CS 195/295: Home Page

Date	Speaker	Description
January 11 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Sara Willett (Calvin CS, 1999) VP, Software Development Engineering Mastercard	You Should Do The DevOps!
January 17 3:30-4:20pm in SB 110	Philip Davis Calvin CS 2006 CS Faculty Candidate	Computing as Dance: Choreographed Scientific Workflows An increasingly common approach to scientific computing has been to integrate multiple existing codes into complex, automated scientific workflows. Until recently, tools to do this have mainly supported ad hoc interactions, in which data transactions are contractual interactions implemented within the codes themselves. In this talk, I will present recent work on developing choreographic workflow programming models, in which codes mutually cooperate in following a shared design plan.
January 21 3:30-4:20pm in SB 110	Amaka Okafor University of Dublin CS Faculty Candidate	Applications of IoT Technologies and Artificial Intelligence in Ecological Sensing Advances in Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have created new epoch in environmental monitoring, facilitating the collection of high-resolution spatiotemporal dataset. Although, IoT technologies present plausible tools to expand current capacity in environmental monitoring, the introduction of low-cost IoT sensors is critical to have wider scope and adoption for this purpose. The application of low-cost sensors in environmental monitoring, however, have raised several concerns, particularly pertaining to their usability, reliability, and data quality. Furthermore, there is no formalized architecture in existence for the application of IoT sensor devices in ecological surveying and no complete system has been developed for data handling and analysis. This work employs recent advances in IoT technologies to support the acquisition of large scale Green House Gasses (GHGs) emission data in biodiverse regions such as peatlands, leveraging the capabilities of AI and machine learning for efficiently harnessing high-value information from inherently noisy data collected from IoT deployments, web/crowd sourced data and remote sensing of ecologically significant sites.
January 24 3:30-4:20pm in SB 110	David Meyer Calvin CS 2004 CS Faculty Candidate	Test-Driven Development as Logic Programming: A future paradigm for Human-AI collaborative software development? In this seminar, we will investigate how software tests could play a role as constraints for a highly advanced constraint solver and potentially provide a new software-linguistic paradigm. We will discuss the benefit of applying conversational paradigms to software development, and the paramount importance of finding enough test subjects when doing human experiments. David Meyer is a Software Architect and Calvin Adjunct Professor. He is fluent in over 40 programming languages, with experience from embedded operating systems to enterprise-level web service architecture and everything in between. He has a passion for understanding the whole of things.
January 25 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Lydia Wodarek (Calvin CS 2019) & Michael Leonard Software Developers CQL Corp.	The Art of eCommerce How does it feel to be a builder of inspiring and robust eCommerce websites and applications for well-known global brands? Hear from two CQL eCommerce developers who propel innovative industry-leading website solutions for well-known brands such as PetSmart, Stride Rite, Paula's Choice Cosmetics, Kan Jam, and more! CQL's unparalleled technical expertise has helped retailers and manufacturers drive record online revenue, build new channels, and envision world-changing ideas for the biggest brands in eCommerce. Join Lydia and Mike as they share information about this fast-paced and innovative development path
January 28 3:30-4:20pm in SB 110	Dr. Jiaming Jiang Calvin CS 2014 CS Faculty Candidate	Private and Security Access Control Access control (AC) concerns the problem of deciding whether a party is authorized to read, write, or otherwise access some entity in a system. Attribute-based access control (ABAC) is a kind of AC paradigm in which access policies can use entities' attributes in making authorization decisions. In this talk, I will review the basic structure of current ABAC models. But these systems are prone to errors and disclosing sensitive information. I will introduce a new ABAC model, RefABAC, that can overcome these privacy and security issues. RefABAC is based on dynamic logic and reification. It is flexible, robust and extensible. It is also able to cover the functionalities of current ABAC models.
February 1 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Dr. Rob Barrett Researcher, Inventor, Builder Various places you've heard of...	TWINE: A pandemic-inspired framework for reweaving the social fabric Our tattered social fabric revealed itself in our failure to cooperate well in the face of the Covid pandemic. At the same time, we learned during the pandemic that we can productively engage one another through video technology, which has gained social acceptance and importance at an astonishing pace. This presents a significant opportunity for designing and deploying cooperative online contexts that re-weave our social fabric. This talk presents some of the grounding concepts behind this opportunity, examples of systems stepping up to the challenge, and an invitation to join a nascent community of researchers and builders who want to foster a more cooperative world.
February 8 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Jeremy Evans-Smith (Calvin Strategic Communication, 2015) Founder Ascending LLC	How to Land Your First Job in Tech: Tips & Tricks From a Former Google Recruiter The 2020 covid-19 experience has fundamentally shifted the way talent finds their next opportunity. This reality is especially palpable for college and university students (Gen Z) who are tasked with building the foundation of their careers during times of great uncertainty. This talk is by Jeremy Evans-Smith, Silicon Valley tech recruiter who has shaped talent & inclusion experiences at world-class companies like Google, Facebook, DocSend (acquired Dropbox) and Abstract (acquired Adobe.) During this talk, Jeremy will address how to find opportunities during the pandemic, what skills recruiters are searching for, what questions you should ask, and what the future of work is shaping up to be post-covid.
