Below are some details regarding my community-building and academic leadership experience.

Computing Research Association Computing Community Consortium (CCC)*

CCC Council member since 2015, reappointed for a second three-year term in 2018 and also a member of the Executive Committee. Assumed the role of Vice Chair of CCC effective July 2020, and the role of Chair of CCC effective July 2022. Also currently serving on the CRA Board of Directors. CRA is the primary body representing the interests of Ph.D. granting CS departments in the US. CCC’s role is to catalyze the computing research community to pursue high-impact research, conducting activities that strengthen the research community, articulating compelling research visions, and aligning those visions with key national and global challenges. Main lead in working to coordinate CCC involvement in Code 8.7 AI in Fight Against Human Trafficking conference held at United Nations in February 2019, and followup CCC workshop in March 2020. Partners include UN University, the Alan Turing Institute (UK), et al. Steering Committee for 20-Year Community Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence Research. Regularly called upon to educate and inform funding agencies and policy makers in Washington. E.g., briefings for Congressional staffers. * CCC was established in 2006 in response to an NSF solicitation indicating a desire to establish a Computing Community Consortium. The CCC proposal received letters of support from 132 Ph.D.-granting academic programs, 16 leading corporations, seven major national laboratories and research centers, and five professional societies in the field. CCC operates through a cooperative agreement between NSF and CRA, the Computing Research Association. Today, the CCC Council has 20 members serving 3-year staggered terms, representing the diverse nature of the computing research field. The mission of the CCC is to enable the pursuit of innovative, high-impact computing research that aligns with pressing national and global challenges. CCC is a major programmatic committee of the CRA, which has origins dating back to 1972 as the Computer Science Board. CRA counts among its members more than 200 North American organizations active in computing research: academic departments of computer science and computer engineering; laboratories and centers in industry, government, and academia; and affiliated professional societies (AAAI, ACM, CACS/AIC, IEEE Computer Society, SIAM, and USENIX).

International Association for Pattern Recognition (IAPR)*

IAPR unites non-profit, scientific, and professional organizations concerned with research in pattern recognition, computer vision, and image processing globally. IAPR community includes thousands of researchers across dozens of countries and is a truly international body not dominated by any one country. Have held various leadership roles over the past dozen years, including my 2018 election as IAPR Treasurer, followed by my 2021 election as IAPR President, a position I held until August 2022, after which I transitioned to the formal role of IAPR Past-President. Established the IAPR Doctoral Consortium in 2011 to highlight the work of young researchers and connect them with senior names in the field. * IAPR is an international association of non-profit, scientific, and professional organizations (national, multi-national, or international in scope) concerned with research in pattern recognition, computer vision, and image processing. IAPR was established in January 1978 and currently consists of 50 national societies, bringing together nearly 10,000 researchers in these fields. The organizational structure of IAPR include 13 Standing Committees and 17 Technical Committees. IAPR sponsors or endorses several dozen conferences and workshops annually for the benefit of the international scientific community.

Chair, Lehigh Department Computer Science & Engineering

From 2009-19, led department through unprecedented growth of interest in computer science, with majors more than doubling and course enrollments more than tripling. Developed and implemented a highly data-driven approach to track enrollments, faculty resources, class sizes, student-faculty ratios, and diversity measures, and regularly shared this data with faculty and administrators. Oversaw successful faculty hiring efforts nearly every year that were nationally competitive, often running parallel searches and filling multiple slots. Supervisor to ~20 faculty and staff. Guided successful ABET re-accreditation activities for three CS majors twice, and supported comprehensive curriculum revisions to track fast-changing developments in field. Established the first two annual awards to honor outstanding Lehigh CSE undergraduates, named in honor of two distinguished former faculty colleagues: the Samuel L. Gulden Memorial Award and the Donald J. Hillman Memorial Award. Supported a vibrant visiting seminar series which included leading researchers and technologists in computing and related interdisciplinary fields. Organized regular social activities bringing together students and faculty, including study breaks, holiday parties, and an annual spring picnic with a student-run T-shirt design contest. Served as an elected member of the Faculty Steering Committee and the Rules & Procedures Subcommittee, chairing both of them. Elected member of the Department Chairs Executive Committee, which have also chaired.

