Smart City Pilot in Boston

By Lucas DiLeo
Contributing Writer


The proliferation of mobile sensors and the interest by Cities in utilizing these tools to develop new insights into how cities function and how are used, are driving projects to create models for improved urban services and management. In many cases these are experiments - in term how new technologies can be utilized, how accurate and reliable they are, and what new services or solutions can they support.

Recently, Ms. Nissia Sabri, CEO OF Bitsense discussed a Smart Cities Pilot organized with the Boston Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics. The talk was hosted by MIT System Design and Management Program Thinking Webinar Series. Bitsence is a company which monitors human movement and behavior in physical space and uses data and insights to improve cities, architecture, and real estate developments. 

City planners and the business community sponsored this project for Downtown Crossing, Boston's urban shopping core, in order to better understand the flow of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, the quality of the environment, and uses of urban spaces in order to better manage these areas and better serve their constituents.

The first phase of the project entailed identifying the metrics to be collected, the selection, location and support of the sensors, and creating the communication and data collection and integration. 

The sensors were designed to track a number of measurements: environment, including air quality and noise, as well as pedestrian traffic. As the sensor packages were not off-the-shelf, they had to be custom assembled. The decision was to use many specialized sensors located across the study area, as opposed to a single location with multiple sensors. 

Ms. Sabri discussed many of the design issues: The design of the enclosures for the sensors required special treatment; they needed to be tamper proof and weather proof. They had to fit within the environment and not be intrusive. Some were designed with flower pots or other decorations. Placement and attachment to light poles and buildings also had to be addressed. Moreover, as these were temporary installations, they required temporary power, battery recharging, and communication solutions. Solar panels were used - but there were issue of sunlight as well as wi-fi coverage. 

Prior to installing on the streets, the team tested the sensors in the labs where they identified and fixed a number of potential problems, such as RF interference, access to the Internet, and insufficient sun for the solar panels in some areas.

On August 10 of last year the 4 month pilot was launched on several streets Downtown Crossing. A parallel project was also organized in a residential area to provide benchmarks.

Data from the pilot has enabled the sponsors to develop initial insights. For instance noise levels on the streets - and the impact of continual background noise versus areas that saw AM and PM peaks during commuting hours. The authors also noted that nighttime lighting is important - that Summer Street was well illuminated where Winter Street was less illuminated, less welcoming at night. 

The air quality calibration was limited as the project did not use the highest, most expensive sensors. However, the team was able to develop insights into overall air quality trends, such as the level of C0 is higher mid-day than the rest of the 24 hours period. 

Pedestrian traffic was also an area studied. The project indicated fewer people on the streets during weekends - but they tended to spend more time and linger at the stores and shops, as opposed to the work week, where commuters hurrying to and from their offices. 

The organizers are now beginning to think about how to use the sensors and data for future urban managment and planning and modeling - such as for emergency situations. "Data is not the Bottom line, it is the insights you get from it". 

Massachusetts Named Best State by U.S. News & World Report

Massachusetts Named Best State by U.S. News & World Report

Inaugural rankings recognize Commonwealth’s leadership in health care, education

Watch: Governor Baker Discusses MA’s Top Ranking On “CBS This Morning”

BOSTON – The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been named the best overall state in U.S. News & World Report's inaugural report. This best state ranking evaluates all fifty states in various categories, with Massachusetts ranked the #1 overall state, #1 in health care, #2 in education and among the top ten for economy and crime and corrections. Massachusetts was recognized for having the most accessible health care and is ranked third for Pre-K through 12th grade education.

“Massachusetts is a great place to live, work and raise a family because of the strength and character of all those who call the Commonwealth home,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “Everyone should be proud that Massachusetts continues to lead the nation in health care access and public education for all citizens, and our administration will continue to build on these accomplishments to bring more economic success to every corner of Massachusetts.”

Governor Baker joined U.S. News & World Report editor and chief content officer Brian Kelly on “CBS This Morning” to discuss Massachusetts top ranking. 

Massachusetts ranked well above the national average as #1 in enrollment for Medicare Advantage Plans, Higher Education Educational Attainment and College Readiness, and No. 2 in Patents Granted and Populations with Fast Download Speed.

“We are proud to be the first state to be named number one overall in the inaugural Best States ranking as we continue to be a leader in the nation across numerous sectors,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “This honor is a testament of policies and practices that are working and we are dedicated to continuing this progress in every community in the Commonwealth.”  ​

The new Best States rankings and platform was designed to inform people across the country about what is working across the country and includes rankings that measure states overall and in seven different categories: education, health care, government, infrastructure, economy, opportunity and crime & corrections.

