Colloquium at Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences

Wroclaw, Poland / December 14 2023

CICS has for several years been engaged in various countries of Central and Eastern Europe, such as Co-Director Askshay Pottathil's very fruitful engagement in the business and technology curriculum at Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. It came as no surprise then that Co-Director Skupin happily accepted an invitation to travel to Poland to give a colloquium at Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences. Hosted by Barbara and Paweł Hordyniec, Skupin's presentation on transparency in generative AI led to a lively discussion and meetings with Witold Rohm, Adam Ivaniak, Amin Gholami, Pawel Boguslawski, and others.

24 Hours of Macroscopes and Launch of 19th Mapping Science Exhibit

Worldwide / December 9-10 2023

Ever since the inception of CICS in 2014, recognition of the innovative work done at the Center has come in many forms, including publications, patents, and declarations of support and appreciation by the U.S. House of Representatives and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. CICS directors, researchers, and subject matter have also been regularly invited to a diverse conferences and special events. Add to that the recent invitation to Co-Director Skupin for participation in the 24-hour "Macroscopes: Interactive Data Visualizations" event that was held on Dec 9 and 10.
That event culminated in the official debut of the 19th annual iteration of the "Places & Spaces: Mapping Science" exhibition. Under the heading of "Macroscopes as Digital Atlases," the 19th iteration adds four interactive projects developed by teams led by Raúl Sánchez González / Analía Plaza (El Diario, Spain), Sarah Williams (MIT), Stephanie Yee / Tony Chu (now at Netflix and Tecton.ai), and our own André Skupin. This represents just the latest recognition of Skupin's "Coronavirus SoS" project, which has been accessed by people in 70+ countries.

CICS-Teagasc Project Meeting

El Cajon, California / November 30 2023

For several months now, CICS has been engaged in a research collaboration with Teagasc, the Irish state agency providing research, advisory and education services in the areas of agriculture, horticulture, food and rural development. CICS researchers Caleb Smith and Miguel Bravo are working on an analysis of several years of environmental data collected for a watershed in southern Ireland. The CICS team was happy to welcome Dr. Daniel Hawtree, a Research Officer with Teagasc's Agricultural Catchment Programme (ACP), for an in-person project meeting. Dr. Hawtree, who is also an Adjunct Associate Professor with the School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, University College Dublin, updated the group on the background and goals of the project, which focuses on issues of water quality in agricultural landscapes.

Colloquium on the State of Artificial Intelligence

San Diego, California / October 13 2023

With venues of Dr. Skupin's recent spate of presentations on artificial intelligence ranging from Maine to South Africa and Poland, much closer to home was a talk given within the SDSU Department of Geography's colloquium series. Well attended by a mix of students and faculty, the event saw the CICS Co-Director delineate how the problems of truth, transparency and explainability in AI could be tackled using the well-worn duality of continuous versus discrete conceptualizations of space.

International Cartographic Congress

Cape Town, South Africa / August 13-18 2023

Co-Director Skupin participated in the 31st International Cartographic Conference that was held in Cape Town under the theme of "Smart Cartography for Sustainable Development". The conference also hosted the 19th General Assembly of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and was held in conjunction with the Ninth Session of the United Nations Global Geospatial Information Management for Africa (UN-GGIM: Africa). In addition to presenting research results of a project involving himself, Kyle Jones, and SDSU colleague Dr. Trent Biggs, Skupin chaired a conference session on "Earth Observation and Cartography" and engaged in numerous discussions of the future of cartography across the globe. This included meetings of the ICA Commissions on Visual Analytics and Art and Cartography, as well as a meeting the of the Advisory Board of the International Journal of Cartography.

Workshop on Cartography and AI

Stellenbosch, South Africa / August 12 2023

The "MapAI 2023" workshop, held on the campus of Stellenbosch University, brought together researchers from four continents to discuss challenges emerging at the intersection of cartography and artificial intelligence. Opportunities owed to technological progress featured as heavily as the myriad of ethical challenges. For his part, André Skupin's lightning talk culminated in a call to action for cartographers to become not merely users of AI, but instead actively contribute to the further evolution of generative and other AI-based systems.

