Computer Science | Grinnell College

TUESDAY, October 10, 2017
4:15 p.m. in Science 3821
Refreshments at 4:00 p.m. in the Computer Science Commons (Science 3817)

Come meet with Wes Beary '05, Cassie Koomjian '05, Terian Koscik '12, Alex Leach '06, and Ian Young '08, the alumni mentors for CSC 321. They will discuss issues they have encountered as computing professionals and answer questions you have about life after Grinnell.

This week’s CS Table will feature a panel of students that attended the Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) of Women in Computing last week. They will share their experiences at the conference as well as give advice on how to get the most out of your conference experience if you attend such a conference in the future.

View the GHC website for more information on the conference

• Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing

Computer science table (CS Table) is a weekly meeting of Grinnell College community members (students, faculty, staff, etc.) interested in discussing topics related to computing and computer science. CS Table meets Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00pm in JRC 224A (inside the Marketplace). Contact the CS faculty for the weekly reading. Students on meal plans, faculty, and staff are expected to cover the cost of their meals. Visitors to the College and students not on meal plans can charge their meals to the department (sign in at the JRC front desk).

This week in CS Table we’ll hear from several Grinnell students who attended the ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing two weeks ago in Atlanta. They will be discussing their experiences at the conference and share advice on how to get the most of your time at a computing conference like Tapia. We will also have a broader discussion about why we have a conference like Tapia and its importance for computing.

Brief readings to give you context for the discussion

• Richard Tapia Bio
• Tapia conference website
• Tapia conference schedule

Computer science table (CS Table) is a weekly meeting of Grinnell College community members (students, faculty, staff, etc.) interested in discussing topics related to computing and computer science. CS Table meets Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00pm in JRC 224A (inside the Marketplace). Contact the CS faculty for the weekly reading. Students on meal plans, faculty, and staff are expected to cover the cost of their meals. Visitors to the College and students not on meal plans can charge their meals to the department (sign in at the JRC front desk).

Thursday, October 5, 2017
4:15 p.m. in Science 3821
Refreshments at 4:00 p.m. in the Computer Science Commons (Science 3817)

Graduate School in Computer Science

Professors Anya Vostinar, Charlie Curtsinger, Peter-Michael Osera and Titus Klinge will discuss what graduate school in computer science is like, why you might consider it, and how to choose and apply to graduate programs. The panel discussion will include ample time for questions, so come prepared with your own questions.

Thursday, September 21, 2017
4:15 p.m. in Science 3821
Refreshments at 4:00 p.m. in the Computer Science Commons (Science 3817)

Off-Campus Study for CS Majors: Why, how, and where?

Professor Weinman will lead a discussion about study abroad and how it fits into a CS major and what it can mean for your liberal education. Staff from the Off-Campus Study Office will also be on hand to to help answer your questions. Second-year students should plan to attend if possible, and first-year students are strongly encouraged to attend. All CS students who have studied abroad are also encouraged to attend.

We will discuss the ethical decisions that machines have to make as automation plays a larger role in society, and we will examine some of the ways that machines are already making ethical decisions. We have two readings for the upcoming discussion:

• Can You Program Ethics Into a Self-Driving Car? N. Goodall. IEEE Spectrum, 31 May 2016.
• Why Machine Ethics? C. Allen, W. Wallach, and I. Smit. IEEE Intelligent Systems, July/August 2006.

Computer science table (CS Table) is a weekly meeting of Grinnell College community members (students, faculty, staff, etc.) interested in discussing topics related to computing and computer science. CS Table meets Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00pm in JRC 224A (inside the Marketplace). Contact the CS faculty for the weekly reading. Students on meal plans, faculty, and staff are expected to cover the cost of their meals. Visitors to the College and students not on meal plans can charge their meals to the department (sign in at the JRC front desk).

Note: we return to our usual conference room in the 2nd floor of the JRC dining hall starting this week (JRC224B)

This week in CS table we’ll be exploring doxing, the public broadcasting of someone's personally identifiable information (PII) publicly, usually through the internet.  Doxing is frequently associated (negatively) with Internet vigilantism and hacktivism, i.e., using PII to harass or extort an individual en mass.  Why do people dox others?  How easy is it to dox someone?  Is there ever a time or place where doxing is an acceptable action?  Think about these questions as you read these selected articles on doxing and protecting your PII on the internet.