The Leading States Index and analytics for the system were produced by McKinsey & Company to inform state government officials on where to focus their efforts and where to make improvements for their constituents

For more information on methodology and complete rankings, please visit:https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings

Governor Baker, MBTA Celebrate Expansion of The RIDE’s On-Demand Paratransit Service

Governor Baker, MBTA Celebrate Expansion of The RIDE’s On-Demand Paratransit Service

As pilot celebrates 10,000 rides, MBTA extends participation to all RIDE users effective March 1^st

BOSTON – Today, Governor Charlie Baker and MBTA Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve celebrated 10,000 rides in the MBTA’s The RIDE On-Demand Paratransit Pilot Program with ride-share companies Uber and Lyft, and announced that effective March 1^st, the program will be open to all eligible users of The RIDE. Launched inSeptember 2016, the first-of-its-kind innovative pilot has expanded options for 400 customers with disabilities, providing improved flexibility and mobility while reducing fares and overall program costs.

“The success of this partnership with ride-share companies is changing lives and improving reliability for the MBTA’s paratransit customers who rely on The RIDE for their daily travels,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “We are proud the MBTA is expanding this program to all users of The RIDE, and providing individuals with disabilities greater flexibility and convenience that many of us may take for granted.”

Governor Baker highlighted the program’s ingenuity in his 2017 State of the Commonwealth Address last month, sharing the story of a pilot user and the benefits and flexibility the program has offered to customers. The on-demand pilot operates in conjunction with traditional RIDE service, offering reduced fares, lower wait times, faster trips without the need to share rides, and same-day booking (compared to The RIDE’s day prior notice) for RIDE service areas and hours of operation. The program includes options for wheel-chair accessible vehicles and includes access for MBTA paratransit customers without smartphones.

“The partnership with these two ride-share companies has been a game-changer for our paratransit customers,” said Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack. “They have been able to take advantage of transit options which allow them to be spontaneous and travel directly to their destinations.  We believe the success of this partnership with Lyft and Uber will serve as a springboard for more performance-driven improvements."

“This is a win-win solution for our Riders and the MBTA,” said Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve. “It’s an example of a way we can partner with best-in-class private companies to drive innovation at the MBTA.”

Governor Baker and Acting General Manager Shortsleeve celebrated the announcement at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, where pilot user Joshua Boissoneau is an employee. A para-rower, Paralympic hopeful and RIDE user since 2015, Boissoneau joined the pilot in October 2016 and uses the on-demand service an average of six or more times a week to travel to his office, medical appointments and rowing practices along the Charles River from Brighton.

“Since my first day in the pilot program, I have shared with fellow rowers and friends how impressed I was with the benefits of the program, including reliability, user-friendliness, comfort, convenience and timing,” said Joshua Boissoneau. “The on-demand service has alleviated stress in getting to my medical appointments, work and practice in a timely way. I look forward to remaining an active participant.”

On-demand trips cost customers $2.00, with the MBTA subsidizing the next $13.00 and additional costs being assumed by the customer. The model resulted in an MBTA trip subsidy difference of 71% between traditional RIDE and on-demand trip costs ($9 for on-demand versus $31 using traditional RIDE). The average cost to the customer was found to be $4.38 for a same-day trip (versus $5.25 using traditional RIDE) with customers saving an average of 34 minutes with every pilot trip taken.  

From October 2016 to February 2017, traditional RIDE trips reduced by 18% while total trips taken by the MBTA’s paratransit users (traditional RIDE and on-demand pilot combined) increased by 28%. The overall cost to the MBTA (traditional RIDE versus a combination of on-demand service and traditional RIDE) decreased by 6%. Expanding the pilot is anticipated to increase savings to the MBTA and allow full-scale testing of key pilot elements.

Customers interested in applying to the expanded pilot can learn more and be directed to sign up for Uber or Lyft accounts at www.mbta.com/paratransitpilot. After the MBTA verifies customer eligibility, further instructions and access to the program will be sent via e-mail from Uber or Lyft within 1-2 weeks of sign-up. Once contacted by Uber or Lyft, customers can book trips via a smartphone mobile app. Lyft also has a phone call-in option and a limited number of Uber customers can utilize Uber-provided smartphones for use on a limited basis specifically to book trips.

The pilot is a part of a larger transformation of the RIDE to improve the customer experience and reduce the cost of service.  Other initiatives include centralizing its call and dispatch functions and soon offering a revamped taxi subsidy pilot.

For more information regarding the pilot, please visitwww.mbta.com/paratransitpilot.

