Announcments | Prof Lili Saghafi

Announcments

LIVE MAP for COVID-19

posted Jul 14, 2020, 2:51 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi

COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU)

https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html

2020-A Computer-Science Program Takes a Dramatic Approach to Getting Students to Open Up

posted Jan 16, 2020, 12:55 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi

A Computer-Science Program Takes a Dramatic Approach to Getting Students to Open Up

(Edit post)50 Years After Apollo Landing, Higher Education Needs A Moonshot

posted Jul 10, 2019, 2:30 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Jul 10, 2019, 2:32 PM ]

Here are the beginnings of a blueprint for how we can achieve higher education’s moonshot. It’s not complete. It needs your help and participation, so please join the mission.

Each and every university can replicate the lessons learned by Georgia State by using predictive analytics along with other levers such as proactive and intensive advising. These are tools and strategies that any university can adopt today. No excuses.

The IRS and Department of Education can team up to provide “proactive Pell grants” to all families who qualify by automatically offering students grants to college without even applying. This can be done through annual tax filings demonstrating family need, avoiding making them jump through complicated additional hoops such as filling out the FAFSA and applying to college. If they are proactively given notice of financial support for college before applying, it will help many more actually apply and enroll. Many of the lessons learned in improving enrollments from students in the bottom quartile are that steps like filling out the FAFSA are among the biggest roadblocks.

At the state-level, students from needy families and communities can be automatically enrolled in their local community college. Instead of applying, they would have to actively opt-out. What we’ve learned from behavioral economics is that many more people participate (in retirement savings, health plans, etc.) if they have to opt-out as compared to having to opt-in. An opt-out strategy for college would be a game-changer for students from the bottom quartile. Indeed, for students from the top quartile, it’s almost a “given” that they attend college. Why shouldn’t it be for those from the bottom quartile as well?

Employers have a huge role to play here too by creating ‘Go Pro Early’ pathways for high school graduates to go directly into paid jobs with college as part of the package. (The largest employer in the U.S. just took this step last month.) This “job first, college-included” pathway will be the model of the future. Employers will soon be one of the most powerful routes to a college degree along with productive employment and accelerated development for a large portion of traditional age students from all socioeconomic classes. But none will be helped more than talented students who can’t afford college and who are eager to get into the world of work. And the employers who embrace a Go Pro Early strategy will be the ones who benefit from a much more diverse talent pipeline.

These are our Ten Breakthrough Technologies of 2019, chosen by Bill Gates

posted Feb 28, 2019, 12:14 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Feb 28, 2019, 12:16 PM ]

Every year, MIT Technology Review produces a list of Ten Breakthrough Technologies. This year’s selection is a bit different: it was picked by Bill Gates, our first guest curator in 18 years.

Here are the top ten—and why they matter:

Robot dexterity. Robots are teaching themselves to handle the physical world. Why it matters: If robots could learn to deal with the messiness of the real world, they could do many more tasks.
New-wave nuclear power. Advanced fusion and fission reactors are edging closer to reality. Why it matters: It could make this power source safer and cheaper.
Predicting preemies. A simple blood test can predict if a pregnant woman is at risk of giving birth prematurely. Why it matters: 15 million babies are born prematurely every year; it’s the leading cause of death for children under age five.
Gut probe in a pill. A small, swallowable device captures detailed images of the gut without anesthesia, even in infants and children. Why it matters: The device makes it easier to screen for and study gut diseases, including one that keeps millions of children in poor countries from growing properly.
Custom cancer vaccines. The body’s natural defenses can be incited to destroy only cancer cells by identifying mutations unique to each tumor,. Why it matters: Conventional chemotherapies take a heavy toll on healthy cells and aren’t always effective against tumors.
The cow-free burger. Both lab-grown and plant-based alternatives approximate the taste and nutritional value of real meat without environmental devastation. Why it matters: Livestock production causes catastrophic deforestation, water pollution, and greenhouse-gas emissions.
Carbon dioxide catcher. Practical and affordable ways to capture carbon dioxide from the air can soak up excess greenhouse-gas emissions. Why it matters: Removing CO2 from the atmosphere might be one of the last viable ways to stop catastrophic climate change.
An ECG on your wrist. It’s now easier for people to continuously monitor their hearts with wearable devices. Why it matters: They could turn wearables into serious medical devices, for example helping to detect heart attacks.
Sanitation without sewers. Energy-efficient toilets can operate without a sewer system and treat waste on the spot. Why it matters: 2.3 billion people lack safe sanitation, and many die as a result.
Smooth-talking AI assistants. New techniques that capture semantic relationships between words are making machines better at understanding natural language. Why it matters: AI assistants can now book restaurant reservations or coordinate package drop-offs rather than just obey simple commands.

