Artifical Intelligence

Two George Mason faculty appointed to Virginia AI task force

Nathan Kahl — Sat, 27 Jul 2024 13:23:33 +0000

Two George Mason faculty appointed to Virginia AI task force Nathan Kahl Sat, 07/27/2024 - 09:23

In This Story

Amarda Shehu, a professor of computer science and associate sean in the College of Engineering and Computing, and Padhu Seshaiyer, a professor of mathematical sciences and the former associate dean for academic affairs for the College of Science, were named to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) EO30 task force, prompted by Executive Order (EO) 30 by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Both Shehu and Seshaiyer acknowledge that this is a timely and important initiative by SCHEV, and they are excited that ��AV is an integral part of this process, supporting SCHEV, and by extension, institutes of education across the commonwealth.

Shehu's research is on AI and machine learning. Photo by the Office of University Branding

The EO states that it “recognizes the dual nature—both the opportunities and risks—of this developing technology in education. K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions must embrace innovation, experimentation, and new educational opportunities for students as well as ensure appropriate guardrails and necessary constraints exist to safeguard individual data privacy and mitigate discriminatory outcomes.”

SCHEV leaders chose Shehu and Seshaiyer for the task force because of their longstanding work and leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), STEM, and education; both admit there is a lot to consider around AI, and they are glad that Virginia is putting forth this effort.

Shehu said a broad conception of AI is necessary. “We need to think a little bit more holistically regarding the different opportunities and potential risks with regards to integrating AI in education. What kind of guidelines should we have for universities and for community colleges, not just for educators, but also for all the different organizations that they work with across Virginia.”

Seshaiyer explained that the task force has broad representation. “While we talk about promoting innovation and economic growth, there's also this whole aspect of ethical boundaries and considerations in AI development and deployment," he said. "It requires government, industry, and academia coming together to understand AI research, workforce development, and responsible AI.”

Shehu said the task force’s work and function are evolving. “A lot of the meetings I imagine will be thought experiments and the members feeding off one another based on our expertise. Some of us may be more positioned toward exciting applications, while some will want to caution, ‘Hey, hold on a second—you can't really do acquisition like this because you have to go through so many regulatory processes.’”

Shehu said they had been asked to consider and build on examples and guidelines from states, countries, and regions to be forward-thinking in their approach. One approach would be for the task force to categorize AI applications that are definitely a no, some that are yes, and some that still exist in a gray area.

Seshaiyer has encouraged students to experiment with AI in assignments. Photo provided

“For instance, AI assessing your emotions and your reactions and anything like that used for surveillance—that's a ‘no’ unless in situations of national security,” she said. “Consider personalized learning settings that are popping up where you might see clear value for an AI agent that sits and monitors you to read facial features so it can figure out if I'm confused or if I'm understanding. But for the task force, that’s a no, because that is surveillance. Please keep in mind we are thinking about children and students, a highly vulnerable population.”

Seshaiyer said, “For higher ed we have K-12 on one side, and workforce on the other side, so we are theoretically coming up with all sorts of academic ideas about AI and its implications. We test it on a nice cookbook problem, while the workforce side is looking at it from a business perspective, and K-12 is of course thinking of the learning implications. This is an example of having the tension in understanding AI implications by different stakeholders between impact, thoughtfulness, and speed.”

Those dealing with children have multiple considerations, he added. “So, the question for the principal or the Chief Information Technology Officer of the school system is, ‘How do I navigate this space? Which software is feasible, appropriate and at the right price point? Is it safe to use and are there any backdoors in terms of data privacy?’ There are these really practical questions for which they don't have answers because nothing is formally written, but they also don't quite know how to evaluate AI and its implications even if there are answers of how to actually evaluate it.”

The recommendations and guidance provided will impact rank-and-file faculty members, but also must be understood by deans, presidents, and provosts in higher ed, the faculty members said.