美国华裔非盈利组织为中国留学生提供“导师制”精细化服务

轉載

美国华裔非盈利组织为中国留学生提供“导师制”精细化服务
http://www.aacyf.org/?p=6963

2017年2月26日，华裔科学家、加州理工学院喷气动力实验室(JPL)研究员何宇滔博士创办的非营利组织LEAP在加州大学洛杉矶分校内举办第二期导师日（Mentor’s Day 2.0）活动, 邀请来自各行业的“大牛”导师们，与来自南加州地区知名学府的近百名优秀中国留学生见面，从相互交流中，挑选和合适的导师和学生。希望为留学生提供就业、专业成长、职业发展、领导力，以及情商和生活等方面的提供最贴身和贴心的专业辅导。
何宇滔博士表示，LEAP在去年首次推出“导师制”（Mentorship），获得了学生们的好评，今年邀请了更多的专业导师参与这个项目。LEAP开展的导师项目是一个为期六个月、导师与学生一对一的辅导互动项目，导师为学生提供学术指导、职业建议、及领导能力发展的训练。他感谢导师们的无私奉献。
在当天的导师日活动中，各位导师每人两分钟介绍自己的学习经历和目前从事的工作。导师们来自知名学府、政府机构、世界100强的公司和知名中资企业的精英。
紧接著的“壁炉边论坛”邀请来自第一期的导师和学生，分别介绍自己和导师的互动和所得。 来自洛杉矶加大的学生李泽涵表示，导师提供的意见往往具有一定的建设性，同时开始学会与不同的人建立友谊。沛普丹大学研究生毕业的高天宇表示，导师制是一个很好的经历，通过与导师的互动，可以避免一些错误。他的导师来自半导体行业，和自己的专业完全不同。但是他和导师基本上每个星期都见面、聊天、咨询各类的问题。 他建议同学们，找到自己的导师后，要保持沟通、聆听和学习。（Keep communicating, be good listener and student） 。
随后学生们可以自由和随意寻找不同的导师交谈，在心中选定自己属意的导师。在学生提出自己心目中的导师后，导师单独和学生交谈并进行筛选，随后决定是否建立导师关系(Mentorship)。
毕业于加州理工大学、南加州大学，先服务于洛杉矶水电局的华裔科学家颜利平博士，有多个人要选他做导师，因一般每位导师只接受两位学生，他选了加州大学洛杉矶分校环境健康系的博士交换生胡冬梅；南加州大学电子工程系的博士研究生李龙。后来，一位叫朱媛的在加州管理与科学大学读经济学的硕士生很热切地要认他为导师，被她的真诚所打动，颜利平博士当天就破例收多了一个学生。他表示，感谢学生们的信任，期待同参共进；半年之后，都能成为更好的自己。
有别于为留学生提供的简单服务，这种导师制方式，也可称为师徒制。导师和学生的接触就不仅仅是在活动上的简短见面和互动，通常导师和学生的互动成为日常生活的一部分，随著双方互动的加深，在话题和思想上会有更多的交流和分享。DataFrameWorks公司副总裁Doug Schafer表示，他在担任导师起见，每周与学生的互动时间有5到6个小时。

LEAP是专注为留学生提供服务的一个非营利组织，旨在帮助年轻的亚裔美国人与来自亚洲目前在美国学习或工作的年轻人的专业成长和职业发展。LEAP推动以导师制方式为留学生提供精细化服务，在华人非营利机构中起到了良好的启发和带动作用。 （AACYF洛杉矶讯）

NAAAP to Host Symposium on Championing the Cause of Employee Resource Groups

NAAAP to Host Symposium on Championing the Cause of Employee Resource Groups

BOSTON, MA – The National Association of Asian American Professionals will host the Employee Resource Group Leadership Symposium on March 3^rd as part of the association’s annual leadership training program, taking place in Boston this year. Bringing together leaders of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) across the U.S. and Canada, the symposium presents a unique opportunity for members of NAAAP as well as the public to learn about effective ways to champion the cause of their organization’s ERGs.

An impressive lineup of speakers from diverse functions and industries will discuss key issues for successfully running ERGs, such as how to gain support, grow visibility, and utilize ERGs to advance professional development. In addition, participants will network with ERG leaders, diversity managers, and executives from both local and national companies, and engage in compelling conversations through a unique action-planning breakout session.

The symposium will take place on Friday, March 3^rd in the Theater Ballroom of Courtyard Boston Downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn more or register for the event online: https://academy.naaap.org/erg-symposium.

