ITaP: ITaP Newsroom

Exchange service disrupted for some users

itap@purdue.edu — Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Some Exchange users are still experiencing disrupted access to their Exchange email, mainly if using a Mac computer. OWA and mobile device access to e-mail should be working again. For Macs still having issues, please call the Customer Service Center at (765) 49-44000 for assistance with a workaround.

Blackboard Learn workshops continue, anticipating fall semester rush

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP’s educational technologists will continue the series of six hands-on workshops during summer break, helping faculty rebuild courses in Blackboard Learn 9.1 before fall semester. The sessions cover the new system’s essentials, assignments, assessments, grading, moving course content from Blackboard Vista and more. Seating is limited, so registration is encouraged.

Students: One last chance to buy Microsoft products

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Students have a last chance to get the Purdue discount on Microsoft software due to leftover inventory of some Microsoft Select titles.

Blackboard Learn’s tools facilitate students’ writing and online presentations

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Blackboard Learn pilot participant Karen Yehle found the most satisfaction in using Learn’s improved discussion board tool. Blackboard has enhanced its new system in ways that fit the nursing professor’s use of online discussions, writing assignments and student collaboration on group projects. ITaP encourages faculty to register for Blackboard Learn workshops in May and June to get ready for the transition to Learn this fall.

Purdue employees can save money on software, hardware through ITaP Shopping

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Don’t miss your chance to save hundreds of dollars on the latest devices and accessories from Apple, Dell and HP. Software discounts also are available to University employees with a valid Purdue ID at the BoilerCopyMaker. Adobe, Microsoft, EndNote and other vendors offer packages at prices as low as $64.

Professor, ITaP seek faculty to collaborate on new learning technology

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Professor Bill Watson wants to move toward an educational system that is learner-centered, engaging and focused on mastering skills as opposed to transferring knowledge delivered through lectures. Watson is partnering with ITaP to develop a new instructional technology that could help make this idea reality and they’re encouraging other faculty members to get involved.

Capacity in Purdue’s new top-ranked research supercomputer still available

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Capacity in Purdue’s latest community cluster is still available and the new research supercomputer is now in full production. Purdue faculty researchers using the Carter cluster report that it can significantly speed up time to results for many research applications and enable more complex simulations.

Free, fast BLAST processing with friendly interface now available to faculty and their students

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT

BLAST, the popular bioinformatics software, is now available to Purdue faculty and their students through an easy-to-use graphical interface called BLASTer and Purdue’s DiaGrid distributed computing system. DiaGrid and BLASTer can make thousands of processors available at once for BLAST jobs and reduce the time needed to set up computations and get results — all at no cost to Purdue users.

Purdue’s new top-ranked research supercomputing cluster ready to run, fast

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

The new Carter community cluster supercomputer is ready for Purdue researchers to use and capacity on the system is still available. Faculty who have been testing Carter say it can greatly speed up time to results for many research applications and enable more complex simulations. The Carter cluster joins four other community clusters built at Purdue since 2008, which have delivered more than a half billion research computing hours to faculty and their students.

New Blackboard Learn tools elicit greater interaction among online students in pilot

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Undergraduate students in Basic Public Health Studies, an online course in the Blackboard Learn pilot this semester, are benefiting from tools their peers in other sections of the course in Blackboard Vista do not have. Students in all online sections have similar required assignments, but those in the pilot communicate more often and with more detail, capitalizing on opportunities available in the new platform. Roseann Lyle attributes the difference to Learn’s enhanced collaboration tools.

OLS professor and students in Blackboard Learn pilot give positive mid-semester appraisal

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Organizational leadership and supervision Professor Dan Lybrook wanted a system easier to manipulate than Blackboard Vista with fewer steps in developing a course, and his students wanted fewer technical glitches. With help from ITaP educational technologists, the new Blackboard Learn course management system is meeting both needs. ITaP will offer Blackboard Learn workshops during April and over summer break for faculty who have not yet begun rebuilding their courses for fall semester.