Seshaiyer said, “This could have impact across the curriculum. Should I change the content or the way I teach a class? Do I need to go back because maybe I was doing it all wrong or I thought I was doing it right? So, if I were to put my money into the recommendations, it would be training, training, training,”

The task force members are currently working on creating a draft of emergent themes on opportunities, issues, and executive order responsibilities. They have not yet been told what their timeframe is or the expected length of service.

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Artifical Intelligence

SCHEV

Machine Learning

Faculty and Staff News

College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 17:03:05 +0000

College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/10/2024 - 13:03

In This Story

Farrokh Alemi, PhD

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

Kevin Lybarger

As a leader in innovative health solutions, ��AV’s College of Public Health received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) AIM-AHEAD program grant to pilot an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot for Black and African Americans with depression. Professor Farrokh Alemi will enhance his first-of-its-kind, evidence-based artificial intelligence tool to address the medication needs of African Americans with depression.

Professor of Health Informatics Farrokh Alemi

The existing AI tool recommends antidepressants for 16,775 general-population patient subgroups, each representing a unique combination of medical history. For each of these subgroups, the current project will analyze the effectiveness and appropriateness of the recommendations for African Americans, using the NIH All of Us database and existing published literature.

To the researchers' knowledge, this is the first research focused on developing and evaluating an antidepressant recommendation system for Black and African American people.

“Antidepressant medications are a first-line treatment for depression; however, a majority of depressed patients do not experience improvement with their first antidepressant. Additionally, minority populations, including Black and African Americans, are not well represented in antidepressant studies, contributing to reduced antidepressant effectiveness in these populations,” said Alemi. “There is a significant need to synthesize available evidence regarding antidepressant effectiveness and provide personalized treatment recommendations, and this project addresses a major gap in the management of Black and African Americans with depression.”

Researchers will develop a Knowledge-enhanced Antidepressant Recommendation Dialogue System (KARDS), which will engage users in a back-and-forth conversation to acquire the patient information needed to identify the appropriate antidepressant medication. The AI will provide the patient with a list of recommended medications, list of the relevant studies, and an explanation for the medication decisions. The system will automatically send the patient’s clinician a brief point-of-care recommendation and explanation, with an option to examine a complete record of the conversation and the supporting evidence.

“Chatbots—or patient-facing dialogue systems like the one we will create—hold transformative potential for the health care sector and are increasingly prominent in psychiatric applications, predominantly through therapy-bot implementations,” said Alemi. “Our chatbot will help improve the detailed, time-consuming, medical history intake process, and provide point-of-care summary and prescription recommendations to the patients’ clinicians. The chatbot will make patients more comfortable because the natural language modality provides an intuitive, empathetic, stigma-free interface.”

Once the AI chatbot is developed, the team will test the dialogue system with Black and African American patients to evaluate system functionality and user preferences. Additionally, the project will train a Black or African American doctoral or master’s student in AI, expanding the available workforce and building the community’s capacity to address AI.

Alemi will lead the research team, which includes Janusz Wojtusiak, a George Mason professor of Health Informatics and the director of the Machine Learning and Inference Laboratory, and Kevin Lybarger, a George Mason assistant professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology in the College of Engineering and Computing. All three members have collaborated previously to diagnose COVID at home from presenting symptoms.

The $70,906 grant is part of the NIH’s AIM-AHEAD (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity) program, which aims “to establish mutually beneficial and coordinated partnerships to increase the participation and representation of researchers and communities currently underrepresented in the development of AI/machine learning models and enhance the capabilities of this emerging technology, beginning with electronic health record data.”

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how George Mason faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes.

If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

Topics

Artifical Intelligence

Tech Talent Investment Program (TTIP)

��AV Receives $4.85 Million Gift to Increase Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Reporting

mthomp7 — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 14:32:37 +0000

��AV Receives $4.85 Million Gift to Increase Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Reporting mthomp7 Tue, 03/05/2024 - 09:32

In This Story

Katherine Scafide, PhD, RN, FAAN

Janusz Wojtusiak, PhD

David Lattanzi

Melissa J. Perry, Sc.D., MHS

"By prioritizing inclusivity and recognizing the unique challenges faced by survivors with darker skin tones, Scafide's research aligns seamlessly with our vision to end domestic violence in our lifetime."

