Departmental alumni newsletter

Transcription

1 Departmental alumni newsletter For Alumni from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (W&I). March 2009 Foreword from the dean The intention of the Department Board to breathe new life into the alumni policy is beginning to bear fruit. This newsletter is an example in kind. For the Department it is important to stay in contact with its alumni, for every alumnus is a potential ambassador of one of our study programs. Another aspect is that we hope to get feedback from our alumni on the extent to which we prepare students for the labor market: this is of essential importance to us in the further development of our programs. In the period just behind us there have been various meetings of the boards of alumni associations, and it has turned out that there is still a need to meet each other regularly after the study and to keep in touch. The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (W&I) will do everything within its power to make this possible. Prof. dr. K.M. van Hee Alumni news The Mathematics and Computer Science Department has four alumni associations, VIE (alumni Computer Science), WIRE (alumni Industrial and Applied Mathematics), XOOTIC (alumni Computer Science, postgraduates) and AIMe (alumni Mathematics, postgraduates). As the Department cherishes a good relation with its graduates, Marloes van Lierop (Departmental alumni contact person Computer Science), Yves Houben (PR officer), Wil Linders (departmental coördinator Alumni Affairs) and Cor Hurkens (Departmental alumni contact person Mathematics) have been working for several months now on the development of a new alumni policy, which is done in close collaboration with the above alumni associations, of course. This newsletter is one of the results springing from their efforts, but other changes have been set in motion too. Thus, the alumni associations have been merged into one federative consultation, which is supported by the Department. At present the members administrations of all alumni associations are being converted to Alumni net. All in all, the alumni associations count some 1600 registered members, including a growing group of foreign alumni, which explains why this newsletter appears in an English-language version. In addition, the Department has started to recruit departmental ambassadors among the group of foreign alumni with the aim of setting up an international network. The first ambassadors are: Vryan Palma from the Philippines, Master Industrial and applied Mathematics (Computational Science and Engineering) Patricia Fuentes Montoya from Colombia, Master Embedded Systems Chibuzo Obi, from Nigeria, Master Industrial and Applied Mathematics (Discrete Mathematics and Applications) If you are interested in becoming an (international) ambassador please send an to: Wil Linders (w.t.a.linders@tue.nl)

2 Alumnus in the spotlight Patricia Fuentes Montoya I earned my Bachelor s degree in Electronics Engineering at Universidad del Norte in my home country, Colombia. I came to the Netherlands in the summer of 2006 to follow the Master of Science program in Embedded Systems at Eindhoven University of Technology. I chose to follow my graduate studies at TU/e because it is one of the most prestigious universities of technology in Europe. Moreover, it was very attractive for me to live in Eindhoven, which is considered to be a center of advanced technology. Studying at the TU/e was a great experience for my career. During my Master program, I understood why the TU/e is thought to be a high-level university of technology. The theoretical rigor of the Master programs, together with the emphasis on practical assignments during the program, definitively promotes the professional development of the students. In addition, the latest technological developments were the topic not only during the theoretical lectures, but also during the lab sessions. I am very glad I had the opportunity to study at the TU/e! In addition to the academic experience, studying in the Netherlands was also a wonderful personal experience for me. The TU/e has an international and multicultural community. I met friends from all over the world, and I learned a lot about cultural differences. During my studies, I also got the chance to practice one of my hobbies in Europe: traveling. Moreover, I got the opportunity to learn about Dutch culture, which is very different from mine; Dutch people are more direct and pragmatic. Now, I am a more open-minded and independent person. While studying, the possibility of working for one of the many high-tech companies in the Netherlands attracted me so strongly that I decided to stay here. I have been working as a Software Programmer at TOPIC Embedded Systems for a few months. The experience has been excellent so far. People at the company are very friendly, and there is a great working environment. More important, I have the opportunity to work in different challenging projects at different high-tech companies. Also, I am getting the support from the company and my colleagues to enhance my knowledge of the Dutch language. Alumni New Year Reception 2009 On 17 January 2009 at hours the joint alumni associations WIRE, VIE, XOOTIC and AIME organized a New Year Reception for the first time. It was held in grand café de Zwarte Doos. The 46 alumni present were treated to a special surprise, namely a merry and energetic percussion workshop that lasted more than an hour. Afterwards there was plenty of time to catch up, of course, over a snack and a drink. Considering the many positive reactions this new setup is bound to be repeated again next year, hopefully with another splashing surprise.

3 Activities Colloquium Computer Science Every two weeks there is a Computer Science colloquium, in the Hoofdgebouw, hall 6.96, from to hours on Thursday afternoon. The target group for this is: the staff members of Computer Science, AIOs and OIOs of Computer Science, students of Computer Science, other interested people. The idea behind this colloquium is that we wish to give everyone the opportunity to keep abreast of the various kinds of research going on at our institute. That explains why most speakers are from our own ranks, while an effort is made to achieve a good equilibrium for the various groups. In particular, we want to make it possible for people who obtain doctoral degrees and for newly appointed staff members to speak at the colloquium. FM2009, 16th International Symposium on Formal Methods Eindhoven, the Netherlands, November 2 - November 6, 2009 FM2009 is the sixteenth symposium in a series of the Formal Methods Europe association (FME). The symposium will be organized as a world congress. Ten years after FM 99 in Toulouse, the first world congress, the formal methods communities from all over the world will again have the opportunity to meet. Therefore, FM2009 will be both an occasion to celebrate, and a platform for enthusiastic researchers and practitioners from a diversity of backgrounds and schools to exchange their ideas and share their experience. For more information see; Proximate diploma presentations 20 February April 2009 Master graduates In the period from September 1 st 2008 until February 1 st 2008 the following students graduated: November 4 th 2008 Students Program Supervisors Belkum, J.A.J. van TI P.A.J. Hilbers (BMT) Cranen, S. CSE H.J. Haverkort Esch, R.A.W.M. van IAM L.A.M. Schoenmakers Hermans, F.F.J. CSE H. Zantema Kadermohideen Shahulhameed, A.A. ES P.H.N. de With (E) Meulstee, P.C. BIS M. Pechenizkiy Nijnatten, F.S.B. van CSE A. Wolff Onete, M.C. IAM T. Lange Raemaekers, C.J.M.F.C. CSE A.T.M. Aerts Steine, M. ES A.A. Basten (E) Teeselink, E. CSE A.H.J. Mathijssen Toelen, O.F.L. CSE A.E. Brouwer Verbeek, K.A.B. CSE M.T. de Berg Verhagen, D. TI P.M.E. de Bra Voorneveld, J.E.G. BIS P.M.E. de Bra

