IAP 2015 Activities by Sponsor - Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Ying-Chou Chen, PhD

	Jan/21	Wed	10:30AM-12:00PM	36-156
	Jan/28	Wed	10:30AM-12:00PM	36-156

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 15 participants
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Complex human diseases are influenced by the actions of multiple genes, their interactions with each other and with the environment. This IAP course will introduce traditional and emerging strategies for studying the genetic basis of complex disorders such as diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders. A major focus will be the application of synthetic biology to a wide range of genetic screening. The course curriculum is divided into two sections. The first lecture part will cover the new platforms and models in underpinnings of age-related human disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. Followed by the second seminar session, we will discuss several of the most advanced researches in other complex human diseases. Broadly, we will explore cutting edge techniques including the CRISPR system, multiplexed genome engineering, and high-throughput sequencing.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Ying-Chou Chen, yjoechen@mit.edu

Esther D. Shilcrat, Former MIT Fellow and former Simmons CS Professor

	Jan/13	Tue	02:00PM-04:00PM	14-0637
	Jan/15	Thu	02:00PM-04:00PM	14-0637

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 14 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

If you have ever used a calculator even for simple computations, you are already a programmer! In this class we will show
how to translate you've already been doing - using memory, giving input, getting output, into small programs in the JavaScript language. To make it more visual, and more fun, we will work in small teams to use our new knowledge to create graphic displays

Great for those with no programming experience and especially those who are put off by what they thing programming is like.  Both students and non-students are welcome to attend.

Please bring a calculator or a smart phone and some blank paper and a pen or pencil.

 

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Women's and Gender Studies
Contact: Esther D. Shilcrat, estherds@mit.edu

Osasere Evbuomwan, PhD, Cristina Lois Gomez, PhD, Iliyana Atanasova, PhD, Nicholas Durr, PhD

	Jan/20	Tue	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112
	Jan/21	Wed	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112
	Jan/22	Thu	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112
	Jan/27	Tue	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112
	Jan/28	Wed	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112
	Jan/29	Thu	09:30AM-11:30AM	36-112

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

Biomedical Imaging is defined as the non-invasive visual
representation of anatomic, physiologic, metabolic, and molecular changes that differentiate
pathological from normal tissue within intact living organisms.
Several biomedical imaging modalities exist, and their selection for specific clinical applications
is dependent on a number of factors that include resolution, use of ionizing or nonionizing
radiation, depth penetration, availability of molecular probes, and detection threshold. Regardless
of the modality used, the images produced facilitate a better understanding of various disease
mechanisms. The field of biomedical imaging is multidisciplinary and therefore requires the
integration of cell/molecular biology, chemistry, engineering, medicine, medical physics,
biomathematics, and bioinformatics to be clinically useful. This course is designed for
engineering, chemistry, biology, and physics students interested in biomedical imaging. Students
will learn about the fundamental principles behind current biomedical imaging techniques and their
key clinical applications. Other topics include: Molecular mechanism of image generation, and
Design of molecular imaging probes.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Osasere Evbuomwan, PhD, osaseree@mit.edu

Holly Sweet, PhD, Psychology

Jan/27

Tue

03:30PM-05:00PM

TBD

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 12/05
Limited to 20 participants

In this workshop, we will explore different styles of communication with
others, including passive, passive-aggressive, assertive and aggressive
behaviors. Through role playing, personal inventories, and group
discussion, we will examine what gets in our way of being assertive and
what helps us be more assertive, including asking for what we want and
saying no to unreasonable requests. We will pay particular attention to
effective methods of negotiating our needs with coworkers and supervisors.  

First preference will be given to Course 6 women students.    Sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/14PY384TOazSbLwzt00Ir4KXiG0ev4-K8FBKsqXyqXx0/viewform

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Bianca Homberg, HKN Women's Initiative, bhomberg@mit.edu

Danielle Class, Patrick Kane, Mike Daly, Craig Cheney, Steven Leeb

	Jan/27	Tue	10:00AM-05:00PM	38-501
	Jan/28	Wed	10:00AM-05:00PM	38-501

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Programming, circuits, and soldering experience helpful

Students will compete in a Programmable System on a Chip (PSoC) design competition using Cypress CY8CKIT-042-BLE PSoC 4Pioneer Bluetooth Low Energy  development kit and one PSoC 4 CY8CKIT-049. PSoC 4 BLE is a programmable device with an ARM Cortex M0, programmable digital and analog blocks and a BLE radio all on a single chip!  The goal of the competition is to design a Drivebot that can be remote controlled using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol. If you have an iPhone 4 or newer or an Android device, BLE is already built into it.