Data Stewards publish revised handling guidelines to help thwart security breaches

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

As part of a continuous effort to secure employee and student information, Purdue’s Data Stewards organization recently published its revised data handling guidelines with additional examples to help individuals better understand how to protect University and personal data. By complying with these guidelines, Purdue employees can help thwart security breaches that may result in identity theft as well as federal penalties and fines.

Blackboard Learn workshops, features, tools ease Purdue faculty’s course transition

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Better organization and navigation and more student-centered communication and collaboration tools are among the features faculty members piloting courses in the new Blackboard Learn are finding attractive as they prepare for the fall semester. ITaP will offer another series of workshops on Blackboard Learn the weeks of April 9 and April 30 and registration is now open. Consultations with an ITaP educational technologist also are available.

Last chance for students to purchase Microsoft products, March 31

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

he last chance for students to purchase Microsoft software on campus is March 31, 2012.

Mixable aids in online ‘treasure hunt’ for statistical references

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

One goal for continuing lecturer Ellen Gundlach’s Statistics 113 class is to help students become savvy statistics consumers by the end of each semester. Since incorporating Mixable into her curriculum, Gundlach has been better able to track student activity toward that end and provide feedback outside of regular class time.

PSG will buy i>clicker2s from students and rent them again fall semester

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue Student Government officers are asking faculty to help them spread the word to students that the i>clicker2 rental program they tested this academic year to save students money has been a success. PSG will buy any i>clicker2 from students at the end of spring semester and rent them again in the fall. For the 200 students who rented a device in January, PSG will rebate the full $45 fee if they return the i>clicker2 in good working condition on or before May 5.

Tax season yields higher volume of phishing, malware scams

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Tax season is also prime hunting season for cyber criminals attempting to acquire personal information through phishing scams and malware campaigns. Because of the heightened risk this time of year, ITaP reminds Purdue computer users to be cautious of unsolicited emails, especially those requesting personal information or action from the recipient, and to never click on URLs embedded in suspicious emails.

Orders open for Carter, Purdue’s new top-ranked research supercomputing cluster

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Orders for the new Carter Community Cluster are now being taken by ITaP, which plans to have the new supercomputer running in full production in April. Carter will join four other community clusters built at Purdue since 2008, which have delivered more than a half billion research computing hours to faculty and their students.

New Lync mobile services offer instant messaging on the go

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue employees who use Microsoft Lync on their work computers may now access Lync mobile service across multiple platforms including Windows Phone 7, iPhone, iPad and Android. The Lync mobile program enables users to stay connected on the go with instant messaging from a single, easy-to-use interface.

Nursing professor customizes upper-level courses with Blackboard Learn’s options

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Professor Janet Thorlton puts Blackboard Learn’s communication tools and online course features to good use in her upper-level nursing courses. Her online students enjoy synchronous conferencing sessions, and her on-campus students prefer a traditional lecture to taking the course online. She can customize each of her courses with the many options Blackboard Learn provides.

New PAL 3.0 offers faster, denser, safer Wi-Fi coverage

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue Air Link 3.0, the newest wireless network deployed as part of ITaP’s campus-wide initiative to offer faster, denser and safer Wi-Fi service, should make for fewer “dead” or hard-to-reach Wi-Fi spots in campus buildings and minimize device compatibility issues for those who have had trouble in the past. Roughly 50 percent of the University’s buildings already have been upgraded, with the remaining buildings expected to be upgraded by the end of 2012.

Faculty’s first set of how-to workshops on Blackboard Learn begin Feb. 20

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP Academic Technologies will offer workshops Feb. 20-23 that introduce faculty to the new Blackboard Learn 9.1, a versatile and student-centered course management system. These sessions cover the system’s essentials and grade book, as well as tools and methods for moving course content from Blackboard Vista to Blackboard Learn. These workshops and others on different topics will be offered again during spring break, March 12-16, and the weeks of April 9 and April 30.