The full list is here to read.

Holiday's good wishes for all of you with extending some specific holiday wishes

posted Dec 20, 2018, 3:38 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 21, 2018, 9:51 PM ]

Holiday's good wishes for all of you.

With extending some specific holiday wishes:

1. To job candidates: plenty of jobs suiting your qualifications, in areas where you’re interested in living, at institutions that suit your aspirations and needs, whatever they may be. Search committees who respond promptly. Positive and collegial interviews. A good job at the end of it all.

2. To search committees: a candidate pool of sufficient size, breadth, and quality to bring you the hire you need. An administration and/or state government that follows through with the funding for your position. Candidates who work with you on scheduling interviews to make them work for everyone. Weather that doesn’t mess up the whole process. An acceptance from your first choice.

3. To graduate students: programs and mentors who understand the realities of the market and help you to prepare as well as possible to face them. An improving market that has more space for you when it’s time for you to apply. Opportunities to present, publish and teach that make you an attractive candidate for whatever kind of institution you aspire to join.

4. To adjunct faculty members: fair treatment. Institutional respect. Reasonable compensation. A genuine opportunity to compete for full-time positions at the institutions where you now teach, should that be your desire. An accurate assessment of your actual situation, so you can act with full information as you consider your career.

5. To private colleges and universities: a more favorable endowment environment to support your operations. Plenty of well-qualified students who actively seek to attend your institution. Good retention without a sacrifice of academic integrity. Success in your mission, however, you have defined it.

6. To public colleges and universities: state governments and governing boards that genuinely understand how difficult it is to build a great system, and how easy it is to ruin it. An electorate that prefers education to prisons. An improved economic climate that encourages budget relief.

7. To everyone: Goodwill, patience, a sense of humor, and a spirit of collaboration to help higher education get through its toughest period in memory, and a quick conclusion to that period. An excellent, fun, relaxing, renewing winter break!

Protecting Against Identity Theft

posted Dec 1, 2018, 4:36 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 1, 2018, 4:38 PM ]

US-CERT ( COMPUTER EMERGENCY READINESS TEAM)

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) encourages consumers to review the following tips to help reduce the risk of falling prey to identity theft:

Travelling Salesman Challenge 2.0

posted Oct 18, 2018, 4:25 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Oct 18, 2018, 4:26 PM ]

This is your chance to get your hands on something that’s normally purely theoretical and have some fun with it. The Travelling Salesman Challenge is returning for 2018, and this time you’re finding the cheapest route between whole areas.

http://summercamp.cz/trvlslsmn2-videa/salesman.ogv

The latest digital buzz 2018

posted Dec 5, 2017, 11:30 AM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Dec 5, 2017, 11:30 AM ]

Our Education system MUST change to adapt with the Internet of Things and Smart Services which Will Change Society

posted Apr 29, 2015, 12:31 PM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Apr 29, 2015, 8:34 PM ]

The effect that the Internet of Things has on society is that it will lead to sustainable growth, as intelligent use of data will save energy and resources.

Since everything is connected so there is a need for global regulations and laws about data privacy which is not available today and it is because different societies and cultures have different values and therefore a different understanding of privacy. It is difficult to define globally accepted regulations and laws.

Complexity is one of the main challenges that the Internet of Things poses for education and society. As everything is connected; many other systems are affected if one system breaks down, sometimes with unpredictable results (also known as domino effect).

