Computing and Information Science at Cornell 2000-2001 Annual Report Education and Research ○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ Table of Contents ○○○○○○○ Message from the Dean for Computing and Information Science 4 Message from the Chair of Computer Science 7 COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SCIENCE 10 Highlights Computer Systems Laboratory with Electrical and Computer Engineering 10 Information Assurance Institute 10 Intelligent Information Systems Institute 11 Johnson Graduate School of Management Joint Program 12 Cornell Theory Center 12 New Faculty 13 Faculty and Senior Researcher Biographies 20 COMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT Highlights 75 Bits On Our Mind (BOOM) 2001 75 Corporate Interactions 76 Corporate Partnerships and Affiliations 76 Industrial Partners 77 Corporate Gifts and Grants 77 Alumni Relations 78 Educational Statistics 79 Undergraduate Courses and Enrollment 79 Graduate Courses and Enrollment 80 Degrees Granted 81 Awards 85 Research 86 Funded Research 86 Submitted Research Proposals 88 Collaborative Funded Research at Cornell 90 Research Interests of Faculty and Senior Researchers 91 CS People at a Glance 92 Editorial Activities of the Faculty 92 Faculty Personnel Changes 93 Faculty, Researchers, and Academic Visitors 94 Administrative and Technical Staff 95 Departmental Computing Facilities 96 Colloquium and Seminar Speakers 98 Publications 99 Technical Reports 99 Student Lectures 100 Student Publications 101 FACULTY OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION Programs 103 Computational Biology 103 Computational Science and Engineering 103 Digital Arts and Graphics 104 Information Science 104 Message from the Dean his has been a busy and productive year in the short life of the Cornell Tinitiative in Computing and Information Science (CIS). We hired three more faculty with appointments in the Faculty of Computing and Information (FCI), Paul Ginsparg, joint with Physics; Phoebe Sengers, joint with Science & Tech- nology Studies; and Hod Lipson, joint with the Sibley School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. These are outstanding appointments which I talk more about in this message and who appear in this report in the section on new faculty (see page 11). In addition we have assembled more components of the FCI, and we have continued those activities of the CIS initiative that started before the FCI came into being, namely our teaching with the Johnson Gradu- ate School of Management in e-Business and our collaboration with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Computer Systems Laboratory. The current structure of Computing and Information Science (CIS) and its relation to the FCI is provided in the image below. Robert L. Constable As background to the new academic programs in the Faculty of Computing and Information, I want to quote from an article I wrote called “Universities in the Information Age,” which tries to set the FCI in context: The Information Revolution is changing every human activ- ity, especially the way we learn, teach, discover and communi- cate knowledge. Underlying the change is a powerful new way of thinking called the "algorithmic method.“ Those who know the algorithmic method bring new categories of thought to intellectual tasks; they know what part of the task can be del- egated to a computer or how much of it could be accomplished in partnership with a computer. The algorithmic method and computing technology have already dramatically transformed science, and will soon transform the arts and humanities as well. Teaching this far-reaching new mode of thought will be- come part of a modern liberal education. Before we see wide- spread effects, however, the basic ideas must become infused more deeply in university curricula and academic structures. The Computing and Information Science (CIS) initiative at Cornell is our attempt to infuse these ideas broadly. 4 Message from the Dean The CIS initiative is developing along the lines laid out when the load on the system is light. in the report Cornell in the Information Age (available at New funds have allowed Cornell to hire three excellent www.cis.cornell.edu/information.htm). In particular, faculty into FCI programs this year, all of whom are high- Cornell has formed a new academic unit called the Faculty lighted in the section on new faculty. We have attracted of Computing and Information (FCI) as called for in the Paul Ginsparg as a full professor to FCI with a joint ap- report. Its mission is to develop new academic programs to pointment in Physics. Paul is well known for his revolu- complement the computer science major and to stimulate tionary work in scientific publishing embodied in his e-print research in computing and information broadly. The Office archive for physics, astronomy, mathematics and computer of the Dean for CIS has been given substantial new funding science. Paul's system is called arXiv. to develop the FCI and the Department of Computer