:

Ken Harper, an associate professor of visual communications in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, will present “Keeping it Human: Working across campus, continents and cultures to create photogrammetry.”

Ken Harper

An award-winning designer, professor, photojournalist and media educator, Harper has worked as a multimedia designer and producer for The Rocky Mountain News, MSNBC.com, New York Life, Bausch & Lomb and various nonprofit organizations, including the United Nations, the��Bahá’í Faith,��The Electronic Intifada��and��Aidchild.

Currently, Harper is the first director of the����at the Newhouse School. The center is dedicated to bringing knowledge to the world through storytelling, collaboration and innovation. Harper’s role in the center stems from his long history in working internationally, and he is now sharing that passion by bringing the classroom into the world, and the world into the classroom. Since joining the faculty at Newhouse, Harper has focused his international efforts on empowering local storytellers through training, exchange and activism.

The session will take place Tuesday, April 2, from noon-1:30 p.m. in Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Thursday, March 28.

Ben Akih-Kumgeh is��an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. His research is focused on thermodynamics and combustion.

Ben Akih-Kumgeh

Part of his combustion research is concerned with modeling and computational analysis of turbulent chemically reacting flows.��This work is motivated by the fact that the design of clean and efficient combustion systems can benefit from extensive computational analyses of combustion flows. For these analyses to be dependable, several physical phenomena that are associated with combustion flows have to be properly accounted for. Through detailed computations with various physical models, the combination of models that most accurately agree with carefully measured combustion properties can be identified. In the upcoming presentation, he will speak on modeling and numerical simulations of laser-induced combustion and spray combustion.

This session will take place Tuesday, April 16, from noon-1:30 p.m. in Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Thursday, April 11.

These sessions will explore how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines. Participants will have opportunities to:

• Connect with other researchers on campus
• Participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing
• Receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape
• Meet and engage ���ϲ�����’s research computing staff

Information Technology Services (ITS) hosts the sessions, in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council (RCAC). CART services and other accommodations are available by request when registering to attend.

Register or by email

Please register for the session(s) you plan to attend, and request accommodations or send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu. In your email, please include your name, daytime phone number, the session(s) you plan to attend and any accommodations you may require.

For more information

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at ���ϲ�����, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

SITETL is an intense program for faculty members who wish to incorporate technology in their face-to-face course or move a significant component of their course online. This unique event will offer presentations and hands-on workshops involving current topics and technologies, as well as strategies and pedagogies to support accessible online teaching and learning.

Participants will work alongside colleagues from a variety of disciplines as they develop skills and design content for their courses. Instructors will learn about a variety of technologies with a focus on enhancing instruction for students. Sessions will include presentations, panel discussions and hands-on lab time.

Each session is limited to 12 participants selected through a competitive application process. The application deadline is Sunday, April 21.

For more information, including the online application form, .

If you have questions or want more information, contact Michael Morrison at memorr02@syr.edu or 315.443.1806.

With 2FA, you guard your account with both your password and your phone or another factor. As an added verification step during authentication, 2FA helps prevent the unauthorized use of University NetIDs and passwords by ensuring that only the account owner can use their credentials to gain access to their University email and Office 365. Office 365 lets you configure multiple second factors, including a push notification via the Microsoft Authenticator mobile application, a text message, a phone call and a verification code.

You can opt-in to Office 365 2FA protection at any time by visiting����and clicking��.

Here are just a few examples why you should:

• At , the school locked all student accounts after discovering “a serious phishing scam that targeted our students. The attackers are using phishing emails and fake FGCU websites to trick students into disclosing their login credentials.”
• reported a similar scheme last year, in which scammers replicated the school’s login page. Similar schemes have targeted ���ϲ�����.
• The said it “strongly encourages” schools to implement dual-factor authentication, which requires users to add another layer of security, such as a mobile device, to verify their identities.
• Two-factor authentication is , following a phishing scheme last spring that compromised more than 300 student accounts. 2FA is mandatory or soon will be at .

2FA will be mandatory here at ���ϲ����� too. Students can opt-in anytime, or let 2FA activation occur automatically sometime between Feb. 12 and the end of the semester.

Student 2FA Automatic Activation Starts Feb. 12

Students who do not opt-in to 2FA by Feb. 12, 2019, will have 2FA activated automatically on their email and Office 365 account sometime between then and the end of the semester. Students will start receiving email notifications from Information Technology Services (ITS) 30 days ahead of their activation date. Student accounts will be activated randomly, so it may be several weeks before individual students receive a notification. Email notifications will not contain working hyperlinks to any websites, to help identify them as legitimate University communications. Students can opt-in to Office 365 2FA protection at any time before their activation date.

If you need help or have questions, ITS is here to help. For more information and assistance, visit Answers.syr.edu and search for Microsoft Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Or, contact the ITS Service Center at 315.443.2677��or help@syr.edu.

The workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus. All sessions will be held in Room 1116, 621 Skytop Road.

Workshop Schedule

• “Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility”
  • Thursday, Feb. 7, 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 20, 9 a.m. to noon

• “Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC”
  • Monday, Feb. 11, 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Thursday, March�� 28, 9 a.m. to noon

• “Accessible Documents: Building Accessibility Into Existing PDFs”
  • Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Friday, April 5, 9 a.m. to noon

• “Video Captioning”
  • Thursday, March 7, 9 a.m. to noon

• “Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations”
  • Thursday, Feb. 28, 1 to 4 p.m.
  • Monday, April 8, 1 to 4 p.m.

• “Creating Accessible Forms”
  • Wednesday, March 13, 9 a.m. to noon

• “Accessibility in the Procurement Process”
  • By request. Please contact the IT director or support team for your organization, or email accessibleIT@syr.edu to arrange training for your department or unit.

Seating is limited. There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. Use the links below to register.

For workshop details and to register, visit the in .

For more information and assistance, ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the University community. Visit the web page and check out the . has Accessibility Training and Tutorials among their online video courses, including how to make sites friendly to screen readers and assistive technology and how to use proper markup and web standards to make sites more accessible and search engine friendly.

These scams are common and widespread during tax season. Consequently, when the University Payroll Service Center sends its annual W-2 notification, it WILL NOT include any clickable links (or hyperlinks) in the message. Instead, you will be asked to log into MySlice directly via your browser. Similarly, no one at the University will send you an email asking that you reply with personal information, such as your University NetID and password.

If you receive a message containing a hyperlink that appears to be to MySlice or your W-2,��do not click the link. It is not from the University. Delete the message immediately. Do the same for any email that asks for your log-on credentials.

If you happen to receive a message like these, and you click the link and enter your University credentials (NetID and password), you should consider them compromised, and should��change your University password immediately. You can change your password by opening a browser and entering NetID.syr.edu. When the page opens, click “Change Your Password” and follow the instructions.

Note that email addresses may become functional links in some email programs. The message from the Payroll Service Center will contain their email address. You can verify the URL of any link before you click it by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click it.

If you have any questions or need assistance with verifying any email messages, please do not hesitate to contact your local IT support team (if you’re University faculty or staff) or the IT Service Center (if you’re a student) at 315.443.2677 and��help@syr.edu.

The 21st annual conference will be held Monday, Nov. 12–Friday, Nov.16, and the virtual conference will be hosted in two locations in the Center for Science and Technology. Registration for local presentation of the conference is free; by Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, for the sessions you plan to attend.

Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) focuses on the implementation and benefits of Accessible Media, Universal Design and Assistive Technology in university, business, and public settings. There is a strong focus on Universal Design, curriculum accessibility, incorporating accessibility into the procurement process, accessibility evaluations, and ADA and Section 508 compliance. Other topic areas cover legal and policy issues, video captioning, and expanded sessions for creating accessible math content.

One of the pre-conference sessions is a lab related to Accessible InDesign layouts for producing accessible PDFs and EPUBs. And, on Friday a main conference session focuses on making accessible content visually compelling, which will be of particular interest to graphic designers.

Presentation of the virtual AHEAD annual conference on the University campus is sponsored by the Office of Disability Services and Information Technology Services (ITS).

Who should attend?

If you create or manage content that must comply with the University’s this conference will be very helpful. The conference is intended for individuals who need to design or provide accessible Web, media, information resources and technology in the academic and business environment, including faculty and administrators interested in ADA & Section 508 compliance and faculty and other professionals who wish to ensure that their curriculum is accessible. In the past, audiences have included web designers, assistive technologists, ADA coordinators, human resource personnel, persons with disabilities, disability specialists, faculty, media specialists and programmers interested in accessibility and incorporating Universal Design into curriculum and information and communications technology.

About the virtual conference

AHG will stream sessions live from two tracks, all five days of the conference, including the pre-conference sessions on Monday and Tuesday. Main conference sessions start on Wednesday. For complete information, including session abstracts and schedule (Mountain time zone), visit the .

NOTE: ITS has arranged for group tickets which cover the presentation here on the University campus of all virtual pre- and main conference sessions. DO NOT register for the virtual conference on the AHG website, unless you want to participate as an individual, or from another location. Also, note that the times shown on the virtual conference website are Mountain Time. Events will be presented here on campus two hours later than shown on the conference website.

Questions? Send an email to ITS at accessibleIT@syr.edu, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Please include your name and phone number in your email.

2FA is an added verification step during authentication that helps to prevent the unauthorized use of University NetIDs and passwords by ensuring that only the account owners themselves use their credentials on systems hardened with 2FA, in this case, Office 365. Typically, 2FA is described as “something you know and something you have” where the “something you know” is your username and password, and the “something you have” is often called a “second factor.”

Multiple second factors can be configured in Office 365, such as the confirmation of a push notification via the Microsoft Authenticator mobile application, a text message, a phone call, or a verification code.

“The login credentials of students, faculty and staff are targets for organized crime and hackers,” says Christopher Croad, ���ϲ�����’s information security officer. “Criminals use stolen NetIDs and passwords to harvest personally identifiable information from compromised accounts or sell them on the ‘dark web’ for financial gain, or use in gaining access to academic assets such as library resources or educational discounts on software and services. Two-factor authentication makes it difficult for anyone except the account owner to log into a resource that uses 2FA as part of its authentication mechanism.”

Students are encouraged to opt-in to Office 365 2FA protection at any time by visiting and clicking Two-Factor Opt-in. All students will need to turn on 2FA in their Office 365 and email accounts by Feb. 12, 2019. Faculty and staff have been required for several months to set up 2FA in their Office 365 apps for additional security verification.

Important Recommendation: Anyone who plans to travel away from the main campus between now and the end of the academic year is strongly encouraged to opt-in to two-factor authentication as soon as possible. Unreliable or nonexistent internet or cell coverage prevents connectivity in some areas, domestic and abroad. Opting in now can enable continuing access to protected University accounts regardless of location.

Additional information and instructions are on the Microsoft Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) – Setup and Management page in the Answers.syr.edu knowledge base: .

ITS has chosen Microsoft’s Azure Active Directory system to provide “Additional Security Verification” to University Office 365 accounts. “We use Azure to manage the University’s Active Directory within the cloud environment,” says Eric Sedore, Associate Chief Information Officer for Core Infrastructure Services, “It already has two-factor and multifactor authentication tools built-in. We are leveraging our existing deployment, so it does not increase our costs to take advantage of the advanced functionality.”

Over the summer, ITS added applications and features to the Office 365 suite including One Drive cloud storage, Teams collaboration suite, One Note digital notebooks, and multi-user document editing. These new services are available to all active ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff and are protected with 2FA. Office 365 enables enhanced collaboration and streamlined meeting, scheduling, and calendaring among members of the University community. Installation instructions and details about these and other Office 365 services are on the Office 365 @ ���ϲ����� page in the Answers.syr.edu knowledge base: .

For assistance with Office 365 and two-factor authentication, students are invited to contact the ITS Service Center at 315.443.2677 and help@syr.edu. Faculty and staff should contact their IT support team.

According to the International Pronouns Day , referring to people by the pronouns they determine for themselves is basic to human dignity. Being referred to by the wrong pronouns particularly affects transgender and gender nonconforming people. Together, we can transform society to celebrate people’s multiple, intersecting identities.

More than two dozen faculty, students and staff sit on the University’s Preferred Name, Pronouns and Gender Advisory Council (PNPGAC). This group is charged to improve preferred name, pronoun and gender inclusivity among databases and systems across campus. They aim to advance general awareness of the University’s Preferred Name Policy by expanding services and understanding of how and where preferred name and pronouns make a difference in student experiences.

How you can help

Members of PNPGAC will be hosting a table in the Milton Atrium of the Life Sciences Complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on International Pronoun Day, Wednesday, Oct. 17. You’re invited to stop by and find out about the Preferred Name function in MySlice and indicate your interest in being a potential focus group member to discuss adding the ability to designate one’s preferred pronoun to MySlice.

Council members will have a sign-up list for the focus group sessions, as well as iPads and a GIANT mobile touch screen with which they will show students how to add/edit their preferred name in MySlice.

You can also find information about the preferred name function in the .

Information Technology Services (ITS) is part of PNPGAC and will be developing preferred pronoun options that align with the preferred name policy. The LGBT Resource Center is also working with volunteers from around campus and the Preferred Name, Pronouns and Gender Advisory Council, and the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Chief Diversity Office to conduct outreach on campus with information about trans-related resources on campus, including showing an International Pronouns Day webinar in Room 221B Schaffer from noon-1:30 p.m. Oct. 17.

Questions?

Please send your questions about the University’s preferred name policy and the ability to designate one’s preferred pronoun in MySlice to PNPGAC@syr.edu.

