Instructional post go here, could be related to research or specific instructions for volunteers I manage or to a broad community of people.

Preparing for Grace Hopper Celebration 2013

In the past few months we’ve all been gearing up for GHC 13 with session proposals, papers and posters. Then scholarship applications and early bird registration which ends today! So what’s left?

1. Secure Funding
-If you have yet to secure all of the funding you need to attend, now is the time to do so. First take a minute to read Kate’s latestblog on how she has found funding in previous years. 
-If you have funding for travel expenses including airfare and hotel but still need registration: Apply to be a Hopper, applications arenow open.. Hoppers are volunteers who work at the conference in exchange for free conference registration. You will be scheduled for 8 hours of volunteer time in one or multiple of the following activities: checking badges, assisting registration, and helping with sessions and conference activities. Shifts are available between October 2-5, 2013

2. Participate in Pre-Conference Activities
-The online communities are already alive with conversation about the conference, take a moment to join the discussions and networking through your favorite social network to meet attendees before you arrive, a list of places to connect can be found here.
-Soon the Communities committee will put out a call for official volunteer bloggers and note takers. The application will be open during the month of August and you will have the chance to get involved and increase readership of your own blog. Stay tuned for more information on this. (Psst. This year we will even be looking for some video bloggers to apply, which will give you the opportunity to interview and talk with many interesting people at GHC13.)
-Up load your resume to the resume database herewhere 110 sponsors will review it before the conference and may schedule a meeting with you in advance!
3. Plan your session schedule
The session schedule is up! Check out all the great professional development topics as well as technical papers being presented here.
 
It’s a good idea to make a plan before you arrive, especially if you intend on applying to be a hopper or a official note taker or blogger. Knowing the sessions you don’t want to miss can be to your advantage when scheduling your volunteer time.
Until next time,
Charna Parkey
Co-Chair, GHC 13 Communities Committee

/by

Using Twitter at #GHC12

Love tweeting? Do it at #GHC12! 
New to twitter? Join now to get up to date information and connect with attendees of the conference, get live updates and answers to your questions at the conference and keep in contact with all of your new contacts after heading home.
The aim of this post is to give a few tips about using twitter in conjunction with the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing 2012. This year we’ve decided (the communities committee) to make some hash tags for use along with the #ghc12 tag. We have so many wonderful sessions that it would be hard to follow a discussion on for example the leadership track of session. 
So here is what you do to participate:
  • Have a general question or comment about GHC12? Just append #ghc12 to your tweet

  • Are you the author or panelist of a session in one of the track and you want to publicize it before the conference? append #ghc12 as well as the track hash tag found in the table below, ie #sec
  • You are an attendee and you want to follow the updates on a certain track? Do a search on #ghc12 and the track i.e., #sec and save your search to easily access it later
  • Just wanna talk about a specific track or topic, you’ve got the hang of it now, just append #ghc12 and the track hash tag i.e. #sec to your tweet!
What else should you know?
  • Join the attendees list by sending a tweet to @ghc 
  • Get official tweets by following @ghc

Opensource
#opensource
Women of Underrepresented Groups Track
#wurg  
Security Track
#sec
PhD Forum
#phd
New Investigators
#new
Leadership Workshop
#ldr
Career Development
#career
CRA-W tracks
#craw
Senior Women’s Summit
#senior
Invited Technical Speakers
#tech
Academic
#acad
Industry
#inds
Social Collaboration
#soc
Theme
#theme
Students
#student
Steering
#steer
Technical Executive Forum
#techexec
BoFs
#bof
Award Winners
#award
K-12
#k12
Keynotes
None

/by

Learning to Research, Part 4 Learning to Search, Narrow , and Visualize

A little reminder before we start. You need to have an off campus library log in to be able to search databases and catalogs for things restricted to UCF student use such as thesis and dissertation text, ebooks, and journal articles.
Part 3 Continued
                                                               i.      Research Methods and Data Sources – http://guides.ucf.edu/research links you to a page with useful information for graduate students.
1. Read it

Searching the existing Dissertation Database
  1. Decide what your generic area is, in this case DSP. You need somewhere to start looking. Before you get more specific you want to know all possible people and databases that you could look for to gain information on what is worth while.
    1. The first place you want to check for topics is the library dissertation and thesis titles. The reason is that previous UCF students will be a lot more willing to give you a place to start. Especially if they just graduated, they may even give you code from their dissertation.
  1. Attempt to use review journals or databases to let you know what current and up and coming topics are, for example:

    1.  