The first session will be a combination of lecture and hands on labs that will introduce the students to PSoC 4 and its design environment PSoC Creator and an introduction to the Drivebot.

The second session will be hands on “hacker” day building your Drivebot.  Each student will have 5 minutes to present their version of the solution.

Space will be limited. To apply, please e-mail your full name, MIT class year and major, and your MIT e-mail address to iap-psoc@mit.edu. We’ll let you know after January 10th if you’ve got a spot in the class.

http://web.mit.edu/cdev2

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Danielle Class, iap-psoc@mit.edu

Bradley Perry

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 42 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: See Course Description

Are you interested in building and testing your own phased array radar system? MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a unique course in the design, fabrication, and test of a laptop-based phased array radar sensor capable of imaging moving targets in real-time, like a ‘radar video camera’. This course will appeal to anyone interested in the following: electronics, amateur radio, physics, electromagnetics, or phased array systems. Teams of three will make a phased array radar system and attend four sessions spanning topics from fundamentals of radar to digital beamforming. You will bring your radar into the field and perform imaging of moving targets around campus. Imaging unusual targets is encouraged; a final radar video competition will determine the most creative radar imagery.    

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dr. Bradley Perry, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, radar.course@ll.mit.edu

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Build a Small Phased Array Radar System

	Jan/09	Fri	01:00PM-03:00PM	4-153
	Jan/12	Mon	01:00PM-03:00PM	4-153
	Jan/14	Wed	01:00PM-03:30PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/16	Fri	01:00PM-03:30PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/21	Wed	01:00PM-03:30PM	TBD

IMPORTANT:

Some sessions held at Beaver Works @ 300 Technology Square, 2nd Floor

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)

 

Bradley Perry, Todd Levy, Patrick Bell, Jeffrey Herd, Shakti Davis, Ken Kolodziej, Nicholas O'Donoughue

Patrick Bell

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 42 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: See Course Description

Are you interested in building and testing your own imaging radar system? MIT Lincoln Laboratory is offering a course in design, fabrication, and test of a laptop-based radar capable of forming Doppler, range, and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images. This course will appeal to anyone interested in the following: electronics, amateur radio, physics, or electromagnetics. Teams of three will receive a radar kit and will attend four sessions spanning topics from fundamentals of radar to SAR imaging. Experiments will be performed as the radar kit is implemented. You will bring your radar into the field and perform experiments such as measuring the speed of passing cars or plotting the range of moving targets. A final SAR imaging contest will test your ability to form a detailed and creative SAR image of a target scene of your choice. The best image wins.

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Patrick Bell, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, radar.course@ll.mit.edu

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Build a Small Radar System

	Jan/09	Fri	10:00AM-12:00PM	4-153
	Jan/12	Mon	10:00AM-12:00PM	4-153
	Jan/14	Wed	09:30AM-12:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/16	Fri	09:30AM-12:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/21	Wed	09:30AM-12:00PM	TBD

IMPORTANT:

Some sessions will be held at Beaver Works @ 300 Technology Square, 2nd Floor

Laptop computer running Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Other versions of Unix should work but have not been tested. At least one available USB port.  Matlab 2009b or later (The Instrumentation Control Toolbox for Matlab is strongly encouraged)

Patrick Bell, Shakti Davis, Alan Fenn, Brad Perry, Ken Kolodziej, John Meklenburg, Jeff Herd

Peter Hagelstein, Mitchell Swartz

	Jan/20	Tue	10:30AM-02:30PM	4-145
	Jan/21	Wed	10:30AM-02:30PM	4-145
	Jan/22	Thu	10:30AM-02:30PM	4-145
	Jan/23	Fri	10:30AM-02:30PM	4-145

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions

Excess power production in the Fleischmann-Pons experiment; lack of confirmation in early negative experiments; theoretical problems and Huizenga's three miracles; physical chemistry of PdD; electrochemistry of PdD; loading requirements on excess power production; the nuclear ash problem and He-4 observations; approaches to theory; screening in PdD; PdD as an energetic particle detector; constraints on the alpha energy from experiment; overview of theoretical approaches; coherent energy exchange between mismatched quantum systems; coherent x-rays in the Karabut experiment and interpretation; excess power in the NiH system; Piantelli experiment; prospects for a new small scale clean nuclear energy technology.