Major Impacts

• Active students, faculty and staff will be able to see each other in the global address list. This will add to the number of people that are visible, and make it easier to find more email addresses directly from Outlook, mobile devices and Outlook Web Access (OWA; exchange.syr.edu).
• Sub-address lists will enable viewing of “All Students” and “All Faculty/Staff” separately.
• Titles are being added. Student accounts each will have the title “Student,” and faculty and staff titles will be populated in Office 365, so when viewing the global address list one will be able to delineate quickly between faculty and staff with business titles, and student accounts.
• Calendaring and scheduling will be easier. Using their Exchange calendars, faculty and staff members will be able to see whether active students who use their Office 365 calendars are free or busy when creating meeting requests. Similarly, students using their Office 365 calendars will be able to see when faculty and staff who use their Exchange calendars are free or busy. NOTE: Free/busy lookup refers to the ability to see someone else’s availability, or free time, as indicated on their calendar, but does not expose any details of their appointments whatsoever. If a meeting organizer uses free/busy lookup when scheduling a meeting, they are shown possible times another person is available, based on that person’s free time on their calendar.
• Alumni accounts will continue to be not visible in the global address list. Alumni with mailboxes will not see anyone in their global address list, and will not be able to free/busy lookup other members of our population.

For more information

Visit Answers.syr.edu for more details about .

If you need help:

• Search
• Contact the Information Technology Services (ITS) Service Center:
  • Call 315.443.2677
  • Email: help@syr.edu
  • In person: 1-227 Center for Science and Technology, through the double glass doors off the Milton Atrium .

The technology in 202 Hall of Languages makes it easy to use Blackboard Collaborate.

Notable classroom upgrades have been in and . “The classrooms now host the latest technology, and they got a major facelift thanks to . We replaced technology systems used by instructors and students,” says Mike O’Mara, director of LEMP. “The rooms are now equipped with high-definition projection and displays, Windows 10 computers, Blu-Ray players, web-based video conferencing, high-fidelity playback speaker systems and accessibility features.”

Instructors are pleased with the classrooms upgrades. Bruce Kingma, professor of entrepreneurship in the and and former provost for entrepreneurship and inovation, says the upgrades have been working well in his classrooms. “I have one guest Skype in,” he said. “This was simple and easy, and the speaker quality was clear.”�� Kingma teaches in this semester, another room whose technology was upgraded. Kingma records all class presentations using . He has noticed a significant improvement in the quality of the audio and video. “It’s wonderful to go into a classroom and simply start the Blackboard Collaborate recording and know the results will be good,” he says, “The sound, video and lighting are perfect.”

“Better technology helps create better classroom environments,” says Sam Scozzafava, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Technology has a powerful effect on teaching and learning, and ultimately, student success.”

Professors and instructors who need help adjusting to the new technology in their classrooms can call on O’Mara and his team. “Whenever we upgrade the technology, we reach out to instructors to do a quick start session,” he says. “This group session will teach instructors about the newly implemented systems and allow them to get hands-on and ask questions.” LEMP also offers one-on-one training, and help is available on . Of particular interest will be the .

For more information about ITS and LEMP .

:

Teng Zhang, left, and Timothy Korter

Teng Zhang, an assistant professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering in the , will present “Topology design in soft structures by controlling surface wrinkles.” Materials like tissues and gels are typical soft structures that have low elastic modulus and thus are easily deformed. Structures like surface topology change due to wrinkle instability are widely found in these soft materials and have been utilized to design smart adhesives, anti-biofouling, and in this talk, Zhang will demonstrate the principle of topology design via examples of controllable surface wrinkles. He will present a systematic study of the origin of the hexagonal wrinkle patterns observed in the experiments of bi-layer soft materials via large-scale simulations. Nonlinear evolution of surface wrinkle patterns and effect of curvatures will also be discussed.

Tuesday, April 17. 12:30-2 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Thursday, April 12.

Timothy Korter, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, will present “Nondestructive and Noninvasive Identification of Historical Pigments.” Pigments found in modern art objects are often completely unlike those found in antiquity. The detection and identification of exact pigment components are critical to art restoration and conservation and important to revealing the provenance and authenticity of art pieces. Nondestructive testing is required, and noninvasive approaches are greatly preferred. Low-frequency vibrational spectroscopy is an emerging non-contact method for establishing the unique spectral fingerprints of pigments in art objects. Korter’s laboratory uses terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and low-frequency Raman spectroscopy (LFRS), both incredibly sensitive to the chemical identities and three-dimensional solid-state packing arrangements of pigments. The complete understanding of the observed spectral fingerprints is a continuing challenge due to the complexity of the samples. His team utilizes ab initio quantum mechanical simulations to simulate the structures and vibrational motions of both inorganic and organic materials. This enables complete assignment of the spectra and thereby unambiguous identification of pigment species. This work consists of rigorous calculations involving hundreds of atoms. The efficient parallel computing environment at ���ϲ����� makes it possible.

Wednesday, April 25. 12:30-2:00 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Friday, April 20.

These sessions will explore how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions, and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines. Participants will have opportunities to:

• connect with other researchers on campus
• participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing
• receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape; and
• meet and engage SU’s research computing staff.

Information Technology Services (ITS) hosts the sessions, in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council (RCAC). CART services and other accommodations are available by request when registering to attend.

��Register or by Email

Please register for the session(s) you plan to attend, and request accommodations or send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu. In your email, please include your name, daytime phone number, the session(s) you plan to attend, and any accommodations you may require.

For more information

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at SU, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

SITETL is an intense program for faculty members who wish to incorporate technology in their face-to-face courses or move a significant component of their courses online. This unique event will offer presentations and hands-on workshops involving current topics and technologies, as well as strategies and pedagogies to support accessible online teaching and learning. Participants will work alongside colleagues from a variety of disciplines as they develop skills and design content for their courses. Instructors will learn about a variety of technologies with a focus on enhancing instruction for students. Sessions will include presentations, panel discussions, and hands-on lab time.

Each session is limited to 15 participants selected through a competitive application process. The application deadline is Friday, April 13.

For more information, including the online application form, .

If you have questions or want more information, please contact Michael Morrison at memorr02@syr.edu or 315.443.1806.

About ���ϲ�����

���ϲ����� is a private, international research university with distinctive academics, diversely unique offerings and an��undeniable spirit. Located in the geographic , with a global footprint, and��, ���ϲ����� offers a quintessential college experience. The scope of ���ϲ����� is a testament to its strengths: a pioneering history dating back to 1870; a choice of more than 200 majors and 100 minors offered through 13 schools and colleges; nearly 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students; more than a quarter of a million alumni in 160 countries; and a student population from all 50 U.S. states and 123 countries. For more information, please visit .

Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) focuses on the implementation and benefits of accessible media, universal design and assistive technology in university, business and public settings. There is a strong focus on universal design, curriculum accessibility and ADA and Section 508 compliance. Other topic areas cover legal and policy issues, video captioning and creating accessible math content. Incorporating accessibility into the procurement process and accessibility evaluations��is a particular focus of the event.

Presentation of the main conference on the University campus is jointly sponsored by the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services office, the Center for Faculty Development and Institutional Transformation, the Office of Disability Services, the Disability Cultural Center, ���ϲ����� Libraries and Information Technology Services (ITS).

Who should attend?

This conference is intended for individuals who need to design or provide accessible web, media, information resources and technology in the academic and business environment, including faculty and administrators interested in ADA & Section 508 compliance and faculty and other professionals who wish to ensure that their curriculum is accessible. In the past, audiences have included web designers, assistive technologists, ADA coordinators, human resource personnel, persons with disabilities, disability specialists, faculty, media specialists and programmers interested in accessibility and incorporating universal design into curriculum and information and communications technology.

About the virtual conference

AHG will stream sessions live from two tracks, all three days of the main conference. To register and see the schedule showing local times visit , For complete information, including session abstracts and schedule (Mountain time zone), visit the .

NOTE: ITS has arranged for group tickets, each of which covers the presentation of all virtual main conference sessions on the University campus. DO NOT register for the virtual conference on the AHG website, unless you want to participate as an individual, or in the pre-conference sessions, or from another location. Also, note that the times shown on the virtual conference website are Mountain Time. Events will be presented here on campus two hours later than shown on the conference website. The virtual pre-conference sessions are not being hosted on the University campus.

Questions? Send an email to ITS at accessibleIT@syr.edu, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Please include your name and phone number in your email.

• Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
• Creating Accessible Documents Using InDesign
• Creating Accessible Forms
• Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility
• Video Captioning

The workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus. Importantly, the skills learned in these workshops will help you realize in your work the University’s commitment to create a more accessible, inclusive campus.

Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team will present the workshops at the dates, times and locations shown below. Each session has space for 12 participants. To request disability-related accommodations for any of these workshops, please contact the IT Accessibility Team at 315.443.2143 or email accessibleIT@syr.edu. Please submit requests for accommodations at least a week before the workshop you will attend.

��Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. Use the links below to register.

About the workshops

.

All sessions will be held in 001 Steele Hall except Creating Accessible Documents Using InDesign, which will be held in HBC 227.

Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC

This workshop covers the process of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Upon course completion, participants will be able to explain the importance of creating accessible documents and perform the steps necessary to create accessible Word and PDF documents.

The Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC workshop will be held on:

• Wednesday, Oct. 11, 9:00 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday, Nov. 1, 1-4 p.m.

Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

��This hands-on workshop is ideal for anyone who creates presentation materials using Microsoft PowerPoint. In the workshop you will learn how to make PowerPoint slides accessible when presenting, creating, distributing or posting presentation materials.

The Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations workshop will be held:

• Friday, Oct. 27 9 a.m.-noon

Creating Accessible Forms

��This hands-on workshop focuses on creating accessible online forms. The workshop will cover the ins and outs of creating accessible PDF, Frevvo and WordPress forms.

The Creating Accessible Forms workshop will be held:

• Thursday, Nov. 9, 1-4 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m.-noon

Creating Accessible Documents Using InDesign

This workshop will cover core InDesign accessibility concepts and specific best practices for document accessibility.�� Topics covered include:�� creating and mapping styles and tags; establishing reading order; creating forms; and conversion to PDF.

The Creating Accessible Documents Using InDesign workshop will be held:

• Friday, Oct.20, 9 a.m.-noon (227 HBC)

��Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility

This hands-on workshop guides participants through the process of evaluating their current website for accessibility.

The Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility workshop will be held:

• Tuesday, Oct. 17, 1-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1-4 p.m.

Video Captioning

This two-part workshop is for anyone who manages, creates or maintains video content. Part 1 covers captioning basics and third-party services; the optional Part 2 covers DIY captioning.

The Video Captioning workshop will be held on:

• Tuesday, Nov. 7, 9 a.m.-noon

.

For more information and assistance

ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the web page and check out the . has Accessibility Training and Tutorials among��its online video courses, including how to make your sites friendly to screen readers and assistive technology, how to use proper markup and web standard compliance to make sites more accessible and search engine-friendly and more.

If you have any further questions about these workshops or other technology accessibility issues or want to arrange a consultation on related topics, including video captioning, remediation of your PDF, PowerPoint or Word documents to ensure accessibility and identifying and fixing accessibility issues on your website, please email accessibleIT@syr.edu or call 315.443.2677.

Pro Tips for Flipped Classroom Content Creation

July 25, 10-10:40 a.m.

In this live webinar, you’ll be introduced to a simplified workflow to plan, record, edit and broadcast interactive content through the use of mobile devices and computers. The webinar is presented by Sonic Foundry and includes a close look at its��MediaSite Video Platform deployed across the ���ϲ����� campus.

Jason Webb

Join speaker Jason Webb, online learning analyst in the University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) department, as he shares:

• his go-to consumer-grade tools and applications to create engaging and informative materials;
• how to put mobile devices and laptops to work to create professional looking content; and
• the framework to tell an interesting story that will get students to sit up and pay attention.

To register and for more information, .��

Webb��and his colleagues in ITS’s Online Learning Services group can provide you with their insights, guidance and assistance identifying and using the University’s technology resources for classroom content creation and other teaching and learning activities. Contact them at 315.443.2677 or help@syr.edu.

For a comprehensive catalog of ITS’s services for faculty and staff, visit .

��Numerous ���ϲ����� students have recently reported such scams and several students have fallen victim to them. , scammers continue to target students across the nation. We urge you to be vigilant of rampant, malicious employment scams, whether they’re in your mailbox, or you find them on employment websites.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) says the basic scam works like this:

• Scammers post online job advertisements soliciting college students for various administrative positions.
• The student receives counterfeit checks in the mail or via email and is instructed to deposit the checks into their personal checking account.
• The student is instructed to withdraw the funds from their checking account and send a portion, via wire transfer, to another individual or “vendor.” The money is purportedly for equipment, materials or software necessary for the job.
• Subsequently, the bank confirms the checks are fraudulent.

Examples of such employment scam emails read as follows:

“An advance payment will be made for all purchases and mailing you do for me during your employment time and you are free to resign respectively if you lose interest in working for me. This is a very simple employment … You will only be working for just 4-6 hours weekly not more than 2 hours daily and tasks can be completed at your own convenient time. I would be offering you $450 weekly as your salary.”

“You will need some materials/software and also a time tracker to commence your training and orientation and also you need the software to get started with work. The funds for the software will be provided for you by the company via check. Make sure you use them as instructed for the software and I will refer you to the vendor you are to purchase them from, okay.”

“I have forwarded your start-up progress report to the HR Dept. and they will be facilitating your start-up funds with which you will be getting your working equipment from vendors and getting started with training.”

“Enclosed is your first check. Please cash the check, take $300 out as your pay, and send the rest to the vendor for supplies.”

Unfortunately, students who fall for the scam suffer financial losses. The students’ bank accounts may be closed due to fraudulent activity, and student victims are responsible for reimbursing the bank the amount of the counterfeit checks.

In addition to financial loss, the scammers often obtain personal information such as social security and telephone numbers, physical addresses and email addresses from student victims while posing as their employer, leaving students vulnerable to identity theft.

Be Vigilant. Protect Yourself!

