The mission of UMIACS (
Since computing is at the core of all the
Institute's activities, UMIACS has a uniquely close relationship with the
Department of Computer Science. The synergistic environment provided by UMIACS
enables innovative collaborations between the Computer Science faculty and
other faculty on campus. These collaborations form the basis for several major
research programs which are conducted through the various UMIACS laboratories,
each lab being directed by a group of faculty and having its unique computing
infrastructure. These laboratories provide a significant amount of support to
our the Department in the form of funding for student salaries, equipment, and
infrastructure for management of projects, employing undergraduates, and
advising PhD. students toward the completion of their degree in the CS program.
The key UMIACS laboratories are described below.
The Computational Linguistics and Information
Processing (CLIP) Laboratory promotes research in machine translation,
multi-lingual information retrieval, information mediation, and natural
language translation. CLIP consists of two main entities: The Natural Language
Group and the Database Group. The natural language group focuses on several
areas of broadscale multilingual processing, e.g.,
machine translation, scalable translingual document
detection, and cross-language information retrieval. The database group focuses
on architectures for wide area computation with heterogeneous information
servers, e.g., scientific discovery from biomolecular
data sources. The Laboratory is co-directed by Bonnie J. Dorr, of the Computer
Science Department, Louiqa Raschid of the Smith School of Business, and
The Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL) at
the
The Language and Media (LAMP) Laboratory
focuses on several areas of broadscale processing of
natural language, e.g., document and video analysis, information access,
machine translation, scalable translingual document
detection, and cross-language information retrieval. Within these areas, the
media analysis group focuses on providing tools and techniques for access to
large heterogeneous databases of multimedia information objects. Researchers
working in document and video analysis have developed a number of prototype
systems ranging from analysis of handwriting to compression to recognition of
logos. Most recently, LAMP researchers have focused on automatic access to
information sources by addressing issues involved in initial processing,
organization, manipulation and retrieval. The Laboratory is co-directed by
The Keck Laboratory for the Analysis of
Visual Motion was established in 1997 through a grant from the Keck Foundation.
The Laboratory serves as the basis for exploration of fundamental problems in
the recovery of three dimensional models of human movements. The research
conducted in the Keck Laboratory makes use of dynamic graphical representations
of human movement and human manipulation of physical objects. It studies
computer vision algorithms that analyze synchronized videos of activities
obtained from multiple, calibrated viewpoints containing a combination of
conventional and simulated biological sensors. These algorithms employ three
dimensional geometric models of human body shape and of the geometry of the
objects being manipulated, along with prior knowledge of the task to be
performed and the physical objects involved in the task. Keck is directed by
Larry Davis (Computer Science) and recently graduated 2 CS PhD’s who
investigated the use of three dimensional models to recover the time-varying
articulation of a person in action.
The Distributed Systems Software Laboratory
(DSSL) provides a collection of UNIX systems for conducting systems research.
It consists of a collection of personal computers, 2-4 multi-processors (using
AMD, PowerIII, and MIPS processors), an easily
re-configurable collection of Ethernet switches, and high speed networks (such
as Myrinet). Projects using lab resources include
Active Harmony (a system for building runtime adaptable programs), Dyninst (a runtime binary editing tools), MoteFS (a remote filesystem
running over untrusted wide-area networks), NICE (a
cooperative framework for scalably implementing
distributed applications over the Internet), and TerraDIR
(a distributed peer-to-peer directory protocol).
The Graphics and Visual Informatics
Laboratory (GVIL) was established in 2000 to promote research and education in
computer graphics, scientific visualization, and virtual environments. The
mission of GVIL is to improve the efficiency and usability of visual computing
applications in science, engineering, and medicine. The scope of this
laboratory's research covers design of algorithms and data structures for
reconciling realism and interactivity for very large graphics datasets, rapid
access to distributed graphics datasets across memory and network hierarchies, and
study of the influence of heterogeneous display and rendering devices over the
visual computing pipeline. The activities of the laboratory involve development
of visual computing tools and technologies to support the following
research-driving applications: protein folding and rational drug design,
navigation and interaction with mechanical CAD datasets, and ubiquitous access
to distributed three-dimensional graphics datasets. GVIL is directed by Amitabh
Varshney (Computer Science) who is currently advising 6 CS PhD students. GVIL
has graduated 3 honors CS students.