The material presented is different each day.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Peter Hagelstein, plh@mit.edu

Curtis Northcutt

Jan/22

Thu

07:00PM-09:00PM

32-124

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/20

Cool Math Proofs is a one time class where we will look at some of the most interesting, novel, fun math proofs. Some of these proofs you may have seen, others you likely will have not. This course does not use any advanced techniques and is intended for the freshman-junior level math enthusiast. This course is not intended for experts as you will likely have seen many of these proofs already. We'll have a lot of fun though!

Please sign up by registering at http://goo.gl/forms/mZK6Jr3xb1

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Curtis Northcutt, cgn@mit.edu

Ron Chaney

	Jan/21	Wed	05:30PM-07:00PM	32-155
	Jan/22	Thu	05:30PM-07:00PM	32-155

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: one MIT programming class or equivalent; 6.006 useful

Ever wanted to work at a company like Google, TripAdvisor, Akamai, or Facebook? There's just one thing standing in your way: the interview. But there's no need to fear. We've mastered the interview questions and topics, and we want to show you how you can nail every programming question. Whether you're a beginning programmer or a seasoned expert, this class is for you. The class focuses on computer science topics that frequently come up in programming interviews. It covers time complexity, hash tables, binary search trees, and some other things you might learn in 6.046. However, most of the time is devoted to topics you won't learn in class, such as crafty bitwise logic and tricks to solving problems. If you have any interest in working at a computer science company, make sure you don't miss this class!

Sponsor(s): Student Information Processing Board, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Ashley Moniz, amacri@akamai.com

Dr. Robert A. Freking

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 24 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: See Course Description

Misjudged as passé art or entertained only as an amusing physical paradox, holography critically encompasses all the essential principles governing propagating wave interactions across every domain of matter and energy.  Yet, surprisingly few in the applied sciences and engineering appreciate how to leverage holographic phenomena in real-world sensing applications.  This course will demystify holography by demonstrating how to gather and interpret 2-D, phase-preserving recordings to recover a hidden, encoded third dimension of information. Course topics progress from basic phenomenology on to specialized applications of holographic techniques in the physical and computational domains.  Participants will practice holography hands-on in the electromagnetic and audio domains through interactive laboratory exercises employing traditional film, computer-generated holography (CGH) and sonic recordings.  Measurement devices, supplies and MATLAB starter code will be provided.

All participants must supply their own laptops with MATLAB installed.

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract FA8721-05-C-0002.  Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Dr. Robert A. Freking, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, holographycourse@ll.mit.edu

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Hands on Holography

	Jan/05	Mon	01:00PM-05:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/06	Tue	01:00PM-05:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/07	Wed	01:00PM-05:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/08	Thu	01:00PM-05:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/09	Fri	01:00PM-05:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center

IMPORTANT:

All sessions will be held at Beaver Works @ 300 Technology Square, 2nd Floor

Special Meeting Information:  All participants must supply their own laptops with MATLAB installed.

Patrick Henry Winston, Ford Professor of Engineering/MacVicar Fellow

Jan/30

Fri

11:00AM-12:00PM

10-250

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Professor Winston offers heuristic rules that enable you to do better oral exams, job talks, lectures,
and conferences presentations, and make your listeners consider your performances to be inspiring.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Patrick Henry Winston, phw@mit.edu

Brian DeLacey

	Jan/12	Mon	01:00PM-04:00PM	E51-151
	Jan/13	Tue	01:00PM-04:00PM	E51-151
	Jan/14	Wed	01:00PM-04:00PM	E51-151
	Jan/15	Thu	01:00PM-04:00PM	E51-151
	Jan/16	Fri	01:00PM-04:00PM	E51-151

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: prior computing or hardware experience

 

The Internet of Things (IoT) will drive $3 Trillion and 30 Billion
Connected "Things" by 2020. As the roots of the internet dig deeper into
hardware and devices all around us, what are the key ingredients to making
this work? In this one week, five session program you'll build your own IoT
device using a 1-GHz BeagleBone Black (BBB) and run the spectrum from IoT
concept to code, finishing with a prototype and device packaging.
Participants completing the course will receive a free IoT Starter Kit,
with a variety of electronic components and sensors, valued at over $100
plus food along the way.

