Press release from the Talent Initiative:
Talent Initiative Disburses $500,000 to Establish Information Analytics and Visualization Center at IPFW
(June 1, 2010) – The Talent Initiative announced today that it will disburse grant funds in the amount of $500,000 to the College of Engineering, Technology, and Computer Science’s (ETCS) Department of Computer Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) to establish the Information Analytics and Visualization Center (IAVC), a new research and development center.
According to Professor Beomjin Kim, who will be leading projects in information visualization, the Center “will provide state-of-the-art resources for faculty and students to engage in multidisciplinary projects to create visualizations and construct virtual environments for education, training, and simulation.”
Planned resources include a cluster of high-speed computers–similar to those used to make the movie Avatar–to perform the complex calculations needed to create high-quality 3D images, and a sophisticated 3D projection system to create a life-sized virtual environment. These will be augmented by a variety of interactive devices such as 3D glasses, data gloves, eye-tracking equipment, wide-screen monitors and head-mounted displays.
In describing the goals of IVAC, Professor Peter Ng, Chair of the Computer Science Department, stated, “The Center will actively seek partnerships with local and regional business, industry, and government enterprises to collaborate on projects of mutual interest.” Such projects may focus on discovering patterns in very large collections of data, performing usability studies of 3D interfaces, or creating new ways to extract and organize information gleaned from web pages. The IAVC will also serve as the home for an exciting new branch of research, people-centric sensing, based on cell phone technology. “People-centric sensing will give us the opportunity to gather, visualize, and share information about ourselves, those around us, and the world we live in,” says Dr. Professor David Liu, the Computer Science Department’s Director of Graduate Studies. The anticipated collaborative research projects will provide research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students.
Along with an active research program, the IAVC will also offer seminars and workshops addressing contemporary research, technology, and applications in the areas of information visualization, data mining, semantic computing, usability engineering, machine learning, and network modeling and analysis.
“Establishing this cutting edge visualization lab will further the Talent Initiative’s efforts of broadening the base of local engineering talent in Northeast Indiana,” said Leonard Helfrich, executive director of the Talent Initiative. “It will increase our ability to attract and sustain globally competitive businesses and strengthen our region’s position as a hub for the aerospace and defense industries.”
Bruce Menshy, Director of Operations at Raytheon Co. stated, “The collaboration between IPFW and the local defense industry on the Information Analytics and Visualization Center design is a win-win for the region. It allows current industry needs to be addressed in the classroom and enhances local research capability.”
The disbursement of funds to IPFW directly aligns with one of the Talent Initiative’s four key strategies: to expand engineering-related programs at IPFW in partnership with the defense/aerospace employers of Northeast Indiana. The goal of this strategy is to ultimately increase the pipeline of regionally-developed engineering talent by building capacity in higher education. The Talent Initiative is a 10-county regional program established in 2009 by a $20 million grant from the Lilly Endowment. The grant funds are all focused on accelerating education and training initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
About the Talent Initiative: The Talent Initiative, established by a $20 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., is a 10-county regional program focused on accelerating education and training initiatives in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The primary goal of the Talent Initiative is to increase the base of highly skilled workers to meet the needs of the defense/aerospace and advanced manufacturing industries, while reversing the current decline in regional per capita income. The program receives financial oversight from Community Partnerships, Inc., a supporting organization of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and operational oversight from the Northeast Indiana Fund, a supporting organization of the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership.
About Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW): Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest public university in northeast Indiana, offering more than 200 prestigious IU and Purdue degrees and certificates. More than 13,000 students of diverse ages, races, and nationalities pursue their education on our 662-acre campus. IPFW combines challenging academic programs with student-centered flexibility at an affordable price. The university’s exemplary standards in teaching and research provide unparalleled value for career preparation and professional development in an ever-changing global market. The university’s commitment to service makes it an economic, cultural, and societal leader in the region. IPFW is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access University accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
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