutes each from 12:00 to 4:30.


Economic Games-The Prisoner's Dilemma

Jan/31 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 3-133, Snacks and drinks provided

Do you want to win? Do you want to know what your competitor is thinking? Do you know how to strike the balance between competition and cooperation? Prisoner's Dilemma is the most well-known game strategy in social science. It has wide applications in economics, business, and real life. Come and play the game with UEA (Undergraduate Economic Association) and learn more about course 14 from TAs and upperclassmen. 


Design, Infrastructure & Policy Panel

Jan/31 Thu 01:00PM-02:00PM 34-101

Student representatives from courses 1, 4, 11, 17, and 22 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topics of design, infrastructure and policy.


Economics, Finance, & Policy Panel

Jan/31 Thu 02:00PM-03:00PM 34-101

Student representatives from courses 14, 15, and 17 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topics of economics, finance/management and policy.


Course 1 Open House

Jan/31 Thu 03:00PM-04:00PM 36-112

Large enough to offer a range of opportunities, yet small enough to provide personal attention, Course 1 strikes just the right balance. Learn what sustainable development, carbon sequestration, building technology, environmental fieldwork, transportation systems, renewable energy and engineering design have in common. These and other Course 1 projects address some of the most pressing problems of our time.


ChemExploration: All things ChemE

Jan/31 Thu 06:00PM-08:00PM 66-110

ChemExploration is a 2 hour extravaganza on all things ChemE.  The first hour of the talks reviews every required course X class, and the second explains some of the unique opportunities available to those with a chemical engineering degree.  We will have guest alumni present to discuss how MIT chemical engineering affected their career path.  And, of course, there will be free food!


Open Houses/Other Events: Course 8,18,22

Feb/01 Fri 10:00AM-05:30PM TBD

Check back for more details! Open houses/Other events in course 8, 18 and 22 will take place between 10-1pm and 2:30-5:30 pm.


Mathematics with Julia

Feb/01 Fri 11:00AM-12:00PM 2-139

Julia is a new open source technical tool under development at MIT
and around the world.  While still new and therefore not as mature as MATLAB and Python, users can jump right in.  We will demonstrate through examples how computation is influencing mathematics,
and how mathematics influences computation. Feel free to bring your laptop,downloaded with Julia, and type along.Experts will be on hand to help with questions.


Math, Physics, & Computer Science Panel

Feb/01 Fri 01:00PM-02:30PM 54-100

Student representatives from courses 18, 6-3, 12, 22 and 8 will discuss departmental opportunities and approaches to the the topics of math, physics and computer science.


Physics Lightning Lectures

Feb/01 Fri 03:00PM-05:00PM 8-329

Come join physics undergraduates as they explain fascinating physics topics in under five minutes while trying to impersonate your favorite professors! Topics include quantum mechanics (8.04), quantum information (8.370J), General Relativity (8.962) and how to hunt for a Higgs boson. Event will be held in the Physics Common Room (8-329)


Directed Reading Program in Mathematics

Mark Behrens, Paul Seidel

Date TBD Time TBD

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 11/16

For undergraduates wanting to learn mathematical topics through guided self-study. Application deadline for Jan 2013 IAP is: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16 2012.

For more information and application instructions, see http://math.mit.edu/~drp/

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Mark Behrens, mbehrens@math.mit.edu


(CANCELED) et al.: A Peer-to-Peer Writing Workshop

Wiljeana Glover, Postdoctoral Associate, MIT SSRC

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Attending all sessions encouraged, not required

Graduate students and newly minted professors face a number of emotional challenges in academia. Among the stressors attributed to incidences of depression are feelings of isolation and a lack of social support during one’s professional development. Without these support networks and structure, graduate students and academic professionals are at risk for dropout, scholastic underperformance, and mental health problems.

To address this problem, et al., an educational initiative, is hosting a series of workshops during IAP, providing attendees with a structured process and pedagogy by which they can complete their Masters or Ph.D. thesis, following the guidelines/practices of their field. This workshop is not a substitute for advice and direction by a thesis advisor on content. Students seeking additional structure and support for the completion of the thesis should join us!

Workshop Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, the attendees will be able to:

Contact: Wiljeana Glover, E38-642, 617 452-2753, WJGLOVER@MIT.EDU


et al.: Peer-to-Peer Writing Workshop I

Jan/07 Mon 09:00AM-10:30AM E53-208, Bring Your Laptop

Session 1: Introductory Session, form writing groups. Guest speaker will discuss writing advice. Each student should complete a brief summary and schedule describing three concrete milestones (written deliverables) that can be completed over IAP.