More information at http://www.iotfestival.com/IoTIAP.html

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Brian DeLacey, bdelacey@gmail.com

Jade Wang, David Caplan, Gavin Lund, John Moores

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: None

Free-space laser communication (lasercom) is poised to revolutionize space-based data transmission, by enabling links with higher data rates and longer ranges than are practically achievable with radio-frequency systems. MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA recently demonstrated a record-breaking high-data-rate lasercom link, from a spacecraft orbiting the moon to ground stations on Earth, in the Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD).

Although we won’t be sending laser beams into space, this class will provide students with hands-on experience designing and building a basic lasercom system. The accompanying lectures will provide an overview of lasercom concepts, lasers and optical components, lasercom-relevant electronics, communication link design, and analog and digital modulation techniques. Students will learn to apply these principles by building their own laser audio communication systems, and will work in teams to compete for a best-project award. 

*This work is sponsored by the Department of the Air Force under Air Force Contract #FA8721-05-C-0002. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the United States Government.

Sponsor(s): Lincoln Laboratory, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, MIT-SUTD Collaboration
Contact: Jade Wang, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, jpwang@ll.mit.edu

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Intro to Lasercom

	Jan/06	Tue	01:00PM-04:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/08	Thu	10:00AM-01:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/13	Tue	01:00PM-04:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/15	Thu	01:00PM-04:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/20	Tue	01:00PM-04:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center
	Jan/22	Thu	01:00PM-04:00PM	NE45-202, Beaverworks Center

Jade Wang, David Caplan, Gavin Lund, John Moores

Sheena Nie

	Jan/07	Wed	07:30PM-08:30PM	56-114
	Jan/15	Thu	07:30PM-08:30PM	56-114

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

New to the command line? In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn to use
this fundamental tool, essential to becoming a savvy and efficient
programmer in class work, on the job, and in everyday tasks. We will start
with the basics and where to learn more for more advanced topics. Please
bring a laptop.

Prereq: No experience with the command line. If you are using Windows, please install Cygwin beforehand at https://www.cygwin.com/.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Eta Kappa Nu
Contact: Sheena Nie, xnie@mit.edu

Jeffrey Shapiro, Julius A Stratton Professor of Electrical Engineering, Kevin Holman, Technical Staff, MIT Lincoln Lab

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 10 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Signal analyais (Fourier transforms, etc.) useful

Laser radars, like their microwave counterparts, send out electromagnetic signals and sense properties of their environment by collecting reflections therefrom.  However, because the infrared wavelengths used by laser radars are orders of magnitude shorter than wavelengths employed in microwave radars, the laser systems provide much finer spatial resolution in comparison with microwave systems.  Similarly, the much higher carrier frequency of laser radars, as opposed to microwave radars, provides the former with much larger Doppler shifts upon reflection from a moving object.  Likewise, the much higher bandwidths available to laser radars gives them superior range resolution in comparison with lower bandwidth microwave radars.  All these advantages come with some major differences.  Laser radars employ technologies that are very different from those of microwave radars.  Furthermore, atmospheric propagation effects are far more deleterious at infrared wavelengths than they are at microwave wavelengths.  Thus both microwave and laser radars have different application domains in which one is superior to the other.

Lectures cover the essentials of laser radar technology, the fundamental behaviors of optical propagation and detection relevant to determining laser radar performance, and  examples of state-of-the-art laser radar applications.  Lab sessions provide hands-on experience demonstrating laser radar principles for both direct and coherent detection systems.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Professor Shapiro, jshaps@mit.edu

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Jan/21

Wed

01:00PM-05:00PM

36-144

Session Description TBD

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Jan/22

Thu

01:00PM-02:00PM

36-144

Session Description TBD

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Jan/28

Wed

01:00PM-05:00PM

36-144

Session Description TBD

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Jan/28

Wed

02:00PM-05:00PM

36-633

Session Description TBD

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Jan/29

Thu

01:00PM-02:00PM

36-144

Session Description TBD

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Jan/29

Thu

02:00PM-05:00PM

36-633

Enrollment will be limited to 10 students, to ensure that everyone has enough time to work with the lab setups.  Prior experience with optics is helpful but not required.   Knowledge of signal analysis ¿ Fourier transforms, etc. ¿ is also useful but not required.   Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply, with   preference given to students majoring in EECS or Physics.

