IBM mainframes are still the backbone of may top companies. In fact, a large percentage of the folks who manage mainframes will be retiring soon. This is a great field to get into. See below about the workshop this summer where you could take a deep dive and build some new skills.

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We invite you to attend our 2019 VM Workshop which will be held on June 27-29 at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond VA for two and a half days packed full of education and networking.

What is the VM Workshop?

The VM Workshop is an annual educational conference that covers two of IBM’s mainframe operating systems, z/VM, z/VSE; as well as the Linux operating system running as a guest of z/VM on IBM Z mainframes. It offers sessions on technical topics, hands-on labs, and user-experience sessions. Vendors provide sessions where you can learn about major non-IBM software packages and services. Everyone enjoys the opportunity to meet and network with people from various companies who are both new to the mainframe as well as highly skilled.

Students are invited to attend all 2 ½ days at the student rate of $10. Please visit our Student Attendees website for a description of our student package, and our registration website for an explanation of our conference rates.

Places to Stay

On-campus dorm rooms are available at a rate of $35-$50/Night depending on single or double occupancy. We plan to update our website with a list of hotels you may consider if the on-campus dorm rooms do not meet your needs.

Checkout our Sponsors!

Visit our 2018 sponsors page to see the companies who help us keep this event affordable. Sponsors will have tables in our vendor area to discuss their products and services. Some will offer presentations of their contributions to the mainframe environment.

Spread the Word!

Educators, please feel free to forward our invitation to your students and colleagues who might be interested in this affordable educational experience. Students, please share this opportunity with others!

We look forward to seeing you in Richmond on June 27-30!

This Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) project is a ten week program where students work collaboratively on a wide variety of computational science projects.

The Center for Computation & Technology (CCT) at Louisiana State University (LSU) provides an ideal setting for the REU student to become familiar with interdisciplinary research. With research groups exploring gravitational waves, complex emergent phenomena in material science, or computational music, the participants work on cutting edge research in Computational Sciences.

The students learn how to use the most current cyberinfrastructure tools with individually designed training sessions targeted to their specific degree of preparation. In addition, since most CCT research groups collaborate with international researchers, REU students are exposed to how international collaborations work.

This program involves nine students every summer. Each student receives a stipend of $5,000, free housing in university dormitories, and up to $600 in travel expenses to and from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

We invite interested students and their faculty mentor to browse through this site and consider applying for these positions.

Important Dates

• December 15, 2018: Application opens – Apply here.
• February 15, 2019: Application deadline.
• March 15, 2019: Notification of decision.
• May 20, 2019 through July 26, 2019: Program dates.

For REHSS Deadlines, please see the REHSS application page.

See our REU brochure and flyer.

Students who are considering undergrad summer research or applying to graduate school might find the following links useful:

• For undergraduates: more than 650 paid Summer Undergrad Research Opportunities.
• For Financial Support in Graduate School: Bridge to the Doctorate, IGERT and NSF Grad Research Fellowship programs provide generous stipend and tuition support for students through the National Science Foundation.
• For NASA-supported internships, fellowships and scholarships

Learn more about LSU and CCT.

Happy Last week of Classes!

Check out my Tech Opportunities page on my website and let Professor Ed Weber or me know if you are interested in any of these. A new opportunity has been added this week to assist Homework Hangout implement the database students built last spring. Let me know if you are interested.

Also, MU Performance Consulting is delivering their semester-end presentation on the client projects they have worked on this semester through the student-run venture. You are welcome to join us at 5:00 in UC 138/140. You can also check it out on the MU Performance Consulting Facebook page as it will be live streamed.

We’re also always looking for ways to keep you engaged outside of class. If you have an evening event hackathon or something special you want to help organize, let us know.

If I don’t get to tell you personally, good luck in the final stretch of the semester and and enjoy a much-needed winter break.

Are you interested in learning how technology is driving brand loyalty at Walt Disney World? Explore mobile applications, RFID, and social media integration on campus in the fall. Explore Walt Disney World in-person through testing family itineraries, backstage tours, and yes… plenty of fun! Talk to Dr. Carrie Trimble or me to learn more. Consider taking MK365, Brand Loyalty Experience, as part of your fall 2018 schedule. Watch the video below to learn more.