Pierre Baldi’s Transformative AI Leadership

At the end of January, Distinguished Professor of Computer Science Pierre Baldi was recognized for his significant contributions to artificial intelligence (AI). He made the list of innovative and entrepreneurial AI leaders compiled byDeep Knowledge Analytics in its report, “Top 100 AI Leaders in Drug Discovery and Advanced Healthcare.” It is no surprise to see Baldi on the list, given his application of AI to detect everything from cardiovascular disease andspinal metastasis to colorectal cancers and glioma in the brain. His research collaborations are helping medical professionals greatly improve diagnostic techniques and advance healthcare.

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ABC: “Australian citizens are unwitting ‘combatants’ in cyberspace, Defence boss says”

The cybersecurity threat could come to resemble the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II, suggested Bryan Cunningham, executive director of the Cybersecurity Policy and Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine. … “If there’s a significant cyber conflict, a ‘Cyber World War’ if you will — we’re going to be in that same situation [as Dunkirk],” Mr Cunningham told the ABC. At least in the beginning stages of an online conflict, he suggested, it will be civilians and civilian infrastructure under attack and by necessity it will be civilians that defend it.

Read the full story at the ABC.

Forbes: “The 100 Leading Pioneers Of AI Drug Development” (Pierre Baldi named)

The profile of these people is quite interesting as 43% of them come from Academia. It seems that some of the big brains of the planet have targeted their efforts on improving human life and possibly extending the lifespan. The impact of AI leaders in this category is characterized by a high number of peer-reviewed publications, a high level of citation, pioneering roles in theoretical or engineering of ML/AI for drug discovery, a notable theoretical breakthrough, a technical invention, or a widely adopted commercial model.

Read the full story at Forbes.

CPRI Receives $1.4M Gift for Securing the Seams of the Internet of Everything

The Herman P. & Sophia Taubman Foundation has provided a generous gift of $1.4 million to UCI’s Cybersecurity Policy & Research Institute (CPRI), led by Executive Director Bryan Cunningham. Founded in the 1960s by the six children of Herman and Sophia Taubman, the foundation aims to promote the advancement of scientific research, higher education and community philanthropy. Six Taubman cousins manage the foundation, including attorney Perry Taubman, currentlya visiting scholar at UC San Diego researching autonomous agents for medical diagnosis and insurance coding. Taubman and his cousins understand the crucial need for research focused on cybersecurity and the emerging Internet of Everything (IoE) — that is, the interaction between the traditional internet and the hundreds of millions of connected Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

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ICS Honors Four Alumni at 2019 Hall of Fame Celebration

On Friday, Feb. 8, the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) inducted four esteemed alumni into its Hall of Fame. In a joint ceremony with UCI’s Schools of Engineering and Physical Sciences and their own 2019 inductees, ICS celebrated the achievements of its newest inductees in the impressive expanse of the Tustin Hangar. Noted for being one of the largest wooden structures in the world, the immense venue — with a rotating spotlight highlighting the vast open space surrounding the vibrant central event — seemed a perfect reflection of the far-reaching accomplishments of the night’s inductees.

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UCI News: “Improved land management project co-led by UCI gets $4.6 million in state funding” (Padhraic Smyth research group mentioned)

At UCI, an interdisciplinary group of researchers from three departments – Earth system science, computer science, and civil & environmental engineering – will study and identify the most beneficial land management practices over the last few decades in terms of water conservation, forest health, fire resistance and carbon capture.

Read the full story at UCI News.

Trio of ICS Professors Preview Tech Trends for 2019

How will technology trends and advances in computing influence various industries and affect our day-to-day lives in 2019? Offering predictions for the year ahead are three faculty members from the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Science (ICS):

  • Assistant Professor of Informatics Stacy Branham, whose research sits at the intersection of human-centered computing and accessible computing;
  • Professor of Statistics Michele Guindani, an expert in Bayesian modeling and the analysis of high-dimensional data; and
  • Assistant Professor of Computer Science Sang-Woo Jun, who works on building innovative system architectures for low-cost high-performance computing.

Here, Branham, Guindani and Jun discuss everything from universal usability and mobile health to future computer architectures, weighing in on what they think will be the top trends of the year.

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Computer Science Lecturer Shannon Alfaro Named DTEI Faculty Fellow

UCI’s Division of Teaching Excellence and Innovation (DTEI) recently announced that Continuing Lecturer of Computer Science Shannon Alfaro has been named a 2018­–19 Faculty Fellow, along with Paul Spencer from the School of Humanities. DTEI works with faculty, graduate students and postdocs to maximize students’ academic success by cultivating exceptional learning environments. The DTEI Fellows program spotlights faculty members deeply invested in the success of their students and committed to advancing UCI’s mission of using innovative, evidence-based teaching practices.

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Rare Opportunity to Learn from Legendary Researcher Jeffrey D. Ullman

On Feb. 1, you’ll find Distinguished Speaker Jeffrey D. Ullman in Donald Bren Hall 6011 at 11 a.m. giving his talk, “Data Science: Is It Real?” The S.W. Ascherman Professor of Engineering (Emeritus) from Stanford University and CEO of Gradiance Corp. will discuss how different communities approach data science.

“He’s a giant figure, and students should appreciate this opportunity to see and hear him,” says Computer Science Professor Dan Hirschberg. “They will be motivated and inspired.” Hirschberg speaks from experience, having been advised by Ullman in the 1970s while earning his Ph.D. at Princeton University. Ullman also earned his Ph.D. from Princeton and joined the faculty in 1969.

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