Penn State's RVAC will address three core challenges related to visual representation and analysis of diverse information. Researchers will develop methods for deriving and exploiting information, such as place and time, from a variety of data forms; they will link this information with stored knowledge and analytical reasoning practices to yield usable intelligence; and will provide cognitive readiness and collaboration support enabling individuals and teams to assess situations, interpret evidence, make decisions and direct or execute actions.
Penn State is one of four university team selections announced today. The others are the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Washington, and Purdue University in partnership with Indiana University School of Medicine. Stanford University was named a regional center earlier this year.
DHS established the NVAC in 2004 to provide scientific guidance and coordination for the research and development of new tools and methods that DHS has identified as required for managing, visually representing, and analyzing enormous amounts of diverse data and information. Development of these visualization tools will enable analysts to more effectively identify signs of terrorist attacks in their earliest stages and ultimately to prevent terrorist activities before they can be carried out. The four core responsibilities of the NVAC are research and development; education; technology evaluation and implementation;
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Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State
17-Jan-2006