  1. Is there something more specific such as an intersecting field, this can help narrow your topic.

Example Thesis and Dissertation Search
I want to know what people are doing in the area of speaker recognition across the world. So I go to the ProQuest database search and look in the thesis and dissertation database searching on speaker recognition, and I limit my search to English documents.

49,703 results are returned! Here is a histogram of the papers released by decades, looks like the first paper returned was in 1912 and we even have some prerelease listings for next year, 2013. We want to know what the latest dissertations are right? So first let us narrow our search to the last two decades. How many papers is that?

45,316 results still remaining! Not small enough, lets take a look at that updated histogram,

and while we are at it lets look at the list of subject areas we are searching. The list is verrrry long, I’ve narrowed mine to Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Let’s see whats remaining. 1563 results! That is a lot more manageable.

From this subset I’ve taken the list of author keywords and created a wordle visualization of these keywords, take a look

Do you see just under Machine Learning there is the keyword signal processing? Lets narrow our search to the keywords signal processing as well.

And now we have 18! Yes! Lets look at these 18 titles and authors. Remember that these are dissertations or thesis so the authors have graduated from school in the last 10 years and are probably now the leading researcher in these areas. Also these dissertations have required multiple publications before they were written.

Here are our authors, titles, schools and years:

Title Authors School Year Number
Robust and efficient techniques for speech recognition in noise  Sarikaya, Ruhi; Hansen, John H L  Duke University, 2001 2001 3031012
High range resolution radar target classification: A rough set approach  Nelson, Dale; Starzyk, Janusz A  Ohio University, 2001 2001 3019554
Enhancement and recognition of whispered speech  Morris, Robert; Clements, Mark A  Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003 2003 3110442
Signal processing strategies for better melody recognition and improved speech understanding in noise for cochlear implants  Kasturi, Kalyan; Loizou, Philipos C  The University of Texas at Dallas, 2006 2006 3238589
Multi-classifiers and decision fusion for robust statistical pattern recognition with applications to hyperspectral classification  Prasad, Saurabh; Bruce, Lori M; Fowler, James E; Younan, Nicolas H; Du, Jenny Q  Mississippi State University, 2008 2008 3331332
Model-based speech separation and enhancement with single-microphone input  Lee, Siu; Ching, Chung  The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), 2008 2008 3348874
Speech processing and modeling using a non-linear time-frequency algorithm  McNamara, David  Clarkson University, 2008 2008 3340051
A sequential algorithm for biological event detection using statistical nonstationarity  DiCecco, John  University of Rhode Island, 2008 2008 3328721
A model of head-related transfer functions based on a state-space analysis  Adams, Norman; Wakefield, Gregory H  University of Michigan, 2008 2008 3304909
Signal processing meets computer vision: Overcoming challenges in wireless camera networks  Yeo, Chuohao; Ramchandran, Kannan  University of California, Berkeley, 2009 2009 3383584
Distributed multichannel processing for signal enhancement  Trawicki, Marek  Marquette University, 2009 2009 3357974
Spectral refinements to speech enhancement  Charoenruengkit, Werayuth; Erdol, Nurgun  Florida Atlantic University, 2009 2009 3351583
Applications of sensor arrays in acoustic and seismic signal processing  Xie, Peng; Grant, Steven L  Missouri University of Science and Technology, 2009 2009 3365041
Nonstationary time series modeling with applications to speech signal processing  Rudoy, Daniel; Wolfe, Patrick J  Harvard University, 2010 2010 3435443
Dimensionality reduction and fusion strategies for the design of parametric signal classifiers  Kota, Srinivas; Gupta, Lalit; Bhattacharya, Bhaskar; Botros, Nazeih; Choudhary, Ruplal; et al  Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, 2010 2010 3440304
Acoustic MEMS array embedded in a scalable real-time data acquisition and signal processing platform  Turqueti, Marcos; Saniie, Jafar  Illinois Institute of Technology, 2010 2010 3435825
Use of acoustic analysis to develop, test and optimize cochlear implant sound processing  Won, Jong; Rubinstein, Jay T  University of Washington, 2010 2010 3431627
Architecture and analysis for next generation mobile signal processing  Woh, Mark; Mudge, Trevor N  University of Michigan, 2011 2011 3477118

Remember this is not a perfect science, finding the right things is an art, so do these look like what we were looking for? Yes and no depending on your specific area, but its close.