Ruth Glenn

President of Survivor Justice Action

Dr. Katherine Scafide discusses Alternate Light Sources (ALS) on NBC Nightly News. Click here to view.

Learn More About the Study

��AV Receives $4.85 Million Gift to Increase Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Reporting

FAIRFAX, VA (March 5, 2024) – ��AV today announced an anonymous $4.85 million gift to advance groundbreaking research on bruise and injury detection for individuals who experience interpersonal violence. The funding will help develop new tools in imaging technology using a light source that is five times better than white light for identifying and visualizing bruising across all skin tones for use by forensic nurses, social service providers, and law enforcement.

“This single largest gift to support research in the College of Public Health’s history underscores Mason faculty’s leadership in life-changing work affecting those who experience interpersonal violence,” said Melissa J. Perry, Dean of the College of Public Health. “A gift of this magnitude brings transformative resources to Mason’s cross-disciplinary research and collaborative approach that takes ground-breaking research to new heights with the potential for greater use and impact.”

Mason’s acclaimed interdisciplinary research in using Alternate Light Sources for bruise detection, as featured on NBC Nightly News, is led by Katherine Scafide, David Lattanzi, and Janusz Wojtusiak. The funding will expand the team’s bruise detection system that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), imaging and light technologies, forensic reports, and clinical expertise to increase data collection and access to care for trauma victims. The technology can be used across all skin tones and responds to deficits in the identification of physical injuries particularly among people with darker skin tones.

Filmmaker and humanitarian Angelina Jolie examines bruising using alternate light.

"By improving documentation of physical trauma, we hope to address disparities in clinical care which can lead to improved healthcare for all as well as legal recourse for all survivors of violence," said Scafide, forensic nurse, research leader, and Associate Professor of Nursing in Mason’s College of Public Health. “This gift expands Mason’s leadership in developing new technologies to empower vulnerable communities.”

One in 3 women worldwide experience physical trauma at the hands of an intimate partner or stranger. In the United States, over 10 million women and men grapple with intimate partner violence each year. Among domestic violence survivors, bruises and soft tissue trauma are the most reported injuries. When injuries are accurately documented, survivors are more likely to participate in the criminal justice process, according to recent studies on interpersonal violence and reporting. In addition, family and partner violence and elder abuse can lead to a host of other public health issues such as infectious and noninfectious diseases, mental health trauma, and reproductive health problems.

"A vital piece to success is ensuring that any AI tool has access to in-depth data from all skin tones and skin characteristics alongside human expert analysis,” said Lattanzi, associate professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Supporters working on ending domestic violence commended the announcement.

Ruth Glenn, President of Survivor Justice Action, applauds the groundbreaking work led by Dr. Katherine Scafide at ��AV, harnessing alternate light source (ALS) technology to support and uplift the needs of domestic violence survivors. “In a nation where domestic violence disproportionately impacts communities of color, this innovative research holds immense promise. By prioritizing inclusivity and recognizing the unique challenges faced by survivors with darker skin tones, Scafide's research aligns seamlessly with our vision to end domestic violence in our lifetime. Continued research on this technology not only has the potential to revolutionize the identification of bruising in diverse populations but also signifies a vital step toward justice and empowerment for those who have long been marginalized. Survivor Justice Action stands firmly in support of initiatives that demand systems change and establish resources for survivors and advocates.”

“The Scafide team’s research and findings are revolutionizing medical forensic examinations. The ability for medical professionals to visualize and identify previously ‘invisible’ injury substantively advances quality medical assessment and patient care. Visibility and documentation of trauma/ injury provide valuable forensic corroboration for law enforcement and the courts to hold offenders accountable,” said Ann Burdges, CEO of End Violence Against Women International.