Sci- Jointly with the School of Mechanical & Aerospace ence (CS). Some of these funds have already been used to Engineering, the FCI hired assistant professor Hod Lipson create new faculty positions for Computer Science while who works in computer aided design of mechanical sys- others have been used to build academic programs in com- tems, graphics, and evolutionary design of systems. puting and information. Jointly with the Department of Science and Technol- Building the FCI shares some characteristics of build- ogy Studies, the FCI hired assistant professor Phoebe Sengers. ing a large software system. The design document, Cornell in Her computing expertise is in AI, especially the study of the Information Age, is informed by experience and some agents and human computer interfaces. Phoebe's Ph.D. is "theory" of organizations, but to know whether it works, also in the field of Cultural Studies, and she looks at how many details have to be filled in, just as in completing sys- computer systems embody cultural values. She will be part tem modules or filling in steps of a large proof. In the end, of the Information Science program. we have to "run the structure" for several years to see how it The FCI also inagurated a Distinguished Lecture Se- works. But it is much more clear now that all the parts fit ries this year. The first two speakers to present were Wil- together and function. Material in this report illustrates im- liam A. Wulf, President of the National Academy of En- portant details of the structure. gineering, who spoke on “Some Challenges for Computer This year we assembled more parts of the FCI, and we Science and Engineering in the 21st Century,” and Neil hired more FCI faculty. This is being done with a committee Gershenfeld, Director of the Physics and Media Group, called the FCI Founders, consisting of computer science pro- MIT Media Lab and Co-director of the Things that Think fessors and distinguished professors in other units with in- research consortium, who spoke on “Things that Think.” terest and experience in computing and information science. The CIS initiative has been helping the Johnson Gradu- The Founders have identified the first four areas in which ate School of Management build a program in e-Business. we will build academic programs and hire new faculty. They This year Fred B. Schneider worked with Richard Conway, are Information Science, Computational Biology, Compu- from the Johnson School, to design and implement the CS tational Science and Engineering, and Digital Arts and contribution to an immersion course in e-Business. Ken Graphics. Birman and Johannes Gehrke lectured in this course along The Information Science program and the Computa- with Fred. The CS contribution was well appreciated by the tional Biology program are each well under way. Basic facts Johnson School students. about these programs are available on the CIS home page, Another piece of the CIS initiative is the collaboration www.cis.cornell.edu. They are also summarized in this re- between the Department of Computer Science and the port just below. Computational Science and Engineering has School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) in developed a set of short courses, and the FCI has hired Dr. the Computer Systems Laboratory. CIS provides some lab Andrew Pershing of the Earth & Atmospheric Sciences de- space that supports investigation in common topics of in- partment to teach them. Information about these courses terest in computer systems. We hope to eventually build will also be on the CIS web site and the Department of new laboratory facilities closer to the Duffield Systems Lab Computer Science web site. on the third floor of Upson Hall. Students in the lab come The impact of these programs is being felt almost as from both CS and ECE. The CSL web page soon as they are in place. They have guided CS and other (www.csl.cornell.edu) lists fifteen courses offered in this area departments in planning course offerings, and they have at- by over eight faculty from the two units. tracted the interest of many students who will help us imple- The Department of Computer Science continues to ment this emerging system. In terms of an analogy between play a broad role in the university, now in partnership with social systems and computer systems, it is designed so that the FCI. The Department of Computer Science started its "new code" can be added while it is running -- but some of life being managed as a central university resource report- the documentation, like this report, is done in the summer ing to the Office of the Provost. Once it created undergradu- 5 ate programs, they were offered in both Arts & Sciences and lems and ideas, from systems engineering to digital arts. in Engineering. Both of these majors are thriving, and the The FCI and the CS have discovered that teaching people Department of Computer Science plays an active role in to use the computer as a medium of expression is just as the educational programs of both colleges.