Wiljeana Glover - Postdoctoral Associate, MIT SSRC


et al.: Peer-to-Peer Writing Workshop II

Jan/14 Mon 09:00AM-10:30AM E53-208, Bring your laptop

Session 2: Milestone 1 complete. Check in on writing groups. Guest speaker will discuss the importance of social support and wellness.

Wiljeana Glover - Postdoctoral Associate, MIT SSRC


et al.Peer-To-Peer Writing Workshop III

Jan/21 Mon 12:00PM-01:30PM E38-208

Session 3: Milestone 2 complete. Check in on writing groups. Guest speaker will discuss academic outreach.

Wiljeana Glover - Postdoctoral Associate, MIT SSRC


et al. Peer-to-Peer Writing Workshop IV

Jan/28 Mon 09:00AM-10:30AM E53-208, Bring Your Laptop

Session 4: Milestone 3 complete. Check in on writing groups. Guest speaker will discuss career choices.

Wiljeana Glover - Postdoctoral Associate, MIT SSRC


Exploring the Institute Archives and Special Collections: Open to All

Nora Murphy, Archivist for Reference, Outreach and Instruction

Feb/01 Fri 01:00PM-02:00PM 14N-118

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

The Institute Archives and Special Collections curates material about the Institute that tells the story of MIT's founding and its endeavors ever since. Questions about MIT's history and culture can be answered through endless stories about people, programs, and policies. Over 20 million items can be discovered and explored by any researcher. Learn how to find what you're looking for and how to use our intriguing collections.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Nora Murphy, 14N-118, 617 253-8066, NMURPHY@MIT.EDU


Finding Research Datasets: ICPSR and the Harvard-MIT Data Center

Katherine McNeill

Jan/23 Wed 10:00AM-11:30AM 14N-132

Enrollment: Register at: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=196874
Sign-up by 01/22
Limited to 20 participants

Need data to answer a research question? Interested in analyzing raw datasets with micro-level records about individual respondents? This hands-on workshop will familiarize you with the resources of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) and the Harvard-MIT Data Center, which provide access to datasets in the social sciences and related fields. Topics will include the structure of data files, finding and downloading datasets, and understanding data documentation.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Katherine McNeill, E53-168c, x3-0787, mcneillh@mit.edu


First Year Experience Winter Retreat: Thrive @ MIT

Julie Rothhaar, Assistant Dean & Director of FYE, Residential Life Programs

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/17
Limited to 25 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: first-year students only

Academics, new friends, life in the residence halls, extracurricular activities, and a social life: how do you balance it all at MIT? Join fellow first-year students, staff and faculty for a chance to step back and reflect on your experience at MIT thus far through an overnight winter retreat. Buses will leave MIT at 3pm Friday January 25th and return at approximately 4pm on Saturday January 26th. The location of the retreat will be at the Warren Conference Center in Ashland, MA.

Additional logistical details will be communicated to the students who are selected to attend the retreat. Attendance is capped at 25, and only first-year students may apply. Please contact Assistant Dean and Director for First Year Experience Julie Rothhaar with any questions at rothhaar@mit.edu. 

To access the application visit the following link: 

http://studentlife.mit.edu/first-year-experience-winter-retreat

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming, Residential Life Programs
Contact: Julie Rothhaar, W59-222, 617-253-3290, rothhaar@mit.edu


Jan/25 Fri 03:00PM-11:45PM Warren Center, departure details will be given to attendee
Jan/26 Sat 12:00AM-04:00PM Warren Center, return details will be given to attendees

Julie Rothhaar - Assistant Dean & Director of FYE, Residential Life Programs


Get the most from your "omics" analysis: GeneGo MetaCore Software Training

GeneGo Trainer, Courtney Crummett

Jan/11 Fri 03:00PM-05:00PM DIRC 14N-132, Registration required

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 20 participants

Attend this IAP session and learn how to use GeneGo, a bioinforamtics software tool licensed by MIT Libraries. GeneGo provides a solution for using "omics" gene lists to generate and prioritize hypotheses with MetaCore. Learn how to work with different types of data (genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and interaction data) beginning with how to upload gene lists and expression data. Use GeneGo software to: upload, batch upload, store, share and check data properties and signal distribution; extract functional relevance by determining the most enriched processes across several ontologies; emphasize the role of expression data in your analysis; visually predict experimental results, associated disease and possible drug targets; and compare data sets and work with experiment intersections. Registration Required: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=189964

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-M48, x4-8290, crummett@mit.edu


Getting Started, Getting Funded: Obtaining Research Funding

Micah Altman, Director of Research, MIT Libraries

Jan/10 Thu 10:00AM-04:00PM 14N-325
Jan/31 Thu 10:00AM-04:00PM 14N-325

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/08
Limited to 25 participants
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Increasingly, conducting innovative research requires resources that exceed those readily on-hand to the individual scholar. You can use research funding to access a wider set of research methods, to accelerate your research project, expand its scope and depth, and increase its impact. This short course provides an overview of the types and sources of funding available for research support, and introduces the fundamental elements of planning, proposal writing, and management for "sponsored" projects. The course is geared toward junior faculty, postdocs, and graduate students (in late stages or on the job market), who are new to the funding process, are considering whether to seek funding from new sources, or who would like a systematic review of the grant writing and review process. 

