Monday, February 5, 2018

Applications due by February 23, 2018 Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate Students at Carnegie Mellon University

PIER-REU: Summer Research Experience for Undergraduate Students at Carnegie Mellon University

Applications are due via email by February 23, 2018.

The Program in Interdisciplinary Education Research (PIER) at Carnegie Mellon University offers an exciting summer research opportunity available to undergraduate students. This program is designed to provide research opportunities to undergraduates who may be considering pursuing graduate training in the learning sciences. We encourage applications from students who would like to conduct research at the interface of the learning sciences and one or more of the following disciplines: psychology, education, computer science, and human-computer interaction. We also encourage students who are from underrepresented groups to apply, including racial/ethnic minorities, first-generation college students, economically disadvantaged students, veterans, and students with disabilities.

PIER’s REU program allows talented undergraduates to spend 8 weeks during the summer in a research laboratory at Carnegie Mellon University. This program supports our commitment to training a diverse set of leaders in the field of learning science and related disciplines.

Applications are encouraged from students who wish to learn to conduct research in a modern academic research laboratory under the guidance of experienced scientists. The REU program will expose students to the excitement and opportunities of a research career. This experience will provide excellent preparation for students interested in subsequently pursuing Masters or Ph.D. degrees in psychology, education, learning science, human-computer interaction, and related areas of scientific inquiry. Although students from other years may apply, this opportunity is most fitting for a student at the end of the junior year of undergraduate studies.

Each student will receive a fellowship stipend of $3,000 for the eight-week REU program.  Apartment-style housing will also be provided. Guidance and supervision will be provided by faculty members as well as, in some cases, a postdoctoral fellow and/or advanced graduate student.

Additionally, admitted students will participate in the Go Research! Summer Program at CMU. This program brings together undergraduate researchers from across departments.  Students live in dorms with resident assistants to facilitate community building, manage housing, and provide programming.   A Summer Seminar Series is provided for all students to help prepare for graduate education and research careers.

WHIHBCU Staff

PIER+2018+REU+Application.docx

2018...,,Next Generation Global Health Security Professional

Dear Health Security Professional:
Are you looking for ways to help the next generation of global health security professionals?
Consider becoming a mentor through the Next Generation Global Health Security (NGGHS) Mentorship Program. The NGGHS Mentorship Program promotes and supports early to mid-career professionals and students with an interest in health security.  NGGHS mentors cultivate professional relationships with protégés who are developing skills to continue promoting a world safe and secure from health security threats.
Criteria for Mentors
Mentors are experienced health security professionals willing to provide coaching and support for one or more developing early to mid-career professional(s) and/or students, in one-to-one or small group formats. Protégés are members of the Next Generation Global Health Security Network who have expressed an interest in establishing a mentoring relationship with experienced health security professionals.  Mentor involvement can vary: some mentors may serve in an advisory role, while others may choose to pursue a collaboration with their protégé(s). At heart, the most important thing is the ability and willingness to help.
Responsibilities of Mentors
Responsibilities of the mentor include:
·         Agreeing to attend the NGGHS Mentorship Program Discussion Forum
·         Agreeing to contact your protégé(s) on a regular basis (at least monthly)
·         Agreeing to collaborate with your protégé(s) on a final project.
·         Agreeing to complete an evaluation form regarding participation in the NGGHS Mentorship Program to inform the improvement of the Program.

To become a mentor, complete the interest form here.  If the link does not work, please copy and paste the following URL into your browser: https://goo.gl/forms/yOmNUXaGGI6lZIlH3

Interest forms for this mentoring cycle will be available until 20 February.  Mentors will be notified of their matching protege by 5 March.

Please share this announcement with your network.

