The Multimodal Information Access and Synthesis Center (MIAS) at UIUC is involved with the study of Artificial Intelligence. We develop the fundamental theories, computational models, algorithms, and tools for analysts to access a variety of data formats and models. We integrate them with existing resources and transform raw data into useful and understandable information, supporting productive and efficient analysis.

We develop new technologies for:

1. Focused Data Retrieval and Data Integration

2. Semantic Data Enrichment

3. Mathematical and Computational Foundations

4. Entity and Relationship Discovery

5. Knowledge Discovery and Hypotheses Generation

The flagship of our educational effort is the annual Data Sciences Summer Institute. During this 6 week intensive study, college computer science upper-classmen converge on the University of Illinois campus to research, learn, and practice cutting edge techniques in MIAS topics. World-class experts in Computer Vision, Natural Language Processing, Data Mining, and Social and Information Analysis lead the sessions as well as expert guest speakers. This Institute develops diverse human resources to enhance the scientific research, educational, and governmental workforce in MIAS disciplines.

Our educational initiatives have been developed to encourage computer science students in universities with small research programs, particularly those that are minority serving, to pursue graduate studies at stronger institutions, where they can make a bigger impact on the field, and to expose them to national labs.

More information about the MIAS center and its faculty can be found in this presentation. You may also refer to this one-page summary of the center.