UCF launched its new Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Initiative today and charged engineering and computer science Assistant Professor Ivan Garibay with leading the effort.

The initiative is the result of a blue ribbon panel on data science, which began its work in 2018. The 23-member panel, composed of UCF experts and industry representatives, met several times to examine the current research at UCF and industry trends and to discuss what the university could do to make UCF a leader in these fields. The group delivered its report in 2019.

“Artificial intelligence and big data are quickly evolving and hold much promise for helping us solve some of our community’s most complicated problems,” says Elizabeth Klonoff, vice president for research and dean of the College of Graduate Studies at UCF. “To help us become a leader in this field, we need to focus. We’re using the blue ribbon panel’s recommendations as a roadmap. This is our first step.”

As director of the initiative, Garibay will be coordinating artificial intelligence and data-science research among university-wide internal stakeholders. He will also represent UCF when meeting with external interested parties including industry, nonprofits, and government agencies. Garibay will also support and facilitate other programs and projects to advance UCF in these fields.

Garibay is well prepared for this challenge. He is the director of UCF’s Master of Science in data analytics program and leads the Complex Adaptive Systems Research Laboratory. He is also a faculty of industrial engineering and management systems in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and holds a doctorate in computer science. He also served for a number of years as the Director of Research Information Systems and Chief Information Officer for the Research Division at UCF.

“I look forward to working collectively with our university community and our industry partners to drive UCF to be a leader in this field,” Garibay says.