The course will be presented in a half-day format, followed by an individualized consulting session focused on each attendee’s research project. 

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Eloise Davis, 14S-216, 617.253.5655, elodavis@mit.edu


Going beyond Google Scholar: Using the Web of Science and Other Citation Searching Resources to Discover Articles

Michael M Noga

Jan/30 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Do you usually look for articles by searching keywords and authors? Try tracking ideas back and forth through time by searching citations to and from articles, reports and other scholarly literature. Citation searching started with the Science Citation Index (Web of Science) and now is part of several other information sources such as Scopus, e-journal collections, and Google Scholar. We will look at several places where you can find scholarly literature through citations. We will investigate the different results you get depending on where you search for citations.

Please register for this class.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Michael M Noga, 14S-222, x3-1290, mnoga@mit.edu


h4ckademic jam session: best apps for managing your academic workflows

Carol Kentner

Jan/31 Thu 04:00PM-07:00PM 14N-132, DIRC, Bring your mobile tablet.

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

h4ckademic, a project of the Harvard Library Lab, is exploring & developing academic workflows using apps on mobile tablets. You're invited to join a jam session at MIT!

A h4ckademic jam session is a blend of many things–part app-athon, part design squad, part discovery zone–but essentially it’s hanging out to riff on mutual app experiences to create something new & cool.  So that's the idea–bring together students who use tablets and develop cool workflows using apps to get their academic stuff done. Anything from capturing, collecting & organizing electronic academic content to reading, annotating & note-taking.

These jam sessions will surface the best of the best in academic workflows & will contribute to a baseline of options that will be showcased in an online app gallery. The online app gallery will be a tool for new students, new mobile users or anyone who wants to expand their app use to see apps that are being used, how they are being used & what might work best for them.

What will you do at the MIT jam session?

Sign up & learn more.

Can’t make the session, but want to share your h4ck? Use the form to give us a list of the apps you use to manage your academic workflow.

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Comparative Media Studies
Contact: Carol Kentner, 617-496-4799, carol_kentner@gse.harvard.edu


How to Find a UROP

UROP Staff

Jan/23 Wed 03:00PM-04:00PM 5-217
Jan/31 Thu 02:30PM-03:30PM 4-231

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session
Prereq: N/A

Learn about UROP and how to find a UROP that is right for you. We will discuss approaching faculty supervisors, when and where to look for projects, UROP proposal system and registration procedures. Please bring your questions! Discussion will be led by UROP staff.

Sponsor(s): Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program
Contact: UROP Staff, 7-104, x3-7306, urop@mit.edu


How to Win at Texas Hold'em Poker

Will Ma, Instructor

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/14
Attendance: 75% participation required

http://stellar.mit.edu/S/course/15/ia13/15.S50/
15.S50  SSIM: How to Win at Texas Hold'em Poker
Instructors: Dimitris Bertsimas, Will (Wei) Ma

Group study of current topics related to management not otherwise included in curriculum.
This course teaches mathematical strategies used to win at Poker. Students should already know the rules of Texas Hold'em and know how to compute basic probabilities, although this will be reviewed. Students will be required to install a 3rd party software to play online poker, but no form of monetary exchange or illegal gambling will be endorsed. Poker is a mainstream game of surprisingly high skill level and its strategies are highly applicable to Wall Street jobs, and life in general. Permission not needed, please sign up directly on Websis. New for 2013: 75% lecture attendance will be required, unless you took the course last year, in which case superior tournament results will be required.

Mon, Wed, Fri, Jan 14, 16, 18, 23, 25, 28, 30, 1, 03:30-05:00pm, E62-276, Jan. 25 meets in E51-345

Contact: Will Ma, willma@MIT.EDU

Sponsor(s): Operations Research Center
Contact: Will Ma, E40-130, 617-253-6185, willma@MIT.EDU


Jan/14 Mon 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Jan/16 Wed 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Jan/18 Fri 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Jan/23 Wed 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Jan/25 Fri 03:30PM-05:00PM E51-345
Jan/28 Mon 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Jan/30 Wed 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276
Feb/01 Fri 03:30PM-05:00PM E62-276

Will Ma - Instructor


How to Write a Great Abstract

Thalia Rubio

Jan/15 Tue 10:00AM-11:30AM 4-261

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: none

For your paper to be successful, people have to actually read it. A compelling abstract is essential for capturing their attention and making them want to read more. But writing an effective abstract is challenging because you need to summarize what motivated you, what you did, and what you found, in a small number of words. In this workshop, we'll analyze sample abstracts from different fields, learn editing strategies, and practice revising abstracts. You'll leave with a better understanding of how to write a strong abstract that clearly presents your research.