Wireless access points help Purdue Police collect video evidence more efficiently

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Until recently, officers at the Purdue University Police Department were spending up to 45 minutes a day downloading and formatting digital video footage from their dashboard cameras. But now, with support from ITaP and Physical Facilities, the department’s video footage is automatically downloaded wirelessly the instant a patrol returns to the station, yielding significant time savings for police.

New Windows-based cluster supercomputer now available to Purdue researchers

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT

A new cluster supercomputer running on Microsoft’s Windows HPC system makes high-performance computing even more accessible for Purdue faculty researchers and their students, while also making Windows-only research software available.

JetPack serves as textbook alternative in new computer science course

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

After a frustrating search for appropriate and affordable course materials for a new computer science class, Professor Jennifer Neville was surprised to learn that the solution she was looking for was right in her backyard. JetPack, a publishing platform developed by ITaP’s Informatics group, is a textbook alternative designed like an e-reader to store text, videos, audio and other course materials at no cost to students or instructors.

Faculty begin transition to new student-centered Blackboard Learn system

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue faculty members will have the opportunity over the next year to transition from Blackboard Vista to Blackboard Learn 9.1, a new versatile and student-centered course management system. To ease the transition on the West Lafayette campus, ITaP will offer workshops, online tutorials and other resources, reports from pilot participants, walk-in help sessions and one-on-one consultations. Other campuses plan similar support for their faculty.

Moving research to energy efficient community cluster saves time and money

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT

When electrical engineering Professor Scott Sudhoff moved his lab’s research from his own aging high-performance computing system to a community cluster built in a partnership among faculty members and ITaP, it gave him a more reliable, more powerful tool for his work — and it saved Purdue money on power and cooling.

Creating accessible PDFs training for faculty and staff set for late January

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT

The Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance is offering training on creating accessible PDFs with the Office of Institutional Equity and the Web Accessibility Committee. From the University of Washington, Terrill Thompson, a Purdue alumnus and a nationally recognized trainer in web accessibility, will return to conduct the sessions. These sessions are open to any Purdue faculty or staff member. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Many plusses in using wikis say researchers and instructors alike

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Confluence, the ITaP-supported wiki-creator software, helps scientists, instructors and their students store information, as well as making it readily accessible, so they can collaborate with others in their classes. Purdue lab scientist Daniel Leaird and professors Timothy Newby and Keith Cherkauer share how they use wikis.

Professor enjoyed redesigning aviation technology course for online delivery

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Professor John P. Young worked with ITaP’s skilled instructional technology professionals to redesign a master’s level aviation technology course for full online delivery as part of the College of Technology’s ProSTAR program, which offers graduate level degrees, certificates, courses and workshops to professionals in business and technology fields.

Purdue’s latest supercomputer one of the greenest, as well as fastest, in the world

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue’s new Carter supercomputer isn’t just one of the fastest in the world, it also is one of the greenest. Carter placed 38th on the latest Green500 list of the world’s 500 most energy-efficient supercomputers, as rated by their performance per watt of power consumed.

Computer repair options for students

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Just like your car, a computer needs routine maintenance and occasional repairs. For students encountering computer problems while they are away at college, however, finding a qualified and affordable computer repair shop can be challenging. ITaP has some suggestions to ease the process.

Follow these tips to keep your Facebook account secure

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EDT

In celebration of October National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, ITaP offers the following tips on keeping your Facebook account and other social media sites secure.

Using clickers and active-learning methods helps engage students in engineering design course

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Engineering instructor Mark Johnson has used classroom-response technology to engage students and promote discussion in his lectures for an integrated circuit design project course since 2005. During spring semester 2011, he piloted the new i>clicker2 and found it to be a good fit for his teaching methods and the kinds of questions he poses to students.