February 15 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Charles Kornoelje (Calvin CS, 2021) Full Stack Developer Tekton	Modern styling for the modern web: Utility-first CSS with Tailwind Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework, like bootstrap, but unopinionated on the style of components. At Tekton, we've used it in our site re-write, and it has helped us ship significantly less CSS in our bundle, which decreases the FCP (first contentful pain) and TTFB (time to first bite).
February 22 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Bruce Abernethy (Calvin CS 1990) Development Manager Magic-Wrighter, Inc.	Flutter Evolved: Cross-Platform Native App Development When Google released their Flutter framework in 2018, there was a lot of interest on what it could do, and how it could be used. Fast-forward three years and there are now over a quarter-million Flutter apps in mobile app stores, and even more apps in places you will not expect. But to support this rapid increase in adoption, in a business and production environment, tools and processes have been needed to make sure these applications can be created, tested, deployed, maintained, and supported by even large teams of developers. This session will cover the current state of Flutter and what we have learned over the last few years about working with teams in real-world development projects.
March 1 No Seminar!	Spring Break	Relax!
March 8 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Roy Adams (Calvin CS, 2018) Software Engineer Vertafore	What is WebAssembly? WebAssembly is a binary instruction format that can increase the performance of JavaScript applications. We will discuss what WebAssembly is, when we can utilize it, and see some examples of WebAssembly in action.
March 15 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Elizabeth Koning (Calvin CS, 2020) CS Ph.D. student University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	Supercomputers and Supertrees: Parallel Computing for Genetics The natural world, from ocean to marsh to volcanic vent, is teeming with genetic information waiting to be explored. One approach to studying the vast number of species surrounding us is examining the genetic differences between species and placing them within phylogenetic trees, which shows their genetic context. Computer scientists have developed algorithms to accomplish this task, but as biologists gather ever more genetic data, new algorithms are needed that scale to hundreds of thousands of taxa. In this talk, I will introduce an improved parallel algorithm for placing samples in phylogenetic trees, and I will also discuss life in graduate school as a Calvin grad.
Mon, March 21 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Prof. Jonathan Webster Dept of Mathematics & CS, Butler University	Algorithms for the Multiplication Table Problem Let M(n) be the number of distinct integers in the n x n multiplication table. Erdos initiated the study of this function, and we review results on its asymptotic size. This leads naturally to consider algorithms for evaluating or approximating this function for large values of n. We present algorithms that have tabulated M(n) for n <= 2³⁰ and approximation algorithms for larger values of n.
March 22 No Seminar!	Advising day	Meet with your advisor!
6pm Fri March 25 - 6pm Sat March 26 in Commons Lecture Hall	CalvinHacks!	Join a team and create something cool!
March 29 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Brian Tol (Calvin CS, 2000) Vice President of Engineering Spin Dance	Software is Eating the World: Using Computer Science To Follow your Bliss In 2011, Internet pioneer Marc Andressen wrote the influential article Why Software Is Eating the World. He stated that "more and more major businesses and industries are being run on software and delivered as online services." In this talk, Calvin grad Brian Tol will reflect on what this observation means for the world, God's kingdom, and the opportunities it creates for computer scientists coming into industry in the 2020s. Today, Brian is VP of Engineering at SpinDance, a software consultancy helping some of the world's largest companies deliver Internet of Things products using embedded, cloud, mobile and machine learning technologies. Reflecting on his career to date, he will examine how computer science can open doors that enable you to "follow your bliss" to build a fulfilling career.
Mon, April 4 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Prof. Shawn Blanton (Calvin Engr, 1987) Electrical & Computer Engineering Dept, Carnegie Mellon University	Designing Secure Hardware Systems In this talk, an overview of hardware security will be presented followed by a discussion on a concept called logic locking. This approach will be described and the "back and forth" that is now occurring in the research community involving: (i) vulnerability discovery and (il) logic locking improvement. Finally, a few words of advice will be dedicated to the process of applying to graduate school.
April 5 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Prof. Adams	CS X95 Social Event
April 12 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Christiaan Hazlett (Calvin CS, 2018) Software Engineer Driver Assistance Technology Ford Motor Company	Why You Should Have a Home-Lab and How to Start One Many software engineers report that their skillsets stagnate after graduating, and therefore look for side projects to keep themselves sharp. At the same time, ever-increasing censorship and more and more-questionable privacy policies online leave many tech enthusiasts looking for alternatives to cloud services. Why not tackle both of these issues at the same time by setting up your own self-hosted services at home? Join us this session to hear some practical tips on getting started with your own VPN, hypervisor, redundant data storage, and alternatives to popular cloud sites like Google Drive and Gmail. We'll also cover security, networking, backups, and high-availability strategies that you can employ to keep your digital life running smoothly.
Wed, April 13 3:30-4:20pm in CFAC Recital Hall	Prof. Derek Schuurman CS Dept, and Dr. Steven VanderLeest former Professor, Engr Dept, Calvin University	A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers This talk will explore case studies, historical examples, personal stories, and tech-specific issues such as: biblical themes and passages that relate to technology the ethics and norms involved in technology design how engineering and technology tap into human dreams for a better world Along the way the speakers will acknowledge the challenges arising from technology, but also point to the wonderful possibilities it offers us and its ability to contribute to the common good.
April 19 3:30-4:20pm in SB 010	Senior Project Teams	CS 398 Project Presentations

