Back after a long hiatus, the Math department will be offering an Honors department version of Linear Algebra this spring. And yes, you can receive Honors experience credits for this course.
A more theoretically oriented version of MTH 309, Introduction to Linear Algebra, for honors students and students with an excellent record in calculus courses. Linear equations, matrices, determinants, vector spaces, linear mappings, inner products, eigenvalues, eigenvectors. Emphasizes proofs and concepts.
The Course is taught by Professor Sara Muldoon and the lecture is Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:10-12:25pm. The recitation is Thursdays 2:20-3:10pm. Registration #: 25182.
Course Description Machine Learning (ML) systems make decisions in all parts of our lives, starting from the mundane (e.g. Netflix recommending us movies/TV shows), to the somewhat more relevant (e.g. algorithms deciding which ads Google shows you) to the downright worrisome (e.g. algorithms deciding the risk of a person who is arrested committing a crime in the future). Whether we like it or not, ML systems are here to stay: the economic benefit of automation provided by ML systems means companies and even governments will continue to use algorithms to make decisions that shape our lives. While the benefits of using algorithms to make such decisions can be obvious, these algorithms sometimes have unintended/unforeseen harmful effects. This class will look into various ML systems in use in real life and go into depth of both the societal as well as technical issues. For students who are more technologically inclined, this course will open their eyes to societal implications of technology that such students might create in the future (and at the very least see why claiming “But algorithms/math cannot be biased” is at best a cop-out). For students who are more interested in the societal implications of algorithms, this class will give them a better understanding of the technical/mathematical underpinnings of these algorithms (because if you do not understand, at some non-trivial level, how these algorithms work you cannot accurately judge the societal impacts of an algorithm).
Pre-Reqs – Section JOSE: (CSE Majors) CSE 474 (or CSE 331 and taking 474 at the same time) Section JOS1: (non-CSE Majors): Permission of the instructor
In this course, students integrate critical studies with practical performance through small, focused projects. Students expand their depth of knowledge in performance theory while developing creative work, bringing together their intellectual and artistic interests. In Spring 2021, the course will be offered online, and students will produce either digital works of art (and scholarship) or safely produced and documented live performances. A particular emphasis of the course this term will be the tension between liveness and mediation present in digitized, documented, and live-streamed work; possible guest artist involvement includes workshops on live digital production with New York performance company Anonymous Ensemble. We will also consider the possibilities of software, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in the production of new collaborative performance works, including in the work of artists like Gillian Wearing and Annie Dorsen, and potentially address those possibilities collaboratively with students in computer science and engineering.
We are beginning a tutoring program with high school students from Buffalo Public Schools, and as such, we are seeking undergraduate-level tutors, particularly those in math and science.
Tutoring will be held Monday-Thursday between 2-5 p.m. We are asking that those who are interested commit to at least two afternoons per week.
Ideally, we are looking for tutors who could qualify for a Work Study program; that would allow them to be paid for their time. Otherwise, the tutors would need to work on a volunteer basis.
You can apply on Handshake and can certainly reach out to me directly with any questions.
Thank you for your consideration and help with this matter!
We are excited to inform you about the Honors College collaboration with the Experiential Learning Network (ELN) to create a new Honors Petition process!
Now, each new petition experience can be completed directly through ELN. This new petition process will allow you to earn 1 additional honors credit by completing an ELN digital badge, which will be in addition to the credits earned from your experience. Furthermore, petitions completed through ELN will create a more valuable and celebrated experience for you!
You can find out more by visiting the honors petition page and reviewing the attached flyer, which includes FAQs.
I hope that each of you are well and finding connection, support, and stimulation, in spite of the unprecedented circumstances affecting us all this fall. I have happy news to share.
The UB Center for Diversity Innovation Distinguished Visiting Scholars (DVS) faculty cohort has arrived in Buffalo for the 2020-21 academic year. Each member of the cohort will engage with UB’s students, faculty and throughout the fall and spring semesters. Programs with the Scholars, which will be open to all members of our community, will include public talks, art exhibitions, book clubs and film viewings, class visits, workshops, opportunities to chat on ZOOM, and various celebrations throughout the year. (Please check out www.buffalo.edu/cdi for ongoing posting of events and use the “contact us” form to add yourself to the email list for notifications.)
The breadth of the Scholars’ work and interests—anti-racist pedagogy; artistic depictions of migration; writing as a means to promote social justice; the empirical examination of different forms of racial inequity such as in health outcomes, policing and incarceration; contemporary Kenyan political history; women’s roles in historic rebellions; race and representation in romanticism; the influence of Black girls and women in shaping educational outcomes; the mapping of Indigenous communities and study of settler-colonialism—creates points of intersection with students, faculty and staff across all departments and units and the hope that members of the entire UB community will participate in Scholar events.
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT with THE SCHOLARS through MENTORING CIRCLES:
In addition to all of these larger, university-wide and departmental/program-level opportunities to meet the Scholars via class visits or other activities, a special component of this visiting scholar program is that each Scholar will lead two mentoring circles—one for 10 graduate and another for 10 undergraduate students.
These circles will enable students to have meaningful, small group interaction with the Scholars (even if that interaction is via ZOOM in the near-term) and meet other students with whom friendships can be formed and academic, personal and professional support exchanged, and a sense of community developed. Importantly, students in the circles will play a key role in welcoming the Distinguished Visiting Scholars to UB and Buffalo.