Skupin Gives Keynote on Artificial Intelligence

Lincolnville, ME / July 19 2023

Audiences of all kinds - from technologists to decision-makers in business and government - are clamoring for AI experts to put recent rapid developments in artificial intelligence in perspective, providing context and an outlook on the future of AI. Heeding that call, Co-Director Skupin traveled to Maine to give a keynote on the promise and peril of AI in the "Wednesday Conversations at The Edge" series, held at The Edge in Lincolnville, Maine. Hosted by Gail Bertuzzi and Des FitzGerald, the sold-out event saw Dr. Sean Ahearn first give an introduction to the mathematical foundations on which AI is built. This was followed by Skupin's keynote, which drew particular focus on emerging regulatory frameworks and the corresponding need for transparency in AI systems.

CICS Researchers Old and New at Industry Conference

San Diego, CA / July 10-14 2023

The Esri User Conference, held every year at the San Diego Convention Center, is an event bringing together the global GIS community. That includes a growing number of CICS researchers past and present. Case in point was the meeting of veteran CICS researchers Marilyn Howe (Senior Manager of Advisory Services, Diebold Nixdorf) and Kyle Jones (Vice President - Network Strategy, Citi) and current researcher Wesley Motlow, who is entering the second year of his Master's studies.

Reaching across the Nation and the Globe

Worldwide / Summer 2023

With the Spring semester ending, CICS researchers are getting ready to engage in research and professional development across the globe. My-Thu Tran — working under the supervision of Dr. Li An — is traveling to Nepal to perform field research on evolving relationships between humans and wildlife. Meanwhile, Caleb Smith follows his passion for GIS, remote sensing, and geospatial intelligence by spending the summer with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Co-Director Pottathil will once again chair the annual Left of Boom conference and Co-Director Skupin kicks off the summer with a symposium on artificial intelligence and a project meeting in Norway. In August he will then participate in the International Cartographic Conference held in Cape Town, South Africa. Karen Haines and Chris Swindell are rumored to also be on the move this summer, with Haines moving to the nation's capital in her role supporting computational modeling efforts of the United Stated Naval Research Laboratory.

Innovation News: Another Patent Issued

Washington, DC / May 16 2023

CICS congratulates Dr. André Skupin for having another patent issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. U.S. Patent No. 11,650,073 describes a technology called "Knowledge Space Analytics" that provides a novel integration of natural language processing, maching learning, and API-driven knowledge management. The technology has applications that range from document discovery and annotation to visual answers to current calls for explainable AI.

Project Meeting: Disruptive Technologies for a Resilient Future

Sogndal, Norway / May 11 2023

Funded by the Norway Research Council and the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) under the INTPART scheme, the Disruptive Technologies for a Resilient Future (DTRF) project has been active since 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project team was only now able to get together in Sogndal to discuss future activities, with funding extended until September 2024. The DTRF consortium includes partners from Norway, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, and the United States. CICS is one of two U.S. partners, together with George Mason University. The next project meeting is anticipated to be held in Hong Kong in November 2023.

International Symposium on AI, Data and Digitalization

Sogndal, Norway / May 9-10 2023

The INTPART DTRF project - in which CICS is one of two U.S. partners - and the Big Data & Emerging Technologies Group at Western Norway Research Institute organized a symposium aimed at putting AI and related technologies into a broader context. CICS Co-Director Skupin participated in discussions spanning the gamut of societal challenges, anchored by excellent keynotes on such topics as imminent legislative actions on AI, socially responsible AI, explainable AI, and cognitive knowledge graphs.

Skupin Named Most Influential Faculty in Urban Studies

San Diego, CA / April 26 2023

CICS was pleased to learn that Co-Director André Skupin has been named "Most Influential Faculty" in the Urban Studies program at San Diego State University for 2023. He had been nominated by Raffaele Nicolella, who was selected as the "Outstanding Graduating Senior" of the program. Mr. Nicolella had taken a range of courses with Dr. Skupin, culminating in the "Data Visualization" course (GEOG 581), which exposes students to the typically unfamiliar territory of contemporary visualization and web app development.

