Calendar

Notice and Invitation
Oral Defense of Doctoral Dissertation
Doctor of Philosophy in Computational Sciences and Informatics
Department of Computational and Data Sciences
College of Science
George Mason University

Daniel Pulido
Bachelor of Science, Boston University, 1998
Master of Science, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2003

Self-Similar Spin Images for Point Cloud Matching

Friday, October 13, 2017, 10:00 a.m.
Research Hall, Room 162

All are invited to attend.

Committee
Anthony Stefanidis, Dissertation Director
Estela Blaisten-Barojas
Arie Croitoru
Juan Cebral

The rapid growth of Light Detection And Ranging (Lidar) technologies that collect, process, and disseminate 3D point clouds have allowed for increasingly accurate spatial modeling and analysis of the real world. Lidar sensors can generate massive 3D point clouds of a collection area that provide highly detailed spatial and radiometric information. Simultaneously, the growth of other forms of geospatial data (e.g., crowdsourced Web 2.0 data) have provided researchers with a wealth of freely available data sources that cover a variety of geographic areas. However, combining data from disparate sources requires overcoming numerous technical challenges in order to generate products that mitigate their respective disadvantages and combine their advantages.

Therefore, this dissertation addresses the problem of fusing two point clouds from potentially different sources by considering two specific problems: scale matching and feature matching. To address the problem of feature matching we develop a novel feature descriptor referred to as “Self-Similar Spin Images” which combine the concept of local self-similarity with the descriptive power of Spin Images. To address the problem of scale matching we develop a novel scale detection metric referred to as “Self-Similar Keyscale” which analyzes the self-similarity of two point clouds to identify a characteristic scale to match them. Finally, we develop a novel change detection method as a sample use case of the developed matching techniques.

Faisal Hasan, General Manager, Data and Public Policy, CARFAX

Srinidhi Melkote, Head of Business Analytics CARFAX

COLLOQUIUM ON COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND INFORMATICS

Leveling the Playing Field:  Information Asymmetry in the Used Vehicle Buying Process

Monday, January 29, 4:30-5:45
Exploratory Hall, Room 3301

Abstract

In 1970, Economist and Nobel Prize winner (2001) George Akerlof published a study: “The Market for “Lemons”: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism” (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 84, No. 3. (Aug., 1970), pp. 488-500).   In the study, Akerlof attempts to show where, in a market where as seller of a product has more data/information than the buyer of the product, about the product’s quality, will potentially result in “an adverse selection of low-quality products.”   In no place is Akerlof’s theory more represented than in the used vehicle market, where buyers and sellers don’t always have the same information about a vehicle’s quality, potentially resulting in low-quality cars being bought and sold.   In 1986, CARFAX sought to begin to “level the playing field” between buyers and sellers of used vehicles by collecting, analyzing and making relevant data/information available in the marketplace to both buyers and sellers.

• What data does CARFAX collect?
• Why this data vs other data?
• How does the market drive the type of data collected?
• How does CARFAX analyze and make this data available to answer real world questions?

  • Is this car safe?

  • How much should I pay for it?

  • What’s it worth?

  • What’s the risk to insure it?

  • What’s the risk to finance it?

Faisal Hasan is the General Manager, Data & Public Policy at CARFAX.   In his over 17 years at CARFAX, Faisal has been responsible for helping to build CARFAX’s Vehicle History Database through public and private data acquisition efforts across North America, including overcoming legislative and regulatory hurdles to data access. Faisal focuses on CARFAX’s efforts to secure and analyze data to feed the CARFAX “Onetime to Lifetime” Game Plan and develop future CARFAX products. Faisal earned his B.A. in Government & Politics at George Mason University and his M.A. in Government at the Johns Hopkins University. Faisal has been a Fairfax County resident for over 35 years. He is married w/four kids, including a GMU Junior studying Biology and a 2017 GMU Kinesiology graduate.

Sri Melkote is Head of Business Analytics at CARFAX.  Sri has been at CARFAX for 2 years and leads teams responsible for valuation modeling, pricing analytics, marketing research, media measurement and optimization. He has over 12 years of data science experience. Prior to joining CARFAX, Sri developed dynamic pricing systems, personalized recommendation engines and inventory planning systems for the travel industry. He holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He is the author of several journal articles and a recipient of the 2011 INFORMS Revenue Management and Pricing Practice Award.