January 11
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Sara Willett
(Calvin CS, 1999)
VP, Software Development Engineering
Mastercard

You Should Do The DevOps!

January 17
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 110

Philip Davis
Calvin CS 2006
CS Faculty Candidate

Computing as Dance: Choreographed Scientific Workflows
An increasingly common approach to scientific computing has been to integrate multiple existing codes into complex, automated scientific workflows. Until recently, tools to do this have mainly supported ad hoc interactions, in which data transactions are contractual interactions implemented within the codes themselves. In this talk, I will present recent work on developing choreographic workflow programming models, in which codes mutually cooperate in following a shared design plan.

January 21
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 110

Amaka Okafor
University of Dublin
CS Faculty Candidate

Applications of IoT Technologies and Artificial Intelligence
in Ecological Sensing
Advances in Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) have created new epoch in environmental monitoring, facilitating the collection of high-resolution spatiotemporal dataset. Although, IoT technologies present plausible tools to expand current capacity in environmental monitoring, the introduction of low-cost IoT sensors is critical to have wider scope and adoption for this purpose. The application of low-cost sensors in environmental monitoring, however, have raised several concerns, particularly pertaining to their usability, reliability, and data quality. Furthermore, there is no formalized architecture in existence for the application of IoT sensor devices in ecological surveying and no complete system has been developed for data handling and analysis. This work employs recent advances in IoT technologies to support the acquisition of large scale Green House Gasses (GHGs) emission data in biodiverse regions such as peatlands, leveraging the capabilities of AI and machine learning for efficiently harnessing high-value information from inherently noisy data collected from IoT deployments, web/crowd sourced data and remote sensing of ecologically significant sites.

January 24
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 110

David Meyer
Calvin CS 2004
CS Faculty Candidate

Test-Driven Development as Logic Programming:
A future paradigm for Human-AI collaborative software development?
In this seminar, we will investigate how software tests could play a role as constraints for a highly advanced constraint solver and potentially provide a new software-linguistic paradigm. We will discuss the benefit of applying conversational paradigms to software development, and the paramount importance of finding enough test subjects when doing human experiments. David Meyer is a Software Architect and Calvin Adjunct Professor. He is fluent in over 40 programming languages, with experience from embedded operating systems to enterprise-level web service architecture and everything in between. He has a passion for understanding the whole of things.

January 25
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Lydia Wodarek (Calvin CS 2019)
& Michael Leonard
Software Developers
CQL Corp.

The Art of eCommerce
How does it feel to be a builder of inspiring and robust eCommerce websites and applications for well-known global brands? Hear from two CQL eCommerce developers who propel innovative industry-leading website solutions for well-known brands such as PetSmart, Stride Rite, Paula's Choice Cosmetics, Kan Jam, and more! CQL's unparalleled technical expertise has helped retailers and manufacturers drive record online revenue, build new channels, and envision world-changing ideas for the biggest brands in eCommerce. Join Lydia and Mike as they share information about this fast-paced and innovative development path

January 28
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 110

Dr. Jiaming Jiang
Calvin CS 2014
CS Faculty Candidate

Private and Security Access Control
Access control (AC) concerns the problem of deciding whether a party is authorized to read, write, or otherwise access some entity in a system. Attribute-based access control (ABAC) is a kind of AC paradigm in which access policies can use entities' attributes in making authorization decisions. In this talk, I will review the basic structure of current ABAC models. But these systems are prone to errors and disclosing sensitive information. I will introduce a new ABAC model, RefABAC, that can overcome these privacy and security issues. RefABAC is based on dynamic logic and reification. It is flexible, robust and extensible. It is also able to cover the functionalities of current ABAC models.

February 1
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Dr. Rob Barrett
Researcher, Inventor, Builder
Various places you've heard of...

TWINE:
A pandemic-inspired framework for reweaving the social fabric
Our tattered social fabric revealed itself in our failure to cooperate well in the face of the Covid pandemic. At the same time, we learned during the pandemic that we can productively engage one another through video technology, which has gained social acceptance and importance at an astonishing pace. This presents a significant opportunity for designing and deploying cooperative online contexts that re-weave our social fabric. This talk presents some of the grounding concepts behind this opportunity, examples of systems stepping up to the challenge, and an invitation to join a nascent community of researchers and builders who want to foster a more cooperative world.

February 8
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Jeremy Evans-Smith
(Calvin Strategic Communication, 2015)
Founder
Ascending LLC

How to Land Your First Job in Tech:
Tips & Tricks From a Former Google Recruiter
The 2020 covid-19 experience has fundamentally shifted the way talent finds their next opportunity. This reality is especially palpable for college and university students (Gen Z) who are tasked with building the foundation of their careers during times of great uncertainty. This talk is by Jeremy Evans-Smith, Silicon Valley tech recruiter who has shaped talent & inclusion experiences at world-class companies like Google, Facebook, DocSend (acquired Dropbox) and Abstract (acquired Adobe.) During this talk, Jeremy will address how to find opportunities during the pandemic, what skills recruiters are searching for, what questions you should ask, and what the future of work is shaping up to be post-covid.

February 15
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Charles Kornoelje
(Calvin CS, 2021)
Full Stack Developer
Tekton

Modern styling for the modern web:
Utility-first CSS with Tailwind
Tailwind is a utility-first CSS framework, like bootstrap, but unopinionated on the style of components. At Tekton, we've used it in our site re-write, and it has helped us ship significantly less CSS in our bundle, which decreases the FCP (first contentful pain) and TTFB (time to first bite).

February 22
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Bruce Abernethy
(Calvin CS 1990)
Development Manager
Magic-Wrighter, Inc.

Flutter Evolved:
Cross-Platform Native App Development
When Google released their Flutter framework in 2018, there was a lot of interest on what it could do, and how it could be used. Fast-forward three years and there are now over a quarter-million Flutter apps in mobile app stores, and even more apps in places you will not expect. But to support this rapid increase in adoption, in a business and production environment, tools and processes have been needed to make sure these applications can be created, tested, deployed, maintained, and supported by even large teams of developers. This session will cover the current state of Flutter and what we have learned over the last few years about working with teams in real-world development projects.

March 1
No Seminar!

Spring Break

Relax!

March 8
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Roy Adams
(Calvin CS, 2018)
Software Engineer
Vertafore

What is WebAssembly?
WebAssembly is a binary instruction format that can increase the performance of JavaScript applications. We will discuss what WebAssembly is, when we can utilize it, and see some examples of WebAssembly in action.