American Association of Geographers Annual Meeting

Denver, CO / 23-27 March 2023

The Annual Meeting of the AAG, held in person for the first time since 2019, saw multiple researchers associated with CICS in attendance and presenting. My-Thu Tran, Chris Swindell, and André Skupin presented a combination of past research results and future plans. In Skupin's case, this revolved around the monitoring of agricultural practices in California's Imperial Valley, research performed by previous CICS researcher Kyle Jones in collaboration with Skupin and Dr. Trent Biggs. First-year Master's students Wesley Motlow and Caleb Smith, both with a signficant interest in applied remote sensing, took the opportunity to learn about the wide range of research pursued by contemporary geographers.

New Researchers Join CICS

San Diego, CA / 1 January 2023

Following a series of weekly workshops and discussions held throughout the Fall semester — dedicated to data visualization, machine learning, and related topics — several new researchers are joining CICS in the new year. These include PhD students My-Thu Tran and Christopher Swindell and Master's students Wesley Motlow and Caleb Smith. Another new arrival at CICS is Karen Haines, a computational scientist who is working with researchers at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C., in support of climate modeling and related engineering challenges. The new cohort of CICS researchers reflects diverse backgrounds, expertise, and interests, ranging from numerical modeling and high-performance computing to agent-based modeling, human mobility, and remote sensing.

Technology Innovation Now Patented

Washington, DC / 6 September 2022

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a patent based on the pioneering efforts of a team whose SDSU component was led by CICS co-director Skupin. U.S. Patent No. 11436270 is titled "Knowledge Reference System and Method" and emerged out of an NSF-sponsored research project involving SDSU, City University of New York, and Brigham Young University. Together with Dr. Skupin, researchers from CUNY and BYU are co-inventors of this technology.
Meanwhile, another invention, made in collaboration between André Skupin and Fangming Du (now a software engineer at Apple) is patent-pending. It involves a novel combination of machine learning and natural language processing with interactive mapping and was foundational for such apps as the Geospatial Technology Explorer, which was developed for the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) and has seen active users in more than 80 countries. Watch this space for future news about technological innovation making its way from the CICS lab to the real world, thanks to CICS researchers and the efforts of SDSU's Technology Transfer Office (TTO).

Visit to CICS by Janes

San Diego, California / 26 August 2022

Deena Stokes, Director - Aerospace and Defense, of Janes visited CICS to introduce the company's broadening range of offerings in the open-source intelligence (OSINT) and geospatial technologies areas. This provided an opportunity for CICS researchers and guests to learn about Janes' efforts to curate trusted intelligence material and present it in contemporary visual forms, such as dashboards. Apart from CICS co-directors Pottathil and Skupin and CICS subject matter expert Jerome Joaquin, guests included SDSU professor and remote sensing expert Dr. Dan Sousa and several graduate students. The meeting also gave an opportunity for Stokes to learn about the unique education and training resources being developed by the non-profit Intelligence Research Institute (IRI), with Pottathil and Joaquin serving as IRI President and Vice President, respectively.

CICS Researcher Defends Master's Thesis

San Diego, California / 20 May 2022

Veteran CICS researcher Timothy Schempp defended his Master's thesis before a thesis committee consisting of Co-Directors Skupin and Pottathil and professors Doug Stow (Geography) and Alicia Kinoshita (Civil Engineering). Schempp's research involved the creation of a computational architecture for operationalizing the tri-space framework proposed by co-director Skupin beginning more than a decade ago. This particular work applies this approach to multispectral and multitemporal satellite imagery data, yielding elements of a platform whose commercial value will be explored by Schempp and Skupin in the near future.

Welcome to Barbara Hordyniec

San Diego, California / 29 April 2022

CICS welcomes Barbara Hordyniec as a Visiting Researcher. She is a doctoral student at the Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences in Wrocław, Poland. Previously, Hordyniec was a research and teaching assistant at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and a Computer Scientist with U+GEO in Wrocław. During her one-year stay at CICS, she will collaborate with Co-Director Skupin on geovisual analytics approaches to the modeling of human mobility in urban environments.