Sponsor(s): Writing and Communication Center
Contact: Steven Strang, 12-120, 617 253-4459, SMSTRANG@MIT.EDU


IAP TUTORIAL: Julia: A Fresh Approach to Technical Computing

Alan Edelman

Jan/15 Tue 10:00AM-03:00PM 1-115, (pizza lunch), Bring your own laptop with Julia preloaded
Jan/16 Wed 10:00AM-01:00PM 1-115, bring your own laptop

Enrollment: Email Professor Edelman: (edelman@math.mit.edu) subject julia iap
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

Ideal for MATLAB, Python, or R users interested in high performance for science, large data, or
engineering computation.

Julia is a high-level, high-performance dynamic programming language for technical computing, with syntax familiar to users of other technical computing environments. It provides a sophisticated compiler, distributed parallel execution, numerical accuracy, and an extensive mathematical function library. The library, mostly written in Julia itself, also integrates mature, best-of-breed C and Fortran libraries for linear algebra, random number generation, FFTs, and string processing. Julia programs
are organized around defining functions, and overloading them for different combinations of argument types (which can also be user-defined). This IAP laboratory class will teach new users about best practices in the use of Julia. 

Professor Alan Edelman
Jeff Bezanson
Stefan Karpinski
Viral Shah
Guest Lecturers from Academia and Industry; MIT and Harvard Students

For more: Google Julia, go to julialang.org, read some of the press or
Why we created Julia?: http://julialang.org/blog/2012/02/why-we-created-julia/

Participation is Limited.  Email edelman@math.mit.edu telling us about you. Let us know a bit about your use of MATLAB, Python, R, MPI, Cuda etc. Are you already a little familiar with Julia? (not at all, read or heard a little, already added
1+1, wrote a real program). Invitation will be based on enthusiasm more than experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Alan Edelman, 2-343, 3-7770, edelman@math.mit.edu


Introduction to Proofs

Eric Baer, Instructor in Pure Mathematics

Jan/14 Mon 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/15 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/16 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/17 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/22 Tue 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/23 Wed 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149
Jan/24 Thu 10:00AM-12:00PM 4-149

Enrollment: email (ebaer@math.mit.edu) to save your spot.
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Calculus

An introduction to proof techniques and proof-writing.
Students will gain familiarity with mathematical notation and language,
and experience in reading and writing proofs.  The course will be
self-contained, and there are no prerequisites beyond Calculus.

Course meetings will be a mixture of lectures, examples, class
discussions, and many opportunities for students to practice writing
proofs.  Feedback will be available (both from instructor and peer
discussions).

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Eric Baer, 2-376, x 3-5013, ebaer@math.mit.edu


Leadership Opportunities through the UAAP: Orientation Leader and Associate Advisor

Katie Julian, Staff Associate, Elizabeth Young, Associate Dean, Leslie Bottari, Staff Associate

Jan/15 Tue 12:00PM-01:00PM 4-145
Jan/24 Thu 04:00PM-05:00PM 4-149

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

The Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming offers two main leadership opportunities for undergraduates—orientation leader and associate advisor. Both positions play a key role in helping first year students make a successful transition to MIT. In this interactive information session, hear from staff and students about the roles and responsibilities of an OL and AA, the application process, and the skills gained from these positions that will assist you in your future endeavors. Bring any and all questions! Light refreshments will be served.

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming
Contact: Katherine Julian, 7-103, 617 253-9764, KJULIAN@MIT.EDU


Learn to use IPA during IAP

Courtney Crummett, IPA Trainer

Jan/31 Thu 02:00PM-04:00PM DIRC 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 20 participants

Attend this introductory and hands-on training session and learn how to use Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (IPA), newly licensed by MIT Libraries and friends, for the analysis of your ‘omics data.  Build complete regulatory pictures and gain a better understanding of the biology underlying a gene expression.  Discover signaling cascades from predicted upstream regulators in your dataset.  Predict the effect of your gene expression changes on downstream biological processes and diseases. Interrogate networks and canonical pathways and generate hypotheses in the network or pathway. Please register for this event. Need an IPA account? Email ask-bioinfo@mit.edu.