The group activities within the mentoring circles will vary—selected by Scholars in conjunction with students in the circles—but will enable you to meet with other students as well as the Scholars to have discussions about your experiences, interests, and goals.
ALL UB undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to participate. Because the circles must be limited in size to permit these small group interactions, students must express interest through a brief survey and statement.
The process is not time-consuming and this not a graded assignment. J The Scholars will be interested in learning about you in order to select students as part of their circles. And do remember that these circles will be only one of many means for you to “meet” and learn with the Scholars throughout the year. There will be many other opportunities.
I hope you will consider completing the survey and submitting a short statement indicating your interest. If you have questions, do not hesitate to consult a faculty member in your department/program (particularly the Director of Undergraduate or Graduate Studies) or others, as well as me: ub-cdi-scholars@buffalo.edu with your questions. (NOTE: The survey has been tested and does meet accessibility standards, but please reach out to accessibility services or to the Center, if you need assistance.)
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING: Sunday, October 4th at 5 pm.
(Notification of selection by: October 11th.)
We all hope you will read about the Scholars on the Center website and consider being a part of this program which we think will greatly benefit you and be part of making each Scholar’s year at UB fun and memorable!
We are excited to announce that the election for the Honors Student Council Executive Board position of Freshman Representative for the 2020-2021 academic year is officially open! The form linked below includes all of the candidates running for the position. You may only choose one candidate.
Only votes from Honors Students with UB Emails will be accepted. The election will close at 11:59pm on Friday (September 25th).
UB SELECT stands for “Student Engagement and Leadership Education Credential Training”.
This program is designed to help students get resume-worthy experience to build skills and competencies that students can apply in their courses and future careers. Through this program, students will work with a Student Engagement Ambassador to choose from a variety of opportunities, classes, and other programs.
A More Inclusive CertificateThis new program updates the TORCH, PEAK and UBXL Certificates and introduces two new certificates: Community and Civic Engagement and SOUL [Student Organizations Understanding Leadership] for a broader extra-curricular experience. Students previously enrolled in these certificates will still be able to complete them with their original requirements.
The Honors College is aware of the constraints that the Covid 19 pandemic has placed on some experiential learning opportunities many of you had hoped to complete as part of your Honors College Curriculum requirements.
In order to allow for more flexibility, we are removing the benchmarks previously in place (see highlighted text below) which limited the maximum credits per category to 9 credits and required 3 credits from non-coursework categories. Instead, students will need to complete experiences from a minimum of two categories listed. These changes are effective immediately.
Honors Experiences
In addition to Honors Colloquium and an Honors Seminar completed during your freshman year, prior to graduation students will select and complete a minimum of 16 credit hours of Honors Experiences from the following list:
Undergraduate Research*
Independent Study*
Internship or Practicum*
Study Abroad*
Undergraduate Supervised Teaching*
Accepted Honors Coursework
Graduate Coursework
Departmental Honors Thesis or Project*
Contract Honors Coursework
Honors Experience Petition
Additional Honors Seminar
Service Learning Coursework*
* Denotes non-coursework category
Benchmarks
You are allowed to complete a maximum of 9 credit hours per category. – this limit will be removed immediately
At least 3 credits must come from non-coursework categories, denoted with *. – this requirement will be removed immediately
Experiences must be completed from at least two of the above categories. – this requirement will be added immediately
Please make sure to adjust your Honors experiences plans as needed, and consult your Honors College advisor if you need assistance.
Are you interested in child development? Parenting? Healthy eating? Obesity prevention? Gaining research experience?
The Child Health and Behavior Lab (HABLAB) at the University of Buffalo is looking for detail-oriented and enthusiastic undergraduate students to assist with research studies during Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. These research experiences would be under the leadership of Dr. Stephanie Anzman-Frasca, who conducts laboratory- and community-based studies in the area of children’s eating behavior and obesity prevention. More information about Dr. Anzman-Frasca’s work is available here: https://medicine.buffalo.edu/faculty/profile.html?ubit=safrasca, and more information about HABLAB is available at http://ubhablab.weebly.com.
This academic year, we have several online research opportunities including joining a behavioral coding team that codes data from video recorded tasks, such as parent-child interactions or a child frustration task in the laboratory. Coders become trained on an appropriate coding scheme and apply their new skills to contribute to the team’s work, coding videos each week and attending regular coding meetings for group discussion. In addition, we anticipate a restart of our in-person study activities at some point this academic year, in which case research assistants may have opportunities to help execute study protocols and interact with families and young children in the lab and/or in local restaurants. General responsibilities of student research assistants include: assisting with materials preparation, data entry and/or coding, and helping staff in the implementation of the study design. All incoming research assistants must be able to commit to at least 10 hours per week, with preference given to students who can commit to at least two semesters. Summer 2021 positions may also become available. For students who spend multiple semesters on the team, independent research projects, conference presentations, and/or thesis projects are possible.
The entire HABLAB team meets weekly for lab meetings (which are currently taking place via Zoom), in which various research related and professional development topics are discussed with our full team of faculty, staff, postdoctoral and graduate trainees, and undergraduate research assistants.
Interested students can apply by submitting an application and a resumeto ubhablab@gmail.com, using “Student research assistant application 2020” as the subject of the email. Applications may be downloaded at http://ubhablab.weebly.com/students. We are currently interviewing candidates via Zoom and filling positions on a rolling basis.
