The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is proud to announce that one of its newest council members, Manish Parashar, won the 2024 Computing Research Association (CRA) Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contributions to computing research. Currently a professor and director at the University of Utah’s Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, Parashar has also served as the Office Director of the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. The CRA Distinguished Service Award recognizes significant contributions in areas like government affairs, professional societies, and leadership. Parashar’s work, particularly in cyberinfrastructure, has had a global impact. His career includes pioneering autonomic computing, advancing translational computer science, and leading major initiatives at […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is pleased to announce another council member, Holly Yanco, has been appointed to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Information Science and Technology (ISAT) Study Group beginning in August 2024. Yanco is very excited about joining the group and believes it’s a great opportunity to help vision new strategies that will be coming to computer science and robotics.  “I’m eager to work with a group of people who have knowledge in interesting areas that I haven’t explored,” Yanco said. “I’m excited to go out and learn about their process, which will enable me to see visioning from another perspective.” Yanco’s expertise in human-robot interaction, […]

In this installment of CCCs Weekly Computing News, we’re sharing an important report by the Center for Democracy & Technology that addresses the need for better data that can inform equitable policies for individuals with disabilities.  To Reduce Disability Bias in Technology, Start With Disability Data The interaction between people with disabilities and technology often leads to discriminatory impacts across critical areas such as employment, benefits, and healthcare. Automated decision tools used in hiring processes can unfairly disadvantage disabled applicants by misinterpreting aspects like vocal cadence or eye movements, effectively excluding them from job opportunities.  Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach known as disability data justice. This approach advocates […]

CCC spoke with one of its council members, Michela Taufer about her work in high performance computing (HPC) and her contributions to sustainable AI. Taufer has profoundly shaped the landscape of HPC through pioneering contributions that transcend traditional boundaries. Her career spans pivotal areas including volunteer computing, large-scale data management analytics workflows, and accelerator-based supercomputing. Taufer introduced groundbreaking techniques to ensure computational accuracy in unpredictable volunteer computing environments, laying a foundation for reproducible outcomes. She also championed principles to enhance data FAIRness long before their widespread adoption, significantly influencing modern data management practices in HPC.  Taufer’s innovative solutions, such as the homogeneous redundancy algorithm and composite precision approach, have advanced […]

In this installment of CCC’s Weekly Computing News, we are sharing an exciting opportunity for middle school students to explore the diverse field of robotics. Summer camp introduces young students to the broad field of robotics RoboXploration, a summer camp hosted at the UMass Lowell New England Robotics Validation and Experimentation (NERVE) Center, aims to introduce middle school students to the diverse field of robotics. Funded by a $50,000 grant from Amazon Robotics, the camp provides hands-on experiences such as building robotic components, coding for robotic control, and teleoperation, highlighting the breadth of robotics applications. Beyond practical skills, the camp includes field trips to industry leaders like MassRobotics and Boston […]

In a Q&A with Arizona State University News, CCC Chair Nadya Bliss spoke about national security challenges, where she shared her contributions to the “Addressing the Unforeseen Harms of Technology” white paper. “As technologists, we tend to be optimistic about new technology and its possibilities. And there are many reasons to be. But history has shown us that we also need to be clear-eyed about vulnerabilities and manipulation, and proactively balance out our excitement over new capabilities with appropriate security practices and techniques to mitigate potential harms. Bliss is deeply involved in national initiatives focusing on technology research, design, and development. Her discussions frequently center on proactively anticipating potential harms […]