If you receive such a job offer by email, examine it closely. Employment scams begin with experienced con artists posing as recruiters or employers who offer attractive employment opportunities. These criminals frequently work from overseas locations. They often require job seekers to pay them money in advance, usually under the guise of work-at-home, high salary, no experience required, work on your own, shopping or personal assistant, and special vacation or travel arrangements. Here are some tips to help you avoid employment scams:

• Do not pay money up front.

• Do not accept payment for services you have not provided (i.e., as a “pre-payment” of expected services).

• Be cautious of people recruiting from out-of-state, or overseas “while on business,” or unwilling to meet in person.

• Be cautious of email addresses not associated with legitimate businesses.

• Be cautious of people planning to use a third party such as a lawyer, accountant or friend to pay your earnings.

• Be cautious of emails written with poor grammar, lacking proper verb usage and sentence structure, or with text in all caps or in bold font.

• Never send money from a deposited check until it officially clears your bank. Note: It can take several weeks for a fake check to be discovered.

• Never provide credit card or bank account numbers, and be cautious of payments by wire service or courier.

If you receive a suspicious offer or fall victim to an email scam, please forward any related emails to the ITS Information Security team at ITSecurity@listserv.syr.edu and the Department of Public Safety at dpsadmin@syr.edu. Please include your name, SU email address and contact telephone number.

If you have questions about student employment at ���ϲ����� contact Student Employment Services at 315.443.2268 or HRSES@syr.edu.

We’ll do what we can to prevent spam and phishing emails from landing in your SU mailbox, but inevitably some will get through. Please, be cautious about the email to which you respond.

help@syr.edu
315.443.2677

The sessions—hosted by Information Technology Services in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council—will explore how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions, and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines.

Participants will have opportunities to:

• connect with other researchers on campus;
• participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing;
• receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape; and
• meet and engage SU’s research computing staff.

:

Arindam Chakraborty

Tuesday, April 18, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, Room 347, Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Friday, April 14.

, associate professor in the Department of Chemistry in the , will present “Harnessing the predictive power of computational quantum chemistry: A diagrammatic, symbolic, and numerical computing perspective.” Quantum chemistry is the application of quantum theory for understanding and predicting processes in chemical systems. Over the past decade, computational chemistry has proven to be an indispensable tool for materials discovery. This talk will present a multifaceted perspective of the quantum chemistry for computer-aided design of novel nanomaterials in photovoltaic, photodetectors, laser sources and nanoprobes. The presentation will focus not only on the traditional numerical computation approaches but also on the often-overlooked areas of symbolic and diagrammatic computing. The future of computational quantum chemistry lies in peta- and exa- scale computing and the impact of various parallelization models (many-core, GPUs, cloud-based concurrency).

Reza Zafarani

Wednesday, April 26, 12:30 to 2 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, Room 347, Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included. Please register by Friday, April 21.

, assistant professor of electrical engineering in the , conducts research at the intersection of data mining, machine learning, social sciences and theory. A common pattern in his research is to collect and analyze large-scale data to glean actionable patterns. He often employs theories from social sciences, psychology and anthropology in addition to developing and using advanced mathematical, statistical and machine-learning machinery to prove the validity of such patterns. His talk, “Human Emotions: Predictability, Patterns, and Dynamics,” will present common patterns of human emotions, how those emotions evolve and how they connect with friendships, and whether emotions can be predicted. The talk will focus on understanding how human emotions vary across users and time and how users with various emotions embed themselves in social networks. Zafarani works to identify emotional patterns on four different network levels, starting from users and moving up to communities. Our findings can help better understand the interplay between emotions and social ties.

Registration for either session can be done by or emailing researchcomputing@syr.edu. In the email, please include your name, daytime phone number, the session(s) you plan to attend, and any accommodations you may require.

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at SU, visit . Questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions may be directed to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore at essedore@syr.edu.

SITETL is an intense program for faculty members who wish to incorporate technology in their face-to-face course or move a significant component of their course online. This unique event will offer presentations and hands-on workshops involving current topics and technologies, as well as strategies and pedagogies to support online teaching and learning. Participants will work alongside colleagues from a variety of disciplines as they develop skills and design content for their courses. Instructors will learn about a variety of technologies with a focus on enhancing instruction for students. Sessions will include presentations, panel discussions and hands-on lab time.

Each session is limited to 15 participants selected through a competitive application process. The application deadline is Friday, April 14, 2017.

For more information, including the online application form, .

If you have questions or want more information, please contact Michael Morrison at memorr02@syr.edu or 315.443.1806.

The DSS classroom space is easily configurable to accommodate any teaching and work group scenario. Photo by Jason Webb

If you can dream it, there’s another place to do it at ���ϲ�����

If you or your students create digital content of any kind, for any purpose, there’s a new University resource to help you bring imaginings and ideas to life.

The ���ϲ����� Digital Scholarship Space (DSS) is a workshop, laboratory and classroom space designed for the study and creation of digital artifacts and experiences. The DSS maximizes flexibility in response to emerging digital practices. It supports software design, game study and development, statistical analysis and data visualization, digital mapping, and digital humanities projects across a variety of disciplines.

Please come to the DSS Open House on March 9

All University students, faculty and staff are invited to the DSS Open House on Thursday, March 9, from 1 to 2 p.m. Attendees will enjoy equipment demonstrations; meet with the DSS users, sponsors and staff; view projects and more. Light refreshments will be available.

The DSS has already begun to experiment with how pedagogy and research would look in academic space. Above, Dr. Chris Hanson of the English department took his ETS 444 Theories of Game Studies class into the prototype DSS lab (before it moved to Bird Library) space for “screenings.” During these occasions his students either played a variety of board games together in order to facilitate later classroom discussion, or they took turns at the various digital game stations, playing, observing and critically engaging numerous digital game texts. Photo by ITS LEMP Fireflies

About the Digital Scholarship Space

The virtual equivalent of the , the DSS is located in 458 Bird Library and is staffed and equipped by Information Technology Services (ITS). The space boasts high-end computers connected to large-format displays and virtual reality platforms. It hosts a broad range of software, and new and experimental software packages can be installed quickly upon request. With gaming, game studies and game design as central considerations, the DSS makes available a variety of current and legacy computer gaming platforms.

The DSS also serves to expand the University’s approach to digital humanities. It can support a diverse and broad array of projects. Large data collections can be analyzed, theoretical approaches to digital culture artifacts can be developed, visualizations of large time-space data sets can be built, digital collections and curation can be undertaken, new perspectives on scholarly communications are imaginable, 3D models can be created, and innovative digital pedagogy can be developed and practiced—and more—at the DSS.

Equipped with high-end computers running a broad range of software, connected to large-format displays and virtual reality platforms, the DSS has the tools needed to create digital content of any kind, for any purpose. Photo by Jason Webb

The DSS is a collaborative academic space that draws on partnerships from across campus. It is hosted in room 458 of Bird Library to maximize access for faculty and students from all parts of the University. The location gives easy access to the library’s media collections, the Special Collections Research Center and experts on Geographic Information System (GIS) and Numeric Data Resources. Additional resources for designing and building physical components of projects are available nearby in the SU MakerSpace in Kimmel Hall.

The space can host classes, meetings, presentations and screenings for up to 25 participants, with adjacent space for play, development and study. The furniture and much of the equipment is easily moved to accommodate a variety of collaborative and instructional working scenarios. All University students, faculty and staff can book events and course meetings on topics that take advantage of the DSS technology and services. The space will soon host open lab hours for students to complete homework and work on projects. Registered members can apply to have access during extended hours. Proposals are welcome for enhancing the DSS functionality in support of academic projects.

For more information

If you have questions about the Digital Scholarship Space or want to know more about it, please send an email to DSS@syr.edu.

Communication Access Real-time Translation (CART) and American Sign Language (ASL) services will be provided.

The draft policy can be found .

The sessions are Wednesday, Feb. 22, from 3-4:15 p.m. and Tuesday, Feb. 28, from 9-10:15 a.m. Real-time Translation (CART) and American Sign Language (ASL) services will be provided.

The draft policy can be found .

The area covered by the 315�� and 680 area codes

The creation of the new area code allows telephone companies to accommodate the increasing need for telephone numbers in Central New York and also anticipates future demand.

The new area code will cover the same geographical area as the 315 area code. Because more than one area code will serve the same geographic area, if you have a 315 or 680 phone number, you’ll need to enter the area code for all calls—including calls within the same area code. To complete local calls from a phone with a 315 or 680 area code—including from University-owned landlines and cell phones—the new calling procedure requires you to enter the area code and seven-digit phone number.

Important facts you should know include:

• Calls to reach 911 Emergency Service will remain three digits. The same goes for 211, 411, 511 and 811 services.
• Current telephone numbers, including current area code, will not change.
• Consumers will continue to dial 1+ area code + telephone number for all calls to other area codes.
• What is now a local call will continue to be a local call.
• The new overlay area code will not affect the price of a call, or the price of other telephone services.
• The new dialing procedure will not affect calls made on campus from one University phone to another. Continue to make these calls using 3 + SU extension.

In addition to including the area code when you dial local calls, you should make sure to use your complete 10-digit number (area code + seven-digit local telephone number) when giving the number to friends, family, business associates and others. Also, be sure to update your contact list and reprogram any automatic dialing equipment you have.

For details and more information, visit the and .

• Creating Accessible Documents
• Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
• Creating Accessible Forms
• Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility
• Video Captioning

The workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus. Importantly, the skills learned in these workshops will help content owners comply with the soon-to-be-adopted Universitywide policy on information and communication technology (ICT) accessibility.

Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’ Academic Services team will present the workshops. Each session has space for 12 participants. To request disability-related accommodations for any of these workshops, please contact the IT Accessibility Team at 315.443.2143 or email accessibleIT@syr.edu. Please submit requests for accommodations at least a week before the workshop you will attend. All workshops will be held in 001 Steele Hall.

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. Use the links below to register.

.

Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC

This workshop covers the process of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Upon course completion participants will be able to explain the importance of creating accessible documents and perform the steps necessary to create accessible Word and PDF documents.

The Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC will be held on:

• Wednesday, Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday, March 21, 1-4 p.m.

Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

��This hands-on workshop is ideal for anyone who creates presentation materials using Microsoft PowerPoint. In the workshop you will learn how to make PowerPoint slides accessible when presenting, creating, distributing or posting presentation materials.

The Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations workshop will be held:

• Friday, Feb. 17,�� 9 a.m.-noon.
• Wednesday, March 29, 9 a.m.-noon

Creating Accessible Forms

��This hands-on workshop focuses on creating accessible online forms. The workshop will cover the ins and outs of creating accessible PDF, Frevvo, and WordPress forms.

The Creating Accessible Forms workshop will be held:

• Wednesday, March 1, 1-4 p.m.
• Tuesday, April 4, 9 a.m.-noon.

Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility

This hands-on workshop guides participants through the process of evaluating their current website for accessibility.

The Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility workshop will be held on:

• Thursday, March 9, 1-4 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 12, 9 a.m-noon

Video Captioning

��This two-part workshop is for anyone who manages, creates or maintains video content. Part 1 covers captioning basics and third-party services; the optional Part 2 covers DIY captioning.

The Video Captioning workshop will be held on:

• Friday, March 17, 9 a.m.-noon
• Thursday, April 27, 1-4 p.m.

.

Other topics

If you are interested in learning about ensuring the accessibility of online and mobile applications or other technology services, please send an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu with a description of your interest and with any questions. Your feedback will guide us in the development of future workshops.

For more information and assistance

��ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the web page and check out the . ��Also, visit ITS’ Walk-in IT Accessibility Help Desk for consultation on related topics, including video captioning, remediation of your PDF, PowerPoint or Word documents to ensure accessibility, and identifying and fixing accessibility issues on your website. This service is available Mondays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the ITS Service Center, in room 1-227 Center for Science and Technology.

If you have any further questions about these workshops or other technology accessibility issues, please email accessibleIT@syr.edu or call 315.443.2677.

To encourage discussion and understanding of the policy and its ramifications, four public comment sessions will be held. Sessions are scheduled as follows:

Monday, Jan. 23, 10-11:15 a.m., 500 Hall of Languages

Thursday, Feb. 2, 3:30-4:45 PM, 500 Hall of Languages

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 3-4:15 p.m., Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library

Tuesday, Feb. 28, 9-10:15 a.m., Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, 114 Bird Library

All University faculty, students, and staff are welcome to attend. CART and ASL services will be provided. All attendees are encouraged to become familiar with the policy, available on the University’s .

About the Information and Communication Technology Accessibility Policy

��The policy is designed to ensure that all people can effectively access University content on information and communication technologies (ICT). These comprise equipment, systems, technologies or processes for which the principle function is the creation, manipulation, storage, display, receipt or transmission of electronic data and information as well as technology-based equipment.

Included are:

• academic and administrative software applications
• websites, web-based and mobile applications
• interpreting services for events
• email and electronic documents
• search engines and databases
• multimedia (audio and video)

The policy states:

• ICT services and products shall be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
• ICT shall adhere to International (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA) and Federal (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) standards.
• Events on campus shall be accessible and enable full participation

Priority areas include:

• course content: documents, video and library reserves
• University websites and associated documents
• public non-academic video and audio resources
• auxiliary aids and services for University events
• library multimedia resources
• procurement of information and communication technology
• oversight and support for sustaining ICT accessibility

If you have questions or need a disability-related accommodation other than CART or ASL, please contact Information Technology Services by phone at 315.443.2677 or email at accessibleIT@syr.edu. Requests should be made as soon as possible. Please include your name and phone number in your email.

These scams are common and widespread during tax season. Consequently, when the SU Payroll Service Center sends its annual W-2 notification, it WILL NOT include any clickable links (or hyperlinks) in the message. Instead, you will be asked to log into MySlice directly via your browser. Similarly, no one at the University will send you an email asking that you reply with personal information, such as your SU NetID and password.