Josh Gordonson, Bilal Ghalib

	Jan/06	Tue	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/08	Thu	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/13	Tue	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/15	Thu	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/20	Tue	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/22	Thu	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/27	Tue	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome
	Jan/29	Thu	10:00AM-02:00PM	Danger!Awesome

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/06
Limited to 30 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: none

30 days - 4 teams - one dream: A planet a little cleaner and a future a little brighter. The world of open source and DIY engineering has the opportunity to make a big difference on sustainability issues. This IAP create something that matters with us by co-designing solutions to real world sustainability challenges with stakeholders within our own communities.

 Fabrication and design support will be offered by educators from Danger!Awesome makerspace who will provide design services to aid your learning. The one month class meets mandatorily once a week with optional design sessions to aid your learning. Students are expected to create open source physical prototypes working together in teams and will come out of the class with a better understanding of sustainability challenges in their backyard and the knowledge that they can do something about it.

 Things you will practice:

- The design thinking methodology

- Rapid manufacturing

- Needs assessment gathering

- Idea propagation

 Things you will gain:

Friends

Portfolio work

Purpose 

There will be a one-hour break from 12-1 pm.

 

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Josh Gordonson, jomg@mit.edu

Tony Eng, EECS, Kun Xue, Gabriella del Hierro

Jan/29

Thu

02:00PM-04:00PM

MIT Museum

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Come watch MIT students compete for prizes in the "MIT Can Talk: Speaking Competition".  Participants give a 4-5 minute speech in English that relates to this year's competition theme. Material must be original, but it can include excerpts from other works (a speech, a literary work, a poem, a story, etc.) so long as sources are properly attributed. Prizes will be awarded by a panel of judges to those who are best able to deliver their material to a live audience. The event is open to everyone in the MIT Community.

To compete please visit http://mitcantalk.mit.edu/competition.html to register and for more information.

 

Add yourself to the mitcantalk-announce mailing list for reminders about general upcoming events related to MIT Can Talk.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Kun Xue, kunxue@mit.edu

Dr. Tony L. Eng, Kun Xue, Gabriella A. del Hierro

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Attendance: Participants welcome at individual sessions
Prereq: none

Many great thinkers of the past, the so called "Renaissance Men", excelled in both Engineering/Science and Exposition/Rhetoric/Oration. The creative men and women who will be the leaders of tomorrow can do so as well. "MIT Can Talk" promotes campus-wide awareness of good oral communication skills. It consists of: (1) a series of independent workshop sessions on public speaking/oral communication, followed by (2) a speaking competition. The workshops are open to the MIT community, but the contest is open only to MIT undergraduates and MEng students. The various workshops address different aspects of speaking and oral communication. They are meant to be practical and hands-on. Sometimes, audience volunteers will be asked to participate in a demonstration; preference will be given to those who have entered the speaking competition. Check out the website for the most updated information on the workshops and competition!

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Dr. Tony L. Eng, mitcantalk@mit.edu

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Organizing Your Thoughts

Jan/23

Fri

10:00AM-12:00PM

36-112

Speaking in an organized manner will help others to understand you better.  Get your ideas across clearly and effectively in daily conversations as well as professional communications by speaking in a logical sequence.  Share your brilliance through organized thoughts.

Kitty Huang

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How to Tell a Compelling Story

Jan/23

Fri

12:30PM-03:00PM

36-112

Nothing grabs audience attention and imagination so strongly as a well-told story. This workshop will teach you how to tell a story so that people really listen: what to include, how to shape it, and how to keep every moment compelling. 
Want to enter the MIT Can Talk competition but don't know what to talk about? Come to this workshop!

 

Jo Radner

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Scientific Storytelling

Jan/23

Fri

03:30PM-06:00PM

36-112

Science can often be difficult to communicate well.  Learn how to communicate scientific concepts in a clear and compelling fashion using the elements of narrative craft.