For more information, please contact NextGen Coordinator, Dr. Jamechia Hoyle at nextgenghsa@gmail.com.
-- 
Jamechia D. Hoyle, DHSc, MPH, MS
Coordinator
Next Generation Global Health Security Network

Friday, February 2, 2018

Change resistance, It is inevitable. How the Blockchain Can Help Venezuela’s Future Recovery





How the Blockchain Can Help Venezuela’s Future Recovery

 

Promoting Sound Policy Foundations for Venezuela’s Postcrisis Recovery and Reform

Moises Rendon

Associate Director and Associate Fellow, Americas Program

Friday, February 2, 2018



Abstract

Nicolas Maduro’s misguided attempt to create a government-controlled and natural resource-backed cryptocurrency (“Petro”) is nothing more than a desperate effort to try to facilitate international finance while avoiding U.S. sanctions on new debt issuance. However, there remains the potential for blockchain platforms to empower Venezuelans through legitimate means during the country’s future recovery. These benefits can extend to future government institutions, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations. Blockchain technology can radically shape the rebuilding of Venezuela during a “Day After” scenario for the better.

Background

The situation in Venezuela today represents one of the most serious political, economic, social, and humanitarian crises the Western hemisphere has ever endured. Once a sophisticated country during the mid-twentieth century, Venezuela has now collapsed under the narcostate regime of President Nicolas Maduro—a collapse characterized by hyperinflation, widespread scarcity of food and medicine, and high-speed disintegration of institutions. Today, Venezuela ranks last in most global rankings for economic, security, and social well-being indicators. And the continuous increase of civilian deaths and misery depict a country with a level of destruction resembling those in war.
While the country’s future remains unclear, the next Venezuelan administration, whenever it arrives, will require sustained and coordinated international support to relieve the suffering of its people and lead Venezuela in the right direction. Extensive and immediate political, economic, and institutional reforms, backed by significant international humanitarian aid and technical and financial assistance, will be essential for the stabilization and recovery of Venezuela. Since the magnitude of the challenges remaining ahead are so complex, costly, and socially sensitive, innovative solutions will be needed to maximize Venezuela’s best chances to recover in the near term, and progress in the long term. Venezuela is prime for a solution that is “out-of-the-box.”
The positive global impact that technology and innovation have on human life today was unthinkable just a few decades ago. The Internet has revolutionized the computer and communications world, accelerating the pace and reach of globalization today. Communities can develop quicker due to the Internet’s ability to provide global access, among other benefits. We are only about two decades in on the continuing development of the Internet and its applications—and it has already fueled the creation of new technologies, such as blockchain. Although still “in diapers,” blockchain platforms are already showing significant promise of improving the way in which people cooperate, transact, and trust one another—capable of tackling challenges around the world.
Given its decentralized nature, blockchain-based policy programs would help enhance individual rights, rebuild more transparent institutions, and prompt the recovery of the private sector in Venezuela. Although technology may not have the capacity to relieve Venezuela of its current authoritarian dilemma, new technologies that are becoming increasingly available and effective can help to positively shape the rebuilding of Venezuela during a “Day After.”
The blockchain is a digital, decentralized, and distributed ledger that can be public, private, or both. Similar to an accounting book, distributed ledgers record a list of transactions and verify individual ownership—through a peer-to-peer network consensus mechanism, where each computer participates in adding to a shared history. This “shared history” is independently maintained on each computer in the network. Once consensus is reached within the network, through a consensus protocol that guarantees the integrity and consistency of the process, transactions cannot be altered by third parties like banks, governments, malicious actors, or even members of the blockchain network. Blockchain technology is already being used and explored by different industries worldwide, most notably in financial services and banking industries. Among the main benefits, the blockchain can enable participants across the world to lower transaction costs and streamline processes, while providing enhanced security and trust.
Public blockchains are decentralized and distributed, meaning they are not controlled by anyone except for the two people involved in the transaction. Instead, mathematics and cryptography run the blockchain, and users of the network participate and contribute. The blockchain is an open network that anyone can access and use in a permission-less manner (i.e., there is no central authority, approving who can participate). Lacking a central authority makes the blockchain unique because transactions are made securely, error-free, without the need (or expense) for intermediaries.
The first implementation of blockchain technology was bitcoin, which is why much of the focus is on financial blockchain applications and other “cryptocurrencies.” Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency, or cryptocurrency, used for the speedy and secure transfer of value anywhere in the world. Created in 2009 by an unknown software developer or group using the alias Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoin is the world’s first open payment network in which anyone with an internet connection can participate, making it the most accessible finance tool in today’s financial market. Since bitcoin launched, cryptocurrencies have become increasingly popular, especially in the last two to three years. There are over 2,000 digital currencies today; most of them run on a blockchain, and provide different features and experimentation with monetary policies. Contrary to traditional currencies (or fiat money) whose issuance is determined by central bankers, cryptocurrencies’ monetary policy is predetermined, set in the code, and then carried out by users, who cannot change the rules of the game but receive benefits from participating in the network.
The rise of cryptocurrencies is not the only story—blockchain applications are also quickly expanding beyond traditional notions of value transfer. Ethereum is perhaps the most important blockchain, or decentralized platform, that runs “smart contracts” or computer programs. This platform allows applications to run exactly as programmed “without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third-party interference.” Ethereum is already being heavily researched and applications are being developed for use in business services, banking and payments, charity, health, insurance, identity management, and others. The combination of these features could benefit Venezuela’s future to deal with complex policy decisions during a recovery phase.
Venezuela’s economic and institutional meltdowns pose an increasingly serious and potentially destabilizing risk for neighboring countries, and the rest of the hemisphere. This situation has led the United States, the Lima Group, the European Union, and multilateral organizations to make the restoration of stability and democracy in Venezuela a top foreign policy priority. However, the reconstruction challenges will quickly come to light when Venezuela recovers its democracy.
This report highlights an innovative framework of how the blockchain technology can be used to help rebuild Venezuela when the time comes. These benefits include providing humanitarian aid more efficiently, enhancing property rights (a key driver for the Venezuelan people to prosper), increasing transparency, tackling corruption, and combating vote rigging. Countries with weak institutions, rampant corruption, and hyperinflation, like Venezuela, could see benefits if blockchain is implemented at both private and public levels. Supported by private-sector-friendly policies, strong political leadership, and transparent and functioning institutions, blockchain could shape Venezuela’s future for the better.

