A cohort of faculty, staff and students from the University of Florida Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) were invited to attend Howard University Research Month in April. The group included Juan E. Gilbert, Ph.D., the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor and CISE department chair, and several students from his lab.
Gilbert was a keynote speaker with his presentation, “Computing for Social Good,” detailing his journey through higher education and technologies that he has developed. Through his expertise in advancing computer software and technology, Gilbert focuses on the point where technology intersects with people and improves the outcome of that interaction. At UF, he leads the Computing for Social Good Lab, which designs and evaluates computational technologies as they relate to human conditions. In this lab, he encourages his student to think outside the box in order to solve societal problems.
The department also set up recruiting booths at the event. CISE Ph.D. students, London Thompson and Simone Smarr, assisted Kristina Sapp, CISE graduate admissions coordinator, with recruiting prospective students to the program. The students were able to give first-hand accounts of their experience in the program.
Students also provided demonstrations of their research projects, which included innovative voting technologies utilizing Prime III software and Virtual Traffic Stop.
“I really enjoyed traveling with the lab to Howard University. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with the students and showcase the projects we are developing in the lab,” Thompson said. “It was great to hear how passionate the students were about research and possibly enrolling in a graduate program. The event served its purpose, allowing researchers and students to engage in meaningful discussions and create opportunities for collaboration in the future.”
Prime III, an open-source voting system that accommodates individuals with physical disabilities and ensures the reliability and security of every vote, was invented by Gilbert. Prime III was the first open-source voting system to be used in federal, state and local elections in the U.S. The Prime III demos included a stateless transparent voting machine and a televoting machine that’s allows for a physical ballot to be recorded over the internet. A stateless machine is rebooted after each use and does not store any information from the previous instance. This allows for a more secure voting machine because a malicious actor would have to hack the machine everytime it is rebooted.
The students also were demonstrating Virtual Traffic Stop (VTS) to the attendees. VTS is an app designed to ease tensions and prevent misunderstandings during traffic stops between drivers and law enforcement. The app allows officers to communicate with drivers through smartphone video before physically approaching a vehicle. The goal is to reduce any anxiety caused by the stop through the initial video interaction, making the interaction safer for all.
The event was attended by prospective students and two members of the Election Assistance Commission, Thomas Hicks and Benjamin Hovland. The Election Assistance Commission helps to fund some of the research that was on display and was interested in learning more about the technology.
Research Month 2024 is part of Howard Universty’s ongoing efforts to foster the research mission and to celebrate the University’s research enterprise, which is comprised of external grants and contracts, distinguished scholarly projects, and outstanding creative works.
By Drew Brown