Robyn's Blog : Computing

iVEC internships

robyn.owens — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:28:00 GMT

iVEC Internship Program 2008-9

Applications Open

iVEC, the hub of advanced computing in WA, is searching for students
who are ready to challenge themselves through the student internship
program.

iVEC will give access to high performance computing, visualisation and
rendering facilities, large-scale data storage and high speed
communications - and expert help to make best use of technology.

Applications are welcome from all fields and disciplines.

Internships will run for approximately 10 weeks during the period
December through February, although dates and exact length of the
internship are negotiable. The award is for up to $6,000 (tax-free)
per student, dependent on the length of the project.

Information Session:
UWA: 2pm Monday 22nd September, WASP, Physics Building, University
of Western Australia

RSVP: please email rsvp@ivec.org

See http://www.ivec.org/interns for more information.

Applications close 5pm 8th October 2008

One Laptop Per PhD Student

robyn.owens — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:56:00 GMT

I was at a national meeting this week where we discussed, among other things, aspirations for high quality facilities for PhD students. I made the suggestion that we (the University) should supply a new laptop on enrolment for all PhD students. This suggestion was met with gasps of horror from colleagues at other universities, somewhat to my surprise. It was clearly something that seemed way out of the realms of dreaming, and then shortly afterwards the arguments about why it would be a bad thing started.

Using laptops is bad for your health
Laptops get stolen
Laptops require back-up
Laptops would require set-up with necessary software
Licencing for software would be complicated/costly
What happens if the student takes longer than 4 years? - should the laptop be replaced?
Who owns the laptop at the end of candidature?

I know, however, that a number of Schools at UWA do supply their PhD students with a new computer (desktop or laptop, whichever is more appropriate or desired) upon commencement. This seems to me perfectly reasonable - I can't imagine how one could be expected to do a PhD without a computer, and if the research requires travel and/or fieldwork, then a laptop is necessary.

Is the One Laptop Per PhD Student an even wilder dream than the One Laptop Per Child?

Best thesis in the country

robyn.owens — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 06:44:00 GMT

I'm on a judging panel at the moment to decide on the best computing thesis in Australia or New Zealand for 2007. So I have a box of theses to read, and no instructions on how to decide. Firstly, the good news is that this competition, like so many others that I find myself judging, is by nomination, and you'd be surprised how few people nominate for things like this. It's quite a prestigious award to have on your CV, so my first piece of advice is "apply for everything" like this. Read the instructions carefully, if there are any; take the entry seriously, because any work done for it can usually be re-packaged for something else, and then see how it works out.

But back to my task. Here's what I am looking for at the moment: a clear enunciation of the problem considered in the thesis; a clear statement of the solution or solutions found or constructed; what the implications of the thesis might be, both from what is stated in the thesis itself, and from any publications arising from the thesis. Since all these theses resulted in publications, I am also looking at the quality of the outlets (journal impact factors or the quality of the peer-reviewed conferences at which the work was presented), and whether there have been any citations (excluding self-citations). And since all these theses have resulted in publications that are co-authored, I'm also looking for a clear statement on what the candidate's contribution has been. After all that, I'm then getting a feel for the style of writing, the quality of the document in terms of publication standards, and a sense of the scholarship involved. I wonder, at the end of all this, whether my choice will coincide with that of the other judges?