The Perceptual Interfaces and Reality
Laboratory (PIRL) is investigating perceptual
Interfaces for extending human computer interaction to use all modalities of
human perception. Current research efforts are focused on including vision,
audition, and touch in the process. The goal of perceptual reality is to create
virtual and augmented versions of the world, that are perceptually identical to
the human with the real world. The goal of creating perceptual user interfaces
is to allow humans to have natural means of interacting with computers,
appliances and devices using voice, sounds, gestures, and touch. PIRL
researchers are also focused on the creation of prosthetic devices for the
vision and hearing impaired, by mapping inputs from one modality into
equivalent ones in another, so that computationally augmented input streams can
be created with extra content from the missing modality. PIRL is directed by
In
Fraunhofer
The Center complements and extends the core
competencies of the University's software engineering group. Measurement,
experimentation, experience factory software development, COTS development, and
reading and inspection technologies are all core competencies of both the
University and Center. In addition the Center is developing expertise in
knowledge management and agile development. The Center works with a variety of
international corporations, including Boeing, Motorola, Daimler Chrysler,
Nokia, and ABB, as well as many smaller companies in
The strategy of the Center and Department
working together provides opportunities, especially in software engineering,
that would be difficult to accomplish solely in a university. Software
engineering needs large laboratories, which in this context are software
development projects within the industrial or government sector. The Center
provides the means to provide on-site staff and the means to work on projects
over many years that is difficult to do with university students, and the
Department provides a basic research focus that is difficult to maintain within
a corporate setting. For example, one Center project for the US Army is looking
at deployment in 2008 and the HDCP grant is looking at the next NASA Mars
mission in 2010. These would both be difficult to work on solely in a
University context.
The Maryland Information and Network Dynamics
(MIND) Laboratory was established to provide a focal point for defining,
developing, evaluating, and deploying new information technologies through
innovative methods. By collaborating with industry and federal agencies, the
MIND Lab works to invent new ways of meeting technological challenges by
addressing key research issues in the fields of education and information
technology. Fujitsu Laboratories of America is a Founding Partner of the MIND
Lab and has established their east coast laboratory in
The MIND Lab brings together a world-class
group of researchers from the
The MIND Lab is a joint effort between the
Department of Computer Sciences and the
The Program in Applied Mathematics and
Scientific Computation (AMSC) is an interdisciplinary program that offers Ph.D.
and M.S. degrees as well as a post-baccalaureate Certificate in Scientific
Computation. The program is a reorganized version of what had previously been
the
Applied Mathematics
program, reflecting an increased emphasis within the program on computational
techniques in science and mathematics. Graduate students can pursue degrees in either of two tracks: a
concentration in Applied Mathematics, which combines a foundation in
mathematics together with advanced study and research in an area of
application; or a concentration in Scientific Computation, in which students
are trained in the use of computational techniques and associated information
technology with correspondingly less emphasis on formal mathematical methods.
The program has 120 faculty members from
nineteen departments and Institutes. Thirty-three members of the CMSC faculty
are affiliated with the program. The members of the Numerical Analysis and
Scientific Computing Field Committee (Elman, O'Leary and Stewart) are actively
involved in most aspects, including direction of PhD students (six completed
their degree in the past five years) and MS students; helping in the design of
the Scientific Computing curriculum; teaching courses, including new graduate
courses in Scientific Computing (AMSC/CMSC 660-661) and Computer Organization
and Scientific Computing (AMSC/CMSC 662); directing of projects for AMSC
663-664, a new required independent study course; writing and grading of the
Numerical Analysis qualifying exam; serving on the Graduate Committee on
Applied Mathematics, which s responsible for
evaluating student thesis prospectuses and performance on comprehensive exams;
and erving on committees for related programs, such
as the search committee for the CSCAMM director.
Other computer science faculty play a lesser
but still significant role in AMSC, most notably through advising of students.
For example, Jim Reggia is typically advising one AMSC doctoral student, Larry
Davis (in collaboration with
Several faculty also
occasionally serve on students' advisory committees.
ISR was formed in 1985 as a joint venture
between the
ISR is an acknowledged leader in the
integrated design for control of complex engineering systems. It has linked 11
departments at the
In eight years, over 100 companies have
benefited from participation in ISR programs, and 16 internationally renowned
research organizations have established formal exchange agreements with ISR. In
1992, the state of
One of the ways in which ISR fosters
interdisciplinary research is that all ISR faculty appointments are joint with various academic departments. The following CS faculty have affiliations with ISR, either as joint
appointments or affiliate appointments: James A. Hendler, Nicholas
Roussopoulos, Ben Shneiderman, V.S. Subrahmanian, and Dana S. Nau. Through ISR,
CS faculty have worked on joint research and
educational projects with faculty from Mathematics, Business, and nearly all of
the departments in the
In addition to its cross-disciplinary
research programs, ISR has a cross-disciplinary educational program. Several of
our faculty have supervised MS students in ISR's systems engineering graduate program. ISR administers
the Gemstone program, a cross-disciplinary undergraduate honors program, and
several CS faculty have supervised groups of Gemstone
students in multi-year cross-disciplinary educational projects (see
Undergraduate Education section above).
The Neuroscience and Cognitive Science (NACS)
Program at UMCP is a multi-disciplinary program that offers research and
training opportunities in neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience and
computational neuroscience. The program involves not only faculty on the UMCP
campus, but also on two other