News & Events: February 7, 2012

News & Events: Week of February 6, 2012

February 8: CEAS seminar: Face Modeling and Analysis Using Computer Vision Techniques for Biometrics, Biomedical, and Robotic Applications

Faculty and students are invited to attend the 2012 Conference on Earth and Energy Research in March

You’re invited to attend a free RTP Company Imagineering Plastics Workshop

The 2013 President’s Teaching and Learning Collaborative is accepting research proposals

Register Now for the CU Women Succeeding Symposium Feb 23-24

Colorado Weigh classes coming to Denver Campus—last chance to register

If you have news and events you’d like to share with the college, contact Erica Lefeave at erica.lefeave@ucdenver.edu.

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February 8 CEAS seminar: Face Modeling and Analysis Using Computer Vision Techniques for Biometrics, Biomedical, and Robotic Applications

College of Engineering and Applied Science
Spring 2012 Seminar Series
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
10 a.m., NC 2607/09

Face Modeling and Analysis Using Computer Vision Techniques for Biometrics, Biomedical, and Robotic Applications

Mohammad Mahoor
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
University of Denver

Abstract
One of the important capabilities of a human perception system is to recognize other people faces and understand their emotional expressions. In the past four decades computer scientists and engineers have developed successful facial recognition algorithms. There are two major reasons for this enormous interest on facial recognition: 1) one is the existence of a large number of forensic, security, and commercial applications; 2) the other reason is the demand for design of human computer/robot interactions in multimedia communication systems. For example, using automated facial expressions recognition, new generation of robots can understand their users’ emotions and adjust and react accordingly. One of the emerging research areas that benefit from such technology is robot therapy where robots aim at improving human social life. In this talk, I will give an overview of my research activities in the area of human face modeling and analyzing using computer vision techniques for applications such as biometrics, child emotion development (autistic children) and design of the new generation of humanoid robots for therapeutic applications. In support of this research, I have received an award from NSF in collaboration with CU Boulder and CU Denver Medical School which we aim to develop and use humanoid robots called Companionbots for Proactive Therapeutic Dialog on Depression.

At the end of this seminar, Dr. Mahoor and his students will give a demo of NAO, a commercial humanoid robot, which he uses in his research.

Bio.
Dr. Mahoor received the MSc degree in biomedical engineering from Sharif University of technology, Tehran in 1998 and his PhD from the University of Miami (UM), Florida in 2007 in the area of computer vision and pattern recognition. He then worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the department of psychology of UM where he received the Marino Autism Research Institute award for his research on facial expressions analysis of children with Autism. Dr. Mahoor joined the University of Denver in August 2008 where he is currently a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

He has established the image processing and computer vision lab at DU and has received over $1M grants from NSF. His research concentration is on developing automated algorithms for facial image recognition for applications such as biometrics, human-robot interface, and children behavior analysis.  He has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers in prestigious national and international journals and conferences.

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Faculty and students are invited to attend the 2012 Conference on Earth and Energy Research in March

We would like to invite you, your students, and your colleagues at University of Colorado – Denver to participate in the 2012 Conference on Earth and Energy Research (CEER) hosted by the Colorado School of Mines Graduate Student Association on March 28-29, 2012.

CEER is an innovative conference experience designed by graduate students for graduate students.

As graduate students, we have the opportunity to present at technical conferences within our respective research fields. Rarely do these conferences have a platform for providing constructive feedback, helping us grow as presenters and network with other budding scholars. Through CEER, we are aiming to provide graduate students with a novel platform to showcase cutting-edge research.

For Graduate and Undergraduate Presenters

• Real-time, quantitative feedback from judges (available immediately after presentations)
• 90-second “slam speech” sessions during lunch (scored by judges)
• Prizes for the best oral and poster presentations (including a MacBook Pro and iPad)

For Graduate and Undergraduate Students

• Learn about graduate research opportunities
• Tours of CSM research laboratories

For Professors and Scientists

• Volunteer as a judge to provide feedback to students on their presentation skills
• Network with other judges from industry, government, and academia

For Everyone

• Attend topical oral and poster sessions showcasing current graduate research
• PhD Comics Movie Screening
• Keynote Speaker Dr. Margaret Murnane, Physicist and Professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder
• Plenary Speaker Dr. Jennifer Miskimins, Associate Professor at the Colorado School of Mines

We are focusing this year’s Conference on the five key research themes at Mines: Earth, Energy, Environment, Materials, and Systems Engineering. Poster sessions will be available for each topic, and topical oral sessions will be selected to best suit the abstracts we receive.

Visit http://www.ceerconference.org/ for more information. This webpage can be used to register for the conference, or to submit an abstract (note: abstract submission is only available to students after registration is received).

For questions, please contact Cericia at Cericia@ceerconference.org.

We also welcome undergraduate students who are considering a graduate education and would benefit from experiencing these research presentations. Our abstract submission deadline is February 14, 2012.