This project is led by Mason’s College of Public Health in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Computing. More information on the study can be found at bruise.gmu.edu.

About ��AV

��AV is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.

About the College of Public Health at ��AV

The College of Public Health at ��AV is the first College of Public Health in Virginia combining public health transdisciplinary research, education, and practice in the Commonwealth as a national exemplar. The College enrolls more than 1,900 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students in our nationally recognized programs, including six undergraduate degrees, eight master’s degrees, five doctoral degrees, and six professional certificate programs. The College is comprised of the School of Nursing and the Departments of Global and Community Health, Health Administration and Policy, Nutrition and Food Studies, and Social Work. The College’s transdisciplinary research seeks to understand the many factors that influence the public’s health and well-being throughout the lifespan, from the cell structures to the policy decisions. Areas of focus include environmental exposures, pregnancy outcomes, youth risk behavior, interpersonal violence, infectious disease, nutrition, mental and behavioral health, inequality and populations that are marginalized, health informatics, health policy, and novel methods for causal inference. With more than 500 partners, the College serves the community and engages our students through research, practice, and clinical care.

About the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC)

The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) is a fast-growing force for innovation in research and education. Ranked nationally in the top 100 in both undergraduate and graduate education, the CEC enrolled a record high of 10,933 students in fall 2023. The college has 34 undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degree programs including several first-in-the-nation offerings. As part of a nationally ranked research university, CEC research teams expended $65 million in sponsored research awards in the past year and had projects with over $119 million in current and anticipated awards. The college stands out for its leading research in areas such as artificial intelligence, data analytics engineering, cybersecurity engineering, biomedical imaging and devices, healthcare, autonomous systems, 5G/Next G communications, systems architectures, computational biomedicine, advanced materials and manufacturing, sustainable infrastructure, and more.

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Intimate Partner Violence

Artifical Intelligence

Machine Learning

Press Release

Press Releases

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Mason’s AI Strategies team holds inaugural summer institute

Colleen Rich — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 16:35:48 +0000

Mason’s AI Strategies team holds inaugural summer institute Colleen Rich Thu, 06/22/2023 - 12:35

In This Story

J.P. Singh

Amarda Shehu

Jesse Kirkpatrick

Antonios Anastasopoulos

Michael Hunzeker

The transdisciplinary AI Strategies team examines how cultural values and institutional polices shape AI infrastructures in national and global contexts.

From left, the AI Strategies team: Antonios Anastasopoulous, Manpriya Dua, Jesse L. Kirkpatrick, Caroline Wesson, Vasilii Nosov, Amarda Shehu, Michael Hunzeker, and J. P. Singh/ (Not pictured: William “Webby” Applegate) Photo by Melanie O'Brien/CHSS

In May, a cohort of 20 selected AI and Tech fellows gathered at Mason Square for ��AV’s AI Strategies first AI and Tech Policy Summer Institute. The event, which was also sponsored by Mason’s Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, the Schar School of Policy and Government, the Institute for Digital Innovation, and the Center for Advancing Human-Machine Partnership, brought together scholars, industry experts, government officials, and civil society activists from multiple academic disciplines, backgrounds, and research interests.

The cohort convened to introduce Mason master’s and doctoral students in the social sciences, humanities, and select professional schools to the fundamental engineering concepts about how artificial intelligence (AI) works, policy and regulatory frameworks that are evolving to govern AI, debates on AI ethics, and issues surrounding security, economic, and human rights concerns from local to global levels.

"AI now impacts every kind of work and even play, from writing an email to ordering a book,” said Schar School of Policy and Government Distinguished University Professor J. P. Singh, who leads the AI Strategies team. "The knowledge from the summer institute is important for students who will eventually be responsible for using and controlling AI, which is already considered an existential threat in some quarters.

"The institute demystified how AI works, whether in 'recommender systems' that prompt words in emails, or algorithms that drive users on social media,” Singh continued. “The interdisciplinary work in this field is just beginning."

