SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Brent Lagasse receives NSF funded International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) grant

Smart cities are becoming a modern way of collecting and processing information, providing decision makers a better understanding of the complex interactions of people and services in a city. However, issues such as utilization of data from untrusted sources or manipulation of data present a risk. 

Brent Lagasse, an assistant professor in the Computing & Software Systems Division at the University of Washington Bothell, is working on a Smart City Research Project "Secure Crowdsensing for Improving Smart City Applications" that seeks to improve security properties with an International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) grant ($299,030 over three years) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). UW Bothell currently offers an undergraduate and graduate degree option in cybersecurity: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science & Software Engineering with an Information Assurance & Cybersecurity option, and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Engineering. 

Each year, the grant will provide funding for three cohorts of five students (ten weeks each) to travel and conduct research at the University of Bamberg, Germany. They will research ways to utilize crowd sourced information while protecting the city from malicious users who might spy on them through their data. Students will test and build defense mechanisms and privacy enhancing technologies using combinations of game theory and machine learning. 

The University of Bamberg operates a Smart City Living Laboratory using sensors throughout Bamberg, Germany that collects information such as noise levels, CO2 levels and the number of people in a particular area. This data will allow students and Lagasse to validate the effectiveness of their security systems.  

With the opportunity to conduct hands-on research at the University of Bamberg, this research will pursue safer, more intelligent smart cities with the potential to improve energy efficiency, communication, transportation and public health.

WINTER 2019

Thomas Humphries and Dong Si receive UW Royalty Research Fund

In the field of tomography (CT) imaging, there is a lot of interest in reducing radiation exposure to patients. Currently this can be achieved by collecting less X-ray data or by using a lower X-ray beam intensity, but both of these approaches degrade the quality of the reconstructed CT image.

Thomas Humphries, Engineering & Mathematics assistant professor, and Dong Si, Computing & Software Systems assistant professor, will explore this research area thanks to a $32,676 UW Royalty Research Fund (RRF) grant for their project “Deep Learning for Computed Tomography Image Reconstruction”. Their project is about using deep learning to improve the quality of computed CT images, so that patients are safer without sacrificing quality image results.

“The idea behind deep learning is to train an artificial neural network to look at the degraded image and produce a more accurate one. Our project is investigating different approaches towards doing this for a variety of challenging imaging scenarios,” said Humphries.

In addition to making contributions to the fields of CT imaging and deep learning, this project aims to provide students with exposure to methods in machine learning that will make them more competitive in the job market after graduation. Several UW Bothell students have focused their capstone projects in this research area, and as part of the RRF they will be hiring two UW Bothell undergraduate students to work with them full time over the summer.

AUTUMN 2018

Professor of Practice Arnie Lund, connecting to industry in the community

Arnie Lund, professor of practice for the CSS division of the School of STEM, uses his extensive experience within the tech industry to prepare students for the evolving needs of the trade. Throughout his career, he has worked for various companies such as Bell Labs, Ameritech, US West Advanced, Technologies, and Sapient, Microsoft, GE Global Research, and Amazon leading teams of software engineers through different stages of their careers.

“My current role is about leveraging that 38 years of industry experience to provide students a window into their future career, and strategies for managing those careers,” said Lund.

In 2018 he focused on the transition from the tech industry to academia. During fall quarter, he taught CSS and IMD students about the generative phase of the design process in integrative studio practicum, software engineering, and principles of human-computer interaction. Lund works on bringing an industrial perspective to his classroom as he collaborates with colleagues from previous companies and new connections to guest lecture on campus.

His goal as the professor of practice is to continue “building bridges between that world of working in software engineering in the tech industry and efforts in STEM.” Lund is developing a new course called Usability and User-Centered Design and will be supporting more independent studies, capstones, and thesis committees. In addition, he has worked on gathering a CSS advisory board. The board consists of a dozen representatives from a variety of computing and software companies. The board’s first meeting will take place for the first time this winter.  

Lund explains the board’s mission is to “grow the relationship between the UW Bothell School of STEM CSS program and industry and community partners, in order to promote collaborative research, the exchange of expertise, shape the CSS program to better prepare and support students seeking careers in industry, and to advance strategic initiatives.”