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To: The DIMACS Community From: Rebecca Wright Date: September 1, 2011 Subject: Changes in Leadership of DIMACS As Fred Roberts previously announced, I have been appointed Director of DIMACS effective today. DIMACS owes a tremendous debt of gratitude to Fred for his leadership over the past 16 years, and we are fortunate that he will remain at DIMACS as Senior Advisor to the center. Fred has successfully guided DIMACS well beyond its beginnings as an NSF Science and Technology Center, drawing on its strong roots while also branching out in new directions. I have been involved with DIMACS in various ways since its inception more than 20 years ago. I have always been impressed with its impact on research ideas and on researchers' careers, as well as its contributions to education at all levels. I look forward to serving the center as director and working with the DIMACS community to ensure its continued success. Sincerely,
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To: The DIMACS Community From: Fred Roberts Date: August 9, 2011 Subject: Changes in Leadership of DIMACS I will be stepping down as Director of DIMACS on September 1. I am delighted that Rebecca Wright has agreed to take on this job. We hired her in 2007 with the goal of her becoming Director at the appropriate time, which is now. I have great confidence in Rebecca's ability and preparation to do this job and I hope you will all join me in wishing her well. We all owe her a vote of thanks for her willingness to do this. I am not going to disappear. I will remain as a Professor at Rutgers, will continue to direct the Department of Homeland Security "center of excellence" called CCICADA (Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis) that we established through DIMACS a number of years ago, and continue to run a variety of DIMACS programs while serving as "Senior Advisor" to the center. I am also looking forward to having a little more time for continuing my research and writing projects. I am excited about the many projects I will be involved in and look forward to continuing to work with the DIMACS community on them. In almost 16 years as Director of DIMACS, I have seen many dramatic changes in the center. A great many people have played enormously important roles in making the center the place it is and I owe so many of you a great debt of gratitude. Without you, there would be no DIMACS. I know that Rebecca and the center will continue to need the help of the many people who are involved in DIMACS programs or support the center with ideas, energy, and enthusiasm. I trust you will all join me in committing to support Rebecca in the years ahead and in wishing her great success. Fred Roberts |
HOMELAND SECURITY AWARDS $3 MILLION TO RUTGERS-LED RESEARCH CONSORTIUM
Rutgers to coordinate four DHS-funded research centers for advanced information analysis and computational technologies to protect nation
NEW BRUNSWICK/PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a $3 million grant to Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, to lead a consortium researching advanced information analysis and computational technologies to protect the nation.
Rutgers will also coordinate a team of four university-based centers, with others based at the University of Southern California, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Pittsburgh. DHS will award a combined total of $10.2 million over three years to Rutgers and these institutions. All four centers will advance efforts to identify common patterns from numerous sources of information, which could indicate potential threats to the nation.
"We are proud of the receipt of this award," said Rutgers President Richard L. McCormick. "It adds strength to Rutgers' ongoing commitment to research in the area of security, which is so important to our nation and particularly to the citizens of our state."
Leading the Rutgers effort is the university's Center for Discrete Mathematics and Theoretical Computer Science (DIMACS). It will include partner researchers from AT&T Laboratories, Lucent Technologies Bell Labs, Princeton University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Texas Southern University. This group will develop computing technologies that find patterns and relationships in data, such as news stories, open-source web logs, and other accessible information, to quickly identify emerging indicators of possible terrorist activity, and rate the consistency and reliability of the sources. Such information could give officials more lead time to investigate and potentially thwart terrorist plans.
"The challenge involved in this endeavor is not only the massive amount of information out there, but also how quickly it flows and how fast the sources of information change," said Fred Roberts, director of DIMACS. "We will develop real-time streaming algorithms to find patterns and relationships in communications, such as among writers who may be hiding their identities, and to rate information sources for their reliability and trustworthiness."
The Rutgers center will undertake nine research projects in its first year and will also create educational programs around the technology it develops, such as courses and certificate programs for undergraduate and
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