If you receive a message containing a hyperlink to MySlice or your W-2, do not click the link. It is not from the University. Delete the message immediately. Do the same for any email that asks for your log-on credentials.

If you happen to receive a message like these, and you click the link and enter your SU credentials (NetID and password), you should consider them compromised, and should change your SU password immediately. You can change your password by opening a browser and entering NetID.syr.edu. When the page opens, click “Change Your Password” and follow the instructions.

Note that email addresses may become functional links in some email programs. The message from the Payroll Service Center will contain their email address. You can verify the URL of any link before you click it by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click it.

If you have any questions or need assistance with verifying any email messages, please do not hesitate to contact your local IT support team (if you’re SU faculty or staff) or the ITS Service Center (if you’re a student) at 315.443.2677 or help@syr.edu.

We should be especially vigilant this time of year. The holidays are typically an active time for cybercriminals. They will use the events of the holiday season to send phishing emails that appear to be from trusted sources, but are not. They will try to get you to click on a link that leads to a familiar-looking but dangerous web page that they have created to steal your University or personal log-in credentials, or to install a virus or malware on your computer or hand-held device.

Do not fall for these phishing messages! Their primary purpose is to do bad things to you and your devices.

Remember these tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks:

• Be especially suspicious of emails that arrive the day of, before or after a holiday. Scammers count on these days of low work attendance to avoid detection and to catch you with your guard down.
• Be suspicious of any email from senders you do not know, or that seems out of character for the sender. Verify that the sender is actually who they appear to be before clicking on any links.
• Verify the URL of any link before you click it. Do this by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you do not recognize the URL, do not click it.
• Never open attachments you are not expecting unless they are from someone you know.
• Delete any suspicious emails, before opening them if possible.
• Do not enter your username and password (especially your SU NetID) to access any website if you are not 100 percent sure of its validity. In particular, you should be suspicious of email messages that have links to sites that ask you to use your SU NetID and password to log in.
• Remember that nobody at SU will ever ask for your NetID or password for any reason, in any form other than when you are logging into an SU system. Whenever a link in an email leads to a page that looks like a University system (e.g., MySlice, Blackboard), do not log in. Open a new browser window, manually enter the URL of the system in the address window (do not copy the link from the email), and then log in.
• Similarly, nobody working for or representing a University office should call you asking for personal information. If you get such a phone call, ask for an on-campus call back number to verify, and then call them back. All on-campus numbers will start with “315.443-“ or “315.442-“.
• It is highly recommended you do not use your University account credentials (NetID, NetID password, University email addresses) for nonUniversity accounts. A breach of one of those nonUniversity accounts could allow the perpetrators to gain access to sensitive University information. Use a unique password for each of your accounts.
• If somebody does ask for your NetID or password, they are not representing the University or any of its offices. Report any occurrences to itsecurity@listserv.syr.edu or your local IT staff.

If you need more information or assistance with verifying any email messages, please do not hesitate to contact your local IT support team (if you are SU faculty or staff), or the ITS Service Center (if you are a student) at 315.443.2677 or help@syr.edu.

To receive timely notification from ITS of current information security threats follow @SecureCuse and @SU_ITS on Twitter.

Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) focuses on the implementation and benefits of accessible media, universal design and assistive technology in university, business and public settings. There is a strong focus on campus accommodation, universal design and curriculum accessibility. Other topic areas include legal and policy issues, video captioning and creating accessible math content. Incorporating accessibility into the procurement process and accessibility evaluations are particular focuses of the event.

Presentation of the main conference on the SU campus is jointly sponsored by the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services office, the Office of Faculty Development, the Office of Disability Services, the Disability Cultural Center, SU Libraries and Information Technology Services (ITS).

Who should attend?

This conference is intended for individuals who need to design or provide accessible web, media, information resources and technology in the academic and business environment, including faculty and administrators interested in ADA & Section 508 compliance and faculty and other professionals who wish to ensure that their curriculum is accessible. In the past, audiences have included web designers, assistive technologists, ADA coordinators, human resource personnel, persons with disabilities, disability specialists, faculty, media specialists and programmers interested in accessibility and incorporating universal design into curriculum and information and communications technology.

About the virtual conference

AHG will stream sessions live from two tracks, all three days of the main conference. For complete information, including session abstracts and schedule, visit the .

NOTE: ITS has arranged for group tickets, each of which covers the presentation of all virtual main conference sessions on the SU campus. DO NOT register for the virtual conference on the AHG website, unless you want to participate as an individual, or in the pre-conference sessions, or from another location. Also, note that the times shown on the virtual conference website are Mountain Time. Events will be presented here on campus two hours later than shown on the conference website. The virtual pre-conference sessions are not being hosted on the SU campus.

Questions? Send an email to ITS at accessibleIT@syr.edu, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Please include your name and phone number in your email.

To ensure that your directory information is up-to-date and accurate, please review your information online at . If your phone number is incorrect, please log into MySlice and make the correction yourself. To make changes to any other information in the directory, you must contact your department administrator. All changes must be made by noon, Wednesday, Nov. 9, to appear in the upcoming PDF directory.

You will need your SU NetID and password to log into MySlice. Once you have logged in, navigate to “Personal Information” (in the “Personal Services” section) to review the following information:

Phone numbers: You can list several phone numbers in MySlice under the “phone numbers” tab. The number that you list as your “business phone” is the number that will appear in the campus directories, including the online directory (), Name Connector (dial 443.1870 or “0”) and the PDF version. It may also be used for Orange Alert Notifications. Your “main” number is intended to indicate your home phone number or your primary off-campus phone number. Please make any necessary changes.

Other information: While you are in MySlice, please check your home address to be sure it is correct. It is located under the “address” tab. This address will not be published in the PDF or online directories. It is used for certain University communications, including benefits information, which are mailed to your home address. Similarly, check your emergency contacts, which will not be published in any directories.

All faculty and staff are encouraged not only to verify that their personal contact information is correct, but also to update it whenever it changes.

If you do not have access to the Internet, contact the HR Service Center at 315.443.4042 to request a form to update your information.

Thank you for taking the time to confirm your directory information.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT:
Telecommunications
Skytop Office Building
Phone: 315.443.4730
Email: telecom@syr.edu

:

• Daniel Acuna, assistant professor in the , will present “Improving Scientific Innovation: A data Science Perspective.” Without tools, no scientist can keep up with new research trends and funding efforts. In this talk, he will show how he creates new kinds of tools to substantially accelerate linking publications and grants. Also, he will highlight how artificial intelligence and big data make this possible and how the University’s research computing infrastructure and the iSchool are supporting these new efforts.

Thursday, Oct. 13. 3-4:30 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Light refreshments will be served.

• Shikha Nangia is an assistant professor of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering in the . She leads an active research group with focus on computational modeling of complex biological interfaces including, the blood-brain barrier, cancer drug delivery, bacterial membranes, antimicrobial peptides and self-assembled materials. Her group’s use of University computing resources enables insights that propel us forward toward solving the blood-brain barrier puzzle and consequently aiding in designing novel therapeutics to treat the brain-related ailments.

Monday, Oct. 24. 12:30-2 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be included.

These sessions will explore how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines. Participants will have opportunities to:

• connect with other researchers on campus;
• participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing;
• receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape; and
• meet and engage SU’s research computing staff.

The sessions are hosted by Information Technology Services (ITS), in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council (RCAC).

Register or by Email

Please register for the session(s) you plan to attend or send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu. In your email, please include your name, daytime phone number, the session(s) you plan to attend, and any accommodations you may require.

For more information

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at SU, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, please send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

• NEW! Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
• NEW! Creating Accessible Forms
• Creating Accessible Documents
• Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility
• Video Captioning

The workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus.

Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team will present the workshops at the dates, times and locations shown below. Each session has space for 12 participants. To request disability-related accommodations for any of these workshops, please contact the IT Accessibility Team at 315.443.2143 or email accessibleIT@syr.edu. Please submit requests for accommodations at least a week before the workshop you will attend.

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. Use the links below to register.

About the workshops

All workshops will be held in 001 Steele Hall.

.

NEW! Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations

This hands-on workshop is ideal for anyone who creates presentation materials using Microsoft PowerPoint. In the workshop you will learn how to make PowerPoint slides accessible when presenting, creating, distributing or posting presentation materials.

The Creating and Delivering Accessible PowerPoint Presentations workshop will be held at these times:

• Thursday, Oct. 13, 1-3 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday, Nov. 30, 1-4 p.m.

NEW! Creating Accessible Forms

This hands-on workshop focuses on creating accessible online forms. The workshop will cover the ins and outs of creating accessible PDF, Frevvo and WordPress forms.

The Creating Accessible Forms workshop will be held at the following times:

• Wednesday, Oct. 26, 9 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday, Nov. 29, 9:00 a.m.-noon

Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility

This hands-on workshop guides participants through the process of evaluating their current website for accessibility.

The Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility workshop will be held on:

• Thursday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday, Nov. 2, 9 a.m.-noon

Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC

This workshop covers the process of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. Upon course completion, participants will be able to explain the importance of creating accessible documents and perform the steps necessary to create accessible Word and PDF documents.

The Creating Accessible Documents in Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat DC will be held on:

• Wednesday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m.-noon
• Thursday, Nov. 3, 1-4 p.m.

Video Captioning

This two-part workshop is for anyone who manages, creates or maintains video content. Part 1 covers captioning basics and third-party services; the optional Part 2 covers DIY captioning.

The Video Captioning workshop will be held on:

• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 9 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1-4 p.m.

.

Other topics

If you are interested in learning about ensuring the accessibility of online and mobile applications or other technology services, please send an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu with a description of your interest and with any questions. Your feedback will guide us in the development of future workshops.

For more information and assistance

ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the web page and check out the . ��Also, visit ITS’s Walk-in IT Accessibility Help Desk for consultation on related topics, including video captioning, remediation of your PDF, PowerPoint or Word documents to ensure accessibility, and identifying and fixing accessibility issues on your website. This service is available Mondays and Thursdays, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the ITS Service Center, in room 1-227 Center for Science and Technology.

If you have any further questions about these workshops or other technology accessibility issues, please email accessibleIT@syr.edu or call 315.443.2677.

Information Technology Services (ITS), the team responsible for managing the ���ϲ����� Mobile app, recently added the new features. Available free in the and , the app offers a wealth of current information about the University and provides safe, secure access to information in MySlice.

In addition to the new features, students can view their class schedules and grades and search for classes. The app continues to deliver the latest University news and events and provides access to the University’s online directory to search for students, faculty and staff; campus maps; interactive SU social media; laundry machine status; and more.

“I like that you can access some of the important applications in one place without having to access the web on my phone or a computer,” says Austin Rhoads ’17, a student in the . “I like the Blackboard integration the best.”

���ϲ����� Mobile grew out of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s initiative aimed at generating ideas and input from students to create new communications tools for the University to connect better with students. Led by Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Professor of Retail Practice Amanda Nicholson, the initiative spawned two ICE (Involvement. Communication. Education.) Tournaments, each of which involved teams of students, staff and faculty. The teams developed innovative ideas to increase student engagement.

“The ICE Tournaments were an incredibly productive and rewarding experience,” says Nicholson. “There are pages upon pages of notes filled with creative ways to enhance student engagement, increase student involvement and better the University’s mode and manner in which it communicates.”

“ITS spun several of the ideas from the Tournaments into SU Mobile,” says Sam Scozzafava, chief information officer and vice president for information technology. “The new bus tracking feature is a good example of the ongoing input from students that feeds the continuous improvements we’re making to the app.”

The app’s features now include:

• New! SU Food Services menus and locations
• New! Centro bus tracking
• New! Integration of Tapingo and Lynda.com apps
• MySlice Student and Faculty Services Modules
  • Grades for all semesters during which the student took courses
    • Entries include links to all class details
  • Exam Schedule for both students and faculty
  • Class schedule (current term only)
  • Class search
    • Current and next term (when available)
    • Search using many criteria, including subject area, subject code, course number, course career, class number, course keyword, mode of instruction (in person, online, etc.), session, days and times
    • Class details available for each result: start/end dates, days, class location and times, and all dates and deadlines (financial drop, academic drop, class add, withdrawal)

• SU News feed
• Campus Maps (Google)
• SU Events Calendar
• SU Directory
• Social Media
  • Users can view and share items from these modules from within the app
  • Aggregates the main SU��Twitter and Facebook accounts
  • SU YouTube channel available in Video module
  • Photos module uses SU Instagram feed

As with all mobile apps, updates and enhancements are constantly being deployed.“We hope to see improved campus mapping soon, as well as tracking and schedules for Birnie buses,” says Jenny Gluck, associate chief information officer for academic services. “We continue to seek student input and ideas about new ways the mobile app can improve their student experience. Everyone is encouraged to send ideas and comments to help@syr.edu.”

You can download the free SU Mobile app in the and .

About TurningPoint Cloud

Engaging your students will be easier and more effective. The interface itself has very few changes so you will be working in a familiar environment.

You will need to get a new USB receiver to take advantage of the changes that will come with TurningPoint Cloud. Below are a few things you need to do before the fall term.

• Trade in your old TurningPoint USB receiver for a new USB receiver. Bring your old TurningPoint USB receiver to ��in the Center for Science and Technology, room 1-245, and trade it in for a new one. The new receiver will have the TurningPoint Cloud software loaded on it.
• Create a��. All instructors must do this.
• If your students will be using clickers, contact the��SU Bookstore as soon as possible. Please email the University Bookstore Textbook Department at textbook@syr.edu�� or call Kathleen Bradley at 315-443-9901��with the approximate number of students in your class(es) to ensure adequate clicker inventory.
• Sign up for a workshop. Attend any one of our to get ready to use TurningPoint Cloud in the fall.

Visit Answers.syr.edu for .

Questions? Want more information? Please contact the ITS Service Center at 315-443-2677 or help@syr.edu.