Course Signals student success system available to all instructors this semester

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Course Signals, a student success system that helps faculty communicate quickly and regularly with students about their course performance, continues to be available to all instructors on the West Lafayette campus for spring semester 2012. The system is especially valuable in first-year introductory courses and large lecture classes.

Professor finds BoilerCast lecture-capture system boosts student learning

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

After using BoilerCast, ITaP’s lecture-capture technology, for two years, agricultural economics Professor Larry DeBoer saw his students perform better in a course with historically poor attendance and low enough grades to consistently warrant a curve. Capturing his classes was also appealing as a permanent record of his work as well as a portable, easily accessible source of course content for his students.

Campus Technology highlights Purdue’s Signals and HUBzero as top innovations for 2011

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Campus Technology Magazine’s August edition is highlighting two Purdue-developed technologies as top 10 innovations for 2011. Signals is an early warning system that helps students succeed in their coursework. HUBzero is a Web-based platform allowing researchers to collaborate using computational models to study complex problems.

Gold Answers provides IT solutions 24/7

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Gold Answers is a searchable online knowledge base where faculty, staff and students can find answers to IT questions. With more than 20,000 vendor- and Purdue-specific help articles, the service offers guidance ranging from campus wired and wireless network connections with laptops, smartphones or other mobile devices, to Office 2010 and much more.

BoilerCast’s new capabilities give faculty more ways to deliver course content

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

BoilerCast, Purdue’s system for recording lectures and making them available to students online, has new features that make it easy for faculty members to add prerecorded video clips and incorporate content from outside sources. ITaP urges instructors to reserve specially equipped classrooms for their fall-semester classes if they plan to use BoilerCast.

Faculty prefers i>clicker2 as Purdue's new student-response system

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue will have the i>clicker2 as its new student-response system this fall because faculty who tested it found it easy to learn and use and IT staff liked its reliability. The enhanced i>clicker2 system with alphanumeric functionality and an LCD screen is available for student purchase in West Lafayette campus bookstores. Students who own the original i>clicker can continue to use them unless their instructors require the new model.

Students aren’t alone in saving money on hardware through ITaP shopping

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Faculty and staff, as well as students, can save money by taking advantage of their Purdue affiliation on purchases of hardware and peripherals offered by Apple, Dell and HP.

Redesigned website details ITaP instructional technologies, faculty training and support services

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP’s Academic Technologies group has redesigned its Teaching and Learning website for easier access to the many resources available at Purdue to help in using technology for engaging and effective instruction. The homepage organizes navigation by Academic Technologies' three purposes — teach, learn and support.

Interactive applications help agronomy students learn about feeding the world’s population

itap@purdue.edu — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Agronomy professor Lori Unruh Snyder is enthusiastic about how her Purdue crop science students are learning the intricacies of food supply and sustainable agriculture — in part by using engaging game and simulation technology she developed with ITaP. CropView and iFarm help first-year students better learn introductory crop science course content.

Get to myMail faster by updating your bookmark

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

myMail users should update their bookmarks from webmail.purdue.edu to mymail.purdue.edu by Sept. 1, 2011 as a final step in the transition to myMail—Purdue’s email, calendaring and collaboration service. On that date, anyone who attempts to go to webmail.purdue.edu will receive a Page Not Found error.

ITaP simplifies service agreements and billing processes to campus offices

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP is beginning a process of working with campus units to simplify information technology service agreements and billing practices. Its goal is to standardize and reduce the complexity of the processes, where possible; increase campus customers’ understanding of ITaP services; and update the ITaP service catalog with detailed standard service offerings. ITaP will begin to phase in these new practices for selected services on August 1, 2011.

Exchange calendar and contacts synchronization with BlackBerrys to cease at end of 2012

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 EDT

After Dec. 31, 2012, Purdue University will no longer support Exchange calendar or contacts synchronization with BlackBerry devices. After that date, faculty and staff using personal BlackBerrys will only be able to connect to Exchange email through the BlackBerry Internet Service, which is the same service that connects them to personal email today.