AI Strategies is funded by a three-year, $1.39 million Department of Defense grant to study the economic and cultural determinants for global artificial intelligence infrastructures—and describe their implications for national and international security. The grant was awarded by the DoD’s Minerva Research Initiative, a joint program of the Office of Basic Research and the Office of Policy that supports social science research focused on expanding basic understanding of security.

Researchers from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy (i3p) played a key role in the project, from the pre-proposal stage to the present, providing insight on the ethical, social, and policy implications of emerging technologies. At the institute, i3p Acting Director Jesse Kirkpatrick, a member of the AI Strategies team, presented “Responsible Innovation and National Security,” which addressed existing efforts, challenges, and opportunities in responsible AI, and drew on his involvement in responsible AI research, policy, and practice across such sectors as academia, industry, and government.

“It’s no secret that there is a vital need for transdisciplinary mentorship and training in AI for our graduate students. What may be less obvious is that this [training] must occur across disciplines,” said Kirkpatrick, who is a research associate professor of philosophy. “By engaging nearly 30 speakers and faculty, our 20 AI & Tech fellows got just that—a broad and deep look at the cutting-edge of AI, inclusive of numerous perspectives.”

Kirkpatrick said that from the composition of the research team to the design and structure of the project and its research outputs, the people, process, and products have been thoroughly transdisciplinary. “This is a testimony to the team’s leadership; the support we have from our respective academic units, schools, and colleges; and the wonderful constellation of research centers and institutes,” Kirkpatrick said.

The cohort of fellows will participate in a year-long fellowship through Mason’s Center for Advancing Human Machine Partnership.

Buzz McClain contributed to this story.

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Mason Square

Artifical Intelligence

AI Strategies

Research

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Schar School News June 2023

AI-assisted computer vision research aims to improve accessibility for deaf, hard of hearing

Teresa Donnellan — Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:55:35 +0000

AI-assisted computer vision research aims to improve accessibility for deaf, hard of hearing Teresa Donnellan Mon, 02/27/2023 - 09:55

In This Story

Jana Košecká

Digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa aren’t currently useful for, say, the hard of hearing and deaf community. ��AV researchers led by Jana Košecká are making the Internet of Things more inclusive and accessible to those for whom it has not been designed. For the next year, her work to improve "seeing" computer systems to translate continuous American Sign Language into English will be funded by Amazon’s Fairness in AI Research Program.

Jana Košecká. Photo by Ron Aira/Creative Services

Having worked at Mason for more than 20 years, Košecká began studying computer vision as it applies to American Sign Language in 2019 with colleagues Huzefa Rangwala and Parth Pathak in collaboration with Gallaudet University. Their work resulted in three academic publications on the topic in 2020. The team’s initial work focused on computer vision recognizing American Sign Language at the word level.

Košecká describes her current work as a continuation of earlier work, but now, especially with the help of AI, she’s tackling more complex ASL content, such as sentence-level communication, facial expressions, and very specific hand gesticulation.

“The challenge of extending some of these ideas [of computer translation] to American Sign Language translation is the input is video as opposed to text; it's continuous, and you have a lot of challenges, because you have a lot of variations about how people sign,” says Košecká.

The project is accordingly multifaceted. “We are focusing on better hand modeling, focusing on incorporating the facial features and extending to continuous sign language, so you can have short phrases the model can translate to English,” Košecká explains. “We are basically trying to capture continuous sign language and not just individual words."

To accomplish this goal,Košecká is using weakly supervised learning machine learning methods that provide mechanisms to teach the system without excessive human labelling effort.

“Weakly supervised learning techniques don't need perfect alignment of video sequences that contain multiple words,” she says. “In the word-level recognition, the model is presented with examples of a video snippet of a signed word and the word text, so it has perfect supervision. Given many examples of the sign ‘apple’ as a video snippet, the system will learn to recognize the word 'apple.' ”

“There are some techniques which can discover patterns without this need of direct supervision. If you just give the model a lot of examples, the model will figure out repeating patterns of certain words occurring in certain contexts,” she says. “So we are applying these machine-learning techniques to the setting of American Sign Language.”