Each employee can download and install Office 365 ProPlus applications, including 2016 versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook and more, on a maximum of five computers (PC and Mac) and five devices (iPhone, iPad and Android). Employees can download the Office applications by logging into the with their SU NetID and password. Note that not all the applications are available for all devices.

The Microsoft Student Advantage Program extends to all faculty and staff, who do not need to be students to be eligible.

Office 365 applications installed through the Microsoft Student Advantage program remain activated until the employee’s University employment period ends.

For complete details and instructions, visit the page at Answers.syr.edu.

Information Technology Services (ITS) encourages you to set aside a few minutes to experience the impact of accessibility in your digital assets. Participate in GAAD by taking the .

People with some types of physical disabilities may not be able to use a mouse. People who are blind generally interact with their computer using only the keyboard. Navigating a website or a web-based application using just the keyboard can be difficult or impossible if the webpage is not accessible. Try the #NoMouse Challenge to see if by using a keyboard alone users can access all the features of your website or web-based application.

How to take the Challenge

To navigate a webpage using just the keyboard (and no mouse):

• Use the [Tab] key to move from link to link on the web page. [Shift] [Tab] moves backwards through links.
• Use the [Enter] key to select a link
• Use the [arrow keys] when needed to move through lists
• Use [Escape] to close a pop-up window

What to look for:

1. Is there a visible indicator to tell you where you are on the web page. This created by the ITS Accessibility Team shows you what to look for.
2. Can you access all areas of the page and web site. For example, can you see and select items in drop down menus?
3. Can you operate all buttons and forms?
4. If you have an embedded video, can you operate the play, pause and other control buttons?

The ITS Accessibility Team invites you to and find more .

For more information about IT Accessibility at SU, visit the , or send an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu.

SU’s Information Security team will be monitoring for reports of phishing attacks, and will communicate with the campus or individual units if significant threats are detected or reported.��Please don’t hesitate to contact ITS at ITSecurity@listserv.syr.edu to report any suspicious activity, or if you think you’ve been taken in by a phisher.
Please continue to be extra vigilant when reviewing your unsolicited email. Follow the advice below to protect yourself and the University from phishing attacks:

• Be suspicious of any email from senders you don’t know or that seems out of character or unusual for the sender.
• Verify that the sender is actually who they appear to be—even if you have to call them up— before clicking on any links.
• Verify the URL of any link before you click it by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click it.
• Never open attachments unless they are from someone you know or are otherwise expected.
• Delete any suspicious emails, before opening them if possible.
• Don’t enter your username and password (especially your SU NetID) to access any website if you are not 100 percent sure of its validity. In particular, you should be suspicious of email messages that have links to sites that ask you to use your SU NetID and password to log in.
• Keep your computer software updated and patched, particularly your antivirus and anti-malware software.
• Make sure your computer’s firewall is installed and running.
• Remember that nobody at SU will ever ask for your NetID or password for any reason, in any form other than when you’re logging into an SU system. If somebody does, they’re not representing the University or any if its offices.

For additional information and timely articles, bookmark our website, . Follow us on Twitter (@SecurecUse) and like us on Facebook (SecurecUse) to receive updates on information security threats and issues affecting our campus and your digital presence.

This March during spring break, hundreds of Portland State University students received an email containing a virus. . At least one student’s computer was held hostage and locked down by the attack. His dissertation was out of reach, and he had no backup, so he paid a $600 ransom to rescue his files. Even are ransomware targets.

A predicts the number of ransomware attacks like these will increase in 2016, after almost tripling between 2013 and 2015. The FBI estimates that ransomware will be a billion-dollar business in 2016. The�� says that colleges and universities are experiencing increased “spear phishing” incidents targeting students, faculty and staff with personalized, legitimate-looking emails with harmful links or attachments. “The relatively open nature of campus IT systems, widespread use of social media by students and a lack of the restrictive controls common in many corporate settings make higher education institutions particularly vulnerable to data breaches,” says the report.

Members of the SU community who follow good security practices are the best defense against ransomware and other threats. In addition, computers that are connected to Active Directory (AD) have the full suite of protections afforded by Information Technology Services (ITS) and have thus far been unaffected. However, there have been infections on systems not connected to AD where SU employees have lost important data.

How to defend yourself and the University

The most effective way to protect your data is to perform regular backups of all critical files to secure storage separate from your computer. In addition to your local drives, keep current copies of all your important documents on your University network drives. Depending on your affiliation, device and software your network drive is labeled:

• Students: Documents; My Documents; homedir; Home Directory; or H:
• Faculty and Staff: Documents; My Documents; homedir; Home Directory; H: or G:

Using your network drive(s) protects your data if your computer and local drives are infected. Even if the ransomware reaches across the network to encrypt files, ITS’s backup strategy for your files stored on the network will allow you to recover any data on G: and H: that was encrypted and locked. But ITS will NOT be able to recover maliciously encrypted data that is stored locally on your computer or external storage devices connected to your computer.

When you’re off campus, there are two ways you can connect to your network drive, DatAnywhere and the ���ϲ����� Remote Access (SURA) tool:

• Students can download DatAnywhere to their computers, phones and tablets and keep their files at their fingertips and synced across all their devices. See at Answers.syr.edu.
• Students can also download SURA to their Windows computer and connect to their network drive. See the for more information.
• Faculty and staff can connect remotely via SURA, which automatically configures a Windows personal computer to connect securely to University resources via a Virtual Private Network (VPN). They may also be able to use DatAnywhere under some circumstances. Contact to discuss your options.

Equally important is to follow basic information security practices diligently :

• Run up-to-date security and antivirus (AV) software on your devices. AV that’s out of date is no better than no AV at all.
• Keep your system patched and your software updated to minimize the chances that bad guys can leverage software vulnerabilities to install malware.
• Don’t run your computer as an administrative user.
• Don’t click on links you’re not sure of, or download files, music, photos, documents or software from unknown sites.
• Beware of phishing
  • Be suspicious of any email from senders you don’t know or that seems out of character for the sender. Make sure that the sender is actually who they appear to be before clicking on any links.
  • Verify the URL of any link before you click it by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click it.
  • Never open attachments unless they are from someone you know, or you are expecting them.
  • Delete any suspicious emails, before opening them if possible.
• Back up your data offline. For your University work, take the extra step to use your H: and G: drives frequently. They are backed up every night and can be recovered. Online backup services like iCloud, OneDrive and Google Drive don’t always offer a recovery mechanism and while generally acceptable for your personal data, they are not for University Data.
• External hard drives used to back up your data may not be sufficient as some ransomware will encrypt them along with the computer to which they are connected.

How to know if you’ve been infected

• Typically the ransomware will tell you. All you’ll see on your computer screen will be a window with instructions on how to pay the ransom.
• You won’t be able to access your data, and probably won’t be able to use the computer.

What to do if your device has been infected

• Do not pay the ransom!Criminals may or may not provide the encryption key that will allow you to access your data.
• Immediately shut down your computer. Do not reconnect any offline drives or network shares until you’ve removed the ransomware by erasing your computer and reinstalling software.
• All your hard drives will need to be erased, and your operating system and software applications re-installed on your computer:
  • If you’re on the University faculty or staff, or if it’s a computer owned by ���ϲ�����, contact your.
  • If you’re a student, bring your computer, and external hard drives or USBs that were connected when you got the message; the computer’s power cord; and all your operating system and application software media (DVDs, USBs, CDs); and passwords to the ITS Service Center . The Service Center is located just off the Milton Atrium through the double glass doors in room 1-227 in the Center for Science and Technology.
• After your computer and any external drives have been erased and restored, recover your data from your offline backups.

Questions? Need help?

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact your local IT support team (if you’re SU faculty or staff) or the ITS Service Center (if you’re a student) at 315-443-2677 or help@syr.edu.

SITETL is an intensive program for faculty members who wish to incorporate technology into their face-to-face course or move a significant component of their course online. This unique event will offer presentations and hands-on workshops involving current topics and technologies, as well as strategies and pedagogies to support online teaching and learning. Participants will work alongside colleagues from a variety of disciplines as they develop skills and design content for their courses. Instructors will learn about a variety of technologies with a focus on enhancing instruction for students. Sessions will include presentations, panel discussions and hands-on lab time.

Each session is limited to 15 participants selected through a competitive application process. The application deadline is Friday, April 15.

For more information, including the online application form, .

If you have questions or want more information, please contact Michael Morrison at memorr02@syr.edu or 443-1806.

Researchers Jay Henderson Lisa Manning and Christopher Turner in the ���ϲ����� Biomaterials Institute Lab. Manning was one of the presenters in the fall Computing Colloquy series.

The upcoming series of Computing Colloquies is designed to help campus researchers identify and make the most of the diverse array of campus computing resources available at the University. All faculty, students and staff conducting, planning or supporting research activities at the University are invited to the sessions.

Spring 2016 sessions:

• Duncan Brown, the inaugural Charles Brightman Endowed Professor of Physics, a world-renowned expert in gravitational wave astronomy and astrophysics, will provide an overview of how OrangeGrid and Crush Computing infrastructure directly support the multinational Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and its discovery of gravitational waves.

Monday, March 28. noon-1:30 p.m., 500 Hall of Languages. Lunch will be provided.

• Michael Fudge, assistant professor of practice of data science at the , will conduct a deep-dive tour that will provide the scoop on Hadoop. Hadoop is a highly modular collection of software applications, libraries and APIs allowing for distributed storage and processing of large data sets. Fudge is building out a Hadoop cluster here on campus to support Big Data environments, with the latest tools and technologies for use by researchers and faculty.

Thursday, April 7. 3-4:30 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Refreshments will be provided.

• Chihwa (Duke) Kao, professor of economics at the Center for Policy Research in the , will conduct a deep-dive exploration of MatLab, with an eye toward demonstrating how it supports his research in econometrics, continuous time stochastic models and financial markets. MatLab is a multi-paradigm numerical computing environment and fourth-generation programming language with around one million users in industry and academia from various engineering, science and economics backgrounds.

Monday, April 18. 3-4:30 p.m. Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Refreshments will be provided.

• Gary Engelhardt is the Melvin A. Eggers Faculty Scholar and Professor of Economics at the Maxwell School, and a faculty associate at the Aging Studies Institute. His specialties are in the economics of aging, household saving, pensions, Social Security, taxation and housing markets. Engelhardt will discuss how campus computing resources support and inform his work and commentary, which have been featured nationally, including in The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Fox News, CNBC, MSNBC, National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and American Public Media’s “Marketplace.”

Thursday, April 28. 3-4:30 p.m. 500 Hall of Languages. Refreshments will be provided.

These sessions will explore how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines. Participants will have opportunities to:

• connect with other researchers on campus;
• participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing;
• receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape; and
• meet and engage SU’s research computing staff.

The sessions are hosted by Information Technology Services, in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council.

Register or by email

Please register for the session(s) you plan to attend or send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu. In your email, please include your name, daytime phone number, the session(s) you plan to attend and any accommodations you may require.

For more information

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at SU, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

Lynda.com is an online learning site where students, faculty and staff can learn and improve their skills. Continuously updated, lynda.com’s tutorials and courses cover a broad variety of topics, such as coding, web development, business, design, photography, video, audio, business and more. All that’s needed is an Internet connection and your SU Net I.D. and password. All active students, faculty and staff have full lynda.com member privileges. Also, instructors can integrate lynda.com in Blackboard courses.

Aysha Seedat, a senior policy studies and political science major, has used the program to learn HTML coding for a summer internship. “I’m excited to use lynda.com. It’s absolutely amazing,” she says. She credits the site’s Excel tutorials for helping her make efficient use of her data projects.

Lynda offers courses in small video segments so you can get information quickly by watching a specific section, or make a playlist with the videos you want to view. Whether on a laptop, or using lynda’s iPhone, iPad or Android apps, or downloading for offline viewing, users can personalize their learning experience. Lynda.com also offers certificates of completion for their courses, which can appear on a user’s LinkedIn profile.

Kevin Bailey, assistant dean and CIO at the Whitman School of Management, says Whitman’s primary use of lynda.com has been to provide self-service instructional material for the school’s Microsoft Excel Certification Program.

“In the past, Whitman had used Microsoft IT Academy for this material, but it was not very easy for students to create accounts and access content,” says Bailey. “The University’s partnership with lynda.com and implementation of the LTI integration with Blackboard opened up the opportunity to create a Blackboard course, allowing smooth and easy access to curated lynda.com material, making for a much-improved experience for our students.”

According to Bailey, Whitman witnessed a nearly 100 percent increase in the pass rate for their initial IMPRESS Excel Certification event this past September.

“We believe this success is a direct result of the ease of access and improved experience offered by the Blackboard integration that lynda.com affords us,” says Bailey. “Clearly, the lynda.com platform provides an opportunity for instructors to integrate lynda.com content into their courses in such a way that students learn about the tools they need to succeed in the job market on their own time without sacrificing face time with faculty in the classroom.”

Justin Baumann, majoring in political science and information technology, likes lynda.com because he can save time learning supplementary skills for his engineering courses. “Lynda.com’s been awesome. Because I’m in a time crunch, I can just go in and hit it, and I’m out to wherever my next meeting is. I’ve had a great experience with it so far,” he says.

Students, faculty and staff can all use lynda.com. Instructors and administrators can supplement curricula and promote student readiness with targeted skills development. Concurrently, they can support faculty and staff development, stay current with classroom technologies and more. Instructors can free up classroom time and assign online tutorials as homework. Department leaders can support personal growth and development among their instructional and administrative staff.

There are two ways for SU members to access lynda.com:

• Navigate to and log in with your University NetID and password, or

• If an instructor specifies a lynda.com course as part of a course, students can access it through Blackboard. The instructor has the option to track students’ course progress and completion for automatic entry into the Blackboard Gradebook.