COLLOQUIUM ON COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND INFORMATICS

Feras A. Batarseh
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science
College of Science
George Mason University

Why an open mind on open data can transform our collective intelligence

Monday, February 5,  4:30-5:45
Exploratory Hall, Room 3301

Abstract:  In 1822, the founding father James Madison said: “A popular government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both”. Recent technological waves have evidently served Madison’s vision of government transparency. The latest advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science, and Machine Learning can make federal data openness a low hanging fruit. Moreover, the big data and open government initiatives (signed in 2012 and 2013) are major enablers for transforming government into a new era of intelligent and data-driven policy making. However, to be able to use data in reforming the political discussion, public federal data needs to devise the promised openness.

Besides benefiting government, Open Data benefits many other domains and applications of data science, such as healthcare, finance, and academia. For example, Open Data could lead to a general openness in science (i.e. Open Science), clearer experimental research, and begin reshaping the human knowledge in general. These topics and other facets will be discussed in this talk.

Bio:  Feras A. Batarseh is a Research Assistant Professor,Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, College of Science, George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. His research spans the areas of Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Context-Aware Software Systems. Dr. Batarseh obtained his Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida (UCF) (2007, 2011), and a Graduate Certificate in Project Leadership from Cornell University (2016). His research work has been published at various prestigious journals and international conferences. Additionally, Dr. Batarseh published and edited several book chapters.

https://www.amazon.com/Federal-Science-Advanced-Analytics-Agricultural/dp/0128124431

Dr. Batarseh has taught data science and software engineering courses at multiple universities including GMU, UCF as well as George Washington University (GWU). Prior to joining GMU, Dr. Batarseh was a Program Manager with the Data Mining and Advanced Analytics team at MicroStrategy, Inc., a global business intelligence corporation based in Tysons Corner, Virginia. During his tenure, he helped several clients make sense of their data and gain insights into improving their operations. For more information on his research, and contact details, please refer to these webpages: http://ferasbatarseh.com/

http://cos.gmu.edu/ggs/people/faculty-staff/feras-batarseh-2/

COLLOQUIUM ON COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND INFORMATICS

Michael Eichler
Strategic Planning Advisor
Metro Office of Planning
WMATA

Metrorail and Metrobus, Data Sources and Information Needs

Monday, February 12,  4:30-5:45
Exploratory Hall, Room 3301

Abstract:  Modernization of nearly all the technology that underlies the provision of rail and bus transit service over the past 30 years has resulted in a vast amount of data that until recently has been more or less neglected.  Meanwhile, challenges that face rail and bus transit systems continue to mount, from maintaining a state of good repair to capturing and keeping riders in the age of Uber/Lyft and bike share.  The key to providing safe, convenient, affordable, and reliable transit service into the next century lies in the hands of data scientists and policy analysts.  This talk will review the different data-generating technologies and the types of data they create, followed by an exploration of the pressing issues faced by transit agencies and the questions begging for answers. 

Bio:    Michael currently serves as Strategic Planning Advisor at WMATA in the Office of Planning’s Applied Planning Intelligence unit, where he focuses on transforming data into information to help inform policy and planning decisions.  He currently focuses on fare policy, crowding, GTFS data and online tools, and customer-focused performance metrics.  Before joining WMATA in 2010, he worked for Oracle Corporation, an IT start-up, and the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.   He holds a BS in Systems Analysis and Engineering from The George Washington University, and masters in City and Regional Planning and Transportation Engineering from UC Berkeley. 

COLLOQUIUM ON COMPUTATIONAL SCIENCES AND INFORMATICS

 Sean Mallon, Associate Vice President
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
George Mason University
and
Eric Koefoot
Founder and CEO of PublicRelay

The Journey and Stories of a Data Science Entrepreneur

Monday, February 19, 4:30-5:45
Exploratory Hall, Room 3301

This session will feature conversation between Sean Mallon, Mason’s AVP for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Eric Koefoot, founder and CEO of PublicRelay, a venture-backed data analytics and media intelligence startup based in McLean, VA. During the discussion we will explore a wide range of topics, ranging from what inspired the initial business idea, to customer discovery, to product development challenges, to fundraising, to customer acquisition strategies, and much more. This will be a highly interactive seminar and participants are encouraged to come with questions and personal experiences to share.

Sean Mallon, Associate Vice President, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Office of the Provost. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services/George Mason University

Sean Mallon Bio: Sean Mallon is Mason’s Associate Vice President for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Before joining Mason in 2016, Sean spent many years as an entrepreneur and early-stage technology investor. Sean hold a Bachelor’s in History from Princeton and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Eric Koefoot Bio: Formerly the CEO of U.S. News Ventures, CEO at Five Star Alliance, CFO and later VP Global Sales at Washington Post Digital, Eric is the founder and CEO of PublicRelay and brings substantial media experience and understanding. Eric holds a Bachelor’s in Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Sloan School at MIT.