Relating her work to AI-powered chatbots like chatGPT, Košecká says, “There has been a lot of headway made in this space for written and spoken languages, and we would like to make a little bit of headway for American Sign Language, using some of these insights and ideas.”

Košecká envisions her research helping improve the interface between hard of hearing people and their environment, whether that be when they’re communicating with Amazon’s Alexa or ordering at a restaurant counter. No doubt her work will help improve inclusivity and accessibility for the deaf and hard of hearing both at Mason and beyond.

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American Sign Language

Computer science; computing; Amazon

Inclusion

Artifical Intelligence

Research

Aditya Johri receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Finland for research on AI ethics education

Martha Bushong — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:46:16 +0000

Aditya Johri receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Finland for research on AI ethics education Martha Bushong Thu, 08/12/2021 - 08:46

In This Story

Aditya Johri

Professor Aditya Johri in front of the iconic main campus building designed by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto after whom Aalto University is named. Courtesy photo.

��AV Professor Aditya Johri has received a Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair in Information and Communication Technologies award to conduct research in Finland during the 2021-22 academic year. Johri is a professor in the Department of Information Sciences and Technology in Mason's College of Engineering and Computing.

The Fulbright Distinguished Chair Awards comprise approximately 40 distinguished lecturing, research, and lecturing/research awards ranging from three to 12 months. Fulbright Distinguished Chair Awards are viewed as among the most prestigious appointments in the U.S. Fulbright Scholar Program. Candidates should be eminent scholars and have a significant publication and teaching record. Johri’s Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair in Information and Communications Technologies is jointly funded by the Fulbright Finland Foundation, Nokia Foundation, and Aalto University.

During his visit, Johri will be hosted by Professor Lauri Malmi of the computer science department at Aalto University and also work with colleagues at the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI). U.S. News ranked Aalto University the third best European university in computer science (2020) and 33rd in the world. Johri will conduct research on artificial intelligence (AI) ethics and prepare case studies to teach students about the topic using an international comparative perspective.

Many ethical problems in AI are a result of underlying data or analytical limitations, but another frequent source is the limited worldview of the creators—engineers, computer scientists, information technologists—who work as data scientists, programmers, or AI experts and researchers. To ensure productive use of AI-driven technology in the future, it is important to train the new generation of computing and engineering professionals to work responsibly and have the ability to productively engage with the uncertainty and complexity they encounter as they create and use increasingly AI-based systems. Johri’s joint work will tackle this problem by looking specifically at educational technologies that are in use in the United States and Finland.

“I am really honored to receive the Fulbright-Nokia Distinguished Chair award,” said Johri. “Consistent with the Fulbright goals and objectives, I hope to exemplify the power of international academic exchange, share my knowledge and understanding of cultures with the intention of bridging the academic and cultural gaps between the U.S. and Finland and with the ultimate goal of contributing towards a more peaceful and prosperous world. The topic of AI ethics is critical for our global society and it is vital that we train the future workforce to think deeply about the development and implementation of AI-based technologies.”

About the Fulbright Program
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and find solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. Fulbright Scholar alumni are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 86 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.

For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright. More information about the Fulbright Finland Foundation is available here: www.fulbright.fi/serve/fulbright-finland-nutshell.

Topics

Artifical Intelligence

College of Engineering and Computing

Campus News

Mason to participate in new five-year $20 million grant

Martha Bushong — Thu, 29 Jul 2021 10:55:51 +0000

Mason to participate in new five-year $20 million grant Martha Bushong Thu, 07/29/2021 - 06:55

The proliferation of technology, in particular emerging platforms and services that deploy sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), creates opportunities for improving society.