For more information on lynda.com at ���ϲ�����, visit and search for the . If you need further assistance, email help@syr.edu or call the ITS Service Center at 315-443-2677.

Accessibility training workshops available

ITS is accepting registrations for three training workshops that will build faculty and staff awareness of, sensitivity to and proficiency in ensuring the accessibility of information communications and technologies. “Creating Accessible Documents” focuses on course materials and documents; “Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility” focuses on websites and online resources; and a new workshop called “Video Captioning” covers the basics of adding captions to video content.

The workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus.

The workshops will be presented by Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team at the dates, times and locations shown below. Each session has space for 12 participants.

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis. Use the link below to register.

About the workshops

Creating Accessible Documents

Overview

This three-hour workshop provides a fundamental overview of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC on Windows or Mac computers. At successful completion, participants will be able to:

• explain and demonstrate the importance of creating accessible documents
• understand basic concepts of creating accessible documents
• understand best practices for creating accessible Word and PDF documents
• remediate legacy Word and PDF documents to make them accessible
• utilize the Office accessibility checker
• identify and correct common accessibility errors
• use Adobe Acrobat Pro DC’s accessibility checker

All sessions are held Wednesday mornings from 9 a.m.-noon as follows:

Operating System�������� Day and Date�������������������������������������������������� Location

Mac������������������������������������������������ Wednesday, March 16�������������������������� Huntington Hall, room 070A

Windows �������������������������������� Wednesday, Feb. 10 �������������� �� �� ���� Steele Hall, room 001

Windows �������������������������������� Wednesday, March 9���������������������������� Steele Hall, room 001

Windows �������������������������������� Wednesday, April 13 ���������������������������� Steele Hall, room 001

Windows �������������������������������� Wednesday, May 25 ���������������������������� Steele Hall, room 001

Windows �������������������������������� Wednesday, June 22 ���������������������������� Steele Hall, room 001

Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility

Overview:

Designed for anyone who manages, creates or maintains web content, this workshop will discuss relevant concepts and coach participants through evaluating their pages against the accessibility checkpoints. The workshop will cover basic techniques for evaluating web content, including:

• accessibility resources and tools at SU
• applicable legislation and compliance
• automated accessibility checkers
• steps for manually checking web page accessibility
• a brief introduction to screen readers
• design considerations
• captioning vendors and tools

Workshop Dates (all take place Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon in 001 Steele Hall)

Jan. 27

Feb. 24

March 30

May 11

June 8

Video Captioning

Overview:

The video captioning workshop is designed for anyone who manages, creates or maintains video content and is offered in two parts. Part one covers the basics of captioning as well as considerations when purchasing captioning services from third-party vendors. Part two is optional and designed for those who wish to know more about creating their own captions.

Part One: Captioning basics and third-party services

• audience considerations
• caption types and terminology
• cost and resource considerations for DIY captioning vendors
• vendor comparisons

Part Two: DIY captioning

• hands-on experience with captioning tools
• caption file formats
• captioning rules and quality control
• costs and resources

All video captioning workshops take place in 001 Steele Hall at these dates and times:

Workshop Dates�������������������� Part 1 (Basics)�������������������� Part 2 (DIY)

Friday, Feb. 12������ �� �� �� �� ���� 9:30-10:45 a.m.���������������� 11 a.m.-noon

Thursday, March 10������������ 1-2:15 p.m.�������������� �� �� �� �� �� 2:30-3:30 p.m.

Friday, April 15������������������������ 9:30-10:45 a.m.������������ ���� 11�� a.m.-noon

Tuesday, May 24������������������ 9:30-10:45 a.m.������������ �� �� 11 a.m.-noon

Other topics

If you are interested in learning about ensuring the accessibility of online and mobile applications, or other services and communications, please send an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu with a description of your interest and with any questions. Your input will guide the development of coming programs.

For more information

ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the web page and check out the .

If you have any questions about this workshop, or other accessibility and technology issues, please send them in an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu.

To ensure that your information is up to date and accurate, please review your information online at . If your phone number is incorrect, please log into MySlice and make the correction yourself. To make changes to any other information in the directory, you must contact your department administrator. All changes must be made by noon, Thursday, Feb. 4, to appear in the in upcoming PDF directory.

You will need your SU NetID and password to log into MySlice. Once you have logged in, navigate to “Personal Information” (in the “Personal Services” section) to review the following information:

Phone numbers: You can list several phone numbers in MySlice under the “phone numbers” tab. The number that you list as your “business phone” is the number that will appear in the campus directories, including the online directory (http://directory.syr.edu), Name Connector (dial 443-1870 or “0”) and the PDF version. It may also be used for Orange Alert Notifications. Your “main” number is intended to indicate your home phone number or your primary off-campus phone number. Please make any necessary changes.

Other information: While you are in MySlice, please check your home address to be sure it is correct. It is located under the “address” tab. This address will not be published in the PDF or online directories. It is used for certain University communications, including benefits information, which are mailed to your home address. Similarly, check your emergency contacts, which will not be published in any directories.

All faculty and staff are encouraged not only to verify that their personal contact information is correct, but also to update it whenever it changes.

If you do not have access to the Internet, contact the HR Service Center at 443-4042 to request a form to update your information.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT:
Telecommunications
Skytop Office Building
Phone: 443-4730
Email: telecom@syr.edu

A localized mode in a simulated disordered packing of 2,500 soft particles, part of M. Lisa Manning’s research Credit: Sven Wijtmans and M. Lisa Manning, ���ϲ�����

Participants will hear first hand from M. Lisa Manning, associate professor of physics in the , about how she has taken advantage of SU’s computational resources. A computational researcher in soft matter physics, Manning runs custom high-throughput and high-performance computer code on a local cluster at the University’s green data center and on OrangeGrid. She works with wide-ranging applications, from designing new structural materials such as bulk metallic glasses to understanding biological processes such as embryonic development and cancer metastasis.
Also, participants will have opportunities to:
• connect with other researchers on campus;
• participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing;
• receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape; and
• meet and engage SU’s research computing staff.

Participants will discuss how computing resources help researchers take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines.

To register, send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu. Please include your name, daytime phone number and any accommodations you may require.

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at the University, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) focuses on the implementation and benefits of accessible media, universal design and assistive technology in the university, business and public setting. There is a strong focus on campus accommodation, universal design and curriculum accessibility. Other topics covered are legal and policy issues, including ADA and 508 compliance. The creation of accessible media and information resources, including Web pages and library resources, is a particular focus of the event.

Presentation of this conference on the SU campus is jointly sponsored by the Equal Opportunity, Inclusion and Resolution Services office, the Office of Faculty Development, the Office of Disability Services, the Disability Cultural Center, SU Libraries and Information Technology Services.

Who should attend?

This conference is intended for individuals who need to design or provide accessible Web, media, information resources and technology in the academic and business environment. In the past, audiences have included Web designers, assistive technologists, ADA coordinators, human resource personnel, persons with disabilities, disability specialists, faculty, media specialists and programmers interested in accessibility and incorporating universal design into curriculum and information and communications technology.

About the virtual conference

AHG will stream sessions live from all five days of the conference, one track during the pre-conference and two tracks during the main conference. For complete information, including session abstracts and schedule, visit the .

NOTE: ITS has arranged for group tickets, each of which covers the presentation of all virtual conference sessions on the SU campus. DO NOT register for the virtual conference on the AHG website, unless you want to participate as an individual, or from another location. Also, note that the times shown on the virtual conference website are Mountain Time. Events will be presented here on campus two hours later than shown on the conference website.

Questions? Send an email to Information Technology Services at accessibleIT@syr.edu and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. Please include your name and phone number in your email.

ITS’ Information Security group will reach out to students, faculty and staff with awareness events at various buildings Wednesdays and Thursdays through October. Students, faculty and staff can complete the Secure’cUse Cyber Security Awareness Quiz in person or online and be eligible to win one of three iPad Mini tablets. .

Tablet winners will be chosen and announced at a public workshop in Maxwell Auditorium on Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. At the workshop, Christopher Croad, the University’s information security officer, and his staff will present hands-on demonstrations of security threats and ways each member of the SU community can counter them.

“People are the favorite target of hackers when it comes to cyber security,” says Croad. “Given proper training and awareness, our people can become our strongest line of defense.”

The education sector sees some of the highest numbers of reported data breaches among industry sectors. As stories in the media demonstrate, data breaches have increased nationwide and affect more people than ever.

“We all need to be cognizant of the data we handle and ensure their safety,” says Croad. “Those data are what the hackers try to get from us and our systems.” He reminds everyone to:

• STOP: Think about the data that you need to do your work.
• EVALUATE: Categorize the data you handle. Social security numbers, student records, financial and credit card information are confidential and must be secure. “It’s best not to have such data on your local system,” says Croad. Similarly, enterprise or university data including alumni records, compensation and payroll data, infrastructure details and contracts are essential to the University’s business and must be protected.
• ELIMINATE or MITIGATE: Regularly evaluate your need to keep confidential and enterprise data. When you are done working with such data, delete it securely. “In all cases,” says Croad, “handle data with care.”

According to Sam Scozzafava, SU’s interim chief information officer and vice president for Information Technology Services, “All members of the University community must work together to protect not only the institution’s resources, but also our personal information, devices and online identities. National Cyber Security Month calls attention to the things each of us can do to keep personal and University data safe and secure.”

For more information about NCSAM and IT security at SU, visit .

Both workshops will help participants understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job and support the University’s efforts to ensure accessibility of documents, systems and communications across campus.

The workshops will be presented by Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team. Each session has space for 12 participants.

Seating is limited for both workshops, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first-submitted, first-enrolled basis.

About the workshops

“Creating Accessible Documents”

This three-hour workshop provides a fundamental overview of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC on Windows or Mac computers. At successful completion, participants will be able to:

• explain and demonstrate the importance of creating accessible documents;
• understand basic concepts of creating accessible documents;
• understand best practices for creating accessible Word and PDF documents;
• remediate legacy Word and PDF documents to make them accessible;
• utilize the Office accessibility checker;
• identify and correct common accessibility errors; and
• use Adobe Acrobat DC’s accessibility checker.

Workshop Date�������������������������������������������� Times�������������������������������������������� Operating System, Location

Thursday, Oct. 29 �������������������������� 1-4 p.m.�������������������������������������������� Windows, 001 Steele Hall

Tuesday, Nov. 10�������������������� �� ���� 9 a.m.-noon������������������ �� �� �� Windows, 001 Steele Hall

Monday, Nov. 23���������������������� ���� 8:30-11:30 a.m.������������������ Mac, 1-231 CST

Friday, Dec. 4���������������������������������������� 9 a.m.-noon������������������������������ Windows, 001 Steele Hall

“Evaluating Your Website for Accessibility”

Designed for anyone who manages, creates or maintains web content, this workshop will discuss relevant concepts and coach participants through evaluating their pages against the accessibility checkpoints. The workshop will cover basic techniques for evaluating web content, including:

• accessibility resources and tools at SU;
• applicable legislation and compliance;
• automated accessibility checkers;
• steps for manually checking the accessibility;
• a brief introduction to screen readers;
• design considerations; and
• captioning vendors and tools.

Workshop Date & Times (all take place in 001 Steele Hall)

Monday, Oct. 19������������������������������ 1-4 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 22 ���������������������� 9 a.m.-noon

Friday, Oct. 30���������������������������������� 9 a.m.-noon

Wednesday, Nov. 11���������� ���� 1-4 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 9�������������� �� 1-4 p.m.

Other topics

If you are interested in learning about ensuring the accessibility of online and mobile applications, or other services and communications, send an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu with a description of your interest and with any questions. Your input will guide the development of coming programs.

For more information

ITS offers a growing variety of resources to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the at SU web page and check out the .

If you have any questions about this workshop, or other accessibility and technology issues, send them in an email to accessibleIT@syr.edu.

The seminar will explore the many uses of virtual reality.

Experience the latest in virtual reality technology being used in in various capacities. Some schools are using zSpace’s STEM software for undergraduate physics and life sciences curriculum support, while others have a particular focus on in areas such as gross anatomy. to see how students and faculty at Keck Graduate Institute in California and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in New York are using zSpace today.

Experts from zSpace will review the scope and sequence and discuss the 250+ activities, created by their curriculum team of teachers. For examples, visit their new .

Event Agenda:

• Networking lunch with local education leaders
• Participate in the keynote presentation and hear testimonials from current customers
• Explore standards-based activities, lesson plans, and video tutorials
• Understand the components of a Virtual Reality Lab through a hands-on demonstration

For more information about the seminar, contact Amanda Austin at zSpace, aaustin@zspace.com.

Computer servers in the Green Data Center on South Campus

The diverse array of campus computing resources available to the University’s researchers was created to take on new and greater computational tasks, enhance research productivity, increase the competitiveness of grant submissions and advance scientific discovery across many disciplines.

Information Technology Services (ITS), in collaboration with the Research Computing Advisory Council (RCAC), will host a series of Computing Colloquies designed to help campus researchers identify and make the most of these resources. These sessions will provide attendees opportunities to:

• Connect with other researchers on campus
• Establish and participate in an ongoing campus dialogue centered on research computing
• Hear first-hand from other ���ϲ����� researchers who utilize computing as significant components of their research, and how they have taken advantage of the University’s computational resources
• Receive information on available resources and navigating the landscape
• Meet and engage the University’s research computing staff

The first Computing Colloquy will occur Wednesday, Oct. 7, from noon to 1 p.m. and feature remarks by Melissa Green, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. She will share how her research group successfully takes advantage of campus computational resources and overcomes challenges, barriers and obstacles. This session will be held in the Katzer Collaboratory, 347 Hinds Hall. Lunch will be provided for all who pre-register.

The second Computing Colloquy will feature M. Lisa Manning, associate professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Katzer Collaboratory. A computational researcher in soft matter physics, Manning runs custom high-throughput and high-performance computer code on a local cluster at the University’s Green Data Center and on OrangeGrid. She works with wide-ranging applications from designing new structural materials, such as bulk metallic glasses, to understanding biological processes, such as embryonic development and cancer metastasis.

