Abstracts & Bios for Fall 2008/Spring 2009 Colloquium Series
Date: 9/4/2008 (Thursday)
Speaker:
Ms. Kristin Yvonne
Rozier
Formal Methods Group
Safety Critical Avionics Systems Branch
NASA Langley Research Center
Title: On Formal Methods
Abstract: The Turing Award, considered to be the Nobel Prize in Computer Science, was awarded this year to three giants of formal methods. Despite such recognition, many undergraduates are unfamiliar with this discipline. Formal methods is one of the hottest areas of computer science, especially for the specification, design, and verification of hardware and software systems for safety and security. In this talk, I will answer some of the more common and important questions about the discipline such as: what is formal verification and what makes it formal? What methods are used for formal verification and what kind of assurance do they provide? I will also examine the need for formal methods given other, perhaps more mature, verification techniques such as testing, simulation, and fault-tolerance. Finally, I will address the question of why we don't formally verify all systems, briefly examine some of the limitations of formal methods, and point to areas of future research.
Bio: Kristin Yvonne Rozier is a Research Computer Scientist at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. Her primary research interests in theoretical computer science include model checking, theory of computation, finite automata, theorem proving, mathematical logic, automated reasoning, and algorithms. Ms. Rozier graduated Magna Cum Laude as a James Monroe Scholar from The College of William and Mary with a B.S. in 2000 and an M.S. in 2001, and is currently working on her PhD at Rice University under the advisement of Moshe Y. Vardi. She is active in the scientific volunteering community and is a core team member of MAGIC (More Active Girls In Computing). She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, ACM, IEEE, and AIAA.
Speaker:
Mr. Todd A. Phillips
Department of Mathematics
Richmond, VA
Title: Dr. Strangelove: or How I Stopped Resisting and Learned to Love Education
Abstract: A student’s journey through the educational system can often be an interesting and difficult one. The journey back to this system can be equally, if not more, interesting and tumultuous. Professionals who return to the classroom as teachers are often asked “what drove your decision to be a teacher?”
This lecture, through a series of anecdotal stories noting the events and people that have been most influential, will examine this question both more deeply and more broadly. In the end, perhaps the question above is at best polite conversation and at worst mere small-talk. Uncontrollable circumstances “drive” decisions; choices, however, are much more complex. Perhaps then, there are better questions to be asked.
Why would someone with years of professional experience or someone just out of college choose to return to education, choose to teach? How does this affect the style and quality of their teaching? How does this affect their students? Are the keys to being a successful teacher any different than the keys to having a successful career in other fields? Why is all of this important?
This lecture will examine all of these issues through the journey and from the
perspective of one student who after a successful career in engineering returned
to teaching.
Bio:
Todd’s family moved from Chapel Hill, North
Carolina, to Richmond, Virginia prior to his freshman year of high school. He
attended the University of Virginia, and transferred to the University of
Richmond where he graduated with a degree in Mathematical Sciences in 1985. He
earned his Master of Engineering degree in Systems Engineering and Certificate
of Studies in Manufacturing Systems from the University of Virginia in 1994.
Todd married Kelly Wycall in July of 1986. Kelly is an Assistant Vice President of IT Application Development at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. They have two sons, TJ (17) and Trevor (12) and keep busy being involved in their sons’ many extra-curricular activities such as basketball, swimming, soccer, and music.
Todd’s professional career has taken many diverse and challenging paths. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree Todd worked as a Nuclear Control Room Operator for Virginia Power at the North Anna Nuclear Power Station. He received his Reactor Operator’s license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1991 and continued to work for Virginia Power while completing work on his Master’s degree. In 1994, Todd accepted a position at Virginia Power corporate headquarters with the Emergency Preparedness Department. In 1996, he transferred to the Nuclear Engineering Department.
In June of 1999, Todd decided to leave the Nuclear Power industry to become a full-time stay home Dad. During this time he was very involved in his sons’ schools as a volunteer and also coached the freshman basketball team at Godwin High School. In 2004, Todd accepted a position as a teacher at Mills Godwin High School and Specialty Center for Science, Mathematics, and Technology.
Todd continues to enjoy teaching at Godwin, where in addition to teaching AP Statistics, Trigonometry/Pre-Calculus, and Math Modeling he is also the coach of the freshman basketball team and sponsor of the Math Modeling Club. He feels that the diversity of his background and experiences help bring about a different atmosphere and application for all of his students.
Speaker:
Associate Professor of Computer Science
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Title:
Abstract: It is well known that enrollments in Computer Science and Engineering programs have decreased significantly from their peak in 2000. One popular idea to increase the number of students entering these programs is to incorporate robots into the curriculum. The thought is to teach the problem solving skills necessary in the major by apply them to a robot. I attended a workshop this summer where some faculty at several institutions have developed a low-cost robot for educational purposes. They envision students buying one of these robots for about the same price as a textbook. They have also created a textbook for CS1 and CS2 that is freely available on their web site. In this colloquium I will describe the robot and some of its capabilities. This past summer a student, Anthony Regner worked on characterizing some of the robots sensors and he will present his work and give a demonstration of the robot in action.
Bio: Paul Hemler has been an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Hampden-Sydney College for the past four years. Prior to joining HSC, Professor Hemler was an Assistant Professor in Medical Engineering and Computer Science at Wake Forest University for nine years. Professor Hemler has also been a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University and a Member of the Technical Staff at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. Professor Hemler received his doctorate in Electrical and Computer Engineering from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC.
Speaker:
Dr. Brian Lins
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Title: Nonnegative Matrices
Abstract: Nonnegative matrices are n-by-n matrices with all nonnegative entries. I will talk about some of the amazing properties that these matrices posses. Along the way, I will introduce the notion of Hilbert's projective metric and explain how it can be used to derive many of the best known properties of nonnegative matrices. If I have time, I hope to discuss some of the applications of nonnegative matrices such as the Google page rank algorithm.
Bio: Brian came to Hampden-Sydney after teaching for a year as a visiting professor at Dickinson College. A Virginia native, Brian attended William and Mary as an undergraduate. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics from Rutgers University, and his thesis focused on applications of Hilbert's projective metric to positive operators (which are nonlinear generalizations of nonnegative matrices).
Speaker:
Assistant Professor
Title: Fretting—The Math Behind It
Abstract: Historically, makers of musical instruments used simple geometric methods to place frets on stringed instruments in order to achieve near-equal temperament. A study of the underlying mathematics, especially the link to continued fractions, reveals why they have surprisingly high accuracy. In this talk, I will explore a few of these methods.
Bio: Dr. Bhattacharya completed her PhD in mathematics at the University of Virginia and has been teaching at Randolph-Macon College ever since. She is also trained in Indian classical music. Lately she has been merging her interests in mathematics and music and is currently teaching an interdisciplinary math-music course for freshmen.
Speaker:
Assistant Professor, Mathematics - Sciences
Title: Pleading the Fifth: Euclid's Parallel Postulate
Abstract: Geometry was created to solve concrete problems in the lives of ancient People. Euclid of Alexandria first organized it as a rigorous axiomatic system. He based his system on five assumptions. The fifth of these, his fifth postulate, has captured the interest of geometers for thousands of years. I will discuss several different notions of geometry, how they relate to Euclid's Parallel Postulate, and how well they describe the world around us.
Bio: Dr. Robbins is in his first year as an Assistant Professor at Gettysburg College. He came there from St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he worked after finishing his degree at Duke University. He studies singular negative mass solutions to general relativity.