Integrating technology in agronomy courses enhances the learning environment

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Since his teaching career began, technology has captivated agronomy Professor George Van Scoyoc. A 1979 Radio Shack TRS 80, Model I computer was the first of many technologies he's adapted for instruction. Today, he’s mastered Adobe Connect and Skype to facilitate discussions between his Purdue students in West Lafayette and those in Kenya and South Africa. Van Scoyoc also uses Connect, Web conferencing software for real-time meetings and virtual classes, to hold periodic virtual help sessions.

Blackboard online assessments help first-year Spanish students speak more fluently

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EDT

As director of Purdue’s Spanish basic language instruction program, Maria Cooks has been challenged to develop multiple ways for students in her Spanish 101 and 102 courses to practice pronouncing and conversing. She has always looked to instructional technologies to assist her.

Future athletic rivals, Nebraska and Purdue are teammates in research computing

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Nebraska may not feel like an official member of the Big Ten Conference until football season, but Purdue and its future rival already are models of good sportsmanship in the field of research computing. They’re partners in the Purdue-led DiaGrid distributed computing project, which makes thousands of computer processors readily available for use by Purdue and Nebraska researchers.

Maximize your use of Microsoft Office with GoldAnswers tips

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP’s GoldAnswers — a Purdue-specific knowledge base — assists the Purdue community with tips and tutorials on maximizing the use of Microsoft Office.

FootPrints software forges campus-wide path for IT incident management

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EDT

Numara FootPrints — a suite of shared processes to manage IT requests, incidents, problems, changes and service-level management — is set to make its mark across campus this spring following its use in two individual departments.

BoilerCast turns up the volume on learning through lectures

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EDT

An ITaP service available in 280 West Lafayette-campus classrooms, BoilerCast allows instructors to post audio and screen-captured recordings of their lectures online, as well as supplemental content. Students can use these audiovisual enhancements to prepare for homework, lab projects, exam reviews and more.

Exchange synchronization with BlackBerrys to cease in 2012

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue will add no new BlackBerry devices to its BlackBerry Enterprise Server after Jan. 1, 2011, and, after Dec. 31, 2012, will no longer support Exchange synchronization with BlackBerry devices.

ITaP supports faculty’s research on instructional technology

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When ITaP funded faculty projects incorporating new technologies in instruction, it paid off for undergraduate students.“We provided special support for Timothy Newby and Erina MacGeorge who both tested new technologies with their undergraduates to assess the impact on their learning,” said Donalee Attardo, director of ITaP’s instructional design services.

GoldAnswers offers tips and tutorials for myMail access and more via smartphone

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP's GoldAnswers — a Purdue-specific knowledge base — can assist the Purdue community with tips and tutorials to get the most out of smartphones.

Colder temperatures, hotter technology: ITaP introduces fall innovations, improvements

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

With a new academic year fully underway, the Purdue community is enjoying the benefits of newly introduced or recently updated ITaP services and programs. Take a look at what’s current in ITaP technology this fall.

National Cybersecurity Awareness Month keynote addresses risk assessment

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Information technology organizations can predict, prevent and prevail over security sieges by selectively and strategically predicting risk and setting defenses against the threats. That was a major theme during ITaP's keynote event for Purdue's fifth-annual celebration of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month — held Oct. 27 in Fowler Hall at Stewart Center.

ITaP simulation gives preservice special-education teachers practice with classroom decisions

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 00:00:00 EDT

To engage undergraduate students in her special-education methods courses, assistant professor Emily Bouck collaborated with ITaP’s instructional services unit for technical help in developing an educational game she named TeachLive.“I had seen such simulations at the K-12 level, but nothing like what I envisioned for college students,” Bouck says. “I knew what classroom scenarios I wanted my students to experience, but the game definitely was abstract in my mind and hard to articulate.”