Sponsor(s): Libraries, Biology
Contact: Courtney Crummett, 14S-M48, x4-8290, crummett@mit.edu


Managing your Information

Katherine McNeill

Enrollment: Signup required for some sessions; see: http://libcal.mit.edu/.
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Join us and let the MIT Libraries help you manage your research and personal information.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Katherine McNeill, E53-168C, 617 253-0787, MCNEILLH@MIT.EDU


Research Data Management: Panel

Jan/07 Mon 11:00AM-01:00PM 4-149

Join 5 researchers, information scientists and more in a lively discussion on the importance of sharing, managing and preserving research data.

Audience participation highly encouraged!

Amy Stout


Storing and Protecting Your Digital Docs

Jan/15 Tue 10:00AM-11:00AM 14N-132

Worried about how to store your digital documents? Unsure what kind of storage media to use or how to keep it secure over time? This session will cover guidelines and things to consider for storing all kinds of digital materials, including tips for selecting storage media and how to protect your content from theft, data loss, and other hazards of the digital world.  Register: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=196944.

Kari Smith, Helen Bailey


Personal content management tools

Jan/16 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Personal content management tools help you get organized so you can work more efficiently and save time. Some tools help you organize all sorts of information (notes, pdfs, documents, images etc. etc.) and work more efficiently.  Others let you annotate, cite, and/or share your content. In this session we'll show you tools for doing this while working solo or in a group. Register: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=191479

Peter Cohn, Remlee Green


Research Data Management: 101

Jan/22 Tue 10:00AM-11:00AM LIB: 14N-132

Do you manage research data here at MIT?  This workshop will provide you with basic strategies for: best practices for retention and archiving; effective directory structures and naming conventions; good file formats for long-term access; data security and backup options; and metadata, tagging, and citation options.  Register at: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=199536.

Katherine McNeill, Anne Graham


Research Data Management: Versioning

Jan/29 Tue 11:00AM-12:00PM 14N-132

Is your research group having trouble tracking versions of your datasets?  Are you an individual having difficulty tracking the versions of your own work?  This workshop will cover techniques and software to help you manage your versions.  Will include hands-on time for experimentation.  Register at: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=199540.

Anne Graham


Maximizing Mentorship

Katherine Julian, Staff Associate, Shendi Xu, Staff Associate

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

 These workshops will help you learn how to maximize the power of mentoring on both an individual and organizational level.

Sponsor(s): Office of Undergrad. Advising/Academic Programming
Contact: Katherine Julian, 7-103, 617 253-9764, KJULIAN@MIT.EDU


How to Get the Mentoring You Want

Jan/22 Tue 04:00PM-05:00PM 4-149

Looking for a mentor? Want to further develop a mentoring relationship you already have? Come to this session to learn how to get the mentoring you want!

Topics that will be covered include:

-how to find a mentor

-making a good first impression

-avoiding pitfalls in the mentoring relationship

-communication and self advocacy

-building a sustainable relationship

Katherine Julian - Staff Associate


Building a Mentoring Program

Jan/23 Wed 04:00PM-05:00PM 4-149

Looking to start a mentoring program for your group or organization? Want to revamp a mentoring program you oversee? Come to this workshop that will focus on the development and administration of a mentoring prgoram.

Topics this session will include:

-creating a mission statement and goals for your program

-communication and publicity

-matching mentors and mentees

-trainings and events

-evaluation

Shendi Xu - Staff Associate


Open Data at MIT - A Conversation About The Tools, The Community, and The Potential

Sands Fish, Senior Software Engineer / Data Scientist, Sean Thomas, Program Manager, Scholarly Repository Services

Enrollment: Please sign up for each session separately via the links in the description
Sign-up by 01/24
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

From locations, to events, to students, to books. From labs, to research data-sets, to theses, to hacks.  MIT has massive amounts of data, but where is it all, and how can we use it to maximum value?  Better yet, how can we integrate it to make our own data more powerful?  What becomes possible in a linked open data ecosystem?  How can data power a Digital MIT? 

This two-part IAP session will discuss open data resources and APIs, tools that can be used to gather, clean, and manipulate your own data, local barriers to opening data-sets, as well as building a community of practitioners and empowering data owners on campus to make more of what they have.

Please register for Session 1 and/or Session 2.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Sands Fish, E25-131, 617 253-2048, SANDS@MIT.EDU


Open Data: Presentation & Discussion

Jan/10 Thu 01:30PM-03:00PM 14N-132, DIRC

We will present a number of tools and technologies being used to open, process, and visualize data, discuss the MIT Libraries as a data-rich environment, and explore the possibilities of integrated data across MIT.  Additionally, we will have a conversation about the data that attendees hold, what they would like to do with it, and how we can work together across organizational boundaries to form a graph of data.