All faculty, students and staff conducting, planning or supporting research activities at ���ϲ����� are invited to both sessions.

To register, send an email to researchcomputing@syr.edu noting the session(s) you plan to attend. Please include your name, daytime phone number and any accommodations you may require.

To find out more about the growing variety of research computing resources and activities at ���ϲ�����, visit .

If you have questions about the Computing Colloquy sessions, send them to researchcomputing@syr.edu or Eric Sedore.

This day-long event is designed specifically for ���ϲ����� and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry faculty members and instructors who are interested in learning how to best utilize Blackboard to support their teaching and their students’ learning. The day will consist of various sessions led by staff members from Blackboard, which are designed to help you create richer, more engaging educational experiences for your students. You can attend all day, or pick and choose the sessions you want to attend. more than 150 people registered for the event.

This event is free for faculty, and includes lunch for those who register; you only need to register if you plan to attend lunch; please register for lunch as soon as you can.

Please click for the registration form and additional details.

For more information, contact Michael Morrison, manager of Online Learning Services, at 443-1806 or memorr02@syr.edu .

About the webinar

A 3D printer

The concept of��makerspaces��is beginning to shape the language and mental images of those responsible for the character of learning in undergraduate settings. For many, makerspaces are synonymous with product design and 3D printers. But what if a makerspace could be more than that? A place for deep learning, a place to connect disciplines, a place to unleash creativity; an ideal environment in which��21st��century learners become the creative, resilient, informed risk-takers that make a difference in the world in which they live and work.

Learning outcomes from this webinar will include:

• why attention to��makerspacesis increasingly important;
• what we have learned about��makerspaces that work and how we know;
• how to imagine��makerspaces for the future; and
• how to realize��makerspaces for the future.

To register

Registration is free; RSVP to Don Kilts��(dlkilts@syr.edu or 443-3780) and indicate that you plan to attend, or if you have questions or need accommodations.

This image plots the processing activity of all the individual hosts within Crush, and visualizes overall use as well as the pattern of load on the cluster.

Information Technology Services (ITS) recently launched a new website focused on the computing systems and services available to the research community at the University. provides a technical overview of the variety of computing resources available to researchers from all disciplines and helps researchers understand how they can best take advantage of those resources.

“Researchers can each explore the site to find out how they might use these systems and services in their work,” says Sam Scozzafava, interim chief information officer and vice president for Information Technology Services. “They’ll come away with a better picture of the underlying technical infrastructure and how research projects from several disciplines have benefited from using the University’s computing assets.”

The site also provides perspective on the University’s three-pronged strategy to foster research computing and help empower research excellence:

• Provide robust research computing resources
• Promote national collaboration and innovation
• Support the SU research community

“The site functions as the ‘front door’ to research computing on campus. It is meant to inform the local research community of available resources, as well as attract distinguished faculty and students to work in fields of study that can take advantage of the University’s resources,” says Eric Sedore, associate chief information officer for Infrastructure Services in ITS. “We are prioritizing two aspects initially: providing a representation of the diverse academic work taking advantage of existing resources; and keeping a steady stream of content flowing through the site, including both technology updates and research highlights.”

Research computing at the University is a collaborative effort between the campus research community and technology groups from across campus. The technology groups include information technology teams from several schools and colleges, as well as support and coordination from ITS, which provides computing infrastructure resources and expertise. These campus-wide resources include:

• OrangeGrid, a 10,000 core High-Throughput Computing environment
• Academic Virtual Hosting Environment (AVHE), a virtual private cloud for researcher use
• Crush, a 5,000 core virtual private cloud for computationally intensive research computing needs

“The site demonstrates that SU’s resources and infrastructure will support traditional areas of research and provide support for a very diverse range of research projects that need access to computing resources,” says Sedore. “Plus, these campus resources are freely available and extremely capable.”

“The new site will make it easier for faculty and student researchers to find the right computing tools and use them to achieve their goals,” says Scozzafava.

For background, see the ���ϲ����� story “Research Computing Gains Momentum at University.”

The new, NSF-funded campus cyberinfrastructure engineer position will provide technical expertise and leadership to realize the potential of existing University cyberinfrastructure investments and to guide strategy for future investments for research and education.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded ���ϲ����� $396,098 to fund a full-time campus cyberinfrastructure engineer (CIE) position for two years. The engineer will provide technical expertise and leadership to realize the potential of existing University cyberinfrastructure investments and to guide strategy for future investments for research and education. The position is expected to increase research computing output, including scholarly output and funded research.

Samuel Scozzafava

“Campus cyberinfrastructure is essential to answering many of the most fundamental questions in science and engineering, and to train the next generation of students and researchers,” says Sam Scozzafava, interim chief information officer and vice president for information technology services. “The cyberinfrastructure engineer will foster growth in research computing at ���ϲ����� and serve as a liaison at the national level.”

The CIE will engage with a broad spectrum of campus researchers, allowing the University to respond to current needs and opportunities in advancing scientific discovery. The job includes working with researchers to better understand their needs and to recommend available computing resources. The CIE will be well-versed in research computing technologies, including high-throughput computing, high-performance computing, virtualization and operating systems. The person will have a thorough knowledge of available research computing resources available at ���ϲ����� and provide an aggregation point for identifying common research needs, problems and resources among the diverse ���ϲ����� research community. This aggregation is intended to build a sense of community across a diverse set of research computing efforts on campus, identify tools that might solve problems in multiple disciplines and assist with reducing duplicative research environments where multiple researchers would benefit from pooling resources.

Beyond campus, the CIE will interact with national research computing organizations to become familiar with available tools and resources, innovative approaches, and best practices. A sample list of research organizations the CIE is expected to interact with includes Open Science Grid, HTCondor and XSEDE. The CIE will evaluate the appropriate use of national resources for ���ϲ����� researchers.

The CIE will also represent ���ϲ����� on the national stage as a catalyst for growing a community of campus-level cyberinfrastructure engineering professionals.

“Not only will the cyberinfrastructure engineer maintain familiarity with University research computing resources, but one of their key tasks will be to communicate the availability and possible use of those resources to the campus research community,” says Eric Sedore, associate chief information officer for Infrastructure Services. “This person will help close the gap between researchers and available computing resources both on campus and nationally. They will strengthen the collaborative nature of research computing work at the University and beyond.”

M. Lisa Manning

“I am ecstatic about this award and the new position,” says M. Lisa Manning, associate professor of physics in the . A computational researcher in soft matter physics, Manning runs a lot of custom high-throughput and high-performance computer code on a local cluster at the University’s Green Data Center and on OrangeGrid. She works with wide-ranging applications from designing new structural materials such as bulk metallic glasses to understanding biological processes such as embryonic development and cancer metastasis.

“Although ���ϲ����� has made important investments in research computing infrastructure, it has not always been easy to figure out how to get my software to run in this infrastructure,” says Manning. “More importantly, some of my colleagues and I could significantly increase our research output with suggestions on how to more efficiently use our computational resources. This new cyberinfrastructure engineer position will do just that—serve as a bridge between faculty, postdoctoral researchers and students to help us identify and make the most of existing resources. I think they will also help us think bigger about identifying new computational resources, and how to link our research in statistical physics to the broader explosion of research in big data. These types of positions have the potential to transform research at SU.”

Melissa Green

Melissa Green, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering in the , agrees. “My research group is one that takes advantage of computational resources, but we are not computational scientists. By having the resources that this grant will provide, we will be able to collaborate in house and find new solutions to increase the efficiency of the analysis required in our research. I have been fortunate to be awarded a couple of grants for particular experiments. The new position created by the NSF grant will help make that money go even further in terms of the amount of analysis we can do in the same period.”

Eric Sedore

The CIE will report to co-principal investigator Sedore, who has led the research computing efforts of Information Technology Services (ITS). A subcommittee of the Research Computing Advisory Council will ensure that the work of the CIE satisfies the needs of the University’s research and education community, and to provide guidance and feedback to Sedore and the CIE. Subcommittee members are principal investigator Scozzafava, and co-principal investigators Green, Manning and Duncan Brown, associate professor of physics. As outlined in the proposal submitted to NSF, after 18 months the subcommittee will review the outcomes and ongoing work to make a recommendation regarding continuing funding of the CIE position by ���ϲ�����.

Duncan Brown

“The collaboration that we have established between STEM faculty and ITS computing professionals will ensure that the campus cyberinfrastructure engineer will be successful in engaging and supporting ���ϲ�����’s research community at all levels: undergraduates, graduate students, research staff and faculty,” says Brown. “We’ll all be able to do more science.”

For information about research computing at ���ϲ�����, visit . The CIE position opening will be posted soon at .

The University Technology Guide can be downloaded to any iOS or Android mobile device.

Information Technology Services (ITS) recently published the University’s Technology Guide in the SU Guides App. The Technology Guide brings advice and how-to information right to any iOS or Android mobile device.

“The guide is a go-to source for a wide array of technology services and resources available to the University community,” says Sam Scozzafava, interim chief information officer and vice president for Information Technology Services. “It has numerous handy features for students, and we hope faculty and staff also download the guide for their use.”

The Technology Guide brims with information on educational technologies, student computing resources, basic security concepts and SU’s technology policies. It includes a campus map that users can browse for technology resources like public computer labs and email stations. Through the guide, users can receive messages and notifications sent from ITS and connect to ITS and other users.

While the current version focuses on the needs of new students, all members of the SU community will find useful information in the Technology Guide.

To access the Technology Guide, go to the iTunes App Store or the Google Play Store and search for “���ϲ����� Guides.” Or, visit the����to have the download link sent to you via text message. Install the SU Guides app, and then download the Technology Guide. ��You can also view the guide on the web through the��. Note that the web version works best with IE and Firefox and doesn’t have the same functionality or appearance as the mobile versions.

ITS is striving to ensure the Guide meets the needs of students, faculty and staff and welcomes feedback via the “Please tell us what you think” section. Insights and comments will be considered to improve and further develop the guide.

“ITS continues to foster relationships with the research community on campus while engaging with national-level research efforts,” says Eric Sedore, associate chief information officer for Infrastructure Services in ITS. “These relationships shape the ways in which we build and maintain advanced infrastructure to support research computing on campus.”

The most recent development is Crush, an agile compute cloud comprised of a loosely coupled set of heterogeneous hardware organized by the Crush Management Framework—a set of tools created by ITS. The Green Data Center houses the majority of Crush, with a smaller portion located in the Machinery Hall Data Center. Crush was developed specifically to support a variety of compute-intensive operations with the ability to run several projects simultaneously without any disruption.

Adjunct Professor Damian Allis has been working on four projects with his team using the Crush Management Framework.

Adjunct Professor Damian Allis and his team of experimentalists are working on four projects involving several hundred-structured calculations. “Crush has been instrumental in allowing us to conduct our projects in parallel. Each project is very computationally demanding, some requiring several weeks,” Allis says. “In 2014, we would have prioritized the projects due to resource limitations. We are now queuing calculations for all four projects and producing high-level analyses. A year’s worth of work will be available to us almost nine months sooner than expected.”

Leveraging Crush’s computing strength, ITS worked with Heath Hanlin, associate professor and department chair of Art, Design and Transmedia in the , to construct a render farm. Hanlin produced “Branches,” a high-resolution, computationally complex 3-D animation, his newest exploration of line, light and sound.

“A computer artist is dependent upon the machine to realize the work. I could have built a personal render farm, but that would only go so far.” Hanlin says. “It was exciting to witness ITS’s depth of services and how responsive and excited they were to support the initiative.”

Using SideFX’s Houdini procedural modeling and rendering software, and a combination of scripting and programming languages, Hanlin completed “Branches” in a year. The first five months were dedicated to calculations and computational analysis.

Associate Professor and Department Chair Heath Hanlin in the Department of Art, Design and Transmedia has used Crush to produce “Branches,” a high-resolution, computationally complex 3-D animation.

“Crush outperformed initial estimates. We ran continuously on Crush for 90 days. We were anticipating five months,” Hanlin says. Rendering 14,452 frames for approximately 1.5 million hours in 4K high frame rate (HFR) resolution produced a five-minute short at 48 frames per second.

Crush utilizes 10-gigabyte connectivity, consists of 1,300 cores and six terabytes of memory. This summer, ITS will expand Crush to over 8,000 cores and more than 20 terabytes of memory.

Crush is built upon the foundation established with OrangeGrid. “OrangeGrid (OG) is similar to Crush in scale but different in research support. Crush’s components—among them solid state drive storage and dual 10-gigabyte connectivity—allow it to support additional forms of research,” Sedore says. “OG is a significant and vital resource to the campus, supporting a diverse population of researchers in need of a High Throughput Compute environment.”

The NSF award funded vital infrastructure updates, including upgrading the campus network backbone from 10 to 40 gigabytes and building connectivity from 1 to 10 gigabytes. Since the upgrades, OG peaks at 15,000 central processing unit (CPU) cores overnight, a 30 percent increase since spring 2014. Just in June 2015:

• OG provided six and a half million hours of compute time.

• Eight SU researchers utilized nearly 2 million hours of compute time.

• OG shared6 million hours of compute time with the Open Science Grid’s (OSG) research efforts in medicine, chemistry, physics, computer science and bioinformatics. OSG is a nationally funded research grid that connects organizations and enables them to share and utilize resources collectively.

Between November and January, research groups like the ���ϲ����� Gravity Wave Group (SUGWG) consumed 600,000 compute hours, five times the amount consumed in 2012. Thirteen million hours were contributed to several public science initiatives, including Einstein@Home, Collatz Conjecture, NFS@Home, POEM@HOME, Rosetta@Home, malariacontrol.net, World Community Grid, climateprediction.net and Constellation.