CAPAC Chair Judy Chu’s Statement on Kansas Shooting

CAPAC Chair Judy Chu’s Statement on Kansas Shooting

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last Wednesday, two Indian men were shot, one fatally, in Olathe, Kansas in what is currently being investigated as a possible hate crime. In response to the shooting and subsequent death of one victim, CAPAC Chair Rep. Judy Chu released the following statement:

“I am heartbroken by the senseless shooting in Kansas that took the life of Srinivas Kuchibhotla and injured Alok Madasani.  Although we are still awaiting additional facts from the ongoing investigation, I am deeply troubled by reports that the shooter yelled ‘get out of my country’ and harassed the victims with racial slurs before opening fire.

“Unfortunately, this attack is yet another example of the proven uptick in hateful violence targeting South Asian, Muslim, Sikh, and Middle Eastern communities that we have seen since November’s election. These abhorrent acts of violence are unacceptable and must end.

“My thoughts are with the families of Srinivas and Alok, as well as Ian Grillot, who was injured in his courageous attempt to stop the gunman. I call on President Trump to denounce this tragedy and to condemn other incidents of hate taking place across our country. I also urge the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate this incident as a hate crime. All people – regardless of race, religion, or national origin – deserve to feel safe and welcome in the United States.”

中科大校長訂3/3率團訪波招才

2017年3月3日，中国科学技术大学将在波士顿举行学者宣讲会，欢迎校友与海外学者网络报名，并转告更多中国科大校友，也特别期待校友能转告周围对中国科大感兴趣的学者出席！

此次中国科大代表团将由校长万立骏领队，工程学院院长陆夕云，信息学院院长吴枫，生命学院院长薛天， 管理学院院长余玉刚参加，
人力资源部、国际合作部等相关部门负责人陪同。此次代表团阵容不可谓不重量级， 展示出了中国科大招贤纳才的诚心与决心！

时间：2017年3月3日，14:00-16:00
地点：Hyatt Regency Cambridge, President's Ballroom A(on the first
floor), 575 Memorial Dr, Cambridge, MA 02139

报名网址： https://goo.gl/forms/kpEXqMQLldJH6RZu1

宣讲会提交简历的联系方式：job@ustc.edu.cn

联系人： 人力资源部副部长黄方教授，rcb@ustc.edu.cn， 电话：0551-63602550

中国科大代表团访美目标定位为英才招募。中代表团将会见中国留美学者与校友，吸引海外英才加盟中国科大师资团队。近年来，中国科大致力于加强国家交流与人才招募。中国科大的海外招聘战略初见成效——中央组织部的前七批“青年千人计划”中，中国科大共入选146人，位居全国第二。人才引进项目相见下文。

招聘详情请浏览：http://aga.ustc.edu.cn/news/view?id=2507

议程：

13:30-14:00，签到、简历接收

14:00-14:30，中国科大校情与人才政策简介

14:30–15:00，学者提问互动

15:00–16:00，自由交流与面谈

中国科学技术大学人才项目/USTC Recruitment Programs

千人计划A类（长期项目）：不超过55岁，目前担任海外知名高校正教授或同等职务。
千人计划B类（短期项目）：不超过55岁，目前担任海外知名高校正教授或同等职务，入选后每年在科大工作不少于2个月。
千人计划C类（青年项目）：不超过40岁，获得博士学位，拥有3年以上海外学习工作经历。
中科院率先行动“百人计划”A类（学术帅才）：拥有海外知名高校正教授或同等职位任职经历，具有广泛的国际学术影响力。
中科院率先行动“百人计划”B类（技术英才）：掌握关键技术，拥有3年以上海外研发经历，取得过一流成果。
中科院率先行动“百人计划”C类（青年俊才）：拥有3年以上海外经历，博士毕业不超过5年。
长江学者奖励计划——特聘教授：不超过45岁，目前担任海外知名高校副教授或同等职务。
长江学者奖励计划——讲座教授：目前担任海外知名高校正教授，入选后每年在科大工作不少于2个月。
大师讲席教授：目前担任海外知名高校讲席教授或同等职务，I类岗位每年在科大工作1个月，II类岗位每年在科大工作2-3个月。
特任研究员：获得博士学位，达到或超过我校正高人员平均学术水平。
特任副研究员：获得博士学位，达到或超过我校副高人员平均学术水平。
博士后研究员：不超过35岁，获得博士学位。
国际访问教授计划：在国际知名大学或者研究机构拥有教职（Tenure-Track
Faculty），到我校访问并开展教学与科研合作的正教授、副教授或助理教授（或相当专业技术职务）。
中科院-发展中国家科学院院长奖学金项目：不超过35岁，已获硕士学位的非中国公民。