Sands Fish - Senior Software Engineer / Data Scientist, Sean Thomas - Program Manager, Scholarly Repository Services


Open Data: Hack-a-thon

Jan/24 Thu 03:00PM-05:00PM 14N-132, DIRC, Bring your data & laptop to work with if available

Data Hack-a-thon!  Gather and present your data for brainstorming and hacking, or just join the discussion with others about what is possible with theirs.  Extract or transform your data, or work on opening it up to the community.  We hope to make this a forum for learning about and sharing other data projects on campus.

Sands Fish - Senior Software Engineer / Data Scientist, Sean Thomas - Program Manager, Scholarly Repository Services


Personal Records Management 101

Kari R. Smith, Digital Archivist, Krista Ferrante, Collections Archivist

Jan/25 Fri 11:00AM-12:00PM 14N-118

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 24 participants
Prereq: none

Do you keep a lot of stuff at home because you're not sure if you can throw it out?  Do you have piles of paper or folders of digital files of old phone bills, insurance policies, tax returns, bank statements, credit card offers, and other similar kinds of paper or digital material?  If so, then this session is for you!  Learn how knowing what you need to keep (and for how long) allows you to get rid of all the things you don't need to keep.  That's the essence of personal records management. Free yourself from the clutter and inertia of feeling like you should keep everything (and know what you should be keeping).  Bring in a few items and we'll talk you through guidelines to help you at home!

Presenters:  Krista Ferrante, Collections Archivist; Kari R. Smith, Digital Archivist

Please register for this event.

 

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Kari Smith, 14N-118, 617 258-5568, SMITHKR@MIT.EDU


Protocols and Methods: Recipes for research

Howard Silver

Jan/23 Wed 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 30 participants
Prereq: none

A couple hours in the Library can save you a couple of weeks in the lab. Don't waste your time reinventing the gelatin sponge-choriallantoic membrane assay. Improve your efficiency by learning strategies for finding published research protocols and methods. This session is a hands-on practicum that introduces attendees to resources that support bioscience bench research.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Howard Silver, 14S-134, 617 253-9319, HSILVER@MIT.EDU


Public Opinion Data Resources

Katherine McNeill

Jan/30 Wed 10:00AM-11:00AM 14N-132

Enrollment: Register at: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=196878
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 20 participants

Interested in studying public opinion in the U.S. and other countries? Want to gauge how the electorate stands on issues in in the wake of the 2012 election? This workshop will teach you how to find data from public opinion polls, both summary statistics and individual response-level data files that you can analyze yourself. Covers the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and other resources on topics such as government, the economy, and much more.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Katherine McNeill, E53-168c, x3-0787, mcneillh@mit.edu


Research and Teaching Colloquium: Communicating in the Disciplines

Dr. Suzanne Lane, Acting Director, Writing Across the Curriculum

Feb/01 Fri 01:00PM-04:30PM 56-154

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Sponsored by the Writing Across the Curriculum Program

How can we teach students to become critically reflective writers and speakers in classes across the Institute?  This session will present creative teaching practices and research from many Communication Intensive classes, and is open to all faculty and TAs interested in enhancing communication instruction in their subjects.

Barbara Hughey, Jane Kokernak, and Thalia Rubio

Marilee P. Ogren, Jessie Stickgold-Sarah

Lydia E. Volaitis

Janis Melvold

Mary Caulfield

Contact: Ashley Caval, 12-117, 617 253-0650, ACAVAL@MIT.EDU


SciFinder: Advanced Tips & Tricks for Finding Chemical Information

Amy Christuk, Senior Instructor, Erja Kajosalo, Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Librarian

Jan/18 Fri 10:00AM-11:30AM 14N-132 (DIRC)

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 30 participants
Prereq: None

Improve you SciFinder searching skills tips and tricks of searching SciFinder as you enjoy your breakfast on us!   You’ll learn about synthetic planning tool called SciPlanner; how set up alerts called Keep Me Posted; how to find quickly experimental reaction procedures and property data, and more:

 

Register here: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=185410

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Erja Kajosalo, 14S-134, 617 253-9795, KAJOSALO@MIT.EDU


Statistical Software Workshops

Ista Zahn, Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center, Jennie Murack

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Looking to gain skills in working with statistical analysis software packages?  The following classes will be taught by Libraries' staff and the Harvard-MIT Data Center (HMDC) Statistical Trainer.

Preregister for all workshops at: http://libcal.mit.edu/.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Jennie Murack, 7-238, (617) 258-6680, murack@MIT.EDU


Introduction to SAS

Jan/17 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

Get an introduction to SAS, a powerful statistical software package available on Athena. With hands-on exercises, explore SAS's many features and learn how to import, manage, and analyze data. Novices welcome!  Registration required: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=196047.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


Introduction to Stata

Jan/22 Tue 09:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

Provides a hands-on introduction to Stata. Learn how to navigate Stata's graphical user interface, create log files, and import data from a variety of software packages.  Includes tips for getting started with Stata: creation and organization of do-files, examining descriptive statistics, and managing data and value labels. For individuals who have little or no experience using Stata software.  Registration required.

