SCIENCE IN A SHELL

The E-newsletter of the UMD College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences

APRIL 2019

New Simulator Aims to Improve Safety of Self-driving Vehicles Before Road Testing

Computer Science's Dinesh Manocha helped develop technology that combines photos, videos, real-world trajectory and behavioral information into a scalable, realistic autonomous driving simulator.
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College Innovators Honored with Three 2019 Invention of the Year Awards Physics' Christopher Monroe and colleagues received Startup of the Year and Overall Invention of the Year awards. Computer Science's Amitabh Varshney and colleagues were awarded Invention of the Year in Information Sciences. More »	Computer Science's Mohammad Hajiaghayi Won Prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship Hajiaghayi, one of 168 winners chosen from almost 3,000 applicants, will receive funding to continue his research on algorithms for big graphs and game theory. More »


Three Undergraduate Science Terps Selected for 2019 Fulbright Program Biological sciences majors Kurt Auville and Annie Trang and computer science major Louis-Henri Merino received the award. More »	Undergraduate Science Terps Placed Ninth in International Math Competition UMD was one of only three U.S. public universities to place in the top 10 at the 2018 William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition. More »


Radioactive Material Detected Remotely Using Laser-induced Electron Avalanche Breakdown Physics' Howard Milchberg led the technology’s development, which could be scaled up to improve security at ports of entry. More »	Alligator Study Revealed Insight into Dinosaur Hearing Biology's Catherine Carr found that alligators map sound the way birds do, suggesting the hearing strategy existed in their common ancestor, archosaurs. More »


Warm Winds in Autumn Could Strain Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf ESSIC's Rajashree Tri Datta led a study that showed an unusual three-year spike in late-season surface melt due to bursts of warm, dry wind from the Antarctic Peninsula’s mountains. More »	Iribe Initiative for Inclusion and Diversity in Computing Launched With a new $1M gift from Brendan Iribe, the initiative builds on current programming by the Maryland Center for Women in Computing and emphasizes inclusion for students of all genders and backgrounds. More »

For more in-depth stories, read
Odyssey

go.umd.edu/odyssey


Europa: The Search for Life (Video)	Weber Memorial Garden Dedication (Photos)	Maryland Blended Reality Center (Video)

Tues.

APR 30

Science on Tap

Join us for our monthly lecture series at MilkBoy ArtHouse. Cell Biology & Molecular Genetics’ Anne Simon will tell us about her quest to save the worldwide citrus industry from a devastating, incurable disease. More »

Wed.

MAY 1

Bill Nye vs. the Asteroids

Bill Nye of The Planetary Society and NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Jim Green will lead a panel of asteroid scientists from the IAA Planetary Defense Conference to discuss the risk of asteroid impact and possible mitigation strategies. The event is free but tickets are required. More »

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