Working in conjunction with Columbia University and other institutions across the northeast, researchers at the University at Albany are part of a National Science Foundation funded project to help explore data driven solutions to problems our country is facing in health care, energy, finance, urbanization, education and more.
Massive, complex datasets are changing the ways governments, organizations, and citizens operate. Perhaps more important is the idea that data analysis has massive potential to improve the way we live by, for example, delivering individually customized solutions to improve patient treatment, improving teaching methods in schools, reducing energy costs in buildings, and more. In March of 2012, the U.S. federal government announced the National Big Data Research and Development Initiative, which aims to solve some of the nation’s most pressing research and development challenges that result from pulling information from such large, complex collections of digital data, also known as Big Data (nsf.gov). To help address the challenges associated with Big Data, the Administration began encouraging institutions to participate in Big Data research and innovation, and the NSF set a goal to establish a network of four Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs (BD Hubs) throughout the country.
The Northeast Big Data Hub, based at Columbia University, was awarded $1.25 million dollars from NSF to bring together experts in various disciplines to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, data and tools to address different aspects of “Big Data” in areas of particular interest in the northeast region of the U.S. including finance, health, government and higher education. UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government Director Dr. Theresa Pardo participated in the development of the Northeast Hub Proposal and engaged a cohort of UAlbany experts to lead and participate in the working groups of the Hub.
Some of the questions the Northeast BD Hub expects to address are:
As a major research university, UAlbany is poised to bring an extensive range of Data Science expertise and assets to the Northeast BD Hub. These strengths are evident in UAlbany’s exemplary academic and research programs spanning the university. UAlbany’s nine colleges and schools have programs in computer science, informatics, information studies, information technology management, atmospheric and environmental science, digital forensics, mathematics (which recently established joint program in data analytics), among others. It is these collective and unique strengths of UAlbany that will be used to help deliver on the mission of the Northeast BD Hub.
UAlbany faculty involved in the Northeast Big Data Hub include: