Get connected spring 2017 newsletter

GET CONNECTED! INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA SERVICES NEWSLETTER Volume 9, Issue 11

Spring 20178, Issue 1

In This Issue: Let’s Talk Tech!…………………..……

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3D Printing

Molecules in 3D.……………….

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Using 3D Printing to Study Chemical Reactions..………....

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Art in IT: Saints Among Us…...………

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IT&MS Staff News…………………….

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Did You Know?………………………..

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From the Exec. Director’s Desk: Information Security Update……...……….

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Let’s Talk Tech!

(Win a BOSE Soundlink Color II!)

By Dawn Thistle, Exec. Director Tell us how you feel about technology and library services. On February 13, Information Technology & Media Services will be launching a technology survey, known as the MISO survey. For those of you who hate acronyms, MISO stands for Measuring Information Service Outcomes, and is designed to measure how students, faculty and staff view technology and library services in higher education.

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What services and resources are important to you?

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How successfully do we deliver them?

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How effectively do we communicate with you about our services and resources?

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Which software and hardware tools do you use, and which do you own?

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How are students, faculty and staff different in their use of technology?

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What benchmarks can we use for excellent delivery of library and computing services?

This year 27 different colleges will be participating in the survey. We will be able to compare our Assumption College results with the aggregated results of the whole group.

In addition to gathering information about Assumption College service areas that may need improvement, we will also be able to see how other schools were ranked in those same service areas. The final survey results will be available during the summer, and we plan to hold a “Survey Summit” in the fall to share the results with the College community.

Assumption last conducted the MISO survey in 2012. Generally respondents were quite happy with both IT&MS and Library services. Areas of concern were addressed, but it’s time to check with you again. Please let us know how we’re doing!

Email invitations to participate will go out to approximately 700 randomly-selected students, faculty and staff. We hope that all 700 will respond, and, to give you added incentive, we will raffle off a BOSE Soundlink Color II Bluetooth speaker system and gift cards from Dunkin Donuts from the list of respondents.

The survey addresses the following questions:

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3D Printing Case Studies Molecules in 3D by Prof. Brian Niece This past holiday season, you may have heard about the growing popularity of 3D printers. Did you know we have one right here on the Assumption campus? Located in the Faculty Lab in Fuller hall, the Makerbot Replicator will allow you to make almost any object you can imagine using one of nine different colors of plastic.

One of the important topics that I teach my chemistry students

is how the properties of molecules depend on their symmetry.

This symmetry can arise in different ways, such as rotation, reflection, and inversion. Learning to picture the different types of symmetry in a molecule is a difficult, but important, task for students.

When I first heard about Assumption’s new 3D printer during the summer Dive into Technology workshop, I knew right away I wanted to use it to make models that would help my students to master the topic of molecular symmetry.

Last semester, I designed models of eight different compounds that emphasize the different types of symmetry a molecule can possess. For example, the blue ammonia molecule in the picture has holes that allow me to put in sticks that will rotate it into different, equivalent positions. Half of a red water molecule, on the other hand, is completed by its own image in the mirror.

“The Makerbot Replicator will allow you to make almost any object you can imagine”

Even though I haven’t taught the symmetry lesson yet this semester, the models have attracted a lot of interest from students. They are sitting out on my desk, and visitors to my office often ask what they are or pick

them up to get a closer look at them.

Printing Chemical Reaction Vessels by Asst. Prof. Benjamin Knurr I am interested in understanding the effects of the solvent (the liquid a chemical reaction takes place in) on the chemistry that actually occurs. The solvent can affect the products of a reaction, the speed at which a reaction happens, and even if a reaction will happen in the first place. A greater understanding of solvent effects can help give chemists greater control over the chemistry we use for many different practical applications.

