What's New @ IEEE for Students

April 2007 Volume 8, Number 4

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. IEEE Joins SimpleTuition Online To Bring Students Loan Comparison Solution
2.Computer Society Scholarship Now Accepting Applications
3. Researchers Say Video Games Sharpen Vision For Seeing Impaired
4. Young Entrepreneur Learns What Consumers Really Want
5. ‘Alice’ Aims To Help Girls Build Programming Skills
6. Hollywood Imaginations Jumps Out Into Real Life
7. Applications Sought For Society Myron Zucker Undergraduate Student Design Award
8. Nominations Sought For Student Fellowship Program
9. Video Game Helps Improve Motor Skills

IEEE MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL
Keep your IEEE member benefits in 2007
Renew online at www.ieee.org/renew

1. IEEE JOINS SIMPLETUITION ONLINE TO BRING STUDENTS LOAN COMPARISION SOLUTION
IEEE has teamed up with SimpleTuition, Inc., a company dedicated to helping students and parents make sense of their education financing choices, to help its members compare, analyze, and apply for education financing direct from the IEEE website. Beginning in April, the service will be available to members attending or planning to attend U.S institutions of higher education. The partnership gives members access to the most up-to-date, objective student loan information available. Student loan information, including Private, PLUS, Stafford, GradPLUS, Federal Consolidation loans, and Private consolidation, can be sorted by monthly payment, total cost of the loan, number of payments, first payment due date, and APR. To read more, visit: digital50.com/news/items/BW/2001/07/14/20070305005279/ieee-to-feature-simpletuitions-online-student-loan-comparision-solution.html

2. COMPUTER SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIP NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
The Computer Society Richard E. Merwin Scholarship is currently seeking applications. The scholarship awards leaders in the IEEE Computer Society Branch Chapters who demonstrate promise in their professional efforts. Up to ten $4,000 awards will be awarded for one academic year starting in September. The application deadline is 31 May. To apply, or for more information, visit: www.ieee.org/web/membership/students/scholarshipsawardscontests/Computer_Society_Richard_E._Merwin_Scholarship.html

3. RESEARCHERS SAY VIDEO GAMES SHARPEN VISION FOR SEEING IMPAIRED
A study from the University of Rochester, New York, (USA) reveals that playing action games can improve a player’s vision. Based on results from a visual acuity experiment that tested an individual’s ability to discern objects accurately in a clustered space, non-game players earned lower scores than game players. The researchers say video games may help people improve the spatial resolution of their vision, since active video game play transforms the way people’s brains decipher visual data. The researchers hope to find a place for video games in the medical world, where they may be used as rehabilitation therapy for the seeing impaired.

4. YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR LEARNS WHAT CONSUMERS REALLY WANT
In an article titled "IMVU: Learning What Customers Want" featured in Business Week’s special report on the Best Young Entrepreneurs of Tech, Erick Reis explores how he learned to run a successful business. Starting his entrepreneurship career at an early age, Reis has seen the ups and downs of the dot-com explosion. He started CatalystRecruiting.com while pursuing a computer science degree at Yale University, but soon learned that it takes more than venture capital to have a successful business. Two failed businesses later, Reis developed a strategy that entails taking the product to customers for testing as early as possible. To read more, visit: www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070326_796549.htm?chan=technology_special+report+--techs+best+young+entrepreneurs_tech%27s+best+young+entrepreneurs

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

"I never did anything worth doing by accident; nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work." ~ Thomas Edison

5. ‘ALICE’ AIMS TO HELP GIRLS BUILD PROGRAMMING SKILLS
Alice, a Java-based interactive program that allows users to produce 3-D computer animation images without the need for advanced level programming skills has been created by a lab director at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) in an effort to draw middle-school age girls to the computer science field. Through the use of a computer mouse, young users can create stories, outline the actions of characters or objects, and perform graphics programs using simple commands, such as a drop and drag interface. CMU officials claim Alice has been successful in teaching programming skills to female students from middle school to college-age. www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2105421,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594

6. HOLLYWOOD IMAGINATIONS JUMPS OUT INTO REAL LIFE
Resembling the system Tom Cruise used in Steven Spielberg’s film Minority Report, Gesture Studios has developed a system they call GoodPoint using a technology called motion capture, which film studios and video game makers have used for years to make computer-animated characters appear more realistic. The interface featured in Minority Report is just what Gesture is selling to companies using cameras to track hand movements and translate them into computer instructions to create presentations at the 14,000 trade shows and conferences in the U.S. each year. The technology is now bursting out of Hollywood and changing the way consumers interact with home electronics. The technology has also been adopted by advertisers to create interactive displays. To read more, visit: www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_14/b4028001.htm?chan=search

7. APPLICATIONS SOUGHT FOR SOCIETY MYRON ZUCKER UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT DESIGN AWARD
The IEEE Industry Applications Society Myron Zucker Undergraduate Student Design Award is currently accepting submissions. The award recognizes three individual students or student teams and the students' associated electrical engineering department. The first place will receive $800 cash honorarium and certificates for students and $500 cash honorarium and certificate for students' academic department. Application deadline is 1 June. For more information, visit: www.ieee.org/web/membership/students/scholarshipsawardscontests/__IEEE_Industry_Applications_Society_Myron_Zucker_.html

8. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR STUDENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The IEEE Electron Devices Society invites the submission of nominations for the 2007 EDS Ph.D. Student Fellowship Program. The award is presented annually to promote, recognize, and support graduate level study and research within the EDS' field of interest. At least one fellowship is awarded to a student in each of the following geographical regions every year: Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia & Pacific. The award is a check for $7,000 to the student and a plaque presented to the student at the IEDM. The deadline is 15 May 2007.

For more information, visit: www.ieee.org/portal/pages/society/eds/education/fellowship.html

9. VIDEO GAME HELPS IMPROVE MOTOR SKILLS
William Li, a fourth-year University of Toronto engineering student, has developed a new video game for children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy, helping them to improve their gross motor skills on their weak sides. It is essentially a therapeutic activity for children and is implemented in a fun way that is easily carried out in the home environment.

To read more, visit: www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/070110-2859.asp

HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT IEEE
Please feel welcome to reprint any content from this issue. When possible, please try to cite What's New @ IEEE as your source.

WHAT'S NEW @ IEEE FOR STUDENTS
A monthly, opt-in email update designed to provide you with the latest news regarding IEEE activities, industry trends, career development tips, and new IEEE product releases.

Managing Editor: Michelle Garner, m.garner@ieee.org

Contributing Editor: Diana Fuksin

SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To subscribe to this or any other What's New @ IEEE newsletter, visit whatsnew.ieee.org.

To unsubscribe, visit whatsnew.ieee.org, select the appropriate newsletter, enter your email address and click "Unsubscribe."

IEEE, 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854