Friday, January 26, 2018

“Lost Persons Behavior” training 24 February Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Subject: Training - Lost Persons Behavior
AAACERT is hosting “Lost Persons Behavior” training program on 24 February at the Anne Arundel County Fire Training Academy from 0800 – 1700.

Lost person behavior is the cornerstone of search and rescue efforts.  During this one-day class, participants will learn about behavioral profiles that give insight into what drives the basic

behaviors of lost people, how to pinpoint the most likely areas to search, and how to create reflex tasking to deploy teams into the field as quickly as possible.  Participants will put their knowledge to practice with numerous map problems.

Participants will be provided with the Lost Person Behavior book that can be used as a field reference.  The LPB book is the definitive guide to solving the puzzle of where a lost person might be found.  Included in the book are 41 subject categories with statistics from over 50,000 international SAR incidents, behavioral profiles, suggested initial tasks, special investigative questions, survivability, track offset, dispersion angles, and classic statistics such as distance from the initial planning point.  Quite simply, the purpose of the book is to help searchers look in the right place to find lost subjects faster.

Also included are topographical maps for completing map problems in class.  Participants should bring a pen, highlighter, and ruler.  A certificate will be presented upon successful completion of the course.
The cost is $50 per student and includes textbook.

This course will be taught by Ms. Lisa Kakavas of UMBC and part of a Search and Rescue Team.
This class is appropriate for CERT, SAR, FD/EMS, Law Enforcement and others involved or interested in lost persons.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO TEAM MEMBERS AND OTHERS WHO MAY BE INTERESTED.

Relief Goods Distribution. Delivery. FREE ONLINE COURSE. DisasterReady

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Distribution of Relief Goods

Online Class Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation 7 minutes 4.5 Star Rating
This 7-minute online course provides information to help you understand the steps and considerations involved in distributing relief goods.

Objectives:
  • Determine when it is advisable to register beneficiaries of relief goods.
  • Identify different methods for targeting the recipients of relief goods.
  • Describe the factors to consider when distributing relief goods.
  • Develop criteria and mechanisms for distributing relief goods.
This course was developed by the Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation in collaboration with All In Diary.


Available Languages   English (US)

Subjects

Administration & Operations > Logistics and Distribution

https://ready.csod.com/LMS/LoDetails/DetailsLo.aspx?loid=9c172663-0ec0-4c75-8a26-bb5f4617a34e&utm_source=DisasterReady%20Subscriber%20List&utm_campaign=728b0fb2fd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_78ae7a6641-728b0fb2fd-174321189#t=1

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