ITaP project assists faculty with expert help in converting courses for distance learning

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Crime scene investigation is more than just the subject of the popular "CSI" series of television programs. It also is the subject of a wildly popular Purdue course — Entomology 218, Introduction to Forensic Science. Now, thanks to an ITaP project to retool courses for distance learning, this fall students can get Entomology 218 in their own homes just like the "CSI" TV shows — or anywhere else with a computer and Web access.

GoldAnswers offers tips and tutorials for course email lists

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP's GoldAnswers — a Purdue-specific knowledge base — can assist Purdue University faculty with tips and tutorials about using course email lists in their classes.

Renovated ITaP instructional computing lab promotes collaboration, mobility

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Making themselves at home doesn’t usually come to mind for students studying in a computer lab. But few labs are designed to promote rearranging furniture, sitting in rocking floor chairs and making a little noise while working with peers - as is the case with the renovated ITaP instructional computing lab in Room G073 of Stanley Coulter Hall.

GoldAnswers helps faculty bring out best of Blackboard for students

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP's GoldAnswers — a Purdue-specific knowledge base — can aid University faculty in diversifying their use of Blackboard Vista, an online course environment for assignments, grading and additional amenities.

Magazine recognizes Purdue’s partnership for building research supercomputers

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Campus Technology magazine’s August edition highlighted the ITaP-led Community Cluster Program, a partnership with faculty researchers that provides more computing power at a better price and puts it to work on research projects almost constantly.

ITaP software distribution office moved to Stewart Center

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

On Wednesday, Aug. 4, software packages loaned by ITaP became available from ITaP Shopping Offline, located in Stewart Center, Room G65.

Mainframe decommissioning project months ahead of schedule

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Drop more than 8,000 pounds and keep it off. That’s a weight-loss claim ITaP can support with evidence, as its project to decommission a mainframe that houses sensitive business data is far ahead of schedule.

ITaP gets animated over cybersecurity training

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Sharing is the bedrock of any healthy romance, but drawing the line when it comes to passwords is wise, too. It’s also smart to sidestep suspicious characters trying to infiltrate your inbox and stir up trouble.

Use your Purdue discount on Adobe CS5

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

If you’ve been waiting to use your discount on Adobe CS5 Design Premium, your wait is over. ITaP is offering the title for only $355.28, available on either Macintosh or Windows platforms.

Global warming could eventually make half the Earth’s population centers too hot to handle

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

A study looking at global warming in terms of heat stress on humans — which also has application to other mammals, like pets and livestock — says half the world’s population centers could become dangerously hot within the next few centuries if the warming trend continues.

NASA, Purdue study offers recipe for global warming-free industrial materials

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Let a bunch of fluorine atoms get together in the molecules of a chemical compound and they’re like a heavy metal band at a chamber music festival. They tend to dominate the proceedings and not always for the better. That’s particularly true where the global-warming potential of the chemicals is concerned, says a new study by NASA and Purdue University researchers.

Maximize your use of SharePoint with GoldAnswers tips

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP's GoldAnswers — a global knowledge base with Purdue-specific information — can help you get the most out of SharePoint, a web-based collaboration platform from Microsoft in wide use at Purdue.

ITaP makes connecting to VPN service easier

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Accessing Purdue campus resources from home just got easier.

Students: Hang up your coat, use Software Remote for lab software

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When needing to complete a project at 2 a.m., it’s not appealing to see yourself trekking across campus to visit an ITaP instructional lab. Using ITaP’s Software Remote service, Purdue students can access about 140 software programs available in instructional labs from the comfort of their room at no additional cost.

GoldAnswers tips help you work when away from the office

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP's GoldAnswers — a global knowledge base with Purdue-specific information — equips you with tutorials on work productivity even when you're not in the office.

