Fall / Winter 2012 - Rochester Institute of Technology

Contents | Inside this Issue
Inside this Issue
Focus Areas
2 - 25
2
Human-Centered Computing
An interdisciplinary team led by
computing scientists Anne Haake and
Pengcheng Shi, imaging scientist Jeff
Pelz, and dermatologist Cara Calvelli
is seeking to advance the development
of database technologies used in
biomedical imaging. The team is using
visual perception techniques, computer
modeling, and computational linguistics
to improve image use for prognosis and
diagnosis of a host of diseases from
skin conditions to cancer.
14
Imaging the Earth
NASA’s Earth-observing satellites
in the Landsat Program have been
providing critical data on global
environmental and climate change
for over 40 years. RIT imaging
scientist John Schott has been a
key figure in the development and
design of the satellite program,
including the development of
novel calibration and simulation
techniques that have greatly
enhanced the data collected.
8
Unlocking the Mysteries
of the Deaf Brain
Very little is known about how a
deaf person’s brain operates and how
it differs from that of his or her
hearing counterparts. This is in part
because this population often uses
completely different cognitive and
communication processes. RIT’s
Peter Hauser is a leader in analyzing
the deaf brain, how it differs from
the hearing brain and the effect of
sign language on cognition.
20
Impact as an Undergraduate
Research conducted by RIT students
Barbara Spieker, Cory Ilo, Danielle
Burnash, and Delilah Bowman in
the fields of psychology, biology,
computer science, and building
technology exemplifies the increasingly
diverse, relevant, and cuttingedge
work being undertaken on
campus. It also showcases the
growing impact undergraduates are
having on RIT’s research portfolio.
Research Awards and Honors 26 - 27
RIT’s faculty, staff, and students have
received significant national and international
recognition for their research
in a host of fields. A summary of
awards and honors is provided.
By the Numbers
In FY 2011 RIT received the largest
single federal research grant in the
university’s history, a $13.1 million
award from NIST to construct a
research facility for the Golisano
Institute of Sustainability.
28 - 29
On the Cover
Calculated from an original medical image are, clockwise from bottom left, a
phase-congruency map, a luminance-image, a color-based image segmentation,
and an eye-tracking record. The first three in the series illustrate techniques for
extracting information from an image while the fourth, using eye-tracking
technology, shows how a physician examined the image. (Clinical images
provided by Logical Images.)
Research at RIT
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