VoCS
Vol I issue ii
(Voices of Computer Science - a CSC GSA Publication)
http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/cscgsa
February 2002
Editor’s notes
CSC GSA Website
University GSA News
Hi all,
The Computer Science Graduate Student
Association website is now up and running!
http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/cscgsa
The University Graduate Student
Association (UGSA) meets in the Faculty
Senate room in the D.H. Hill Library on
the last Monday of every month, to
discuss issues of importance to all
graduate students. This January’s meeting
was an opportunity for the UGSA to make
a difference for NCSU graduate students.
It gives me immense pleasure to
present the second issue of our
newsletter.
This issue includes
highlights of last week’s UGSA
meeting, a new game review, upcoming
GSA events, and useful and fun tips
and information!
Your comments and suggestions are
warmly
invited,
as
are
your
contributions of articles and suggested
topics for future newsletters and GSA
events. -You- can make a difference
by being involved!
Thank you,
Arnav H Jhala
Editor
At our site you can find:
 Full web version of this newsletter
 Updates on CSC department news
 Current Officers contact info
 CSC GSA Constitution
 Links to other NCSU publications
Volunteers needed! Help us keep our
website current- to volunteer, contact the
GSA by writing cscgsa@yahoo.com
Arnav Jhala
Department News
Graduate Administrative Staff
move to Centennial Campus
Special Feature
"Networking on the Network"
explains in great detail how to speak at
a conference, build a community
around your research topic, write a
dissertation, get a job, advise others,
and become a leader in your field.
Professional
networking
cannot
substitute for good research, but good
research
cannot
substitute
for
networking either. Networking and
research go together, and "Networking
on the Network" explains analytically
and ethically just how. It also includes
an extensive bibliography.
Read the full version of the article on
the website.
- Suggested by Laura Jackson
http://www4.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/cscgsa
On 29th January, the Graduate
Administrative Staff shifted to the
Venture III building on Centennial
Campus. At the time of this writing, the
staff were still busy organizing their new
offices. “I really appreciate the help we
got from some graduate students,
especially Dr. Healey and Dr. Wurman’s
students,” Dr. Davis said, and added that
the office will soon be fully operational.
CSC Alumnus gift of stocks
Kristopher Tyra, CSC alumnus and
founder of HiddenMind Technology Inc.,
recently gave the larget single gift from
an individual to the Computer Science
department, in the form of an endowment
of private stocks valued at $300,000.
This endowment, and other donations,
Tharp hopes, will help us become one of
the top ten departments of Computer
Science.
Last December, the ECE Department,
faced with budget cuts and higher
numbers of incoming students, informed
34 graduate students that they would lose
their teaching assistantships, tuition
remission, and health insurance, as of
January 6. Many of these students, who
had been working as TAs for a year and a
half, were international students in danger
of having their visas expire.
Three guest speakers, the Dean of the
Graduate School, Associate Dean of the
College of Engineering, and the Director
of
Graduate
Programs
of
the
ECE department, were invited to share
their views with the UGSA. After
explaining
the
situation,
the
Dean of the Graduate School announced
that those students who had lost
their TA-ships would be given a
minimum stipend of $3000 per semester
which makes them eligible for the
Graduate Student Support Plan, which
provides tuition remission and health
insurance.
[Continued on page 2]
Writers required
GSA newsletter articles are invited in any
relevant topics, including: Technology
news, magazine, book, and article
reviews, student, faculty, and staff
“spotlight” interviews.
Contact: cscgsa@yahoo.com or visit the
GSA website for more details.
PC Game Review
CSC FUNdamentals
CSC GSA's First BIG Event
YOU are BJ Blazcowicz,
Rules for Engineers and Scientists
One important aspect of academic
research is the sharing and dissemination
of knowledge. There is a lot of great
research work going on in the Computer
Science Department, but most of us
don’t know what’s going on in the office
next to ours. To bridge this gap, the
Computer Science Graduate Student
Association (CSC GSA) is planning to
conduct a "Research Seminar Series”.
a highly decorated Army Ranger recruited
into the Office of Secret Actions (OSA),
tasked with escaping and then returning to
Castle Wolfenstein in an attempt to thwart
Heinrich Himmler's occult and genetic
experiments. Himmler believes himself to
be a reincarnation of a 10th century dark
prince, Henry the Fowler, also known as
Heinrich. Through genetic engineering
and the harnessing of occult powers,
Himmler hopes to raise an unstoppable
army to level the Allies once and for all
Your objective
You must first escape from imprisonment
in the castle to report the strange creatures
and happenings in and around
Wolfenstein to the OSA. Your mission
takes a drastic turn as you learn the depth
of Himmler's plans and what you must do
to defeat the evil he has unleashed.
This is what you have been trained for.
Your surroundings will be dangerous and
hostile. The OSA is currently tracking
activities believed to be associated with
Himmler
in
locations
throughout
Germany including; villages overrun by
the occult, hidden crypts, forests, air
bases, secret weapons facilities, and
genetic labs, to name only the few we are
aware of. There are more, and you must
find them.
Failure is not an option. If Himmler
succeeds, the war is over for the Allies...
and the war is over for everyone.
Read the Review of “Return to Castle
Wolfenstein” in the PC Game Reviews
Section of the web.
RULE OF ACCURACY
When working toward the solution of a
problem, it always helps if you know the
answer.
RULE OF FAILURE
If at first you don't succeed, destroy all
evidence that you have tried.
RULE OF REASON
If nobody uses it, there's a reason.
UGSA News …[continued from page 1]
After this very welcome resolution to the
immediate plight of the ECE graduate
students, the UGSA passed a resolution
voicing its concern over such events and
preventing such occurrences in future.
The UGSA standing committees reported
their plans for the semester:
1) Minimum GPA and credit enrollment
may soon be required to be eligible for
student health insurance.
2) New “extension assistantships” are being
designed to promote collaboration between
NCSU and industry.
3) Plans and ideas for the new Centennial
Campus Library are being discussed.
The UGSA is working for all of us – keep
informed and active by reading this
newsletter and checking the UGSA website:
http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/cscgsa
These Research Seminars, planned for 2
Fridays a month, will provide a forum
for CSC graduate students to share their
work, discuss ideas, keep informed about
department activities, and not to mention
eat FREE PIZZA!
You can help make these seminars a
success by registering to present at our
first seminar, planned
for Friday,
March 1. Presentation topics can include:
your recent research work, a presentation
of a current journal article or text in
Computer Science, or a discussion of the
major contributions you observed at a
recent conference.
Three groups of 1-3 speakers will each
present a 15-minute talk, to be followed
by a question & answer session.
Presentations will be judged by a panel
including at least one faculty member
and winners will receive a CASH PRIZE
provided by the CSC GSA.
We know you can’t wait to sign up! For
registration and further information,
contact
Guru
Ranganathan
at
grangan@unity.ncsu.edu With your help,
we will have a great Research Seminar
series this semester!
http://www.ncsu.edu/stud_orgs/ugsa
Quotes Of the Month
"Geometry is the science of
correct reasoning on
incorrect figures." -unknown
“I know that this defies the
law of gravity, but, you
see, I never studied law.”
-Bugs Bunny
Highlights of the next Newsletter
HELPLINE
Special Features:
Need help with any academic/
administrative problems related to
the CSC department?
 Special Topics offered in Spring’02
 How to take courses from other schools
 Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Margery Page
News, Game Reviews, Fun and more…
Email cscgsa@yahoo.com - We will
be glad to help you in the best
possible way!