Course highlight: Foundations of Physical Hydrology; Water & Climate

Foundations of Physical Hydrology; Water & Climate

Geological Sciences 58
Environmental Studies 58

Synopsis: Water, its availability and its unique physical properties, is a partner
with solar radiation among the primary agents that drive weather and climate. The
cycling of water through the Earth's environment is the yin and yang of water − a
benefactor sustaining humankind's food supplies, facilitating transportation and
producing power, while conversely an adversary responsible for droughts, floods,
wildfires and landslides. If the climate is changing, then, without doubt, water,
being the most abundant greenhouse gas − far more so than the nearest candidate,
CO2 − will be a principal player in the atmosphere, land processes, in the oceans
and rivers, and in the soil. But, how this role will be played out remains elusive to
science. We first need to understand the "normal" behavior of water-related
processes (rainfall "events", how they affect streamflow, etc.) − even as we need to
understand extreme events. Which of these should be treated as outlying members
of the statistical norm? . . . and which are truly singular and unpredictable? This
course is a qualitative/semi-quantitative introduction to the underlying causes of
floods, droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes in the context of environmental
processes globally driven by the unique character of water, and by its regional
abundance or scarcity. We explore the foundations for understanding the physical
mechanisms by which water is transported throughout a hydrologic system,
emphasizing the fundamental inter-coupling of atmospheric, surface, soil and
ground water. While providing background for future studies, the course is
primarily designed to enable informed citizens to thoughtfully critique and
comment on fundamental issues of water-related public policy. A pre-college math
and physics background is expected.

Jack Hermance
e-mail: John_Hermance@Brown.Edu

Course highlight: APMA2210: Topics in Differential Equations

APMA2210: Topics in Differential Equations
Stability of Noncharacteristic Viscous Boundary Layers
Instructor: Toan Nguyen

Description:
My plan for this course is to discuss asymptotic stability of noncharacteristic boundary layers in gas dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics equations. A main difficulty in the stability analysis is that there is no spectral gap between the imaginary axis and the essential spectrum of the linearized operator about the layer. Standard semi-group methods therefore do not seem to apply and, at best, algebraic temporal decay can be expected in case of stability. Pointwise estimates for the Green function are then useful and sufficient for analysis of the (linear and) nonlinear stability. The general mathematical approach to be covered in the course is the so-called pointwise semi-group or Evans function approach developed by Zumbrun-Howard and Mascia-Zumbrun in their studies of (orbital) asymptotic stability of viscous shock waves. We discuss its application in the context of boundary layers. In particular, I shall discuss in detail the gap/conjugation lemma, the tracking/reduction lemma, construction of the resolvent kernel, the spectral and Evans function theory, and the construction of the Green function with sharp pointwise estimates.

Time permitting, I shall also discuss a few recent developments on stability of boundary layers for a more general class of hyperbolic-parabolic conservation laws in one or multi-dimensional spaces. Certain numerical evidences for stability might as well be demonstrated in the end of the course.

Course Information:
Meeting time: MWF 2 - 2:50pm, B&H 163
Office hours: by appointment

Research Day – sponsored by the Brown Institute for Brain Science

What: Brown University’s Research Day – sponsored by the Brown Institute for Brain Science

When: Friday, August 27, 2010
8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (continental breakfast/check in @ 8:00 a.m.)

Where: Brown University, Sharpe Refectory, Dining Rooms 8 & 9*

Please register for this event at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDdtMG5yZTg5ZjV2aUhhN3NqaW9CMkE6MQ

All research investigators, students, research staff, IRB members and administrators are invited to attend. Guest speakers will talk about their own research and share their experiences from a human research protections perspective.

Speakers will include:

· Sean Deoni, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Engineering
· Leigh R. Hochberg, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Engineering;
· Tara L. White, Ph.D., Assistant Professor (Research)

A.T. Cross Company Opportunities

Founded in 1846, the A.T. Cross Company (ATX on the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC®) is a global branded accessories company based in Lincoln, Rhode Island. Building on a rich tradition of its award-winning writing instruments and reputation for American quality, craftsmanship and service, the Company also markets timepieces, personal accessories, digital pens and polarized sunglasses under the Cross and other brand names. The company’s innovative products appeal to a growing market of consumers who desire distinctive accessories that enhance their image and facilitate their lifestyle.

People who are excited about bringing their sense of style, taste, ideas, and energy to work will find real satisfaction in creating innovative, world-renowned products. Find your place on our team now!

Internships for current students are also available - The contact for this program is Katelin Aguiar, Human Resources Coordinator. She can be reached at 401-333-1200 x2330 and via email at kaguiar@cross.com.

