Purdue News

November 1, 2001 New research institute at Purdue targets information technology WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The new Computing Research Institute at Purdue University is harnessing the information revolution that is driving much of the nation's economy to develop technologies for use in computing and digital communications. The resulting technologies could find their way into consumer products in the form of low-power hand-held devices, wireless networking and telecommunications systems. The effort also promises to boost studies in bioinformatics, nanotechnology, materials science, molecular biology, pharmaceuticals and a number of other areas. The institute is an interdisciplinary effort designed to advance the whole computational process, says Ahmed Sameh, head of Purdue's Department of Computer Sciences and institute director. It seeks to develop those components of information technology that enable broad use of computing and digital communication, and their effective applications, to enhance computational research in various science and engineering disciplines. "Computer systems and information technology research and development will remain vital forces in shaping our nation’s economy," Sameh says. "By establishing CRI, Purdue asserts that it is a major contributor to these interdisciplinary research activities." The effort couples researchers in various science and engineering applications with those who create the relevant components of the enabling technology, such as the architecture of the computational platforms and the system software that allow the large-scale simulations needed by these applications. This union allows both sides to gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the process and could lead to more innovative problem-solving strategies, Sameh says. "For example, researchers working on applications in areas such as nanotechnology or earthquake engineering may now work side-by-side with those who develop algorithms, compilers, operating systems and work on innovative computer architectures," he says. "Such interaction could substantially improve all aspects of the computational process from modeling to data visualization." Though Purdue has strongly encouraged such interdisciplinary work in the past, Sameh says the new institute will advance creative collaborations by offering a base for researchers and students to interact and work together. The idea of the institute came about as a result of a 1999 report by a faculty steering committee. The effort officially was launched this fall with the one-year appointment of Sameh as the institute's director. Sameh will serve as director until a permanent director is appointed. Next spring or summer the CRI will host workshops on the Purdue campus focusing on the computational aspects of proteomics, a field focused on identifying and studying proteins formed in living systems when specific genes are activated, and nanotechnology, an emerging science in which new materials and tiny structures are built atom-by-atom or molecule-by-molecule. A third workshop will focus on several of the enabling information components, such as parallel numerical algorithms, parallel architectures and compilers. National and international experts in these areas will be invited to give presentations and lead panel discussions. More than 100 Purdue faculty members already are working on large-scale projects in information technology, Sameh says. Research under way includes real-time computing, broadband networks, human-computer interfaces and high-performance computing. Other research includes: • System software and software engineering. • Information infrastructure and applications, including data compression and video processing, data mining and artificial intelligence, database and multimedia systems, digital libraries, electronic commerce, knowledge engineering and information security. • Networking and wireless communications. • Parallel numerical, symbolic and geometric algorithms. • Image, signal and speech processing. Purdue offers an ideal environment for such collaborative efforts, says W. Kent Fuchs, head of Purdue's Department of Computer and Electrical Engineering. He has worked with Sameh to develop the institute's strategic plan. "Worldwide, the digital revolution has been enabled and developed by knowledge in computer science and electrical and computer engineering, two of Purdue's greatest strengths," Fuchs says. "Computing, communications and information technology are now strategically important to every academic discipline, and Purdue has the knowledge and expertise to make information technology accessible to all areas, even those outside science and engineering." For students pursuing studies in areas related to information technology, the new institute also offers a model facility for multidisciplinary education, Fuchs says. "One of the missions of the Computing Research Institute is the development of new experts and a talented work force," he says. "Purdue already produces an extraordinarily large number of graduates in information technology." Currently more than 100 graduate students, enrolled in 14 different departments on campus, are collaborating with faculty members on interdisciplinary projects in IT, says Thomas Downar, a professor of nuclear engineering who serves as chair of Purdue's Computational Science and Engineering Program, a graduate program designed to foster interdisciplinary research. Downar, who will direct the educational component of the Computing Research Institute, says the Computational Science and Engineering Program dovetails nicely with the CRI, offering students a unique learning environment. "As a result of interdisciplinary work already under way, we are developing new courses that allow students to migrate between the computer science and engineering disciplines that enable information technologies, and those that aim to create and develop new applications," he says. The CRI is only one component of Purdue's long-term plan in information technology and its applications, Sameh says, noting that other initiatives will soon follow. The new initiatives are timely, he says, as computer systems and information technology, and the development of these disciplines, remain critical to the world's economy and security. "These disciplines will remain a dominant force throughout the 21st century," he says. "The Computing Research Institute will position Purdue among the national leaders in research and education in computational science and engineering." Writer: Susan Gaidos, (765) 494-2081; sgaidos@purdue.edu Sources: Ahmed Sameh, (765) 494-6003, sameh@cs.purdue.edu W. Kent Fuchs, (765) 494-3539, fuchs@purdue.edu Thomas Downar, (765) 494-5752, thomas.j.downar.1@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page