Rafael Luna

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The Connection Equation

Jan/24

Sat

10:00AM-01:00PM

36-156

In this highly interactive hands-on clinic you will learn how to connect with your audience in social, academic and professional settings using improvisation techniques, and game creation.  By the end of the workshop you will be able to identify bad communication skills and know how to make the right adjustments.

Kevin Ball

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Voice and Presence: A Crash Course

Jan/24

Sat

03:00PM-05:00PM

36-156

If you are a public speaker content is not enough.  Do you excite your audience?  Do you really talk to them, not at them?  See them and be seen by them.  These are vital skills in public speaking.  You'll get a taste of these in  this workshop.

Keely Eastley

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Wielding Humor: Writing Humor

Jan/25

Sun

01:00PM-04:00PM

36-156

Humor can liven up any speech.  While no one can be "taught" to be funny, it sure helps to be able to use comedy within all forms of communication.  In this workshop, you will learn some ideas for how to incorporate elements into what would otherwise be a boring and uninteresting speech or presentation.  Come and "find your funny".  Squares encouraged to attend!

Dana Jay Bein

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Persuasive Speaking

Jan/26

Mon

10:00AM-12:30PM

32-144

Learn some simple techniques to make your speech more compelling.  You'll grab your audience's attention, keep them listening, and get them invested in what you're talking about.  Plus, have fun doing it!

Kortney Adams

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Your Presence in Space

Jan/27

Tue

01:00PM-03:00PM

Walker 201

An effective confident speaker is more than just physically "there" -- they are present, they are in the moment, they take up space. Learn how to find and fill both the space within you and the space immediately around you, so that you can be yourself in front of an audience. 
Wear loose clothing conducive for physical movement.

 

Anna Kohler

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Don't Just Stand There

Jan/27

Tue

03:00PM-05:00PM

36-156

Dynamic speakers are vocally energetic, but they should be physically energetic as well. Learn some ideas for how to more effectively utilize your room during a speaking engagement.

Dr. Tony L. Eng

David Slesinger, MIT Alum

Jan/06

Tue

07:00PM-09:00PM

34-302

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

Learn about Mahatma Gandhi's approach to nonviolent civil disobedience, called "satyagraha", as a valuable and honorable approach to social change,  including climate change.  An MIT alum who has been arrested over thirty times will explain how most activists appeal mainly to their supporters, while Gandhi was concerned with the spiritual development of his adversaries.Those who aren't ready to be arrested or serve time in jail for your beliefs can still support those who are ready, as some of those could handle jail time if they had logistical support.

Arrange to get a copy of Gandhi’s jail writings: Email David Slesinger at dslesinger@alum.mit.edu.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: David Slesinger, davidslesinger@yahoo.com

Kim Bokeh

	Jan/10	Sat	02:00PM-04:00PM	4-163
	Jan/11	Sun	02:00PM-04:00PM	4-163

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Attendance: Repeating event, particpants welcome at any session

Learn how a camera works, what affects exposure, and the affects of lens choice on a photo.  One student will sit on a school surrounded by softboxes while another student takes the photo. Get a professional looking headshot to use for your resume or professional bio.

Includes he technical basics of photography: shutter speed, aperture, ISO, focal length, flash sync speed, and white balance. The bulk of the course focuses on lighting techniques: light angle, shadow preservation, and image signal to noise ratio. Participation is encouraged. You will have a chance to take headshots of your classmates with a Nikon DSLR while other classmates adjust the lighting angle.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Kim Bokeh, cktruong@gmail.com

Curtis Northcutt

Jan/20

Tue

07:00PM-09:00PM

32-144

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/17

Discrete Mathematics Proof Methods: We will cover Induction, Deduction, Contradiction and examples, and applications to Graph Theory and how they are used by Google Maps. Regarding Graph Theory, we will cover introductory definitions, proofs about different graph classes and types, graph algorithms (breadth first search, depth first search, Dijkstra's algorithm, heuristic search, A* search). If time, we will conclude with a discussion of the four-color theorem, and prove a looser bound of 6-color theorem (5-color theorem if time) and other interesting examples as time permits.