Industry 4.0 is not mainly about production – it is about business model innovation. Companies / Institute should ask themselves when reconsidering their existing business model if they can extend their business model with smart services and if their products are smart or if they can make them smart.

Internet of Things is a disruptive trend since digital information, are no longer the product, it becomes the essence and core value of companies. Products become part of services offered by companies / institute. Whether it is Mobile phones or tablets or laptops, predictive service /maintenance .....

A variety of technologies is associated with the Internet of Things. the following belong to this set of technologies , Mobile technology: Decision makers have mobile access to smart data from a variety of devices. Sensors and connectivity: Products are equipped with sensors and connected to networks. Big data and analytics: Huge amounts of digital data are transformed into smart data.

Access to smart digital data provides great potential for all industries. an example for using this potential in the medical sector is that doctors do not have to rely only on their own experience but have real-time access to the latest information created “somewhere” (for example by a medical community).For higher Education this access means meaningful advice and suggestion of programs or courses.

One obstacle to realizing the vision of the Internet of Things is the existence of incompatible, numerous, and proprietary standards. Connectivity standards are needed to facilitate easy plug-and-play of products. Generally accepted standards are not available yet and will most likely be defined as de-facto standards based on cross-company or cross-industry collaboration.

The Internet of Things impact economics and society almost to the same extent as when machines were created or electricity became the norm in daily life , because every industry will be affected, and adjusting to the Internet of Things will be a prerequisite for economic health not to mention that new regulations, laws, and behaviors will be established (for example in terms of security and privacy).

10 predictions for 2015

posted Jan 23, 2015, 11:51 AM by Professor Lili Saghafi [ updated Jan 23, 2015, 11:53 AM ]

1. Digital transformation

It's clear to see that technology is disruptive. This is precisely why we need to talk about digital transformation. Driven by the combination of ever-growing digitization and evolving consumer demands, digital transformation is the use of new technologies to drive significant business improvements. This includes capitalizing on new opportunities as well as effectively transforming existing business.

Digital transformation means using new technologies to drive significant business improvements. With the ever-growing digitization and evolving consumer demands, all businesses will need to face this challenge.

"Disrupt yourself, or you will be disrupted" - meaning, how you use technology to drive a significant business improvement will be a challenge faced by all businesses in this age of digitization and evolving customer demands. To conquer disruption through Digital Transformation you need the right technologies, leadership strategies and best practices to create opportunities for innovation, which keeps you in business.

And it is very clear that "Today's decision-makers must become part of the new and evolving digital conversation--or become obsolete." Successfully navigating the digital transformation is the way to success as the pace of disruption quickens in our technology-driven world. This is what drives many businesses to use a co-innovation approach, because it leads to fast outcomes and the ability to manage transformation in a sustainable way.

2. Internet of Things - yes, of course

The Internet of Things (IoT) started as a concept wherein machines and everyday objects are connected, via the internet. The term Internet of Things with no doubt is hyped up - but the essentials remain: it is happening whether you acknowledge it or not.

The key question is what are you going to do about it? Internet of Things use cases are applicable everywhere and help you transform your business and gain competitive advantage. All of these will feature - MONITOR, ANALYZE AND AUTOMATE your business - all in real time.

I also hear agreement that the Internet of things will become the largest device market in the world. While many still think about the "fridge connected to the internet" example, or little more sophisticated - the Thermostat that you can regulate via your smartphone - the real growth will come from sensors on devices in most "things" manufactured and where business can monitor and control the status.

Even more so as this paves the way from a product-oriented approach to a service-oriented approach that will be a key differentiation. The combination of endless data streams from devices and services build around it creates business models around managing, operating and extending - which will be superior to just sell.

We will be entering an era where content itself will become the business. Content will emerge from an extension to the business process, to the business itself - and content nicely fits to a subscription economy, preference for many. Customers look for the right to use and leverage centrally provided data and receive value from services created around it - especially as the smart phone has emerged as the remote control of life - so everything is available at your fingertips.

