National Visualization and Analytics Center (NVAC)

Visual Analytics:An Agenda in Response to DHS Mission NeedsJim ThomasDirector, U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Visualization and Analytics CenterPacific Northwest National Laboratory Fellowhttp://NVAC.pnl.govJim.thomas@pnl.gov

Visualization and Analytics CentersPacificRimHawaiiAustraliaAlaskaNewZealandConsortiumScholarsRVACUniversity ofWashingtonIVACRVACStanford UniversityDetecting the Expected --Discovering the Unexpected TMCanadaA Partnership with Academia,Industry, Government LaboratoriesRVACIndiana PurdueUniv. UniversitySchoolof MedicineDrexelUniversityNY EmergencyManagementRVAC Port of AuthorityPenn. StateGVACDHSNSFRVACUniv. of NorthCarolina Charlotte,Georgia TechBank of AmericaEuropeJim ThomasDirector, U.S. Department of Homeland Security National Visualization and Analytics CenterPacific Northwest National Laboratory Fellowhttp://NVAC.pnl.gov

Available now• Available athttp://nvac.pnl.gov/ in PDFform• At IEEE Press in book form• Special thanks to IEEETechnical Committee onVisualization and Graphics

The NVAC is engaged in 4 critical areas:NVAC Capability1. R&D Leadership: providing proactive information analysis and visualization tools for threatvulnerability, assessment, and response2. Technology Evaluation and Implementation:evaluating new methods and supporting theadoption of new tools for analysts andfirst responders3. Education: training, recruiting our nextgeneration of scientists and engineersthrough internships, faculty visits, jointresearch and curriculum development4. Coordination and Integration: bringingthe best and brightest together fromgovernment, academia, industry andnational laboratories to create visualanalytics tools to prevent terrorism.

Visual Analytics DefinitionVisual analytics is the science of analytical reasoning facilitatedby interactive visual interfaces.People use visual analytics tools and techniques to• Synthesize information and derive insight from massive,dynamic, ambiguous, and often conflicting data• Detect the expected and discover the unexpected• Provide timely, defensible, and understandable assessments• Communicate assessment effectively for action.“The beginning of knowledge is the discovery ofsomething we do not understand.”~Frank Herbert (1920 - 1986)

Overview of the R&D Agenda• Challenges• Science of AnalyticalReasoning• Science of VisualRepresentationsand Interactions• Data Representationsand Transformations• Production, Presentation, andDissemination• Moving Research IntoPractice• Positioning for an EnduringSuccess

Visual AnalyticsPartnership Disciplines• Statistics, data representation and statistical graphics• Geospatial and Temporal Sciences• Applied Mathematics• Knowledge representation, management anddiscovery– Ontology, semantics, NLP, extraction, synthesis, …• Cognitive and Perceptual Sciences• Comunications: Capture, Illustrate and present amessage• Decision sciences• Information and Scientific VisualizationAnd far more than homeland security

21,624 NVAC web visitssince June 12th

Education• RVAC Interns• Interns and Scholars• Global VA Curriculum• Analyst Internships• Educating Ourselves• VAST Colloquium2005Interns andFellowsWatch and WarnTraining Class

Conclusions• Visual Analytics is an opportunity worthconsidering• Collaboration between academia, industry,national laboratories, and government agenciesis key• For each of you:The best is yet to come…