Paired with the University’s Academic Virtual Hosting Environment (AVHE), OG continues to provide solutions to many researchers on campus. In addition to the growth in OG use, AVHE usage has more than doubled since 2014.

AVHE is a private virtual research cloud built to support small to moderate-sized research efforts. Currently, there are over 450 running virtual research machines (VM) in the AVHE, and researchers use over 675 terabytes of storage. Virtualization provides flexibility and hardware sharing to allow multiple researchers to operate simultaneously on an underlying server and storage infrastructure. Additionally, the AVHE provides high availability and automatically migrates workloads to alternate resources in the event of physical server failure.

Barry Davidson, a mechanical and aerospace engineering professor in the , is working with apprenticed graduate students to perform finite element analyses. His team first utilized a dedicated quad core server, which required two hours to complete each run. They transitioned to OG and AVHE and decreased run-times from two hours to just 10 minutes.

“Our current focus requires somewhat larger models, which we would not be able to consider without the use of AVHE, CRUSH or OrangeGrid,” Davidson says.

Postdoctoral biology researcher Kirill Borziak and Associate Professor of Biology Steve Dorus, in collaboration with Weeden Professor of Biology Scott Pitnick and Biology Professor John Belote, all in the , utilized OG to run a covariance analysis of genes from 15 fly species, and AVHE to implement pipelines for assembly and analysis of next-generation sequencing data.

“The number of nodes available on OrangeGrid is impressive. We’ve been using OrangeGrid since October and slowly we are increasing our load,” Borziak says. “As of now, we have 15,000 jobs submitted to OrangeGrid. Our local computer only has 12 core CPUs. The additional nodes from OrangeGrid have sped up our research tremendously.”

For more information about research computing at SU, including how to put it to work on one of your research projects, contact Sedore at 315-443-3534 or essedore@syr.edu.

The new workshop is called “Fundamentals of Creating Accessible Web Pages.”

This workshop is for anyone who manages, creates or maintains web content. ITS staff will provide an overview of relevant concepts and then coach workshop participants as they work with their own web content to apply the concepts.

About the workshop

The workshop will cover basic techniques for creating accessible web content, including:

• accessibility resources and tools at SU
• applicable legislation and compliance
• automated accessibility checkers
• steps for manually checking accessibility
• brief introduction to screen readers
• design considerations
• captioning vendors and tools

The workshop will be presented by Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team at the dates and times below. Each class has space for 12 participants and will be held in 001 Steele Hall. Both sessions are the same content; you need register for only one.

Workshop Dates & Times:

• Wednesday Aug. 5:�� 9 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday Aug. 11: 1-4 p.m.

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first submitted, first enrolled basis.

This workshop focuses on website accessibility. If you are interested in learning how to ensure the accessibility of desktop documents, please check out ITS’s award-winning workshop “Accessibility Fundamentals for Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC (Windows).”

If you are interested in learning about ensuring the accessibility of online and mobile applications, or other services and communications, please send an email to accessibility@syr.edu with a description of your interest and with any questions. Your input will guide the development of coming programs.

For more information

ITS offers a growing variety of resources for using technology to ensure accessibility for all members of the ���ϲ����� community. Visit the web page and check out the .

If you have any questions about this workshop, or other accessibility and technology issues, please send them in an email to accessibility@syr.edu.

is a leading online learning company that helps anyone learn business, technology and creative skills to achieve personal and professional goals. Members have unlimited access to the lynda.com video library of more than 3,600 engaging, top-quality courses, including 275,000 tutorials taught by recognized industry experts.

• Learn on the go with the lynda.com mobile site and free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Switch back and forth between devices without ever losing your place.
• Save and prioritize courses. The playlists feature lets you create and manage a list of courses you want to watch, and bookmarks tag specific videos for reference.
• Learn as much or as little as you want. Courses are presented in small chunks, so it’s easy to find quick answers to specific questions. You can also watch an entire course from end to end if you choose to.
• Learn anywhere, anytime. You can access courses over the Internet, or download courses for offline learning.
• New courses are added weekly to keep your skills up to date with fast-changing technology.

The site’s instruction covers software, creative and business skills. Educators and administrators can supplement curricula and promote student readiness with targeted skills development. Concurrently, they can support faculty and staff development, stay current with classroom technologies and more.

• Instructors can free up classroom time and assign online tutorials as homework.
• Department leaders can support their instructional and administrative staff personal growth and development
• Students and employees alike can learn new skills of their choice at their pace.

ITS has configured two different ways for SU members to access lynda.com:

• Navigate to and log in with your University NetID and password, or
• if an instructor specifies a lynda.com course as part of a course, students can access it through Blackboard. The instructor has the option to track students’ course progress and completion for automatic entry into the Blackboard Gradebook.

���ϲ����� members can access lynda.com at lynda.syr.edu starting July 1.

Details are available on .

Send any questions or requests for more information to help@syr.edu.

It’s summer, but don’t take the bait!

Summer is typically an active time for targeting universities, university employees and students across the nation. Why? Probably because users spend more time away from email during the summer than during any other season. Spammers and phishers are more successful gaining unauthorized access to users’ sensitive information, catching people off guard when they are more relaxed and vulnerable.

Phishers will send you email messages that appear to be from a trusted source, but actually are not. They will try to get you to click on a link that leads to a familiar-looking but counterfeit website they built to trap you. The website may entice you to enter your log-in credentials, or trick you into installing malicious viruses or malware on your computer or hand-held device.

Don’t fall for these phishing messages! Remember these tips to protect yourself from phishing attacks:

• Be suspicious of any email from senders you don’t know, or that seems out of character for the sender. Verify that the sender is actually who they appear to be before clicking on any links.
• Verify the URL of any link before you click it. Do this by hovering your cursor over the link and examining the URL. If you don’t recognize the URL, don’t click it.
• Never open attachments unless they are from someone you know, or are otherwise expected.
• Delete any suspicious emails before opening them if possible.
• Don’t enter your username and password (especially your ���ϲ����� NetID and password) to access any website if you are not 100 percent sure of its validity. In particular, you should be suspicious of email messages that have links to sites that ask you to use your SU NetID and password to log in.
• Remember that nobody at SU will ever ask for your NetID or password for any reason, in any form other than when you’re logging in to an SU system. Whenever a link in an email leads to a page that looks like a University system (i.e., MySlice), don’t log in. Open a new browser window, manually enter the known URL of the system in the address window (don’t copy the link from the email) and then log in.
• If somebody does ask for your SU NetID or password, they’re not representing the University or any of its offices. Report any occurrences to itsecurity@syr.edu.

If you need more information, or assistance with verifying any email messages, please do not hesitate to contact your local IT support team (if you’re SU faculty or staff), or the ITS Service Center (if you’re a student) at 315-443-2677 or help@syr.edu.

To receive timely notification from ITS of current information security threats follow @SecureCuse and @SU_ITS on Twitter.

About Read&Write Gold

Read&Write Gold is an accessibility and literacy tool designed to enhance accessibility of information and communication technology at ���ϲ�����. While this is a strategic purchase to address accessibility for students with disabilities, all learners will benefit from this software that incorporates the principles of universal design with an extensive array of tools.

All active ���ϲ����� students, faculty and staff can download and install , a discreet, customizable toolbar that integrates reading, writing, studying and research support tools with common Windows and Mac applications. The software is installed on the computers in the ITS public computer labs and can be installed on users’ University-owned and individually owned computers and mobile devices.

For more information, and a download link, visit the . Contact your local IT support team for assistance installing the software on your University-owned computer.

About the workshop

This training will be conducted on-site by Kimberly Nix, �ձ��ٱ�����’s training specialist. Much more than an overview, this intensive hands-on training will give participants working knowledge of the software and how it can help individual students. Counselors, tutors, advisors and other student support personnel are strongly encouraged to attend.

The Read&Write Gold hands-on workshop will be conducted twice on June 5,�� once from 8:30 a.m.-noon and again from 1-4:30 p.m.. It will be held in the ITS computer lab in room 115 Physics Building. Seating is limited to 24, so register early.

.

Questions? Need more information?

Please send an email with your inquiries to accessibility@syr.edu.

This workshop will help build faculty and staff awareness of, sensitivity to and proficiency in ensuring the accessibility of course materials, presentations, events, documents, websites and online resources.��The goal is that anyone and everyone in the SU community who uses information and communication technology does so in ways that are accessible. This training will help users understand accessibility, put it into practice on the job, and support the organization’s moves to ensure accessibility of its documents, systems and communications.

About the workshop

ITS developed this workshop in partnership with New Horizons Computer Learning Centers of ���ϲ����� to meet the rising demand from across campus for face-to-face training to build faculty and staff awareness of and proficiency with using technology to ensure the accessibility of the University’s information and communication technology.��Almost 500 faculty and staff from the University’s schools, colleges and departments have taken this training and find it useful. The Central New York Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development recognized this program with a CNY Best Learning and Performance Award. See the course overview, below.

The course has been updated for Adobe Acrobat DC. The workshop will be presented by Sharon Trerise and Kara Patten from ITS’s Academic Services team at the dates and times below. Each class has space for 12 participants and will be held in 001 Steele Hall.

Workshop Dates & Times:

• Friday May 29, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday June 3, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Tuesday June 16, 1-4:30 p.m.
• Thursday July 16, 1-4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday July 21, 8:30 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday Aug. 12, 8:30 a.m.-noon

Seating is limited, so register early! There is high demand for this training, so registration is on a first submitted, first enrolled basis.

Are you a Mac user? While you’ll find this training very useful since the fundamentals of accessibility are the same regardless of the platform, this workshop focuses on Microsoft Office 2013 in Windows. ITS will offer a similar workshop for the Mac soon after the new version of Office for the Mac is released. We don’t know when that will occur, but will let you know when we find out. In the meantime, if you are interested in the Mac version please send your request to accessibility@syr.edu and ask to be added to the Mac training waitlist.

If you have any questions, send them in an email to accessibility@syr.edu.

Accessibility Fundamentals for Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC

Course Overview

This three-hour workshop is designed to provide a fundamental overview of creating accessible documents in Microsoft Office 2013 and Adobe Acrobat DC in Windows. At successful course completion students will be able to:

• Explain and demonstrate the importance of creating accessible documents
• Understand basic concepts of creating accessible documents including:
  • Reading order
  • Alternative text
  • Styles
  • Heading structure
  • Titles
  • Tags
• Understand best practices for creating accessible Office and Acrobat documents
• Remediate legacy Office and Acrobat documents to make them accessible
• Utilize the Office accessibility checker
• Specify common accessibility errors
• Utilize Adobe Acrobat DC’s accessibility checker

Students, faculty and staff can voluntarily enter or update their military status on MySlice.

“Providing an easy-to-use self-service feature is a critical component in our vision of being the premier university for veterans,” says Vice Chancellor for Veterans and Military Affairs Mike Haynie. “It provides a way for us to more fully understand the military status of students, faculty and staff and their dependents at ���ϲ�����, knowledge that helps the University better serve its veterans and their families.”

All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to voluntarily enter or update their current/prior military status or indicate their status as a dependent using military benefits by logging into MySlice and answering a maximum of six short questions. Find the “Personal Services” section, click on the “View/Update Military Status” link and follow the prompts. These actions are entirely voluntary, as is participation in any veterans-related programming.

Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Andy Gordon says the new Military Status Self-Service feature will also simplify the Office of Human Resources’ onboarding process and provide more reliable data to meet the University’s reporting requirements.

“By voluntarily providing current or prior military status,” Gordon says, “our students, faculty and staff are helping us to enhance and expand programs that address the needs and interests of veterans and military families and advance post-service success.”

Campus community members who indicate their current or prior military status also will be able to receive current information through ���ϲ����� and the about resources and programs for which they qualify.

If you have any questions, call the HR Service Center at 315-443-4042 or hrservic@syr.edu.

Associate Professor Stephen Zaima of the College of Visual and Performing Arts does a Lightboard Demonstration.

Imagine no more! Lightboard is a new instructional tool offered by Information Technology and Services (ITS) for use at ���ϲ�����. Created by Professor of Mechanical Engineering , Lightboard is a quick and effective tool for high-quality, compelling video capture of your board-based instruction. It requires just one camera and reduces the need for extensive postproduction editing.

“Lightboard is another innovative tool for engaging our students,” says Stephen Zaima, associate dean and professor in the . “It challenges me to rethink how I can deliver content.”

Lightboard is particularly beneficial to instructors of online and blended courses, who rely heavily on boards to teach, especially those who utilize video and are looking to enliven their courses. Written text and sketches stay visible, and the instructor remains a natural part of the visual presentation. The content is dynamic, easy to manipulate, more engaging and immediate.

Lightboard is a vertical sheet of glass mounted between the instructor and the camera, which records the session in a mirror. “Compared to other lecture recording technologies, the advantage of the Lightboard is that students can see the instructor and the board at the same time. This makes the technology very exciting,” says Professor Wenliang Du from the . “It is definitely easy to use and fun. An instructor can just go into the room, and immediately start teaching; there is no need to do any setup for the instructor, which is very important. I showed a Lightboard video during a recent faculty meeting. Many were very impressed by this technology, and some of them even suggested we buy one for our department (they even checked out how much it costs)!”

You can see a short demonstration of Lightboard by Tom Downes, of ITS’s Online Learning Services team, .

“I will be using Lightboard in my upcoming online class,” says Professor Zaima. “I look forward to seeing how others use it to enhance interactions with students.”

The ITS Learning Environments and Media Production (LEMP) team can get you started. They will orient you to their studio and the Lightboard equipment, help you prepare for your session and record your presentation. Lightboard and LEMP’s video production studio are available to the entire University community. The production studio boasts large green screens and other capabilities for sophisticated video production.

To learn more about Lightboard and LEMP’s studio, contact Andrew Wowelko at 315-443-5661 or aswowelk@syr.edu.