Jennie Murack


Data Management in Stata

Jan/24 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

Introduces common data management techniques in Stata.  Covers basic data manipulation commands such as: recoding variables, creating new variables, working with missing data, and generating variables based on complex selection criteria.  Participants will be introduced to strategies for merging and collapsing datasets. For users who have an introductory level of knowledge of Stata software.  Registration required.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


Regression in Stata

Jan/24 Thu 01:00PM-03:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

Comprehensive introduction to estimating the linear regression model using ordinary least squares in Stata. Topics include multiple regression, dummy variables, interaction effects, hypothesis tests, and model diagnostics. Prerequisites include a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop), the linear regression model, and the ordinary least squares estimation.  Registration required.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


Graphics in Stata

Jan/25 Fri 10:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

This hands-on class will provide a comprehensive introduction to graphics in Stata. Topics for the class include graphing principles, descriptive graphs, and post-estimation graphs. Prerequisite: a general familiarity with Stata (such as taking the Intro. workshop).  Registration required: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=195919.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


Introduction to R

Jan/31 Thu 09:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required.

Get an introduction to R, the open-source system for statistical computation and graphics. With hands-on exercises, learn how to import and manage datasets, create R objects, install and load R packages, conduct basic statistical analyses, and create common graphical displays. This workshop is appropriate for those with little or no prior experience with R. Registration required: http://libcal.mit.edu/event.php?id=195920.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


R Programming

Jan/31 Thu 01:00PM-04:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required.

This intermediate course will guide users through a variety of programming functions.  Covers blocks, loops, program flow, functions,S3 classes and methods, and debugging in R. Intended for those already comfortable with using R for data analysis who wish to move on to writing their own functions. Prerequisite: basic familiarity with R, such as acquired from an introductory R workshop.  Registration required.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


R Regression Models

Feb/01 Fri 09:00AM-12:00PM 1-115, MIT only: Athena login required

This intermediate course will demonstrate a variety of statistical procedures, e.g., multiple regression, multilevel models, and multiple imputation. We expect users enrolled are already familiar with the statistical processes covered and are interested in learning how to run these procedures in R. Prerequisite: Basic familiarity with R, such acquired through an introductory R workshop.  Registration required.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


R Graphics

Feb/01 Fri 01:00PM-04:00PM 1-115, MIT only; Athena login required

Will show you how to create a wide variety of graphical displays in R using the popular ggplot2 R graphics package. Topics covered included aesthetic mapping and scales, faceting, and themes. Intermediate-level workshop for those already familiar with R. Participants should be familiar with importing and saving data, data types (e.g., numeric, factor, character), and manipulating data frames in R.  Registration required.

Ista Zahn - Statistical Trainer, Harvard-MIT Data Center


Tagging and Finding Your Files

Kari R. Smith, Digital Archivist, Institute Archivist & Spec. Collections

Jan/28 Mon 10:00AM-11:00AM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 20 participants
Prereq: none

Did you know that you can add information into your digital files so that information travels with them when you copy, send, or save them?  This information (metadata) can be used to assit with finding, sorting, and describing your files when they are on your computer or within a server / cloud storage folder. Embedding information directly into your files means that you can note data such as creator, subjects, copyright, and other tags without needing to alter your file content. If you have large collections of image files or documents that you re-use often and could use some help finding or organizing them, this session may be for you.  Come to learn about why this works and how you can do this for your own files. 

 Presenters:  Mikki Macdonald, Metadata Archivist; Kari R. Smith, Digital Archivist

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Kari Smith, 14N-118, 617 258-5568, SMITHKR@MIT.EDU


Teaching Students to Write with (and Cite) Sources: A Writing Across the Curriculum IAP Workshop

Dr. Suzanne Lane, Acting Director, Writing Across the Curriculum

Jan/30 Wed 10:00AM-11:30AM 12-134

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)

Using evidence and writing with sources are central features of academic work.  Students often struggle with these aspects of academic writing; they find the differing requirements for source use, the practices of citation, and the relationships between claim and evidence hard to navigate as they move from one discipline to another throughout their undergraduate career.  Drawing from recent research in writing pedagogy, this workshop will discuss how to teach students to write with sources in ways that help them both to understand the methods of argument in different disciplines, and to better understand the requirements of academic integrity.