Manager of Technology Development
Requisition Number: 09-10x
Location: Lincoln, RI

Summary
The Manager of Technology Development will provide a strong technical leadership role in Technology Development. Responsible for the formulation, recommendation and direction of Technology Development programs; coordinates internal and external development programs; develops new innovative writing systems, materials, finishes, and their associate processes. Incumbent must have sound knowledge of writing system technologies, processes and procedures, with demonstrable managerial skills in organizing, analyzing, planning and communication. The ability to interact with all levels of the organization is essential.

Technical Competence
• Minimum ten plus years of appropriate technical experience and demonstrated competence in a Research and Development environment. Ability and desire to remain knowledgeable and current in materials, finishes, and writing system disciplines
• Ability to develop and apply advanced engineering theories, methods, and research techniques in the investigation and solution of complex technical problems
• PhD in engineering recommended; Masters Degree required

Leadership
• Ability to lead, motivate, and constructively advise subordinate staff members and supporting team members
• Ability to direct major technology efforts and effectively and efficiently transition best in class technologies into a manufacturable process
• Management skills must include scheduling, budget management, business analysis, and team building as well as frequent technical contributions

Communication Skills
• Excellent verbal and writing skills. Candidate must be able to professionally present technical presentations internally and externally to Cross
• Ability to clearly communicate and document project status and action items to Cross management and patent consul
• Capacity to review and understand corporate and departmental strategies and implement these into the tactics of the project team

PRODUCT DESIGN ENGINEER
Requisition Number: 11-10x
Location: Lincoln, RI

Summary
The Product Design Engineer will be a key contributor in the global and lifestyle oriented New Product Development group. The candidate will work in a fast paced and results oriented environment and will have the ability to develop innovative, mechanically complex and technologically advanced projects to high quality expectations. They will also interface as a team member across internal departments; Marketing, Industrial Design, Model and Tool making as well as the China based manufacturing facilities and China based suppliers to manage multiple projects to new product launches.

Qualified candidates will possess the following:
• B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering or other engineering/design discipline with three plus years experience
• Perform CAD engineering, materials specification and documentation for quality writing instrument designs. Complex surfacing, mechanisms, FEA and CNC prototyping experience or enthusiasm to learn is a plus.
• Work with multiple projects and project teams to specific launch dates. Track vendor and internal deliverables. Interface with Marketing, Design, QA, Purchasing and Planning to establish product direction, design and development of new products. Communicate the status of all projects.
• Work with the China Manufacturing facility to transition new product designs to mass production. Communicate with China based suppliers on sample deliveries and development activities. Manufacturing environment knowledge is a plus. Chinese speaking is a plus. The position requires extended periods of travel to China
• Computer literacy and software experience in the following areas is preferred:
• Computer Aided Design and Engineering; ProEngineer preferred Project management; MS Project preferred MS Office, Outlook, Excel, Word

MANAGER OF ENGINEERING (ASIA)
Requisition Number: 07-10x
Location: Dongguan China

Summary
Based in our facility in Dongguan China, reporting to the Director of Engineering in China, this position provides a strong technical leadership role in both Manufacturing and Product Engineering Development. In addition, this position is responsible for technical support and technical development of all Asian suppliers and partners. Incumbent must have sound knowledge of manufacturing processes including; Manufacturing Assembly, Injection Molding, decorative coating, Elelectroplating, and Engineering Analysis. This position is located in China.


Qualified candidates will possess the following:
Technical Competence
• Minimum five plus years of appropriate technical experience and demonstrated competence in a Manufacturing environment
• Ability to develop and apply advanced engineering theories, methods, and research techniques in the investigation and solution of complex technical problems
• Working knowledge of modern manufacturing and design tools, for example: Process Capability Studies, Six Sigma Practices, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis, and Quality Functional Deployment
• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering; Masters degree preferred or equivalent combination of experience and education
• Ability and desire to remain knowledgeable and current in manufacturing, materials, and finishes

Leadership
• Ability to lead, motivate, and constructively advises Cross’s Asian suppliers and partners.
• Proven ability to lead and manage people
• Ability to direct major manufacturing engineering efforts and effectively and efficiently transition best in class technologies into a manufacturable process
• Demonstrated success with scheduling, budget management, business analysis, project management and team building as well as frequent technical contributions

Communication Skills
• Excellent verbal and written skills. Candidate must be able to read, write and speak in Mandarin and English
• Candidate must have demonstrated ability in preparing and delivering technical presentations to both internal and external constituents

Qualified candidates can apply to jobs@cross.com. Please reference requisition numbers listed with each position.