More on searching next time but for now let me point out a good data visualization tool, just be sure to read the rules before using it http://www-958.ibm.com/software/data/cognos/manyeyes/

Here is a visualization of the data we found:

take a look at the interactive version on many eyes if you like http://www-958.ibm.com/me/visualizations/dissertations-by-state/comments/3e11c868580811e194b4000255111976

Until next time!

/by

Learning to Research, Part 3 The Library Webpage

Get to know the library.ucf.edu webpage
  1. Here is a screenshot of the page

  2. If you don’t know how to find something that you know should be available make use of the ask a librarian service, look on the left hand side, half way down you see “Want Help? Ask a Librarian” here is a link to that page: http://library.ucf.edu/Ask/  from here I generally always use the chat, this is because it is efficient and concise as opposed to a phone conversation where you make small talk and can be put on hold and you are stuck standing there with a phone in your hand. Being a multitasker, I just switch back to what I was doing while I wait on the chat response. If this doesn’t work out I will call or go in person. Many times I am in a “research zone” mentally and the last thing I want to do is get distracted, another reason the chat works best for me, it is a bit impersonal and that’s what I need to stay focused.
  3. Useful things to explore before starting your research
    1. Research Guides – Also located on the Home page under Find, the second link down. Click on the link, http://guides.ucf.edu/ from here there are a lot of guides available. Each librarian can make their own guide on different topics. We want to focus on Engineering so
    2. On the right hand side click on Engineering, it takes you to here http://guides.ucf.edu/cat.php?cid=8548 every one of these guides are useful to you when starting research. Once you get going you may never look at these again but you should now I will point out a few but look at all of them.
                                                               i.      Databases – http://guides.ucf.edu/databases links you to a list of databases. Look at the top of the screen, there are tabs.
1.      Find Engineering & Computer Science hover and click Computer/Electrical Engineering http://guides.ucf.edu/content.php?pid=41587&sid=328916
2.      You now see a listing of Best Databases and Other Databases. Read this page! Once you are into a domain specific topic you will be using the Best Databases list often, and mostly IEEE Xplore. But first we will use the Web of Science to get a general idea of what’s going on in your world of DSP.
                                                             ii.      ………..PAUSE
So right about now you are reading and thinking do I really need to know all of this general information. Yes, you do. The reason is DSP is not a free standing topic most of the time; you will be intersecting the topic of DSP with something else like medical devices, measurement devices, music, video, images, basically any industry. If you name any industry I can tell you how DSP could help or already does.
Lets continue Part 3 a little later I need some coffee.
/by

Learning to Research, Part 2 Citation Management

Ok lets get started:

Setting up Citation Software, (yes you really need to do this first).

UCF students currently have the benefit to choose between EndNote and RefWorks citation management software. What is the difference? Personality preference is everything when it comes to choosing. My personality was such that I have accounts with both.

Choose EndNote if:

– You like to use one computer for all of your needs (tablets and smart phones do not count as computers in this instance)

– You like to back up your own references so you know you will not lose it if someone elses server crashes

– You write/read papers when you don’t have access to the internet sometimes.
– You use Microsoft Word to Write your papers and don’t want to wait for the latest RefWorks updates to play nice with Microsoft. In my opinion it currently takes too many steps to get your references into your document and have it automatically update.
Choose RefWorks if:
-You continually switch between computers when you are doing research. By doing research I mean searching the web for papers to read, reading e-books, etc or writing your own paper.
-You want someone else to back up your sources
-Sometimes you even use a smartphone or tablet to do database searches and read papers.
-You don’t mind having to do a few extra steps when writing your final paper
-You are working with a group on a project, references are shareable easier than through EndNote.
Choose both if you like aspects of both lists above and want the best of both worlds. It turns out EndNote and RefWorks play well together. So choose both if:
-When you are on the go you do searches on multiple devices, use RefWorks to log those citations
-You want a seamless experience adding references to your papers use EndNote.
-You want an internet and home back up of your references.
But remember to always always always transfer your RefWorks References to EndNote and vice versa to make sure you have all of your resources available.
For this initial stage of research we will be using RefWorks only until you pick a topic. But feel free to set up both accounts.
Get started:
  1. Create a RefWorks account, you will need to use the links above and use your library login to create the account. Use the quick start guide if it gets confusing. Call/email me if it is still confusing.