3. Convergence of big data with consumer data

Many enterprises think that interactions to their direct clients, business to business (B2B), is the string they need to optimize most. But what is unfortunately too often forgotten, it is the knowledge about the customer of your customer where the differentiation comes from. Many disruptions occurred and will occur because in times of a Digital Transformation two clever people can do things where you needed entire enterprises and their respective resources before. So in reality, you are in a business to business to consumer world (B2B2C).

And to survive you need advanced analytic capabilities to capture this opportunity. The context rich world we are seeing will lead to opportunities of sense and respond, of alerting the users and enable them to respond accordingly. So the consumer will be more in control - and analyzing the data around him will make the difference. At the end an "as a service" approach trumps the traditional "product-sell" approach. So better you make your big data plan today.

4. The Hybrid-Cloud is the true Cloud

The convergence of mobile, big data, networks and cloud will continue and foster the speed of innovation. It will provide more elasticity and a "by cloud enriched" environment. But companies need to adjust their public cloud strategy. The mushrooming environment of point solutions has created more chaos, more cost and are too often disconnected with the overall business strategy. Of course, singular line of business benefit - but only short term. And there is no way to "all thinks in cloud" anytime soon.

Ask the COO´s what price companies pay if solutions do not work well orchestrated. So key will be to make sure your cloud strategy is aligned with the business strategy, establishing business best practices that span different deployment models - as this is the fact that will pertain for very much longer. Even more, deployment models as well as the technology in play as such will be secondary to the business outcome to be achieved.

The reality is at it is - customers want to consume at their speed, not at vendors speed, an they want choice. So it is about the right mix between on-Premise installations controlled by the customer, managed private cloud options with out-tasking parts of the infrastructure and work and of course public cloud services. Customer will go away from ad-hoc spending to a more coherent and orchestrated solution set and platform approach.

5. Collaboration in business context trumps "social"

Forget social, even the people with a big marketing spin from the valley have tuned down. Let me quote a client: "how they have set it up not works well... Just another tool, some chats, another stream of thought - not helpful"

It needs to be about how integrated and how much business context you can deliver. You will need to find your work patterns to optimize your business and especially the collaborative part that follows no simple step-by-step procedures is a huge source of optimization.

The market has educated himself and is clearly about how people will live unwired. They will want to work anywhere, be socially connected from anywhere, be a consumer anywhere - as technology enables people to use their devices anywhere and for nearly everything. There is a growing demand on how people collaborate and communicate with each other - and examples from the private behavior have found their inroads into business. There is not only more comfort in sharing, there is also a need beyond the enterprise to make sure the entire supply and customer chain works better together.

6. Predictive analytics will lead big data

Real-time is not longer enough. Analyze data and identify patterns, so as to predict "what will happen next" will have a big impact on how successful you are. Data driven innovation and decision support will be a key for faster innovation and the right focus on things that matter - to your clients.

Not just entering data into a system and think about how to analyze later, but be guided by the solution for better decisions. Supported by the astounding analytical capabilities - where you can ask any business question you can possible dream of and which as a result enables the user via the system with predictive capabilities, faster and automated business decisions support - resulting in running your business simple.

In essence the transactional backbone has to be ready for the digital company - this means not only that is able to carry out all the transactions (in real time), but also that it can provide all the information in a granular fashion to cater towards the needed Digital Transformation and a new way of support by the solutions designed for it.

As the amount of data, especially generated by the devices increases significantly, business need to analyze, sense and respond to BIG amount of structured and unstructured data inside and outside the enterprise boundaries. To find and define patterns, apply filters to prevent the noise and ultimately to be predictive is the big task ahead and will foster the creation of new services.

7. Mobile wearable technology transforms businesses

Mobile wearable technology becomes fashionable and usable. And even in business the use cases will grow. Mobile leverage enhances and is inextricably related to the transformation of business processes, as we know them. It takes freedom and connectedness further by allowing for greater access. Its role is even growing, with an astounding 50 billion connected devices predicted for 2020. Most solutions are build mobile first - a lot of them now mobile only.

