Page 6 - EUREKA -Fall 2014

CAPTChA’s for cellphones, such as 2015, which focuses on this type of
using sensors instead of codes to research.
determine if the user is human. This will be the first time the
Overall Chiasson says a lot of
the research happening in her lab conference will ever be held in
Canada, Chiasson adds. In addition
Research news alternatives to traditional text-based by the professor will continue to
to this conference, the research done
deals with user authentication, and
grow into the community thanks to a
passwords.
four-year $1.6 Million research grant
“Everybody hates passwords, and

doesn’t want to have to remember
from the Networks of Centres of
them. We’re trying to find alternatives
Excellence of Canada.
that are not as taxing.”
The grant will be used to create

For example, humans have a
joint project with the Université de
much better ability of remembering the SERENE network, which is a
pictures instead of texts. Taking this Montréal that will get academic
into account, she and her students research on cyber security out to
Sonia Chiasson, Computer Science are developing new authentication Canadian government agencies,
Photo by Luther Caverly schemes where people remember companies and non-profit
images instead of the traditional organizations.
annoying on a regular computer, and text password, or alternatively, using As part of the grant, researchers
if you’re trying to do them on your images to trigger memory of what the will also receive feedback from users
smartphone, it’s even worse. you have text-based password is. within these organizations so they can
a small screen, and then the keyboard As Carleton continues to be a solve important problems that arise.
pops up and hides the CAPTChA, leader in cyber security research, Chiasson adds, “It’s about opening
and then it does autocorrect.” Chiasson says the university will host the dialogue on cyber security and
Another student in Chiasson’s the Symposium on Usable Privacy and sharing knowledge.”
lab is looking at alternatives to Security (SOUPS) conference in July

Chemistry PhD Student David Mandia with colleagues in Canada, the U.S.
and Europe on a regular basis,”
Rewarded for his Incredible Research says Mandia. “What’s even more
encouraging is the inception of
what will be a world-class facility in
surface science, called the Facility for
arleton is known for its developed by the MOSAIC team, to Nanoscience, Surfaces and Sensor
Ccollaborative initiatives. One create extremely thin and optically- Interfaces (FANSSI), introduced just
such project is called the Multimodal interesting metallic films on metals. this spring at Carleton.”
Optical Sensors, Applications, The Barry lab specializes in thin Mandia’s research has now won
Interfaces, and Controls (MOSAIC) gold films by vapour deposition him a $3,000 Optics and Photonics
project, funded by NSERC and led by methods. Ultimately, this research Education Scholarship from SPIE, the
Electronics Professor Jacques Albert. is leading to the development of international society for optics and
MOSAIC is a fibre optic robust, versatile and tiny sensors photonics.
sensing technology combined with that can have many applications for SPIE is the international society
nanoscience in the Department of electronics, solar applications, or for optics and photonics, a not-for-
Chemistry to build better sensors that microelectronics. profit organization founded in 1955
will have important biomedical and Notes Mandia: “We envision to advance light-based technologies.
environmental research applications. that these sensors can be used for The Society serves nearly 256,000
David Mandia, PhD student in many applications, which include the constituents from approximately
the Department of Chemistry, was detection of harmful gases such as 155 countries, offering conferences,
looking for this kind of research hydrogen sulfide or small molecules continuing education, books, journals,
to focus on during his PhD. The such as cancer proteins. Since we and a digital library in support
opportunity to work with renowned are dealing with the interaction of of interdisciplinary information
professors like Albert and Chemistry light with matter on the atomic scale, exchange, professional networking
Professor Sean Barry led to his extremely good sensitivities are easily and patent precedent.
decision to chose to study at achieved.” Mandia plans on using his SPIE
Carleton. “This particular research has funds to offset the cost of attending
Barry’s CFI-funded Lab adapted garnered a lot of interest already SPIE Photonics West 2015 and other
optical fiber-based devices, and the Barry Lab has collaborated conferences in the near future.

6 Fall 2014