Ron Larsen

Consulting and Professional Activities

Conference and Related Professional Activities

Honors & Awards

Publications

Resume

Ronald L. Larsen
Dean & Professor
Email: rlarsen@sis.pitt.edu

Contact Information:

512 IS Building
135 North Bellefield Avenue
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Phone: 412-624-5139
Fax: 412-624-5231

Education:

B.S. (Engineering Sciences) Purdue University 1968
M.S. (Applied Physics) The Catholic University of America 1971
Ph.D. (Computer Science) University of Maryland College Park 1981

Professional Experience:

7/2002 – Present

Dean and Professor, School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
http://www.ischool.pitt.edu

The Dean is responsible for providing academic and administrative leadership and for articulating a compelling vision of the School's role in information science education and research. The Dean is expected to have a thorough understanding of national trends and issues in information sciences, significant administrative experience, a commitment to fund raising, and experience in developing partnerships both internal and external to the University. The Dean reports directly to the Provost of the University.

4/1999 – 7/2002

Executive Director
Maryland Applied Information Technology Initiative

Statewide initiative to double the enrollments and graduates in core disciplines of information technology (computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering) by 2004.

A consortium of nine universities, collaborating with Maryland 's community colleges and reaching out to the K-12 sector

• University of Maryland College Park
• Johns Hopkins University
• University of Maryland Baltimore County
• University of Maryland Baltimore
• University of Maryland University College
• Morgan State University
• Towson University
• Bowie State University
• Frostburg State University
• University of Baltimore

Sponsored by a grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission ($12.6M awarded since FY 1999), with substantial contributions from Maryland industry (>$3M since FY 1999) and related federal government support (>$10M since FY 1999).

Chair, D-Lib Forum Advisory Board ( www.dlib.org ), supporting the advancement of technology and information infrastructure for networked digital libraries.

4/2001 – 7/2002

Deputy Director
Maryland Information and Network Dynamics (MIND) Lab, a component laboratory of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS)

Co-Principal Investigator, DARPA research contract on Information Dynamics (2000-03)

Co-Principal Investigator, DARPA research contract on localization technology for mobile ad hoc networks (2001-02)

Fundamental and applied research in information architecture and infrastructure supporting information acquisition and dissemination for military intelligence and crisis intervention

4/1996 – 9/1999

Assistant Director
Information Technology Office
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Assistant Director, ITO: head of Intelligent Software Division

Approximate budget: $80M/yr

Research in human computer interaction, human language systems, distributed collaboration, visualization, software engineering, information management, and digital libraries

Program Manager: Translingual Information Detection, Extraction, and Summarization (TIDES)

Defined and developed new program approved in February 1999 with 5-year budget over $80M

Largest technology development program at DARPA at the time of my departure

Research in machine translation, cross-lingual information retrieval, extraction, and summarization

Program Manager: Information Management

Defined and developed new 5-year program, approved in September 1996, with a budget of approximately $14M/yr at its peak

National Digital Library Initiative (DLI and DLI-2, with NSF, NASA, NLM, Library of Congress and several other federal agencies)

Research in high performance networked information analysis environments and interoperable repositories

Research interests: semantic interoperability among heterogeneous, distributed information systems; information visualization and filtering; translingual information retrieval; registration and security; classification and federation; and distributed service assurance

Federal research coordination

Executive Director, Tipster Text Processing Program (DARPA, CIA, NSA, NIST)

Human Centered Systems (HuCS) working group, National Coordination Office, Committee on Computing, Information and Communications (CIC)

11/1988 – 4/1996

Associate Director for Information Technology
University of Maryland Libraries

Program Director, University-wide Library Information Management System (LIMS), known as Victor

Managed the development and operation of fully integrated library automation services to 13 university libraries, statewide

Deployed the first university library automation system in the US to fully integrate services across multiple campuses

National leadership

EDUCOM (chaired Network Resources Committee)

Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), founding steering committee member

Library of Congress Network Advisory Committe

State leadership

Sailor public information network (concept formation and system design) http://www.sailor. lib.md.us/

Maryland distance education task force

University leadership

University Telecommunications Council

University Information Technology Advisory Committee

Committee on Academic Computing Policy

Campus strategic planning committees on computing

University Library Council

9/1985 - Present

Affiliate Associate Professor, Computer Science Department
University of Maryland , College Park