Remembering Dr. Lynn Usery

San Diego, California / 22 March 2022

The Center for Information Convergence and Strategy is remembering Dr. Lynn Usery who passed away on March 22, following a brief illness. Dr. Usery was a giant in the field of geographic information science. For many decades he drove the national and international research agenda in cartography, remote sensing, and GIS. As Director of the Center of Excellence for Geographic Information Science (CEGIS) at the United States Geological Survey (USGS), his was a voice of singular impact in shaping mapping technologies in government, academia, and business. Meanwhile, Dr. Usery's international impact was exemplified by his serving as a Vice-President of the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and as Chair of the ICA Commission on Map Projections. Following a 2016 visit to CICS, we were honored to count Dr. Usery among our distinguished panel of CICS subject matter experts.

Spatial Intelligence Discussed in ISPRS Webinar

Worldwide / 17 February 2022

The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), Working Group IV/2, hosted a webinar on "Geospatial Knowledge Representation and Analytics" presented by CICS Co-Director Skupin and Dr. Andrea Ballatore (King's College London). In his presentation, Dr. Skupin discussed the critical role of context in the provision of spatial intelligence for knowledge management and analytics. Moderated by Dr. Margarita Kokla (National Technical University of Athens, Greece), the webinar sparked a lively discussion with the global audience in attendance. A video recording of the event is available (link).

In Memoriam: Dr. Khaleel Mohammed

San Diego, California / 9 January 2022

The Center for Information Convergence and Strategy is saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Khaleel Mohammed. He was a founding member of CICS and a fervent supporter of the Center's goals, mission, and activities. At SDSU, Dr. Mohammed was a Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies. As an internationally renowned researcher of Islam, Islamic Law, and Comparative Religion, Dr. Mohammed's scholarship has had impact far beyond that which is typical for a university professor. Beyond three highly influential books, including the 2019 "Islam and Violence," Dr. Mohammed's voice was much appreciated in fostering dialogue among different religions, and he was a sought-after expert witness in terrorism-related legal proceedings. His voice will be missed dearly, at CICS, SDSU, and beyond.

Left of Boom VIII Launches

San Diego, California / 1 January 2022

Left of Boom VIII, the Eighth Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation, has launched. Starting with its inaugural edition in 2015, Left of Boom was in its entirety envisioned, organized, and hosted by CICS. Thanks to many years of dedicated efforts by CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin, as well as numerous CICS researchers and subject matter experts, Left of Boom has evolved into a unique platform bringing together government, business and academia in the pursuit of innovative solutions to difficult societal problems. Topics at the three-day event, which this year is held June 15-17 and coordinated by Intelligence Research Institute (IRI), range from commerce and trade to environment, health, security, and technology.

CICS Project Among SDSU Research Highlights

San Diego, California / 15 December 2021

The 2020-21 edition of SDSU's Highlights Magazine puts a spotlight on ongoing CICS research, specifically the analysis of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) cases. With funding from Scripps Medical Group, the study has produced the first-ever holistic visualization of the multivariate patient space, from demographics to pre-existing conditions and treatments. The CICS research team on this project includes Co-Director Skupin, researcher Tim Schempp, and subject matter expert Keshav Nayak.

24 Hours of Science Mapping

Worldwide / 11-12 December 2021

A global event celebrating science maps and macroscopes was held over the course of 24 hours, from noon to noon EST on Dec 11 and 12. Artists, scientists and visual storytellers from eight countries contributed to the 24 Hour Science Map Event. Highlights included an antidisciplinary discussion following up on a recent National Academy of Sciences salon on data visualization, a chat on improvisation and innovation with jazz musician Monika Herzig, and artist Ingo Gunther reflecting on his Worldprocessor Globes. Meanwhile, CICS Co-Director Skupin presented to the global audience his vision of context creation at the center of future analytics technologies.