Please sign up by registering at http://goo.gl/forms/A6XpLWy3JP

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Curtis Northcutt, cgn@mit.edu

Douglas Sweetser '84

Jan/23

Fri

03:00PM-05:00PM

32-124

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required

This is a new project. The stretch goal is to make the unreachable algebra that drives mathematical physics into a game that can be played on a phone ("So that is what it means to get a hydrogen atom 'excited'"). A sense of what equations are key to relativistic QFT will be sketched (no quizzes). I will explain its odd starting position using the quaternion group Q8 and avoiding the real number line. Stories of battles between the blender game engine and python will be shared. We will put on 3D glasses and look at a few simple things.

Doug Sweetser '84
Course 7 and Course 10

Register online

Sponsor(s): Alumni Association, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Elena Byrne, W98-206C, 617 252-1143, EBYRNE@MIT.EDU

Kyle Judah, Bill Aulet, Seve Esparrago

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

During this IAP-long accelerator, teams will have the opportunity to
participate in hands-on workshops on topics such as customer development,
legal responsibilities, and fundraising taught by industry experts like
Bill Aulet alongside other Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Teams will also have dedicated space in the
Trust Center and will be given access to labs around campus to further
develop their products and companies. During StartIAP, teams will have
every chance to validate their idea and begin to acquire customers.

Apply Today!  

(link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1-pq2mkgdML4bw1lV-AeHCl9X9cHRZD8H3c4ibHDu8uQ/viewform)

http://startiap.mit.edu

 

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Kyle Judah, kjudah@mit.edu

Matt Beane, Sloan School of Management

Jan/29

Thu

09:30AM-05:30PM

TBD

Enrollment: Sign up at http://goo.gl/ruaWlP
Sign-up by 01/23
Limited to 105 participants

Hype and hopes are high for robotics in business. This intensive workshop is devoted to helping us separate the two. We will generate answers through our own research, and we will be joined by a panel of outside experts - from industry, robotics firms, academia and beyond. This field is changing rapidly, so our main goal will be to generate new knowledge that these experts should find interesting. The basic design of the workshop will include a brief orienting lecture at the beginning of the day. You will be responsible for some advance reading so we can move quickly. The panel will also occur in the morning, and the afternoon will be an "unconference" where you will collectively determine your research focus and plans. A research report will be due soon after, and will be included in a shared set of research findings, available to all participants. Express your interest in participating using the link below.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Matt Beane, mbeane@mit.edu

Dennis Freeman, Professor; Dean of Undergraduate Education

	Jan/06	Tue	05:00PM-07:00PM	36-462
	Jan/07	Wed	05:00PM-07:00PM	36-428, Note room change
	Jan/08	Thu	05:00PM-07:00PM	36-428
	Jan/13	Tue	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/14	Wed	05:00PM-07:00PM	Harvard Med School
	Jan/15	Thu	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/20	Tue	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/21	Wed	05:00PM-07:00PM	Boston University
	Jan/22	Thu	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/27	Tue	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/28	Wed	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear
	Jan/29	Thu	05:00PM-07:00PM	Mass Eye & Ear

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/05
Limited to 20 participants
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions

This course introduces students to scientists, engineers and clinicians interested in how we communicate through speech and hearing.  Because these mechanisms form the bases for human social organization, they impact areas including education, entertainment, engineering, business, medicine and psychology.  There will be visits to sites at MIT, Harvard Medical School, hospitals, and Boston University, where students will be able to converse with a wide variety of professionals.  Emphasis will be on the personal stories of people rather than didactic presentations of topics.  Subsequent contacts with specific individuals will be encouraged.  The central theme is that Speech and Hearing is a very broad field with participants entering from many different disciplines.  Opportunities for future research may emerge.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Contact: Dennis Freeman, freeman@mit.edu

Jim Ballingall

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/10
Attendance: Participants must attend all sessions
Prereq: Linux commands, networks,view lecture slides before lectures