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To study these aspects of a system, there needs to be only a small volume of the reaction, freshly mixed, and constantly flowing. To ensure that all of these aspects can be controlled and modified to fit a certain chemical system, 3D printing is an ideal technique. I can design and print a small device to run a chemical reaction in, print it, and test it all in one day. The best part is that if there are any issues or obvious improvements that can be made to the device, it is really easy to modify the design and print a new one. Currently I use a Maker Gear M2 printer in my research lab in

the Testa Science center.

“The 3D printer has already proved an invaluable asset to daily lab activities beyond the scientific purposes I had originally purchased it for.”

frequently need obscure or specialized parts for very specific applications in day to day activities. For example, to actually study chemical reactions, the flow device needs to be suspended to be able to shine

Much of my first summer doing research at Assump-

light through it and the tubing that carries chemicals

tion was focused on effectively designing devices to

to the inlets of the device needs to not kink and ruin

study a clock reaction that turns from clear to dark

the flow rate. These and other issues were all solved

blue after about 45 seconds. There were many ver-

thanks to 3D printing as we were able to design and

sions and iterations of different designs of the reac-

print cell holders, tubing guides, and many other small

tion flow devices that were ultimately used to study

parts that would have been difficult to create other-

the progression of this clock reaction. If had not been for the flexibility and modularity that 3D printing offers, my research student, Sarah Morley ‘18, and I would

wise. The 3D printer has already proved an invaluable asset to daily lab activities beyond the scientific purposes I had originally purchased it for.

not have been as productive in my first Summer as we were. The use of a 3D printer has also given Sa-

Professors who are interested in using or learning

rah the opportunity to learn about 3D design software, about 3D printing should contact Ross Petrain, Ina skill that is becoming more in demand in various

structional Technology Manager,

professions.

rd.petrain@assumption.edu, for information and ideas.

Additionally, we have not used our printer exclusively for device design and fabrication. As a scientist you

FACULTY: Mark your calendars for this year’s Dive Into Technology seminar, May 23-27, 2017! For more information on this year’s course content, contact Ross Petrain (rd.petrain@assumption.edu; x7310).

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Art in IT Art in IT, a regular series of art exhibitions held on the second floor of the IT Center, is currently featuring Saints Among Us: Way of the Samaritan.

This exhibition, which runs until February 24, includes works by Barbara Roberts, Jaime Lynn Dillon and Kristina England (AC ‘03). All the art is related to or depicts the plight of the homeless in Worcester.

Proceeds from sales of the art will be donated to the Mustard Seed and Net of Compassion.

The show opening on January 12 featured inspiring talks by Scott Schaeffer-Duffy of the Catholic Worker and Richard Gonzalez, pastor and founder of the Net of Compassion.

closing event. Speakers will include Mattie Castiel, Health Commissioner, City of Worcester and Mike Benedetti of the Mustard Seed. There will be music and refreshments, as well. Please join us and support this worthy cause!

Our next exhibition will be the 7th Annual Art Club show, February 28– April 14. The theme of this exhibition is “Life in Color.” The opening reception will take place on Tuesday, February 28 at 4:30.

And to end the academic year, we will hold the spring Studio Art Show, featuring work done by students in their studio art classes. Come to the IT Center any time to check out the Art in IT!

On Wednesday, February 22 at 4:00, there will be an exhibition

IT&MS Staff News Nicole Turner (Asst. Web Developer) has been selected to participate in the highly competitive Writing Wrong Workshop in Portland, OR. The workshop will be led by Chuck Palahniuk, one of Nicole’s idols and author of novels including Fight Club, Choke and Survivor.

Beth Goven (Applications Analyst, Portal Developer), Dawn Thistle (Exec. Director), and Mike Doyle (Media Center Student Staff, SGA Academic VP) all gave presentations at a NERCOMP full-day workshop on Campus Communications. Beth and Dawn presented on the evolution of the College’s portal. Mike participated on a panel and showed results of last spring’s Thursday Three survey about students’ preferred meth-

ods of campus communication.

Liz Hamblett (Director, User Support) recently presented workshops on Adobe Photoshop Basics , Presentation Design Theories, and iMovie for HECCMA (Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts). In April she will be offering training in Adobe Photoshop Design Theory .