Transforming Health Care in Disruptive Times

San Diego, California / 24-29 October 2021

Executives representing the German healthcare industry traveled to San Diego to engage in multi-day training on the challenges and opportunities of digital transformation. This involved visits and management training sessions at several local providers, including Rady Children's, Scripps Health, UCSD Health System, and San Ysidro Health Center. Reflective of CICS' wide-ranging expertise in the biomedical domain, Co-Director Akshay Pottathil was an invited panelist for a discussion on "Digital Business Models in Medicine".

Call for Papers: Honoring Professor Barbara P. Buttenfield

Baton Rouge, Louisiana / 15 October 2021

CaGIS, the journal of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society, is soliciting papers celebrating the work of Professor Barbara P. Buttenfield who recently retired from the University of Colorado - Boulder. Three of her doctoral advisees are co-editing this special issue: Dr. Michael Leitner (Louisiana State University), Dr. Sara I. Fabrikant (University of Zurich), and CICS Co-Director Dr. André Skupin.
Proposals, containing title and short abstract, are accepted by the co-editors until Nov 30. Full papers are due Jul 15, 2022, and accepted papers are published in 2023.

CICS Team Leads Publication of Cardiology Study

San Diego, California / 21 July 2021

Results of an analysis of 5,000+ STEMI (ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction) events have now appeared in the Journal of Biomedical Informatics. Headlining the paper titled "Machine learning for holistic visualization of STEMI registry data" are CICS subject matter expert and interventional cardiologist Keshav Nayak, Co-Director André Skupin, and veteran CICS researcher Timothy Schempp. Other authors include cardiology specialists from the Minnesota Heart Institute Foundation, Scripps Clinic, and The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati). This study and the resulting journal paper was made possible through funding provided to CICS by Scripps Clinic Medical Group.

Left of Boom VII

San Diego, California / 7-9 July 2021

The Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation Strategies, Left of Boom, became the first major such event held in person on the SDSU campus since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. CICS and the Intelligence Research Institute (IRI) held Left of Boom VII in magnificent Montezuma Hall, allowing speakers and participants to gather under adherence to social distancing guidelines. Thirty-eight speakers, some traveling to San Diego from far-flung places, like Singapore and the Czech Republic, covered domains ranging from trade and security to health, environment, and technology. This year, notable contributions covered safety and security in marine environments, the work of the FBI's Victim Services Division (VSD), efforts to reform the criminal justice system in Baja California, and creative solutions to provide housing for the homeless. Cybersecurity was a theme strongly permeating the program, whether in the form of cyber threats to national security discussed by senior FBI leadership, ransomware attacks against businesses of all sizes, or the work of the National Football League's Global Security Operations Center (GSOC). The crosscutting nature of Left of Boom was also exemplified by several industry presentations on hygiene and patient safety in hospital settings, supported by biomedical research and artificial intelligence.

Visual Informatics Paper Published

Online / 30 June 2021

A paper titled "Toward flexible visual analytics augmented through smooth display transitions" has just appeared in the journal Visual Informatics. The work is the result of a seminar held at famed Dagstuhl Castle in 2019, in which CICS Co-Director Skupin participated. It lays out a research agenda for systematic conceptualization and formalization of "flexible visual analytics (FVA)" with the aim of providing smooth display transitions between user-relevant views.

Call for Papers: Advanced Technologies for Disaster Response and Resilience

Sogndal, Norway & San Diego, California / 11 June 2021

Guest Editors Rajendra Akerkar and André Skupin invite submissions for a Special Section of the IEEE Open Journal of the Computer Society (OJ-CS) titled "Advanced Technologies for Disaster Response and Resilience". The guest editors solicit articles that examine the gaps, challenges, and future capabilities provided by a broad spectrum of technologies, from Internet of Things (IoT) to cybersecurity, earth observation, machine learning, victim detection, human mobility modeling, and beyond. Submissions are due October 31, 2021. Please see the Call for Papers for further info, the author information page for submission instructions, and contact Drs. Akerkar or Skupin with any questions.