• Nellie Bowles.  How ‘Doxxing’ Became a Mainstream Tool in the Culture Wars.  The New York Times.  8/30/2017.
• Joseph Cox.  I was taught to dox by a master.  The Daily Dot.  1/6/2016.
• Patrick Klepek.  How To Protect Your Information From The Internet.  Kotaku.  1/26/2015.
• S.E. Smith.  Anonymous is doxing KKK members (and I’m OK with it).  The Daily Dot.  11/17/2014.

Computer science table (CS Table) is a weekly meeting of Grinnell College community members (students, faculty, staff, etc.) interested in discussing topics related to computing and computer science. CS Table meets Tuesdays from 12:00–1:00pm in JRC 224B (inside the Marketplace). Contact the CS faculty for the weekly reading. Students on meal plans, faculty, and staff are expected to cover the cost of their meals. Visitors to the College and students not on meal plans can charge their meals to the department (sign in at the JRC front desk).

We begin CS Table with our standard meet-and-greet and discussion of current events in technology and society; there is no reading for this initial meeting. As a reminder, CS Table is the CS department’s lunch discussion group for issues at the intersection technology and society. You don’t need to be a CS major to join the discussion!

The first CS Table of the year will meet at 12:00-1:00pm on August 29 in the Whale Room in the JRC Marketplace. (The Whale Room is the big room in the back of the dining hall.)

Computer science table (CS Table) is a weekly meeting of Grinnell College community members (students, faculty, staff, etc.) interested in discussing topics related to computing and computer science. CS Table meets Tuesdays from 12:00-1:00pm in the JRC Marketplace. Contact the CS faculty for the weekly reading. Students on meal plans, faculty, and staff are expected to cover the cost of their meals. Visitors to the College and students not on meal plans can charge their meals to the department (sign in at the JRC front desk).

Thursday, August 31, 2017
4:15 p.m. in Science 3821
Refreshments at 4:00 p.m. in the Computer Science Commons (Science 3817).
Everyone is welcome to attend!

Non-Compete and Non-Disclosure Agreements: What Students Need to Know Before Signing Employment Agreements

Many companies, particularly in technology fields, require student interns and new full-time employees to sign employment agreements. While these agreements typically cover items such as start date, salary, title, and benefits, they also may include clauses that could have long-range serious impacts on the employee's future career choices. Julie Foster will introduce students to these clauses, what they should be aware of, and questions they should ask prior to signing such agreements. Ms. Foster is Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Career Communities at Grinnell College's Center for Careers, Life, and Service.

• Jonathan Andrew Ackmann (Hill Distinguished Award in Music)
• Toby Elizabeth Baratta
• Larry Boateng Asante
• Marcel Claude Champagne
• Zhi Chen
• Anita Lynn DeWitt
• Alexander Gene French
• Charlie Alexander Gao
• Gregory Erickson Garcia
• Erin Corinne Gaschott
• Leah Morgan Greenberg
• Seth David Hadas Hanson
• Madeleine Mitchell Hardt (with honors)
• Amanda Sharon Hinchman-Dominguez
• Adam Bradley Hudson
• Yazan Alexander Kittaneh
• Nicolas Stephen Knoebber
• Tristan Joseph Knoth
• Christopher Michael Kottke (ACS Physical Chemistry Award)
• David Nathaniel Kraemer
• Ajuna Sharon Kyaruzi (with honors)
• Brandon C. Lederhouse
• Kevin Lee
• Fengyuan Li
• Ying Long (with honors)
• Abraham Hani Mhaidli (with honors)
• Alexander Christopher Mitchell (with honors)
• Giang Hiền Nguyễn (with honors)
• Uzodinma Chiagozie Nwike
• Michael Kofi Owusu
• Linda Ngozi Oyolu
• Corey Anthony Simmonds
• Nikolas Yoshinao Takayesu
• Sarah Campney Trop
• Marios Tsekitsidis
• Ruth Wu
• Muhammad Samee Zahid
• Harriet Ponder Zucker (with honors; Henry-York Steiner Interdisciplinary Art History Prize)