Toll-free dialup service discontinuing May 30

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Over the past few months, ITaP has reviewed the viability of continuing its toll-free dialup service with several campus committees. As a result of general recognition that Internet access is both readily available in many locations and by many commercial providers, the decision was made to discontinue toll-free dialup services on May 30, 2010. This time frame is intended to provide users with ample time to plan the transition.

Purdue policy allows forwarding of purdue.edu messages to third-party email clients

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue's official email policy states, "Users may forward their Purdue University email to another email address, but any User who does so expressly assumes all responsibility for delivery beyond the purdue.edu domain." This means purdue.edu email addresses can be forwarded to third-party email addresses such as those from Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo.

Purdue-developed 'serious game' aids school counselors with suicide prevention

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EDT

A computer-simulation game — developed at Purdue and funded by an ITaP grant — offers school counselors virtual training in advising students at risk of suicide and realistically reflects a counselor's everyday responsibilities.

Madagascar’s unique animal population probably floated there to start

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT

The origin, as well as the unique composition, of Madagascar’s land animals has puzzled naturalists for more than two centuries. Now, data from a Purdue professor’s three-year computer simulation on ITaP’s Pete cluster appears to provide an answer: The animals floated there.

ITaP offers option for additional email storage space

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EDT

When ITaP upgraded its Exchange service in October, each user’s default mailbox-storage quota increased from 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. Now, ITaP also can provide additional storage to Purdue faculty and staff who routinely require more than 1 gigabyte of mailbox storage on ITaP’s Exchange servers.

Purdue, NASA research provides blueprint for molecular basis of global warming

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A new study indicates that major chemicals most often cited as leading causes of climate change, such as carbon dioxide and methane, are outclassed in their warming potential by compounds receiving less attention.

Manage your email — moving messages and attachments to portable storage

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Portable storage devices conveniently put schoolwork or business data in the palms of people on the go. Moving your Purdue email to devices such as thumb drives allows you to access messages anytime and anywhere, frees space on Exchange servers and optimizes performance of your email software.

Apple releases update to address wireless issues

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

After working with ITaP to troubleshoot wireless issues for Mac users, Apple released an update believed to allow those affected to once again use PAL, Purdue’s wireless network.

Study gives clearer picture of how land-use changes affect U.S. climate

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers affiliated with ITaP’s Purdue Terrestrial Observatory program say regional surface temperatures can be affected by land use, suggesting that local and regional strategies — such as creating green spaces and buffer zones in and around urban areas — could be a tool in addressing climate change.

It's always polite to share, and SharePoint makes it easier

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Sharing information on, and off, Purdue University’s campus has become easier, thanks to a new enhancement to ITaP’s SharePoint service – one of ITaP’s fastest-growing services.

Completion of Exchange migration brings new features, added space

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has completed the migration of mailboxes to the new Exchange 2007 email environment. Each Exchange account now has a default storage-limit quota of 1 GB – up from the previous 500 MB. The new web-access interface also is more intuitively user-friendly and boasts several useful new features.

Voice and data plan discounts offered to Purdue community

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Don’t pay more than needed for AT&T mobility services.

Apple machines added to SMARTcomputing program

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Apple desktops and laptops are now available through SMARTcomputing – Purdue’s institutional-computer purchasing program that emphasizes savings, support, community and security.

Purdue researchers propose method to image electron wavefunctions

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Melbourne, Australia, are proposing a novel way to accomplish something normally impossible to do — 3-D mapping of electron wavefunction, which is the probability that an electron will be in a given position around an atom in a solid.

Research suggests urban sprawl, wet falls and winter affect severe weather

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Previously rare big city storms — like an August 2009 tornado that downed trees and ripped off roofs in downtown Minneapolis and the powerful thunderstorms in New York City a day earlier — may not be so unusual anymore.

SMARTcomputing saves money, lends support and strengthens security

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue departments are having an accelerated learning experience with SMARTcomputing — an institutional-computer purchasing program approaching its four-year goal of selling 5,000 institutional desktops and laptops. SMARTcomputing is a joint project of distributed departmental IT and ITaP.