White Collar Crime Exposed

San Diego, California / 28 April 2021

CICS hosted another seminar that was organized by the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association in collaboration with Intelligence Research Institute (IRI). Co-Director Pottathil led through a program titled "Financial Crime: Money Matters." Speakers from federal and local law enforcement organizations covered topics ranging from fraud to corruption, tax evasion, insider dealing, and market manipulation, as well as various scams perpetrated through electronic means.

Macroscopes on Display at Dagstuhl Seminar

Wadern, Germany / 12-16 April 2021

Two macroscopes developed by André Skupin are being showcased in an online exhibition that was launched in connection with the Dagstuhl Seminar "Multi-Level Graph Representation for Big Data Arising in Science Mapping". Schloss Dagstuhl is one of the world's premier centers for computer science research. The invitation-only and retreat-like format of Dagstuhl Seminars lends itself to intense, forward-thinking discussion of informatics topics.
Macroscopes featured in the exhibit include the Coronavirus SoS project and the Data Science & Analytics Explorer, the first comprehensive base map and exploration plaform for the world of big data and analytics. These projects are spearheaded by Co-Director Skupin and have collectively been accessed by users in 75 different countries.

Spatial Studies Lightning Talks

Santa Barbara, California / 16 March 2021

The Center for Spatial Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara (spatial@ucsb) held the 2021 iteration of its Lightning Talk series online, allowing a global audience of more than 150 people to enjoy a rapid-fire progression of presentations by speakers ranging from GIScience big names to promising undergraduate researchers. CICS Co-Director Skupin covered three recent projects that illustrate a range of concerns, from big data analytics in healthcare to technology transfer and commercialization.

Cybersecurity Seminar Attracts 170+ Participants

San Diego, California / 3 March 2021

CICS proudly hosted a seminar titled "Cybersecurity: Era of 5G" that was presented by the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association, in collaboration with Intelligence Research Institute (IRI). With Akshay Pottathil as moderator, expert speakers representing private and government sectors discussed how individuals and organizations are targeted, as well as the driving factors, threat landscapes, techniques, and actors, from groups to nation states. Emphasis was given to current and emerging trends and the resources available to detect, deter, and defend against such threats.

BDEM Seminar Presents Coronavirus Research

San Diego, California & Sogndal, Norway / 28 January 2021

The seminar series of the Big Data & Emergency Management project (BDEM) held its third event, a presentation by CICS Co-Director André Skupin titled "Coronavirus SoS: Establishing Common Ground through Science Mapping." In related news, since launching in March 2020 the corresponding web applications (storymap, dashboard) have seen active users from 59 countries.

CICS Alum Joins Citi as Lead Analyst

San Diego, California / 4 January 2021

We were pleased to learn that Kyle Jones, CICS researcher and a recent graduate of the Master's program in Geography, is joining Citi as Lead Analyst, Retail Network Planning. He is joining a group of geographers that include another advisee of Co-Director Skupin, Marilyn Howe, Senior Vice President and Distribution Analytics Manager.

Expanding Collaboration with Cardiology Specialists

San Diego, California / 20 December 2020

The burgeoning collaboration of CICS researchers with cardiologists at Scripps Mercy Hospital, Scripps Clinic and other institutions will continue at least through 2022, thanks to additional funding provided to CICS by Scripps Clinic Medical Group. The team is currently preparing a manuscript presenting results of machine learning applied to a regional STEMI registry.

BDEM Project Extended

Sogndal, Norway / 22 October 2020

Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global travel, the BDEM project - originally planned to run for three years (2017-2020) - has been extended, with various project activities scheduled well into 2021. These include a series of research presentations. On January 28, CICS Co-Director André Skupin is scheduled to present his efforts at mapping the coronavirus knowledge domain.

Research Council of Norway Approves DTRF Project

Sogndal, Norway / 1 October 2020

On the heels of the very productive BDEM project, a new global partnership is being formed under the title "Transnational Partnership for Excellent Research and Education in Disruptive Technologies for a Resilient Future," thanks to funding provided by the Research Council of Norway and the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (Diku). Funded through 2023, the DTRF project brings together partners from Norway, Japan, China, Hong Kong, India, and the United States. Reflecting the global recognition that CICS is receiving for its research and education efforts, we are one of only two consortium members from the U.S..