Systems Design and Analysis Group

Co-Principal Investigator, NASA research grant on autonomous systems (1986-87)

Collaboration with Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory on hypertext applications in libraries (1989)

Collaboration with SURA on the development of digital library infrastructure among SURA institutions (1991-93)

5/1985 - 11/1988

Assistant Vice Chancellor for Computing
University of Maryland System Administration

Provided administrative computing support to UMSA and for University System-wide information integration (staff of 25)

Responsible for University-wide planning effort to establish long-term goals and objectives for institutional computing and telecommunications infrastructure

Chaired University Telecommunications Committee

Established the requirements, specifications, and implementation plan for microwave transmission facilities to western Maryland for distance education

Conceived and defined the University of Maryland Intercampus Telecommunications System (UMITS), which later evolved into the current University of Maryland Academic Telecommunications System (UMATS)

Chaired University Computing Center Directors coordinating committee (administrative and academic)

10/1980 - 5/1985

Program Manager, Computer Science and Automation
Information Sciences and Human Factors Division
Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC

Program manager for basic and applied research

initiated and managed NASA research program in aerospace computer science
managed and expanded NASA research programs in artificial intelligence and robotics

developed, budgeted, planned, directed, advocated, implemented, and evaluated research and technology program

Served on a variety of interagency panels for coordination of government research

Research and Development Coordination Panel of the OSTP Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET)

Rapporteur for the Computer and Information Technology Panel of the Aeronautics/2000 study conducted by the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) of the National Research Council (NRC) (1983-84)

1/1973 - 10/1981

Mathematician, Aerospace Technologist
Operations Support Computing Division
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Advanced systems planning, design, and analysis

developed statistical models to analyze and project orbital computation requirements over a 10-year period as a function of the NASA mission model

conducted research on computing technology trends, proposed mission support system alternatives constructed optimum overall ground system development strategy for the 1980's

consulted to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) project to evaluate proposed ground computing system designs

6/1968 - 1/1973

Mathematician / Aerospace Technologist
Network Computing & Analysis Division
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Collected and analyzed requirements for a data base management system for orbital computation and tracking/communications network operations

Performed a study of data base management systems for real-time and production-oriented mission operations

Designed a real-time mission support system to broadcast orbital information on Goddard closed circuit television

Developed intersystem communication standards for orbital ephemeris

Worked as a mission computer controller supporting Apollo, Skylab, and many scientific missions

Research Interests:

Digital libraries, interoperability, scalability, cross-lingual information retrieval, location-aware computing, mobile computing, computer and network performance analysis, performance metrics for distributed digital libraries.

7/2002 – Present	Dean and Professor, School of Information Sciences University of Pittsburgh http://www.ischool.pitt.edu

The Dean is responsible for providing academic and administrative leadership and for articulating a compelling vision of the School's role in information science education and research. The Dean is expected to have a thorough understanding of national trends and issues in information sciences, significant administrative experience, a commitment to fund raising, and experience in developing partnerships both internal and external to the University. The Dean reports directly to the Provost of the University.

4/1999 – 7/2002	Executive Director Maryland Applied Information Technology Initiative

Statewide initiative to double the enrollments and graduates in core disciplines of information technology (computer science, computer engineering, and electrical engineering) by 2004. A consortium of nine universities, collaborating with Maryland 's community colleges and reaching out to the K-12 sector • University of Maryland College Park • Johns Hopkins University • University of Maryland Baltimore County • University of Maryland Baltimore • University of Maryland University College • Morgan State University • Towson University • Bowie State University • Frostburg State University • University of Baltimore Sponsored by a grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission ($12.6M awarded since FY 1999), with substantial contributions from Maryland industry (>$3M since FY 1999) and related federal government support (>$10M since FY 1999). Chair, D-Lib Forum Advisory Board ( www.dlib.org ), supporting the advancement of technology and information infrastructure for networked digital libraries.