Mitchell Haley, AC ‘16 (Evening/Weekend IT Support Center Coordinator) has left Assumption to take a new position with Heywood Hospital, Gardner, MA, where he will be providing helpdesk support.

Dawn Thistle (Exec. Director), along with Patty Patria (VP of IT, Becker College), is coordinating a preconference seminar on The Value of IT: Creating, Communicating, and Increasing Value within Your Organization to be held prior to the NERCOMP Annual Conference on March 27.

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Did you Know? 

That the library is now offering the Kanopy Video Streaming system, which provides access to more than 26,000 documentaries, art house, and indie films?

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That 12 new online courses are being developed and will be offered to students this summer?

This brings the total of proposed undergraduate summer online courses to 22 for both Summer I and Summer II.

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That Graduate students may now apply online?

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That there is a new, graphical site index for the Portal? Check it out at: https:// my.assumption.edu/technology/siteindex/Pages/default.aspx!

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That the Cable TV Channel Line-up can be found on the Media Center portal page at: https:// my.assumption.edu/technology/media/Documents/Assumption_Channel_Lineup_Feb_2016.pdf

IT&MS By the Numbers Helpdesk calls, academic year 2016 College-owned computers Spam email messages filtered on a typical day Computer labs in the IT Center

Servers Storage used for backup and production Unique devices connected to the network

Computer classrooms 5

From the Executive Director’s Desk:

Information Security Update

by Dawn Thistle, Executive Director, IT&MS

As Information Security Officer and convener of the

are now running regular scans. When Identity Finder

Data Security Committee, I thought it would be a

finds PII, staff can “shred” it, “scrub” it, “secure” it,

good idea to update the campus on some of the things

“quarantine” it, or ignore it. By deciding how to

we have been doing to protect College information.

manage this information, we can protect the personal information that we use or access every day. Instructions for using Identity Finder can be found at: https://

Spirion (Identity Finder)

my.assumption.edu/technology/secure/Documents/

You’ve heard of the Home Depot data breach, or the

Identity_Finder_InstructionsRev2.pdf

Target breach and probably also the US Office of Per-

Email Encryption

sonnel Management breach. These are just a few of

My friend, Leigh, is coordinating a trip to Scotland for

the best-known examples that have been in the news.

a few couples, including me and my husband. She

Organizations and businesses are required to protect

travels a lot and is extremely organized about all the

the personally identifying information (PII) of their

travel details. She has been reviewing airfares, and

members, customers, students or staff. In Massachu-

when she sees an offer that looks really good, she

setts we operate under 201 C.M.R. 17: Standards for

wants to be ready to place the order. Although it is

the Protection of Personal Information of Residents of

not absolutely required, she wanted to have our pass-

the Commonwealth, as well as the federal Family Ed-

port information to give to the airline, and asked me to

ucational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Health

email a copy of each of our passports’ photo pages.

Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II). We have installed a number of sys-

I trust Leigh completely, but email is not a secure way

tems to protect against hacking and inadvertent loss of

to communicate personal information. Luckily, As-

personal data, and to help with compliance.

sumption now enables email encryption for messages

One of our systems is Spirion Identity Finder. Identi- and attachments sent off-campus, and it’s easy! When ty Finder can be loaded on work computers and can you enter the subject into your email message, just search MyDocuments, desktop files, email messages,

type [encrypt] or [confidential] into the subject line

portable (thumb) drives or even network files for PII.

and you will be all set! Your recipient will need to

It will locate instances of Social Security numbers,

register to open the message and attachments, but,

credit card or bank account numbers, passport or driv- once they have registered, they will be able to open ers license numbers or passwords. It can also flag ad- future messages from that account. ditional sensitive information such as birthdates or

For complete instructions in using Email Encryption,

medical information. College departments that handle

go to: https://my.assumption.edu/technology/secure/

PII on a regular basis have received the software and

Documents/Sophos_Email_Encryption_through_Outlook.pdf 6