March 15
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Elizabeth Koning
(Calvin CS, 2020)
CS Ph.D. student
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Supercomputers and Supertrees: Parallel Computing for Genetics
The natural world, from ocean to marsh to volcanic vent, is teeming with genetic information waiting to be explored. One approach to studying the vast number of species surrounding us is examining the genetic differences between species and placing them within phylogenetic trees, which shows their genetic context. Computer scientists have developed algorithms to accomplish this task, but as biologists gather ever more genetic data, new algorithms are needed that scale to hundreds of thousands of taxa. In this talk, I will introduce an improved parallel algorithm for placing samples in phylogenetic trees, and I will also discuss life in graduate school as a Calvin grad.

Mon, March 21
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Prof. Jonathan Webster
Dept of Mathematics & CS,
Butler University

Algorithms for the Multiplication Table Problem
Let M(n) be the number of distinct integers in the n x n multiplication table. Erdos initiated the study of this function, and we review results on its asymptotic size. This leads naturally to consider algorithms for evaluating or approximating this function for large values of n. We present algorithms that have tabulated M(n) for n <= 2³⁰ and approximation algorithms for larger values of n.

March 22
No Seminar!

Advising day

Meet with your advisor!

6pm Fri March 25
- 6pm Sat March 26
in Commons Lecture Hall

CalvinHacks!

Join a team and create something cool!

March 29
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Brian Tol
(Calvin CS, 2000)
Vice President of Engineering
Spin Dance

Software is Eating the World: Using Computer Science To Follow your Bliss
In 2011, Internet pioneer Marc Andressen wrote the influential article Why Software Is Eating the World. He stated that "more and more major businesses and industries are being run on software and delivered as online services." In this talk, Calvin grad Brian Tol will reflect on what this observation means for the world, God's kingdom, and the opportunities it creates for computer scientists coming into industry in the 2020s. Today, Brian is VP of Engineering at SpinDance, a software consultancy helping some of the world's largest companies deliver Internet of Things products using embedded, cloud, mobile and machine learning technologies. Reflecting on his career to date, he will examine how computer science can open doors that enable you to "follow your bliss" to build a fulfilling career.

Mon, April 4
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Prof. Shawn Blanton
(Calvin Engr, 1987)
Electrical & Computer Engineering Dept,
Carnegie Mellon University

Designing Secure Hardware Systems
In this talk, an overview of hardware security will be presented followed by a discussion on a concept called logic locking. This approach will be described and the "back and forth" that is now occurring in the research community involving: (i) vulnerability discovery and (il) logic locking improvement. Finally, a few words of advice will be dedicated to the process of applying to graduate school.

April 5
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Prof. Adams

CS X95 Social Event

April 12
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Christiaan Hazlett
(Calvin CS, 2018)
Software Engineer
Driver Assistance Technology
Ford Motor Company

Why You Should Have a Home-Lab and How to Start One
Many software engineers report that their skillsets stagnate after graduating, and therefore look for side projects to keep themselves sharp. At the same time, ever-increasing censorship and more and more-questionable privacy policies online leave many tech enthusiasts looking for alternatives to cloud services. Why not tackle both of these issues at the same time by setting up your own self-hosted services at home? Join us this session to hear some practical tips on getting started with your own VPN, hypervisor, redundant data storage, and alternatives to popular cloud sites like Google Drive and Gmail. We'll also cover security, networking, backups, and high-availability strategies that you can employ to keep your digital life running smoothly.

Wed, April 13
3:30-4:20pm
in CFAC Recital Hall

Prof. Derek Schuurman
CS Dept, and
Dr. Steven VanderLeest
former Professor, Engr Dept,
Calvin University

A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers
This talk will explore case studies, historical examples, personal stories, and tech-specific issues such as:

biblical themes and passages that relate to technology
the ethics and norms involved in technology design
how engineering and technology tap into human dreams for a better world

Along the way the speakers will acknowledge the challenges arising from technology, but also point to the wonderful possibilities it offers us and its ability to contribute to the common good.

April 19
3:30-4:20pm
in SB 010

Senior Project Teams

CS 398 Project Presentations

CS 195/295: Computing Seminar