  2. Learn how to add folders

  3. Learn how to import references

  4. Set up your default citation settings to IEEE format.

  5. Always double check references before logging out, make sure all info that you need is entered.
  6. Every time you start a new topic of research create a new folder and add your papers to this folder
  7. It is also a good idea to have sub-folders in each topic area that are something along the lines of:
    1. Read an Liked it
    2. Read and Hated it
    3. Gray Area
    4. Unread
  8. In the beginning, all of the papers and sources you have will be in the unread folder and as you go through them sort them accordingly.
  9. The Gray Area is important because you do not always know if the resource is useful or not until you become a subject matter expert so don’t hesitate to use this subfolder.

Ok, I’m going to leave this here and there will probably be another part on this later once it is time to write a paper or dissertation…. but for now on to the next topic.

/by

Learning to Research, Part 1 Things to know

This blog is going to be a series of entries to help out PhD Students looking for help on how to do research. Specifically I will be focusing on Electrical Engineering and Digital Signal Processing for UCF students. I started writing notes for a friend and thought, why not blog it so anyone I know can read it if they like. So here is part 1, Things you need to know before we get started:

If you are not a UCF student a lot of this will still apply to you, you will simply be using your schools library website.

This website is your best friend http://library.ucf.edu/ . It will get you free access to most of the things you need, not only journal articles but e-books and copies of things through inter-library loan system.
Effective research will save you a lot of time; schedule an appointment with a research librarian by going to this link, it seems silly but its not. I went to a class the library offered and it really helped motivate me once I knew all the tools available. http://library.ucf.edu/Reference/ResearchConsultations/Default.asp Do not expect to solve all of your problems with one meeting, but do have a list of what you want to accomplish and let the librarian know before you show up what you hope to accomplish. Rich Gause in particular will do his homework before meeting with you to make the most of your consultation.
The biggest thing you need in order to keep on track is a weekly meeting, even if it isn’t with your advisor. You need to talk with someone once a week about what you plan to do and what you actually did. It doesn’t matter if they know anything about your topic, it creates a guilt factor that makes you do something every week. The hardest way to do the PhD is with a family and a job, and this is what I am doing so I hope this helps if it is what you need to do as well.
It will not be easy, even if you have help. You will get mad at your peers, advisor, family, friends, and yourself. Accept this and realize when it happens that everyone really does want to support you, generally we are not trying to make your life harder.
The last really big item is that you need to keep track of every source you look at even if you plan to use it or not. Create accounts with endnote and refworks, more on this later, but here is the link to free versions since you are a ucf student  http://guides.ucf.edu/citations-endnote
 

/by

Introduction and Hello to GHC Attendees

Hello readers interested in GHC 11!
It is hard to believe another year has passed and I get to see all of you once again. This year is going to be the largest yet and I am so very excited to meet all the new attendees and attend all of the wonderful sessions.
Let me introduce myself, my name is Charna Parkey and I am a Sr. Signal Processing Engineer at Astronics DME Corporation. I have 6 years of industry experience and I am working on my PhD at the University of Central Florida. I am very involved in online and offline communities and love to collaborate with all majors on projects and products. This will be my 4th GHC!
Again this year I am volunteering with the Communities Committee, except this year I am a Co-Chair with Valerie Fenwick! Our job is to make sure that the conference has complete coverage on all of our online communities: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, LinkedIn, and Wiki Notes
We need your help to keep the discussions and community alive, are you registered to attend and love blogging, taking live notes in sessions or already follow twitter 24/7? Contact us we would love to hear from you!
Also feel free to leave comments introducing yourself  mentioning what kinds of topics you would like covered by our bloggers.
Signing off until next time,
Charna
/by