Experiments: Potential Participant Sign Up

Experiments involving humans are an important part of Computer Science research. A database of participants has been created to avoid spamming everyone in the general lists, and so that anyone interested can sign up for future experiments.

These experiments are often paid, fun, and often provide an insight into new technologies and devices. Staff within the School of Computer Science, will use the information to help identify potential research participants.

Anyone can sign up at the following address: https://participants.host.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk

Are you interested in using the database for your own experiments? Use the following address:
https://participants.host.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/requestaccess

For more general information, please read the wiki entry: https://research.wiki.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/index.php?title=Participant_database

Or send an e-mail to Participant Database: pdb@cs.st-andrews.ac.uk

Dr Per Ola Kristensson: A visionary that will shape the future

Congratulations to our very own Per Ola Kristensson. Earlier this year he was named as one of the people most likely to change the world by the prestigious MIT Technology Review’s list of Innovators under 35.

Described as visionary he appears, today at number 11 in IMPACT 100, he is a lecturer in Human Computer Interaction here in the School of Computer Science, where he leads the Intelligent Interactive Systems Group.

IMPACT 100 PANEL VIEW:

People like Per Ola Kristensson are the shapers of the future where social interaction and new technology are concerned. Recognition at this level from an organisation like MIT is hugely impressive.

The Usual Suspects

Breaking away from the CS coffee machine at last. Academics from the School subtly advertise Costa sponsorship deal at November Graduation? Surely not!

We reserve the right to protect the confidentiality of our source.

Honorary Professor John Stasko

Professor John Stasko and the Associate Chair of the School of Interactive Computing in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech has been appointed as an Honorary Professor in the School of Computer Science. This appointment comes following a SICSA distinguished visiting fellowship John was awarded. This fellowship allowed John to participate in the SACHI/Big Data Lab summer school in Big Data Information Visulisation in St Andrews. This industry linked summer school has successful paved the way for a new generation of students to explore Data Science and Information Visualisation.

John is a newly elected fellow of the IEEE for his contributions to information visualization, visual analytics and human-computer interaction. Professor Quigley who has known John for the past 14 years and said, “I’m delighted John will join us a honorary Professor here in St Andrews. His world leading research and experience in Information Visualisation will be of great benefit to our staff, students and colleagues across the University. I first met John when I was a PhD student and organiser of a Software Visualisation conference we held in Sydney. Then, as now, his enthusiasm, breath of knowledge and desire to engage and work with others marks him out as a true intellectual thought leader. We hope to see John here regularly in the years ahead and we will be working with him on new projects.”

November Graduation 2013

Congratulations to the Masters Class of 2013, and PhD student Galhenage Perera, who graduated today. Students were invited to a reception in the school to celebrate their achievement with staff, friends and family. Our graduates have moved on to a wide variety of interesting and challenging employment and further study opportunities, and we wish them all well with their future careers.

Industrial Action Next Week

Dear Students,

As you probably know, all three main University trades unions have called for a second strike day on 3 December. Since it’s revision period, not much teaching is scheduled for that day. If you do have a revision tutorial, catch-up lecture or meeting with your supervisor scheduled, we would expect it to go ahead. Unless you hear definitely that it is not happening, please turn up on time as usual.

We can confirm that the Jack Cole and John Honey buildings will be open. Adequate safety cover, including first aiders and fire marshals will be in place.

Steve Linton, Head of School

Success in J.P.Morgan Code for Good Competition 2013

A team of Computer Science students from the University of St Andrews came first in the J.P.Morgan Code for Good Competition 2013

The Coding Challenge was open to all students enrolled fulltime at a university located in the United Kingdom, who are under-graduates or post-graduates and are 18 years of age or over. Teams of 4-6 students competed against each other on behalf of a charity assigned to them in order to provide a technological solution to a problem that the charity faces.

The winning team (four from St Andrews, one from Southampton and one from Warwick) created a solution for Eneza Education, whose mission is to make 50 million kids across rural Africa smarter. In Kiswahili, “eneza” means “to reach” or “to spread,” and the group distributes education through SMS and text based quizzes, tutorials and questions. The team created an Android-based application for teachers and parents, which, when implemented, can quadruple the educational impact for students. The St Andrews team members comprised the following

Alexander Wallar
Chi-Jui Wu
Ilia Shumailov
Valentin Tunev

: The participants

: The winners

: Hard at work

Tales from the Real World

School President James Anderson and Careers Adviser Ben Carter invited recent graduates Matt Hailey, Ali Scott, Craig Garrigan and Steve Lowson back to the School yesterday to share their experience of working in the real world since graduating, with our final year students.

They have been successful in securing positions at highly regarded companies including Sky Scanner, PlanForCloud, NCR and NCC Group. Talks described career paths, roles and responsibilities, professional development and current employment opportunities.

Find out more about using your Computer Science degree and read student case studies on the careers website. Thanks to all for a great afternoon. Yes, cakes were consumed.

Clockwise from top left:
Steve, Ali and Craig prepare to give their talk.
Matt and Ali reminisce in the coffee area.
James, Craig, Stephen, Ben, Ali and Matt joined our final year students for cake and questions.

Industrial Action Today

Dear Students,
As you probably know, all three main University trades unions have called for a withdrawal of labour on 31 October. In the School of Computer Science, we expect that most teaching scheduled that day will take place, and would advise all students to turn up for their lectures as normal, or even better, to turn up a little early just in case.

In particular, we can confirm that the Jack Cole and John Honey buildings will be open. Adequate safety cover, including first aiders and fire marshals will be in place.

Once we know what lectures, if any, have not been delivered, and whether the lecturers intend to cover the missed material themselves, we will make arrangements to fill any gaps. All lecture material should be placed on student resources as normal no later than the following day 1 Nov.

Steve Linton, Head of School

StACS Hackathon hosted by Witlr

StACS will be holding its first big event of the year! It will take place in the MSc Lab in the John Honey building between 7pm and 2am on November 14th. The topic will be data visualization and will be sponsored by Witlr (http://witlr.com/).

There will be free pizza, free hard and soft refreshments, a game room, and snacks available for everybody who participates. This event is open to PAID StACS members only and the challenge will be suitable for all skill levels. Membership may be paid for at the door and costs 3 pounds.

Event details

When: 14th November 2013 19:00 - 15th November 2013 02:00
Where: Honey 110 - MSc Lab

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