Interim Dean, P. C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science

Chosen to lead college in 2014-15 after departure of previous dean. Stepped down after one year while search for new dean was still underway to serve as founding director of Data X. Supervisor to ~140 faculty and staff. Led highly successful college faculty hiring season, excelling in diversity metrics. Established Lehigh Women Engineers program.

Director of the Lehigh Data X Strategic Initiative

Developer and leader of Data X from its initial conception in 2015 through 2020. Crafted the overarching theme in a uniquely interdisciplinary way, working closely with senior leadership of the university, the Board of Trustees, donors, and key faculty collaborators. Reported directly to Provost, Vice President for Research. Developed competitive analyses to establish best possible positioning for Lehigh. Resulted in a major investment in computing and data analytics at Lehigh, with new faculty positions in CSE and allied areas:  Consumer Analytics, Digital Media, Connected Health, plus synergistic positions in other key fields. Built industry and alumni engagement with high-tech leaders both regionally and in Silicon Valley. Initiated and led other community-building activities, including university symposia, hackathons, innovation grants for faculty, seminars and brown bag lunches, regional receptions, and campus computing infrastructure investments. Supported creation of university-wide minor in Data Science.

Other, Lehigh Department Computer Science & Engineering

As Director of Masters in Computer Science program since Spring 2020, standardized application evaluation process to maximize committee effectiveness and productivity. Significantly increased student yield and enrollments.

Mountaintop Building C Renovation

Primary faculty lead working closely with a noted architectural firm EYP on a large-scale project to renovate a former industrial building, once part of Bethlehem Steel’s Homer Research Labs, to serve as a home for the CSE Department and Data X. The Building C project provides 120,000 square feet modeled after what is found in Silicon Valley, including three massive high-bays, state-of-the-art classrooms including Active Learning and Telepresence facilities, as well as numerous collaborative spaces. Completed in 2018, with the CSE Department moving in in January 2019.  Result is a facility that is unique and iconic for Lehigh, attracting attention from around the country.

Silicon Valley Connections

Engagement with a number of high-tech firms up and down the Peninsula and the East Bay. Recruited industry leaders to teach and mentor Lehigh students in person and via Telepresence, introducing new courses with significant Silicon Valley content. Conceived and led the Software Engineering Track for the highly successful Lehigh Silicon Valley Program, in collaboration with the leaders of the Baker Institute. Visits included Google, Adobe, Cisco, Facebook, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, OSIsoft, Plug and Play Tech Center, Bracket Computing, and OhmniLabs.

Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

As CSE Chair, dedicated increasing levels of financial support to send growing numbers of students and faculty to Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing and ACM Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing, doubling, tripling, and quadrupling the department's commitment over time. Dedicated significant personal time and effort; e.g., as attendee at Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing and National Society of Black Engineers Convention. Long-term participation in Lehigh’s NSF ADVANCE Project to encourage and support women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields. Initiated and championed CSE Department membership in NCWIT and Anita Borg BRAID. Established Lehigh livestream site for Stanford Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference. Developed innovative Women in Technology course which links Lehigh students with women high-tech leaders in Silicon Valley; co-taught with Samantha Walravens, author of Geek Girl Rising, and Samantha Dewalt, Managing Director of Lehigh@NasdaqCenter. As Interim Dean of Engineering, established Lehigh Women Engineers program.

Princeton University Alumni Volunteer Leadership

Wide range of leadership roles over past 20 years, including President of Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA)*, Alumni Council Executive Committee, and Chair of Princeton Committee to Nominate Alumni Trustees. Received Alumni Council Award for Service to Princeton in 2005. * APGA was founded in 1949 and is focused on building a strong community of Princeton graduate alumni. There are over 30,000 living graduate alumni, representing 30% of Princeton's total alumni body. The APGA connects and supports graduate alumni in scholarship, fellowship, and leadership, in the Nation's service and the service of humanity. The Governing Board of the APGA is responsible for developing, promoting, and executing APGA programs with the help of committee volunteers. To recognize the distinction of Graduate School alumni and parallel the undergraduate alumni presence at Alumni Day, the APGA established the James Madison Medal. First awarded in 1973, the Madison Medal recognizes an alumnus of the Graduate School who has had a distinguished career, advanced graduate education, and/or public service. At the same time the APGA continues to serve graduate alumni, it has also increased its support of current graduate students.

Webpage last updated December 23, 2022.