News and Events
Power of Algorithms
You can subscribe for daily TEDEd lessons at: http://www.youtube.com/user/tededucation.
In keeping with the spirit of expanding our awareness of how math and science affects our world in IT, the following video recently appeared on the TEDEduction channel on Youtube. It is a fascinating look at how algorithms shape our current society. It's only fifteen minutes long and worth watching.
The speaker, Kevin Slavin, is a self-described "entrepreneur, provocateur, raconteur" who is an IT consultant and teaches at NYU.
ScrumMaster Certification
"Scrum is an iterative and incremental agile software development framework for managing software projects and product or application development." - Wikipedia.org
Because of a growing emphasis on agile project management here at Emory, I've had requests from some of you to bring Brian Rabon back for another 2-day course.
So, on February 18-19, we are offering the ScrumMaster course for $750 per person (50% educational discount) for 12 attendees or $600 per person for 15 attendees.
Please let me know if you're interested in attending; please pass this on to others who might be interested.
- Marisa Benson, Director, PMO
Greening IT
The "Green Swish" indicates stories or ideas emphasizing our Division's efforts to be sustainable.
If you've been to the Village recently you'll have seen the completion of the Emory Village Park. The original design has gone through a number of reiterations, but the water feature has remained a steadfast placement. The landscaping is in and the water is on!
Points of interest: a well to feed the fountain, 350+ feet deep and independent of the county system, an electric 3-hp pump that recirculates the water from the well, tied to Georgia Power, and a cistern that holds upwards of 100 gallons, to water the landscaping in case of drought.
The water feature artist is Ted Kelly, who honors his wife and daughter (both named Mary) with his donation of the water feature. The metal sculpture placed in the water feature is all about Emory...it is made of trolley tracks found when burying the electrical lines. This was a turnaround point for the trolley, whose peak year of passenger service city wide was in 1926.
Of note, nothing really "turned around" except the driver, who would flip a switch and move from one end of the trolley to the other when changing direction. The end of the line was right in front of the Emory Gate, and the last trolley ran it in 1946; the last streetcar service overall ended in 1949. The Trolley sculptor is Druid Hills resident Charles Calhoun and his work was also donated.
So, as Emory Village continues to change, the Alliance to Improve Emory Village (AIEV) have followed through with their emphasis on maintaining community and creating greenspace. They also have honored the past with the Trolley sculpture - here's a picture on the night of the last run (from Emory Magazine, Spring '95).
For more information:
- the AIEV site - http://www.emoryvillage.org/about.htm
- a nice map from 1902 of the Atlanta streetcar network (no stop at Emory then) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nine-Mile_Circle
- an expanded network that includes Emory and a number of other locations - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Atlanta_streetcars_1924.jpg
- Dawn Francis-Chewning, Business Analyst, Academic Technology Services
Onsite Health Screenings Coming Soon
"You may be especially likely to eat high-calorie foods during times of stress, even when you're not hungry." - Edward Creagan, M.D.
The problem with working in the IT field is that our often sedentary jobs lead us towards the duel challenges of stress and weight gain. Often, one problem causes the other. "During times of particularly high stress, we often eat in an attempt to fulfill emotional needs - sometimes called stress eating or emotional eating," says Edward Creagan, an oncologist with the Mayo Clinic.
The new onsite health assessment screenings announced by central HR are a great way to get started on the path of a healthier you. By bringing the testing to our facilities, it saves us significant amounts of time plus gives us incentive to actually get screened. The credit against your deductible/co-insurance or the contribution your health savings account (for HSA Plan members) offers even more incentive.
We will be announcing the upcoming dates for screenings in your email, as well as in the newsletter an news items on the IT website. If you have any questions about the screenings or the financial incentives, please contact Christina Mazzella at christina.mazzella@emory.edu.
Weight Loss Challenge Begins January 7
"One way to get thin is to re-establish a purpose in life." - Cyril Connolly
We are going to do a Weight Loss Challenge between OIT and the College! The initial weigh-in will be January 7, 2013. There will be prizes for the overall winning team, as well as prizes for the winning team from OIT and the College. Stay tuned to your email as specific details will be coming out later this month.
If you know you will be interested in participating, contact me at christina.mazzella@emory.edu.
- Christina Mazzella, Director, HR
Annual OIT Holiday Party
Remember us from last year's party?
The Annual OIT Holiday Party will be held on December 13 at 4:00 p.m. at the Doubletree on Lavista. Food and drink will be provided by Marlow's Tavern, as well as a DJ. This event is usually well-attended so mark your calendars.
To attend, you MUST RSVP no later than December 10! Please RSVP at Survey Monkey. (well, ok, you could still come if you didn't RSVP, but you know the drill...we need a head count for proper ordering.)
Additionally, we are supporting the Emory Hardship Fund and we would appreciate a $2 donation at the door of our event. You can learn more about the fund at: http://www.emory.edu/hardshipfund/.
If you have any questions about the event, contact Jay Flanagan (Infrastructure) at jay.flanagan@emory.edu.