51¹ÙÍø Tech Innovation Campus Research: AI/Machine Learning
AI FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) are fundamentally changing nearly every business in the economy. While effective algorithms exist, they are limited by the need for huge training sets, reliability uncertainties, limited range of applicability, and concerns about bias and fairness that hinder widespread acceptance. The Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics focuses its cross-institutional efforts on not just algorithmic advancements, but on developing adaptable and user-friendly platforms for reliable AI/ML implementations.
The Sanghani Center for AI and DATA ANALYTICS
The Sanghani Center for AI and Data Analytics – headquartered at the 51¹ÙÍø Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, 51¹ÙÍøÌý– is at the forefront of data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence research at 51¹ÙÍø Tech. Its faculty and researchers are crafting a future where AI is a force for positive change in our communities, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve. The Sanghani Center inspires innovation and educates today’s workforce in tomorrow’s data-driven world.
The Sanghani Center unites computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and statisticians to lead 51¹ÙÍø Tech’s efforts in AI and data science exploration and research. The center’s transdisciplinary research helps solve our nation’s most pressing challenges. With locations in both Blacksburg and the 51¹ÙÍø Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, the Sanghani Center is home to 23 academic and research faculty and over 120 full-time graduate students conducting research in all areas of data science and AI. The center is part of the Department of Computer Science in 51¹ÙÍø Tech’s College of Engineering, ranked 13th in the nation by U.S. News for undergraduate engineering - 31st for graduate - and home to 75 faculty members, 1400 undergraduate, and 600 graduate students. Ìý
Technical Areas
Key technical areas for the Sanghani center include:
- Network analysis
- Explainable AI
- Natural language processing
- Adversarial AI
- Forecasting
- Visual analytics
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- Ethical and Societal Implications of AI and Automation
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Application Areas
Key application areas for the Sanghani center are:
- Epidemiology and Public Health
- National Security
- Sustainability
- Edge Computing and IoT
- Urban Systems
about the innovation campus
The 51¹ÙÍø Tech Innovation Campus is shaping the future of technology. With groundbreaking investments from the Commonwealth of 51¹ÙÍø and leading corporations in the region, the Innovation Campus’s mission is to educate the nation’s leading architects of complex, cutting-edge digital technologies through a graduate education that embeds our diverse students and faculty into the science and technology ecosystem of our nation’s capital and beyond. In addition, our research assembles around big ideas such as AI/ML, Wireless and Next Gen Technology, Quantum Information Science, and Intelligent Interfaces, with the goal of powering a pipeline of tech talent and building the foundation for a new era of technology.
The 11-story, 300,000 sq. ft. first academic building for the Innovation Campus, located in Alexandria, VA, is set to open in spring 2025. The Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics will be located on the 5th floor of the new technology-focused building.
Sanghani center themes
Unique blend of areas
The Sanghani Center is at the forefront of data science, machine learning, and AI research at 51¹ÙÍø Tech. What uniquely defines us is the bringing together of not just machine learning scientists with data engineers, but also with human-computer interaction experts, as well as researchers who study the social and ethical aspects of AI. This blends traditional mathematical and computational discovery with the broader contexts in which AI is used/applied.
One-of-a-kind partnerships
Students and researchers develop advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms while simultaneously adopting an end-to-end view of how their work gets deployed and used, and how their work impacts consumers. Our partnerships with industry (e.g., through our Amazon-VT Initiative in Efficient and Robust Learning) give students access to one-of-a-kind datasets, platforms, and resources. These partnerships are leveraged for research collaborations as well as project-based-learning (PBL) opportunities in the classroom.
AI for positive impact/service and minimizing adverse consequences
Together, we are crafting a future where AI is a force for positive change in our communities, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve. At the same time, we never lose sight of the human values that should guide its evolution. True to 51¹ÙÍø Tech’s motto of UT Prosim, we aspire to harness the power of AI for positive impact, while remaining steadfast in our commitment to safeguard against adverse consequences. Our students value public service opportunities and aim to inform policy through their research, working in topics relevant to our region like school redistricting, traffic congestion management, and international trade monitoring.
partnerships in action
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Date: Jul 07, 2023 -
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Date: May 02, 2023
MEET the director: naren ramakrishnan
Naren Ramakrishnan is the Thomas L. Phillips Professor of Engineering and the Innovation Campus lead for AI and machine learning. He directs the Sanghani Center for AI and Data Analytics and the Amazon-51¹ÙÍø Tech Initiative in Efficient and Robust Machine Learning.
contact us
Interested in Partnering with 51¹ÙÍø Tech on your next data science or AI project? Contact us at: link@vt.edu