The National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced a five-year, $20 million grant to establish an AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA – “eye-rah”) based at Iowa State University. The institute is one of 11 new National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes that NSF has established in 2021 with a total investment of $220 million. ��AV professor Aditya Johri will serve as a member of the institute’s education and outreach team.

AIIRA aims to transform agriculture by creating a new AI-driven framework for modeling plants at various agronomically relevant scales. The researchers will accomplish this by introducing AI-driven digital twins that fuse diverse data with siloed domain knowledge. They will deploy these twins across agricultural applications that directly impact the USDA Science Blueprint for crop improvement and production.

In his role on the team, Johri will work with an interdisciplinary cross-institutional team on the education, workforce development, and outreach components of the project. He will assist with the design of learning activities and their evaluation.

The collaboration between computer scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers, agriculture specialists, and computing and engineering education experts provides a unique multidisciplinary opportunity, says Johri. “This project addresses the Broadening Participation emphasis within computing education and will study how we can convey the complexities of what computing makes possible to more people,” he says.

Johri conducts research on technology workforce development. He says, “If we want to reap the benefits of AI equitably, we have to understand the actual needs of users and then translate research into practices that work for them. We accelerate this process by educating the end-user about how AI might serve their needs. And throughout this process, we have to ensure that AI-related developments are being designed and implemented ethically.”

To facilitate broader acceptance of this project’s technical work, the team will leverage a robust training framework to power education and workforce development through formal and informal educational activities.

“Our approach starts from recruitment practices through onboarding and training practices, and extends to our communication and teamwork,” says Johri. “In conjunction with the AIIRA learning community, we will embed inclusive excellence into our mentoring and advising practices.”

“I am delighted to announce the establishment of new NSF National AI Research Institutes as we look to expand into all 50 states,” says National Science Foundation director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These institutes are hubs for academia, industry, and government to accelerate discovery and innovation in AI. Inspiring talent and ideas everywhere in this important area will lead to new capabilities that improve our lives from medicine to entertainment to transportation and cybersecurity and position us in the vanguard of competitiveness and prosperity.”

The new institutes join seven previously announced in August 2020 that are part of a $140 million federal effort to develop hubs for artificial intelligence research that address national needs.

“AIIRA is bringing together scientists and farmers, industry and government to adopt these technologies and encourage their adoption to more effectively transform agriculture to meet the needs of our growing and the increasingly climate-challenged planet,” project leaders wrote in a summary.

Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, the Joseph C. and Elizabeth A. Anderlik Professor in Engineering at Iowa State, will lead the institute. The institute also includes collaborators from the tech and agriculture industries, governments, commodity groups, and other organizations.

Partner expertise

Iowa State University – plant sciences, artificial intelligence, social sciences, business

Carnegie Mellon University – robotics, artificial intelligence

New York University Tandon School of Engineering– artificial intelligence

University of Arizona – cyberinfrastructure

University of Nebraska-Lincoln – agricultural research, diverse growing zones

��AV – education, workforce development, and outreach

University of Missouri – social sciences, economics

Iowa Soybean Association – outreach

This institute is funded by USDA-NIFA.

Learn more about the NSF AI Research Institutes by visiting nsf.gov.

For more on NSF's investments in AI, see the NSF Science Matters article, “Expanding the geography of innovation: NSF AI Research Institutes 2021.”

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Artifical Intelligence

computing

Artifical Intelligence

Two George Mason faculty appointed to Virginia AI task force

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College of Public Health receives NIH grant to pilot AI chatbot for African Americans with depression

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����AV Receives $4.85 Million Gift to Increase Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Reporting

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Learn More About the Study

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Mason’s AI Strategies team holds inaugural summer institute

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AI-assisted computer vision research aims to improve accessibility for deaf, hard of hearing

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Aditya Johri receives Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to Finland for research on AI ethics education

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Mason to participate in new five-year $20 million grant

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��AV Receives $4.85 Million Gift to Increase Intimate Partner Violence Detection and Reporting