Left of Boom VI Connects with a Global Audience

San Diego, California / 9-11 September 2020

If it is May September, then it must be time for Left of Boom, the Annual Conference for Proactive Threat Mitigation Strategies. The sixth iteration of this popular conference series brought many changes, including an all-virtual format. Left of Boom had been envisioned by CICS in 2015 as a unique platform bringing together experts from government, business, and academia to discuss societal challenges in fields as diverse as trade, security, health, environment, and technology. Since then, it has become the preeminent meeting place for organizations seeking a proactive stance in difficult times, lauded by U.S. Senators and Representatives and numerous international organizations, from INTERPOL to the World Customs Organization, as well as the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.
Traditionally organized and hosted by CICS in its entirety, the newest iteration of Left of Boom was coordinated by the Intelligence Research Institute (IRI), led by CICS Co-Director and IRI President Akshay Pottathil, IRI Vice Presidents Jerome Joaquin and Charles Matranga, IRI Strategic Advisor Kinley Williams, and Director of Projects, Andrew Hill. All of them are veteran CICS subject matter experts and researchers. Audio and video production was a proving ground for Speakeasy, a brand-new studio facility within IRI. Adhering to social distancing, CICS Co-Director André Skupin manned a satellite facility at SDSU.
The conference program included 40 speakers from across the globe, including Belgium, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Philippines, and Singapore, to name a few. Among the keynote speakers was John Brown, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI, and Cristiano Amon, President of Qualcomm. Noted highlights included presentations by Ambassador Rasa Ostrauskaite, Permanent Representative of the European Union to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and Ricardo Treviño Chapa, Deputy Secretary General of the World Customs Organization. Naturally, COVID-19 loomed large, with briefings on the work of San Diego County's Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) and Office of Education (COE), and speakers affiliated with DHS, EPA, USGS, and corporate partners reflecting on their approaches and challenges.

CICS Team Members Provide Mentorship on Analytics for Agriculture

San Diego, California / 14 August 2020

Kyle Jones has completed the M.S. program in Geography with a thesis on the use of satellite imagery to investigate the influence of water policies on agriculture in California’s Imperial Valley. He deployed an artificial neural network to make quarterly crop type predictions based on observed NDVI phenology. CICS team members were deeply involved in this work, with Co-Director André Skupin serving as committee chair and Co-Director Akshay Pottathil and CICS subject matter expert Jeffrey McIllwain (School of Public Affairs) as committee members. Having worked closely with Jones and Skupin for the last two years, Geography Professor Trent Biggs acted as quasi co-chair, providing invaluable expertise in watershed modeling and remote sensing to this project, which fit squarely within the scope of the Biggs Watershed Science Lab. In related news, Jones was the winner of the 2020 Esri Development Center Award for SDSU, in recognition of his contributions as teaching assistant and researcher.

Coronavirus SoS Dashboard Receives Feature Updates

San Diego, California / 29 July 2020

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the primacy of science-based approaches in limiting rates of infection and death and enabling economic recovery in the course of sound public health strategies. In this context, science education is of crucial importance.
It is not surprising then that the Coronavirus SoS project continues to receive attention across the globe, with users in 47 countries accessing the site. Much of the interest has been focused on how the story map portion of the project highlights the main research domains and concepts driving the research community. In the meantime, the ArcGIS Dashboard application has recently received a number of feature updates, thanks to inference and hosting services provided by industry partners. Enhancements include a redesigned display of live Wikipedia content and a first, albeit experimental, crosswalk from research concepts to a database of 30,000+ coronavirus publications.

NSF Convergence Accelerator Expo

Alexandria, Virgina / 1-2 July 2020

Innovative technology solutions associated with CICS researchers were featured when 41 teams funded through the National Science Foundation's Convergence Accelerator program convened for a two-day virtual exposition. Teams are currently competing for Phase II funding, when projects may receive up to $5,000,000 for two-year projects. Reflecting his two decades of experience in the application of natural language processing and machine learning for the mapping of knowledge spaces, André Skupin was invited to join the team led by Indiana University as Co-PI. The SAFER project — Situational Awareness for Employment Resilience — aims to put into the hands of workers highly individualized tools to evaluate job risks, while also providing novel means for understanding patterns of risk in the employment landscape.

