Artificial Intelligence and Computational Intelligence

Faculty in the area of artificial intelligence and computational intelligence focus on hybrid intelligent techniques and their applications. Machine learning, data mining, neural networks, support vector machines, fuzzy logic, nature-inspired computing, genetic algorithms, pattern recognition, and image processing are used to solve complex real-world problems such as those in the areas of Web intelligence, bioinformatics, optimization, e-business, security, cloud computing, and green computing.

In recent years, our faculty and students have published over 300 papers in artificial intelligence and computational intelligence, organized several international conferences, served as program committee members for over 150 conferences and workshops, and served on the editorial boards of international journals.

Faculty: Saeid Belkasim, Yi Pan, Michael Weeks, Yanqing Zhang

Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics exists at the cutting edge between computational sciences and life sciences, where the complexity inherent in biology leads to serious challenges in theoretical and practical computer science. Due to the advances in scientific instrumentation as well as genomic techniques, there has been an explosion of information discovered from living organisms, especially in the areas of molecular biology and genetics. Our faculty are busy inventing new algorithms, techniques, and methodologies to efficiently process and mine biological data.

Over the past seven years, department faculty have published over 300 bioinformatics research papers, received around $3M in external funding for bioinformatics research, directed and graduated 25 Ph.D. students in bioinformatics, and have been recognized for their contributions through awards and editorial positions.

Faculty: Saeid Belkasim, Anu Bourgeois, Robert Harrison, Yingshu Li, Yi Pan, Raj Sunderraman, Alex Zelikovsky, Yanqing Zhang, Ying Zhu

Groups and Labs: Advanced Biomedical Computing Center, Brains & Behavior, Molecular Basis of Disease, Neuroscience Institute

Computer Software Systems

Software is at the heart of all computerized systems, from real-time embedded systems to automated supply chain management. The increasing complexity of software systems requires systematic methods and supporting tools for analysis and design. Besides computerized systems, there is also a need to develop computation models and software tools for studying other types of systems, such as natural systems and social systems. A special interest of our department is the application of computer modeling and simulation to studying these systems’ complex behaviors. Faculty members in the software systems area are researching advanced computation models, development methods, and software environments for studying and/or designing systems in various application domains.

Researchers in software systems have received more than $1M in external funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Faculty: Xiaolin Hu, K. N. King, WenZhan Song

Databases

Faculty in the area of databases focus on database research and its applications. Database technology has various important applications in Web search engines, the Semantic Web, domain-specific databases, and distributed databases, as well as in bioinformatics and neuroscience.

In recent years, our faculty and students have published over 200 papers in databases, organized several international conferences, and served as program committee members for over 100 conferences and workshops.

Faculty: Yingshu Li, Raj Sunderraman, Yanqing Zhang

Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction

Computer graphics studies methods for creating and manipulating digital visual content with computers. In the past decade, the computer graphics field has seen tremendous advances in both hardware and software technologies. As a result, computer graphics technologies have helped advance many other areas such as entertainment, scientific visualization, training and simulation, computer-aided design and engineering, and architecture design.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between users and computers. The field of HCI is closely related to many other fields, including psychology, design, computer graphics, operating systems, information security, and artificial intelligence. HCI studies also include consumer electronic devices that enjoy pervasive use in our daily lives.

Our faculty members have conducted many research projects in computer graphics, visualization, and HCI, often through collaboration with other domain experts. These projects include a 3D graphics environment for neuromechanical simulation, neuron circuit visualization, terrain visualization, augmented reality, computer security visualization, graphical passwords, text visualization, and 3D interactive learning environments.

Faculty: Scott Owen, Ying Zhu

Groups and Labs: Hypermedia and Visualization Laboratory (HVL)

Networks and Parallel and Distributed Computing

Today almost every part of our society—including business, power grid networks, social networks, transportation networks, biological networks, healthcare, and homeland security systems—employs networking and distributed computing technologies for their underlying core functionalities of communication and control. 

Our faculty have been extremely successful in obtaining national funding for their research in this area. Five faculty members currently hold awards from the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, and four of these (Dr. Raheem Beyah, Dr. Xiaojun Cao, Dr. Yingshu Li, and Dr. WenZhan Song) work in this research area. The CAREER grant, which emphasizes high-quality research and novel education initiatives, is the most competitive and prestigious award from NSF to young faculty members in science and engineering fields. In addition to CAREER awards, department faculty have won several other grants for research in networks, security, and distributed and parallel algorithms for networked systems.

Faculty: Raheem Beyah, Anu Bourgeois, Xiaojun Cao, Yingshu Li, Yi Pan, Sushil Prasad, WenZhan Song, Alex Zelikovsky, Yanqing Zhang

Groups and Labs: Communications Assurance & Performance Group (CAP), Distributed Mobile Systems Laboratory (DiMoS), Networking and Communications Laboratory (NCL), Sensorweb Research Laboratory