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from Central Connecticut State University
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Media contact: Peter Kilduff, Director of University Relations
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CCSU’s Dr. Zdravko Markov is Principal Co-Investigator for $250,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop “artificial intelligence” curricula

 
NEW BRITAIN – November 14, 2007 – Dr. Zdravko Markov, associate professor of computer science at Central Connecticut State University, has been named co-principal investigator on a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). 

According to Markov, the project involves “developing, implementing, and testing curricular materials that teach core Artificial Intelligence topics using a unifying theme of machine learning.  Machine learning involves developing systems or programs that improve on their performance based on experience.” 

He is working with Dr. Ingrid Russell, professor of computer science at University of Hartford, to develop curricula to provide university students with machine learning experiences in the property of machines or their programs that is widely known as “Artificial Intelligence,” often abbreviated as “AI.”

“The project is funded by NSF’s Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) program, which seeks to improve the quality of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education,” according to Dawn Pierpoint-Grzan, CCSU’s director of sponsored programs. “Some 281 proposals in math, science, and engineering were submitted nationwide. Professors Markov and Russell submitted one of 45 proposals in all three areas that were funded and one of nine funded in computer science.  The current work builds on Markov’s and Russell’s success in an earlier AI project, also funded by the National Science Foundation.” 

 “Artificial intelligence has been under development in one form or another for over 50 years,” Markov says.  “MIT Professor John McCarthy coined the term in 1956, and defined AI as ‘the science and engineering of making intelligent machines.’  The term also describes the intelligence that systems can demonstrate.”

During the project, 26 modules that will be developed to be closely integrated into a one-term AI course.  Each module will involve designing and implementing a machine learning system in a specific application. The applications span a large area including network security, recommender systems, game playing, intelligent agents, computational chemistry, robotics, conversational systems, cryptography, web document classification, vision, data integration in databases, bioinformatics, pattern recognition, and data mining. 

The project will introduce students to an increasingly important research area in computer science and provide an opportunity for them to apply AI problem-solving techniques to a real world application.

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