Today people are using the Internet on a daily basis with a variety of devices and environments, from mobile to desktop. They are used to the speed and simplicity of consumer apps. Especially business users, now expect the same ease of use from our business software.

In addition, the consumer apps which people are using reside next to the enterprise apps on their mobile, tablets and desktops - and especially as today the line between doing private and consumer things at work and doing work related things at home is blurred, mobile user experience is the key to unlock more usage

In the future of mobility we see three key trends: lead with security across mobile applications, deliver high impact industry-centric mobile solutions and deliver premium mobile services.

8. A Platform and orchestration is needed

You need to have a Platform strategy and even a Platform as a Service (PaaS) strategy to succeed with your Digital Transformation. Companies often end up with a cloud landscape where cloud solutions pop up like mushrooms. Many companies are moving away from point solution spending to think about an orchestrated approach on one modern platform.

A clear path converging to one platform over time will be key - minimum top have a clear plan for orchestration. A critical factor will be the ability of this platform to drive innovation as well as provide integration to your existing landscape

Cloud brokerage will become increasingly important, provided by vendors or other partners. IT departments need to be involved early to ensure quality and decide on the capabilities to manage the different cloud environments with a consistent management framework, tools and user experience.

9. The Networked Economy is here

We are approaching the Networked Economy - fast, simply because the emerging economic order within the today´s information society will be a networked one. Some are stating that the Networked Economy is the next economic revolution - in fact, the revolution is already under way and like any revolution, the Networked Economy is going to have a big impact.

In the coming years, it will offer unprecedented opportunities for businesses and improve the lives of billions worldwide. This is resulting from existing hyper connectivity and enabled by the convergence of the internet, mobile phones, business networks, cloud and big data technologies. This is not just a tech trend but also rather a cultural condition, impacting people and businesses alike, which a future proof organization must harness and adapt to quickly.

Three main trends support this evolution: customer experience, resource optimization and the future of work. Companies will need to find out how to run simple in a complex world.

Customer involvement will soon go beyond sales, service, and marketing - to encompass everything from demand and design to production and delivery. Companies must organize in new ways to respond with speed, consistency, and individualized service.

Physical resources are becoming scarce just as virtual resources are exploding in scale and value. Organizations must learn to track, measure, and manage the virtual environment while minimizing the cost of using physical resources, both to the company and the environment.

Major increases in connectivity let individuals enlist peers to advocate for massive change. Led by the digital natives, many people are reshaping their roles as employees, citizens, and members of society. Just check our findings on the Workforce of 2020 here to find out more.

In the networked Economy, the Business Network will extend business processes that used to stop at the walls of the enterprise. It will fulfill the promise of the real-time global networked economy to reduce complexity without sacrificing sophisticated work.

10. We will see the beginning of the end of apps

We will see the end of sprawling appearance of apps that just focus on "one thing", but more sophisticated ones that combine the forces of the Digital Transformation - especially mobile, data and geo-spatial services - and act as an assistant to your life. They know you, they connect with you and other services for your benefit and those digital supportive apps will create an addiction if bridging your private and business life.

As these service are even more ingrained into the smart devices we carry around everywhere and always, this marks the the end of many apps that have been developed before and rest on the last screens of your mobile device - not anymore visible like a Google search on page 5 or so...

The more Google and Apple are including features and functions in their operating systems, the less apps will sustain from other providers. Just check the stats about how many smartphone users do not even download apps, or very few of them.

So, to sum it up let´s best look at a quote: "Over 40% of the companies that were at the top of the Fortune 500 in 2000 were no longer there in 2010." (Source: Brian Solis' Future of Business) - a trend we have seen to continue, and will see in the years to come to be the mark for business that did not transform fast enough and did not help the world run simple.

Best take those trends above serious - so you will be able to capitalize on them sooner than your competitors - or "disruptors" will. Looking forward to 2015, will be a hell of a ride.

Read more in the recently published white paper on Digital transformation here:http://www.slideshare.net/SAPcloud/whitepapaer-conquering-disruption-through-digital-transformation