4/2001 – 7/2002	Deputy Director Maryland Information and Network Dynamics (MIND) Lab, a component laboratory of the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS)

Co-Principal Investigator, DARPA research contract on Information Dynamics (2000-03) Co-Principal Investigator, DARPA research contract on localization technology for mobile ad hoc networks (2001-02) Fundamental and applied research in information architecture and infrastructure supporting information acquisition and dissemination for military intelligence and crisis intervention

4/1996 – 9/1999	Assistant Director Information Technology Office Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

Assistant Director, ITO: head of Intelligent Software Division Approximate budget: $80M/yr Research in human computer interaction, human language systems, distributed collaboration, visualization, software engineering, information management, and digital libraries Program Manager: Translingual Information Detection, Extraction, and Summarization (TIDES) Defined and developed new program approved in February 1999 with 5-year budget over $80M Largest technology development program at DARPA at the time of my departure Research in machine translation, cross-lingual information retrieval, extraction, and summarization Program Manager: Information Management Defined and developed new 5-year program, approved in September 1996, with a budget of approximately $14M/yr at its peak National Digital Library Initiative (DLI and DLI-2, with NSF, NASA, NLM, Library of Congress and several other federal agencies) Research in high performance networked information analysis environments and interoperable repositories Research interests: semantic interoperability among heterogeneous, distributed information systems; information visualization and filtering; translingual information retrieval; registration and security; classification and federation; and distributed service assurance Federal research coordination Executive Director, Tipster Text Processing Program (DARPA, CIA, NSA, NIST) Human Centered Systems (HuCS) working group, National Coordination Office, Committee on Computing, Information and Communications (CIC)

11/1988 – 4/1996	Associate Director for Information Technology University of Maryland Libraries

Program Director, University-wide Library Information Management System (LIMS), known as Victor Managed the development and operation of fully integrated library automation services to 13 university libraries, statewide Deployed the first university library automation system in the US to fully integrate services across multiple campuses National leadership EDUCOM (chaired Network Resources Committee) Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), founding steering committee member Library of Congress Network Advisory Committe State leadership Sailor public information network (concept formation and system design) http://www.sailor. lib.md.us/ Maryland distance education task force University leadership University Telecommunications Council University Information Technology Advisory Committee Committee on Academic Computing Policy Campus strategic planning committees on computing University Library Council

9/1985 - Present	Affiliate Associate Professor, Computer Science Department University of Maryland , College Park

Systems Design and Analysis Group Co-Principal Investigator, NASA research grant on autonomous systems (1986-87) Collaboration with Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory on hypertext applications in libraries (1989) Collaboration with SURA on the development of digital library infrastructure among SURA institutions (1991-93)

5/1985 - 11/1988	Assistant Vice Chancellor for Computing University of Maryland System Administration

Provided administrative computing support to UMSA and for University System-wide information integration (staff of 25) Responsible for University-wide planning effort to establish long-term goals and objectives for institutional computing and telecommunications infrastructure Chaired University Telecommunications Committee Established the requirements, specifications, and implementation plan for microwave transmission facilities to western Maryland for distance education Conceived and defined the University of Maryland Intercampus Telecommunications System (UMITS), which later evolved into the current University of Maryland Academic Telecommunications System (UMATS) Chaired University Computing Center Directors coordinating committee (administrative and academic)

10/1980 - 5/1985	Program Manager, Computer Science and Automation Information Sciences and Human Factors Division Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC

Program manager for basic and applied research initiated and managed NASA research program in aerospace computer science managed and expanded NASA research programs in artificial intelligence and robotics developed, budgeted, planned, directed, advocated, implemented, and evaluated research and technology program Served on a variety of interagency panels for coordination of government research Research and Development Coordination Panel of the OSTP Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET) Rapporteur for the Computer and Information Technology Panel of the Aeronautics/2000 study conducted by the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB) of the National Research Council (NRC) (1983-84)

1/1973 - 10/1981	Mathematician, Aerospace Technologist Operations Support Computing Division NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Advanced systems planning, design, and analysis developed statistical models to analyze and project orbital computation requirements over a 10-year period as a function of the NASA mission model conducted research on computing technology trends, proposed mission support system alternatives constructed optimum overall ground system development strategy for the 1980's consulted to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) project to evaluate proposed ground computing system designs

6/1968 - 1/1973	Mathematician / Aerospace Technologist Network Computing & Analysis Division NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Collected and analyzed requirements for a data base management system for orbital computation and tracking/communications network operations Performed a study of data base management systems for real-time and production-oriented mission operations Designed a real-time mission support system to broadcast orbital information on Goddard closed circuit television Developed intersystem communication standards for orbital ephemeris Worked as a mission computer controller supporting Apollo, Skylab, and many scientific missions