All WAC workshops are open to faculty and teaching assistants who are interested in integrating writing and speaking into their subjects.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies, Teaching and Learning Lab
Contact: Ashley Caval, 12-117, 617 253-0650, ACAVAL@MIT.EDU


The Prime Number Theorem

Sigurdur Helgason

Jan/08 Tue 01:00PM-02:30PM 2-147
Jan/10 Thu 01:00PM-02:30PM 2-147

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

The location of prime numbers is a central question in number theory. Around 1808, Legendre offered experimental evidence that the number P(x) of primes < x behaves like x/log x for large x. Tchebychev proved (1848) the partial result that the ratio of P(x) to x/log x for large x lies between 7/8 and 9/8. In 1896 Hadamard and de la Vallée Poussin independently proved the Prime Number Theorem that the limit of this ratio is exactly 1. Many distinguished mathematicians (particularly Norbert Wiener) have contributed to a simplification of the proof and now (by an important device by D.J. Newman and an exposition by D. Zagier) a very short and easy proof is available.                                                                                                                                  

These lectures follow Zagier's account of Newman's short proof on the prime number theorem. cf:    

1) D.J. Newman, Simple Analytic Proof of the Prime Number Theorem, Amer. Math. Monthly 87 (1980), 693-697.     

2) D. Zagier, Newman's short proof of the Prime Number Theorem, Amer. Math. Monthly 104 (1997), 705-708.

 

 

 

Sponsor(s): Mathematics
Contact: Sigurdur Helgason, 2-182, x3-3668, helgason@mit.edu


Theses@MIT: specifications and copyright issues

Ellen Finnie Duranceau, Program Manager, Scholarly Publishing & Licensing, Mikki Simon MacDonald, Metadata archivist

Jan/18 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/14
Prereq: none

This session will cover the required specifications for submitting your thesis, and review some common copyright questions related to theses, including whether you need permission to use certain figures in your thesis, and what is involved when you want to publish parts of your thesis before or after the thesis is submitted.

Offered by Mikki Simon MacDonald from the Institute Archives, who oversees thesis processing, and Ellen Finnie Duranceau, from the MIT Libraries’ Office of Scholarly Publishing & Licensing, who handles copyright and publishing questions for the MIT community.

 

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Ellen Duranceau, 14S-216, 617 253-8483, EFINNIE@MIT.EDU


Unlocking the Secrets of the Company Databases

Ellen Stahl, Career Development Specialist, Angie Locknar, MSE, ME, ESD Libn/Coord Sci Eng Comm of Prac

Jan/10 Thu 12:00PM-01:30PM 14N-132, Bring your laptop or tablet

Enrollment: Sign up on CareerBridge
Limited to 25 participants

Do you know what you want to do when you leave MIT (or for the summer), but not sure what companies do that type of work?   Do you want to work in a specific part of the world?  Don’t you wish there was just a list of companies you might be interested in, including vital statistics about that company?  Come learn how to use article databases and other resources to reveal the secrets that you might be missing from your job or internship search.  Participants are asked to bring their own laptop or tablet as Career Services, in collaboration with the MIT Libraries, will go step by step and teach how these effective tools can provide information that may be the key to finding the right company or organization for you.

This workshop will take place in 14N-132, the Digital Instruction Resource Center (DIRC): http://libraries.mit.edu/ask-us/instruction/where-dirc.html.

Sponsor(s): Global Education and Career Development, Libraries
Contact: Ellen Stahl, 12-170, (617) 253-4733, eestahl@MIT.EDU


Using Images in your work: A look at fair use, open licensing, copyright, and identifying and citing images

Ellen Finnie Duranceau, Program Manager, Scholarly Publishing & Licensing, Jolene de Verges, Images specialist and Digital Project & Metadata Manager

Jan/11 Fri 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Prereq: none

This session will provide information about how to assess whether use of a particular image requires permission or is “fair use,” how to find images already flagged for reuse, and good practices for identifying and citing images.  Directed at authors of theses, journal articles, blogs, and other scholarly writing.

 Presented by Ellen Finnie Duranceau, copyright contact and Program Manager for Scholarly Publishing & Licensing in the MIT Libraries, and  Jolene de Verges, images specialist and Digital Project & Metadata Manager in the MIT Libraries

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Ellen Duranceau, 14S-216, 617 253-8483, EFINNIE@MIT.EDU


Zotero Basics

Mathew Willmott, Physics Librarian

Jan/31 Thu 12:00PM-01:00PM 14N-132

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required

Zotero is a free, open-source program that helps you collect, manage, cite, and share your citations and files.  With one click, you can save PDFs and citations for most articles, then cite them in Word or OpenOffice.  Make a searchable PDF library and find out how to publish dynamic bibliographies and collaborate by using group collections.  In this hands-on session, learn tips and tricks on how to use Zotero more efficiently to save you time and energy.  Bring a laptop or use one of our computers.

Please register for this session.

Sponsor(s): Libraries
Contact: Mathew Willmott, 617-324-5855, willmott@mit.edu