OpenStack is the de facto open source standard for cloud
infrastructure-as-a-service deployment, for public open
source and private hybrid clouds. OpenStack consists of a
series of interrelated services loosely coupled by a Restful API.
The training is an introductory overview of each of the major
OpenStack services - Keystone, Nova, Neutron, Glance, Swift,
etc. - with the perspective to become an OpenStack user,
architect, and developer. Includes lectures, discussions, demos
and hands-on labs.
Please see the IAP website for information on the training
session content, already conducted this year at Stanford,
Berkeley and Carnegie Mellon - http://www.industryacademia.org/training.html
Are you interested to become an OpenStack committer? This
training will give you the basic skills and brief summaries of
projects to start you on that path. Register for the IAP
“OpenStack Workshop” on Friday for more info on coding
projects that will range in duration from a semester to over a
year, and may offer internship opportunities.
To apply for the training, please email jim@industryacademia.org
with the subject “OpenStack Training”, and provide the following:
(1) Major,
(2) Program emphasis or specialization,
(3) Year in university,
(4) Advisor,
(5) Interest in an OpenStack class/capstone project,
(6) Interest in becoming an OpenStack committer,
(7) Relevant classes, work experience and background.

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Student Information Processing Board
Contact: Jim Ballingall, jim@industry-academia.org

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Session Title TBD

Jan/12

Mon

07:00PM-10:00PM

56-154

Session Description TBD

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Session Title TBD

Jan/13

Tue

07:00PM-10:00PM

56-154

Session Description TBD

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Session Title TBD

Jan/14

Wed

07:00PM-10:00PM

56-154

Session Description TBD

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Session Title TBD

Jan/15

Thu

07:00PM-10:00PM

56-154

Session Description TBD

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OpenStack Workshop

Jan/16

Fri

08:30PM-12:00PM

56-154

This Workshop is a follow-up to the ¿OpenStack Training and
Project Opportunities¿ conducted the previous 4 days. Want to
know how industry is using and extending the capabilities of
OpenStack? The format will be lectures and Q/A. The purpose
is to learn more about OpenStack uses cases and coding
projects that students can engage to enhance OpenStack.

Brian DeLacey

Jan/29

Thu

04:00PM-10:00PM

3-270

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/26
Limited to 50 participants

This session will start with an overview of the hardware and software
behind WiFi. We'll review the various standards in place and how WiFi
compares to other wireless technologies. We'll discuss WiFi in the context
of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the various wireless technologies used
for connecting to the internet. Security, privacy, and encryption with
wireless technologies will be discussed.

For the hands-on portion, all participants will receive the CC3200
LaunchPad with on-board WiFi. Bring your laptop so you can participate in
an intro to programming this device with the open source Energia platform.
We'll develop several simple programs utilizing WiFi.

All attendees will then participate in a group project to develop a
wireless, multiplayer game that runs over WiFi. The session will end with a
"WiFi Hackathon" to explore the limits and applications of this hardware
and software technology.

Additional details will be provided at
http://www.iotfestival.com/WiFiAndIoT.html

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Sloan School of Management
Contact: Brian DeLacey, bdelacey@gmail.com

Brough Turner, Course 6 Alum, Founder/CTO, netBlazr, Inc.

Jan/13

Tue

11:00AM-12:30PM

32G-449 (Patel Room)

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

MIT was instrumental in launching wireless mesh networking about 15 years ago.  Today the technology is widely used in sensor networks and other distributed and/or low data rate applications, but capacity bottlenecks have limited its use for high-speed wireless Internet access.  All that is about to change.

We’ll discuss how higher frequencies and directional antennas are enabling high capacity wireless networks in urban areas using 5 GHz and 24 GHz unlicensed spectrum and, with this, a new generation of urban, wireless ISPs (including in Boston). But directional antennas require careful aiming – flexibility is gone. The solution: electronic aiming.

We’ll describe an NSF-funded program to design an innovative wireless mesh network node, installable by anyone, that enables low cost, high capacity Internet access.  This consumer device looks like a clear sheet of plastic to hang in a window, but sends and receives highly directional radio beams, steered in software, using a large antenna with electronic beam steering to automatically establish high capacity point-to-point links between buildings. Made with transparent conductive materials, it mounts indoors in a window (avoiding weather, roof access and landlord permissions), requires no aiming, and can automatically re-establish the mesh if a node is removed. 

This dramatically expands the applicability of wireless mesh networks, reducing the cost of community networks and enabling new wireless Internet services.  

 

Sponsor(s): Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab
Contact: Brough Turner, rbt@alum.mit.edu