4 September 4 th 2008 Students Program Supervisors Maria-Alexandra Contiu Software Technology Tim Willemse Octavian Cota Software Technology Michel Chaudron Stephan Damen Software Technology Johan Lukkien Eve Khmelinskaya Software Technology Rudolf Mak Mehmet Kovacioglu Software Technology Pieter Cuijpers Hristina Moneva Software Technology Christian Lange Sreedevi Pillai Software Technology Wieger Wesselink Mirela Popa Software Technology Pieter Veltkamp Imran Sabir Software Technology Christian Lange Eugen Schindler Software Technology Reinder Bril Dorieke Schipper Software Technology Erik Luit Bo Wang Software Technology Rudolf Mak Mingjian Xu Software Technology Erik Luit December 9 th 2008 Students Program Supervisors Bruijn, R. de CSE C. Huizing Budziak, G. CSE M. Pechenizkiy Kalloe, V.A. ES J.J. Lukkien Leeuw, L.H.P. de CSE R. Kuiper Meer, A.P. van der CSE M. van den Brand Molanus, C.A. BIS J.J. Lukkien Nazir, M.A. ES J.J. Lukkien Xu, T. ES J.J. Lukkien Bijnen, R.M.W.van IAM S.W. Rienstra Cottaar, J. IAM R.M.M. Mattheij Crooy, R.A. INF B.F. van Dongen Eynde M. van BIS A.T.M. Aerts Leijten, P.J.M. BIS K.M. van Hee Nauwelaerts, F. INF A.T.M. Aerts Schellekens, W.F. BIS J.J.M. Trienekens

5 Missing persons We are looking for the present address of the alumni below. If you can help us out, please pass on the data to us by telephone ( ) or via Many thanks in advance. Name Starting year of study Study program F. Polling 1986 Mathematical Engineering Coen Verberk 1991 Mathematical Engineering Roger Janssen 1988 Mathematical Engineering F.H.C. Holland 1990 Mathematics for Industry Sergey Tiourine 1992 Mathematics for Industry S. D. Overbeek 1994 Mathematics for Industry Werner Hoffmans 1994 Mathematics for Industry D.J.P. Lahaye 1994 Mathematics for Industry Claudia Mulder 1997 Mathematics for Industry Ton de Bruijn 1982 Computer Science Robin Brouwer 1996 Computer Science Benny Pinotoan 1986 Computer Science Erwin Derksen 1985 Computer Science S.L. Kuunders 1993 Computer Science Education and research news Prizes Two first-year students from Mathematics and Computer Science, Jorn van der Pol, Technical Mathematics and Marthe Veenis, Technical Computer Science, have both received the Jong Talent Aanmoedigingsprijs 2008 (Young Talent Encouragement prize 2008). This semester some student associations awarded education prizes for the academic year 2007/2008. Student association Cheops gave Bram van Asch the prize for the best lecturer from the Bachelor s program in Architecture. Student association Industria from Technical Business awarded Michiel Hochstenbach the first prize for the first-year subject Calculus 2 and the second prize for Calculus 1. Emiel van Berkum and Jacques Resing received the first prize for the second-year course in Statistics and Stochastic Operations Research. Student association Intermate awarded Sjoerd Rienstra the prize for best lecturer from the first year in the Bachelor s program Technical Innovation. Imran Sabir PDEng, attracted the press with his design for an intelligent baby seat. During his two-year designer s program in Software Technology at the TU/e, Imran worked for Philips Applied Technologies in the technological basis for an intelligent baby seat that contacts directly with the parents via a sensor network, Bluetooth technology, and an Internet connection. The car seat can always give notice to the first-aid services. That is needed because a child in a car seat can in the most extreme case die due to overheating. The students office from Electrical Engineering granted Ruud Pellikaan the prize for the best study material in the first year from the Bachelor s program.

6 This year the TU/e managed to rake in two of the thirty Vici subsidies granted by NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research). Prof. dr. Andrea Fiore from Applied Physics and prof. dr. Remco van der Hofstad from Mathematics & Computer Science are receiving the prestigious subsidy for the further build-up of a research group. Prof. dr. Remco van der Hofstad, professor of Probability and Statistics at the department of Mathematics and Computer Science and research institute EURANDOM, intends to spend the Vici subsidy on research into the mathematical properties of complex networks, such as the Internet. We want to analyze, for instance, why Google is so efficient, and how computer viruses spread, he explains. Apart from this, Van der Hofstad will also focus on social networks: In order to come up with a good vaccination strategy, you need to know how a disease spreads within a social network, and how the spread depends on the properties of that network. Van der Hofstad also intends to make the literature in his field of expertise more accessible. I want to make a kind of Yellow Pages on the Internet, with existing network models and their properties, available for research and education.