Cross is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

Johns Hopkins Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Post Doctoral Associate

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Post Doctoral Associate

The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), a national leader in scientific research and development, located midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC
is seeking a Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Post Doctoral Associate.

Responsibilities:

Develop and work with neural signal acquisition hardware to acquire neural signals from human subjects. Implement neural signal processing and decoding algorithms for end effector control / signaling in brain-computer interface and neuroprosthetic applications. Design, implement and test novel brain-computer interface applications using non-invasive neural signal acquisition systems and neural signal processing algorithms. Support applied neuroscience initiatives by analyzing data and assisting with experimental design. Support neuroprosthetics initiatives through performance analysis and improvement of motor decoding and sensory encoding algorithms.
Work with University faculty and students on collaborative research projects.

Qualifications:

Required - PhD in Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, or equivalent. Demonstrated ability in machine learning algorithm development for neural signal processing using Matlab and C/C++. Experience designing and conducting experiments with non-invasive neural signal acquisition devices such as EEG, fMRI and fNIR. Excellent written/oral communication skills; ability to articulate complex technical issues effectively. Five or more years of neural signal algorithm research and development.

Desired - Experience in the design, development, and implementation computer vision and / or image processing algorithms/ systems.
Security
A background investigation is required.

How To Apply:

Interested applicants should apply on-line HERE

Equal Employment Opportunity
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that complies with Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, as well as other applicable laws, and values diversity in its workforce.

Institute for Immunology and Informatics - Bioinformatics Programmer

Title: Bioinformatics Programmer

Job Description

The Institute for Immunology and Informatics (I’Cubed) is a dynamic research institute pioneering vaccine discovery and development. The mission of I’Cubed is to apply the use of cutting- edge informatics tools to design new therapeutics and vaccines to treat and cure human diseases. Located on the Providence campus of the University of Rhode Island, the institute is expanding its science and technology based work force. I’Cubed currently seeks a candidate excited about contributing to cutting edge research projects in Computational Biology. This is a grant-funded, one year contract position.

The successful candidate will be an Bioinformatics IT Programmer/Website support developer who has a recent degree in CS and who will be responsible for implementing the vaccine design tools made available by EpiVax, Inc. on the URI interface. The EpiMatrix system, a set of tools to predict vaccine candidates, has been developed as an application of the Oracle database. The various EpiMatrix algorithms have been developed in Oracle’s PL/SQL and present a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) to the application developer. The Bioinformatics programmer would continue the work begun on the iVAX project (a website to access the informatics tools): 1. Design and develop web portal infrastructure, including interface, registration and feedback applications; 2. Upload to, or link with, genome databases for neglected tropical diseases, where the tools may call up genome sequences. Make this interface seamless and user-friendly; 3. Design, develop, and deploy portlets (small applications designed to interact with the EpiMatrix APIs) for each of the vaccine design algorithms; 4. Release the completed website to a selected set of vaccine researchers for beta testing; 5. Survey beta testers to identify shortcomings within the portal including technical flaws (e.g., programming bugs), design flaws (e.g. cumbersome or restricted navigation and/or workflow restrictions), and shortfalls in content (e.g., missing but important capabilities, weakness or poor usability of report outputs, or insufficiently detailed or accessible documentation); 6. Upload genomes to the website (Malaria, Schisotsomiasis, Dengue) and debug the interface.

Applicants should value collaboration and teamwork while also being able to work individually and prioritize multiple projects. A high degree of professionalism, customer focus, and organizational skills is required.

Primary Responsibilities

· Enhancement of existing iVax web based applications in an HTML/JavaScript/Apache/Oracle PL/SQL environment.
· Application development, testing, documentation, and maintenance of new applications and application modules using HTML, JavaScript and PL/SQL or Java.
· Development and application of single use programs related to the summarization, analysis and presentation of project specific datasets.
· Construction, curation, and maintenance of data libraries related to the field of Computational Immunology.
Qualifications

I. Education: An undergraduate degree in computer science, engineering, math, or related discipline is required. Previous exposure to biology and/or bioinformatics is a required.
II. Experience: Experience in HTML based application development with some scripting language such as JavaScript, Java, Basic, PHP, or Python required. Experience with SQL and or Oracle PL/SQL a strong plus. Some knowledge of basic statistics or statistical packages such as SAS or SPSS is a plus. Experience with network administration in a mixed environment (Linux, Windows, OSX) is a plus.
III. General: Strong reading and writing skills, detail orientation, and strong work ethic are essential.
Other

This position offers a unique opportunity to the right candidate. A successful applicant can expect to benefit from many training and growth opportunities presented in a fast paced environment.
Please Contact: annied@uri.edu or Denice.Spero@gmail.com