Data-management demonstration available in video format

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

For those who were unable to attend ITaP’s demonstration of data-management tips in September 2009, or would like a refresher, a video of the demonstration is available that will open in Windows Media Player.

Purdue email storage limit increases and owa.purdue.edu replaces exchange.purdue.edu

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Users of ITaP’s Exchange services have seen some changes when it comes to email this fall. A new Web interface with a different address, http://owa.purdue.edu, now provides access to Exchange services in place of http://exchange.purdue.edu. Also, an increase in default storage-limit quotas from 500 MB to 1 GB, as well as other upgrades, took effect after ITaP migrated Exchange email accounts to different servers.

Manage your email — use self-discipline with self-storage of data

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has created a series of data-management tips to help establish regular email upkeep habits for all users.

Purdue partnership for putting idle computers to work on research wins international award

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Purdue is being recognized as a worldwide campus technology innovator for its DiaGrid system, harnessing what would be otherwise wasted computing power for major research projects. Campus Technology Magazine has selected DiaGrid for one of its 2009 Campus Technology Innovators Awards.

Manage your email — delete items a second time

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has created a series of data-management tips to help establish regular email upkeep habits for all users.

Encore to ITaP’s first supercomputer barn-raising is even better than the original

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Last year, ITaP staff and a small army of volunteers had the Steele supercomputer built by noon. The anticipation was that the new Coates cluster would take longer.

Manage your email — don't get too attached to large files

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has created a series of data-management tips to help establish regular email upkeep habits for all users.

GoldAnswers knowledge base shines new light on self-support tech service

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Whether you’re seven hours into a term paper or halfway through creating a course syllabus, there’s never an opportune time to need tech support. But troubleshooting on your own is a speedy way to resolve computer issues, and ITaP offers helpful do-it-yourself resources.

Manage your email — advanced archiving increases access and success

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has created a series of data-management tips to help establish regular email upkeep habits for all users.

Before calling tech support ... try this!

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Computer manufacturers and software developers operate customer-support call centers to respond to users’ inquiries and troubleshoot problems. But a few bars of hold music go a long way, and the end result could wallop your wallet. Here are some tips offered by ITaP, from which perhaps even the simplest adjustments can get your computer back to business as usual.

Learning any time, anywhere with ITaP services

itap@purdue.edu — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Shoot HD video. Share work online for a team project. Build and maintain a Web site … from your couch.

Manage your email — archive to retain, delete without refrain

itap@purdue.edu — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ITaP has created a series of data-management tips to help establish regular email upkeep habits for all users.

Patient safety focus of immersive virtual environment for training pharmacists

itap@purdue.edu — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A Purdue project makes it easier for students to train in proper clean-room procedures using a flight simulator-like virtual version. The 3-D immersive environment — think the holodeck from the Starship Enterprise — was created from hundreds of digital photos of actual hospital clean rooms and even includes ambient sound recorded in those facilities.

Virtual clean room to enhance training for pharmacy students

itap@purdue.edu — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Hard-to-come-by training time in a pharmacy clean room is about to become a lot easier for Purdue pharmacy students to get, eventually as easy as turning on their laptop computers. View a fly-through animation of a standard hospital clean room from this story.

Flying particles in Europe will wing plenty of data Purdue’s way

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Just try solving the mysteries of the universe without high performance computing in your tool box. Certainly, the physicists, many of them at Purdue, involved in the CMS experiment connected to the Large Hadron Collider wouldn’t do it. A CMS Tier-2 Center at Purdue is built around high performance computing systems administered and supported by the Rosen Center.

iPhone software connects with Exchange servers

itap@purdue.edu — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

iPhone 2.0 software released by Apple in July 2008 enabled Purdue faculty and staff iPhone devices to connect to the Exchange servers.