U n i v e r s i t y o f Massachusetts A m h e r s t lum Spring 2005 AMatters A newsletter for alumni of the Department of Computer Science Anandan leads Microsoft Research India r. Padmanabhan Anandan (Ph. nered with a number of organizations D. ’87) has recently been named in India and in several African countries Dmanaging director of Microsoft in an effort to assess the real computing Research India. Inaugurated on Janu- needs of rural villagers and to determine ary 12, this newest Microsoft Research the efficacy of rural computing kiosks. facility will carry out basic research in Given the prohibitive cost to the villagers computer science, with its initial focus for purchasing a computer, these kiosks on technology for emerging markets and often serve as the only way rural villages underserved communities in the fields can benefit from information technology. Kiosk near Chennai, India. of multi-language computing systems, Recognizing this, the project also aims sensor networks, and geographical in- to uncover the socio-economic concepts or government agencies to those that formation systems. A central issue being underneath information technology as are entirely commercial, and subsist by explored in the lab, and one in which it we know it today, and is working with charging for hourly usage, or by charg- is well positioned to answer, is the basic ethnography experts as well. ing the kiosk operator to perform certain question of how information technology There are literally hundreds of rural tasks. The emerging markets group, can be made “accessible, affordable, and IT kiosk projects in India representing which is led by the Assistant Managing relevant” to the rural populations of the joint ventures of dozens of companies Director Kentaro Toyama is in part try- emerging markets such as India. and research organizations. Anandan ing to assess which model would work One project that Microsoft Research estimates that there are probably 6000 best for the computing needs. One thing India is already participating in is rural to 8000 individual kiosk stations in India that has become immediately clear from information technology (IT) kiosks. The alone, and there are projects going on in this research, said Anandan, is that the emerging markets group, expected to be various African countries as well. Typi- success of a kiosk depends a great deal the largest group of the lab, has part- cally, the kiosks are comprised of one on the training the kiosk operator has or more computers housed received. in a community building, Anandan has a very simple view of with a designated operator how to make an excellent research facil- assisting people with the ity. “The best way to build a lab is to find computers’ use. Some type good people for research and let them of connectivity is usually do problems they want to work on.” He provided, and with it comes quips, “it’s better to hire someone good access to potentially valu- and listen to them than to hire someone able information such as who’s not good and tell them what to grain markets and farming do.” The Microsoft labs in general tend equipment company web- to be very much like academic depart- sites. Often, the kiosks also ments, he said, and are very casual serve as a place for children without much hierarchical management to receive informal com- structure. With little pressure from the puter training. higher-ups to direct research, unlike most There are various mod- corporate labs, there is a great deal of els for the kiosks, from personal freedom here. those completely funded After graduating from UMass Am- Twelve year old boy learning to type in a kiosk. by private corporations herst, Anandan worked as an assistant UMass Amherst Department of Computer Science Alum Matters, Spring 2005 ◆ 27 professor of computer science at Yale the campus pond. University, and built the computer vi- Even in the winter, sion group from the ground up. Then he they would walk had the opportunity to join forces with along the pond to the another UMass Amherst alumnus, Peter COINS department Burt (Ph.D. ’76), at Sarnoff Corporation. building, and his wife Anandan worked as a research manager would say that the there, directing projects in airborne ducks weren’t quack- video surveillance and video stabilization ing but actually laugh- technology. ing at them. Asked Anandan left Sarnoff to join Micro- about the reason for soft where he served for seven years his success, Anandan as a senior researcher in the Microsoft replied that his wife Research headquarters in Redmond, would say he is just Washington. There he worked primar- good at bringing out (l. to r.) P. Anandan, managing director of Microsoft Research ily in the areas of computer vision and the best in the people India; Kapil Sibal, Minister of State for Science and Technol- video processing, the former being the around him. ogy, and Ocean Development for the Government of India; subject of his Ph.D. research at UMass Having been in and Rick Rashid, senior vice president, Microsoft Research, at Amherst in the computer vision labo- both industry and the Microsoft Research India inauguration. Minister of State ratory. Although these days he is not academia, Anandan Sibal inaugurated the operations by unveiling a plaque at working in the area of his thesis directly, is in a unique position the opening ceremonies for the facility. Anandan said that his time at UMass to comment on the Amherst was an excellent preparation differences between the two. He first More information about Anandan’s for him because of the responsibilities qualified his industry experience as per- recent post as managing director can given to him by his advisors, Professors haps different from most because he was be found at research.microsoft.com/ Ed Riseman and Allen Hanson. “Ed and able to set his own agenda, and so it was aboutmsr/presskit/anandan/ and more Al gave me opportunities for leadership a lot like academia. However, he noted information about Microsoft Research at a very young stage of my career,” said that in a campus setting one constantly India can be found at research.microsoft. Anandan. “They were very generous interacts with students, or as he put it, com/aboutmsr/labs/india/. advisors.” Even during his thesis work, “fresh minds,” which can invigorate or Anandan began advising some of the inspire research. The benefit of industrial more junior members of the lab. “By the research is that you can impact many Save this Date time I finished my Ph.D., I felt like I had people’s lives through the product(s) the done much more.” company makes. This benefit, however, Computer Science Homecoming Anandan recalls his UMass Amherst can also limit one’s efforts, as the re- Friday, October 14, 2005 days fondly, remembering daily walks search you conduct must be relevant to www.cs.umass.edu/homecoming that he and his wife would take around the business.

Alumni Laboratory and also at the Integrated at Manoa, spent over a month on the Media Systems Center (IMSC), where National Oceanic and Atmospheric Connections he serves as an Associate Director and Administration (NOAA) research major thrust leader. The GamePipe vessel conducting a scientific expedi- Dr. Tom Wagner (Ph.D. ’00) is serving Laboratory undertakes research and tion to the Northwestern Hawaiian an appointment as a Defense Advanced development in all aspects of interactive Islands. As part of the Education and Research Projects Agency (DARPA) games. Zyda has created several highly Outreach team, Suthers documented Program Manager in the Information successful games for the American the research and monitoring efforts Processing Technology Office (IPTO). military, including “America’s Army” as science writer for the expedition. While Wagner was Principal Research in his role as originator and director of More on the expedition and Suthers’ Scientist in the Advanced Applications the MOVES Institute at the Naval Post- journals can be viewed at hawaiiana Laboratory at Honeywell Laboratories, graduate School in Monterey, Califor- tolls.org/research/NWHIRAMP2004/. he collaborated with Professor Victor nia, as well as researching many basic Alden DoRosario (M.S.’04) left a Lesser, his Ph.D. advisor during his aspects of interactive media. He has a senior research engineer position at years at UMass Amherst. D.Sc. in computer science from Wash- Terra Lycos to co-found Chitika, Inc., Michael Zyda (M.S. ’78), a noted inter- ington University in St. Louis, and in a contextual advertising provider. active game creator and theorist, joined 2003 was named a National Associate Chitika offers unique one-stop-shop the University of Southern California’s of the National Academies, in recogni- contextual advertising services that Viterbi School of Engineering. He tion of “extraordinary service.” combine the strengths of multiple pay- shares appointments at the Viterbi Dan Suthers (Ph.D. ’93), Associate Pro- per-click advertising networks into School’s Information Sciences Insti- fessor of Information and Computer one, simplifying ad placement and tute (ISI) as Director of the GamePipe Sciences at the University of Hawaii revenue generation for clients.