We hope to see you there, and thank you in advance for your consideration.
Best wishes,
Cericia Martinez, CEER Conference Chair
Graduate Vice-President, Colorado School of Mines
Zach Aman, Graduate President, Colorado School of Mines
Erich Hoover, Graduate Academic Chair, Colorado School of Mines

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Attend a free RTP Company Imagineering Plastics Workshop

The RTP Company is a compounder of engineered thermoplastic materials for injection molded and extruded components in a wide variety of applications. Our materials are used in many industries, including healthcare, automotive, defense & aerospace, electronics, energy, and consumer. Our business model is to provide tailored materials for thermoplastic components by providing application-specific solutions, from the concept, to the design, and finally to the manufacturing process stage of the project.

As mentioned we will be holding a Technical Workshop at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center on Tufts Avenue in Denver, Colorado, on Thursday, March 8^th. As a global market manager, and one of the Denver local representatives of RTP Company, I am reaching out to educators and students at University of Colorado Denver that might benefit from the sessions that we will be presenting here. Our sessions are free of charge and are presented by the actual R&D engineers that have developed the formulations that our company produces for real-world applications. We have designed these presentations so that everyone, from someone that has little engineering background but has some exposure to materials, manufacturing, or part design, to a polymer scientist or an engineer will find them interesting and beneficial.

Below is a link to more information on the Workshop and registration. We would be happy to host as many CU Denver Engineering and Technology students that could attend our seminar and workshop. We will be serving a complimentary continental breakfast, and lunch as a token of appreciation. Please, contact me if you have any questions.

Best regards,

Ed Alvarez
Global Market Manager
RTP Company
(303) 670-8820
ealvarez@rtpcompany.com

Workshop PDF

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The 2013 President’s Teaching and Learning Collaborative is accepting research proposals

The CU system is accepting research proposals for the 2013 President’s Teaching and Learning Collaborative from now through June 1, 2012. For more information, visit http://www.colorado.edu/ptsp/ptlc/PTLCCall2013.html.

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Register Now for the CU Women Succeeding Symposium Feb 23-24

CU Women Succeeding 10th Annual Professional Development Symposium
“Building Community”
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Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24, 2012
University of Colorado Boulder
Please plan to join the CU Faculty Council Women’s Committee for two days of learning, networking and celebrating on the CU Boulder campus.  This year’s symposium features both a Thursday evening networking event and a Friday symposium.  Both events are free for the CU community, including both faculty and staff.

Pre-Symposium Networking Event
Thursday, February 23
5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
University Memorial Center, Room 235

Enjoy dinner and a networking opportunity through Network Café where you can meet women in academia and the CCW Women’s Advocacy Award recipients.  The evening will conclude with folklorist Sandra Mizumoto Posey sharing timeless lessons about leadership do’s and don’ts.

CU Women Succeeding Symposium
Friday, February 24
7:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
University Memorial Center, Glenn Miller Ballroom

Friday begins with a keynote address from Marcy Benson, who has served under two Presidents during a 19-year career in Washington D.C.  and is a member of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Board of Trustees and co-chair of the Creating Futures campaign.

The symposium theme is “Building Community” and there are 21 information-packed sessions to choose from.  Topics range from tips on negotiating, how to be politically savvy at CU, traveling the hormone highway, civil behaviors in the workplace, sexism, stress reduction, mentoring, and management – just to name a few!  You’ll also hear an inspiring talk from the 2012 Gee Award recipient, an individual who advocates for women and continually works to improve the climate for women at CU.

This is a free event for faculty and staff, and breakfast and lunch are included! Register soon – space is limited and seats are filling quickly!  Registration will close on Friday, February 17th.  Click here to register and get more information about this event:  www.cu.edu/facultycouncil/women/symposium/index.html

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Colorado Weigh classes coming to Denver Campus—last chance to register

Be Colorado is bringing the very popular Colorado Weigh program to the downtown Denver campus with a subsidized Phase 1 class starting in February.  The class is open to all University of Colorado faculty and staff.

Colorado Weigh is a unique 12-week weight loss and long-term maintenance program, taught by registered dietitians.  It puts into practice the world renowned research done at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the area of weight management.  The classes will take place from 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. on Thursdays, from February 9 – May 3, excluding Spring Break, in the Lawrence Street Center.

Colorado Weigh is intended for faculty and staff who have at least 5-10% of their starting weight to lose in order to achieve a healthy BMI of less than 25.  If you would like to calculate your BMI, you can do so by going to http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.

This class is designed for you to be successful.  Behavioral economics research shows that participants who pay for a weight loss class are better motivated, prepared and have lower attrition than those who don’t have some “skin in the game.”  The cost for the Phase 1 class is $240 for University of Colorado Health and Welfare Trust plan participants and $295 for all others. This is a substantial discount from the regular price of $349.  In addition, Trust plan participants can receive a $100 rebate for meeting attendance and logging goals. Trust plans include Kaiser (exempt employees only), UANet, Lumenos, HMO Colorado, and Medicare Primary. The class will be paid through payroll deduction in the amount of $50 per month, until the class is paid in full.

Take this convenient, low-cost and effective class so you, too, can meet your weight loss goals.  To sign up, go to http://www.becolorado.org/.  Classes are capped at 25 participants and they fill quickly, so sign up today!  

For more details on the Colorado Weigh program, go to http://www.coloradoweigh.com/. Email questions to risa.heywood@cu.edu.