Joshua Geiger '08 gave a poster presentation at the Conference on Undergraduate Research at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. “Using Test Suite Prioritization to Avoid Database Restarts” explains a method for reordering a test suite in order to minimize the costly restarts of a relational database. Adam Smith '08 gave a poster presentation at the Allegheny College Summer Research Symposium. “Using Call Trees for Test Suite Reduction and Prioritization” reports on the implementation and evaluation of five regression testing algorithms. Both of these posters describe research that was conducted in collaboration with Assistant Professor of Computer Science Gregory M. Kapfhammer. Further information is available at: http://cs.allegheny.edu/~gkapfham/research/kanonizo/.
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Gregory M. Kapfhammer recently gave a presentation in the colloquium of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh. “The Measured Performance of Database-Aware Test Coverage Monitoring” describes the results from an empirical study with software testing techniques for database applications. These experiments measured the costs that are associated with instrumenting the program and the tests and monitoring coverage. Information about this research project and an online version of the presentation are accessible at: http://cs.allegheny.edu/~gkapfham/research/diatoms/.
Professor of Environmental Science Eric Pallant authored two guest essays in Grist: Environmental News and Commentary in October. Dr. Pallant, who is co-director of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Integrated Water Resources Management, reported from the National Disasters and Water Security conference in Yerevan, Armenia. One of Dr. Pallant's essays can be found at http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/10/22/18035/652/.
Associate Professor of History Kenneth Pinnow's article “Lives out of Balance: The ‘Possible World' of Soviet Suicide during the 1920s” recently appeared in Angela Brintlinger and Ilya Vinitsky, eds., Madness and the Mad in Russian Culture (University of Toronto Press, 2006).
Professor of Art and Gallery Director Robert Raczka is guest curator for an exhibit titled “Taste Matters” that will run from January 18 to February 15 in the Future Tenant Gallery (www.futuretenant.org) in Pittsburgh. The exhibit will consist of approximately 50 artworks, mostly paintings and drawing but photographs and sculptures as well, that were purchased in thrift stores specifically for the exhibit. “Taste Matters” was conceived as an exhibit that embraces the ambiguity of “found” art.
Mike Richwalsky, of the Office of Public Affairs, recently presented two webinars as part of HigherEdExperts.com's Social Networking Websites Week. The sessions were geared toward technology and marketing professionals in higher education and covered institutional uses of Facebook and MySpace. Mike reports that he will gladly share his presentation materials. If you are interested in these topics, please e-mail him (mrichwal@allegheny.edu).
Mike Richwalsky and Josh Tysiachney, both of the Office of Public Affairs, presented at the HighEdWebDev conference in October. Their presentation, “Game Changer: The Facebook Platform,” discussed how colleges and universities can build applications in Facebook to reach the millions of constituents using the popular social networking site.
Sam Rigotti '08, an intern with Kathleen M. Greely, who is director of the Commonwealth Community Energy Project, gave a talk at the Earth Force Youth Training Day at Gannon University in October. Earth Force asked Sam to address the 150 participants about the Carbon Conscious Consumer award he received earlier this month, and WSEE-TV in Erie also presented him with an Earth Friend Award.
Professor of History Barry Shapiro has just published “Conspiratorial Thinking in the Constituent Assembly: Mirabeau and the Exclusion of Deputies from the Ministry,” in Peter R. Campbell, Thomas E. Kaiser, and Marisa Linton, eds., Conspiracy in the French Revolution (Manchester University Press, 2007).
People & Places, published monthly during the academic year by the Office of Public Affairs, reports on the professional activities of members of the College community and highlights student achievements. Please submit items to people@allegheny.edu. We reserve the right to edit copy for length.