Skupin Speaks to Industry Consortium

Global / 15 June 2020

The innovative approaches taken by Co-Director Skupin in uncovering scientific knowledge structures surrounding coronavirus were presented to a global audience attending a special session on COVID-19 response that was organized by the OGC Health Domain Working Group. Hosted by the Health DWG Chair, Ajay Gupta, the session featured industry perspectives on how geospatial technology is being leveraged to counter COVID-19 in Australia, Singapore, Germany, Ecuador, and the United States. In addition to presenting the Coronavirus SoS project, Skupin reflected on how patent-pending approaches currently being applied to the geospatial technology domain could be leveraged towards a more integrated understanding of coronavirus concerns.

GI Research Colloquium 2020

Villach, Austria / 15 June 2020

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year's edition of the GI Research Colloqium organized by CUAS in Villach, Austria, was held virtually. CICS was again well represented in the program, with Co-Director Skupin presenting on the Coronavirus SoS project and its global impact, while Piotr Jankowski covered the marriage of spatial decision support tecniques with open knowledge networks.

CICS Returns to Austria (Virtually)

Villach, Austria / 8-10 June 2020

CICS researchers have had a long history of academic exchanges with the Carinthian University of Applied Sciences (CUAS) in Villach, Austria. These have included Tim Schempp spending a research summer in Villach on an Austrian Marshall Plan fellowship, while numerous Austrian students have travelled to San Diego over the years to perform graduate thesis research. Despite travel restrictions due to the current pandemic, another tradition continues, though in virtual form: three-day workshops held by André Skupin and Piotr Jankowski, covering aspects of spatial intelligence and spatial decision support, respectively. The international audience in Skupin's course included students from numerous countries, including Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, and Ghana.

From Knowledge Analytics to Geospatial Intelligence

San Diego, California / 19 May 2020

CICS is known as a source of innovative curricular content that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries to encompass technology, government and business concerns. The Spring 2020 semester at SDSU is coming to a close, and with it the inaugural Knowledge Analytics seminar (GEOG 780) offered by Co-Director Skupin. Its final projects reflect the breadth of techniques discussed in this class, with students delving into topics ranging from international law to macroeconomics, agricultural monitoring, and evolutionary ichthyology. All projects involved novel approaches to big data analytics, including for scientometrics and network visualization.
One semester ends, but another is on the horizon: in the Fall 2020 semester Co-Director Pottathil will again offer his popular Geospatial Intelligence course (GEOG 596), in which the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is sure to play a major role. For details, contact the instructor: akshay.pottathil@sdsu.edu.

Funded Cardiology Project Kicks Off

San Diego, California / 12 May 2020

Funded by Scripps Clinic Medical Group, a team of CICS researchers is embarking on a cardiology project involving a registry of myocardial infarction patients. Co-Director André Skupin and veteran CICS researcher Tim Schempp will build on an earlier pilot study, as they search for clinically relevant patterns, with particular focus on occurrences of stroke after aspiration thrombectomy. They will work closely with interventional cardiologist Keshav Nayak - previously Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Naval Medical Center San Diego - and other cardiologists at Scripps Clinic and beyond.

Industry Recognition of COVID Story Map

San Diego, California / 20 April 2020

Congratulations to Co-Director Skupin for the recognition given to his "Coronavirus SoS" project by GIS industry leader Esri! His guided tour of the coronavirus research domain is being featured by Esri as one of twelve "Innovative Story Maps for COVID-19 Communication". This product of CICS' long-standing expertise in big data analytics, visualization, and hands-on technology solutions has so far been accessed more then 2,000 times and respective social media views have topped 7,500.

Coronavirus Operations Dashboard Deployed

San Diego, California / 18 April 2020

The visualization of the coronavirus research domain, created through scientometric analysis of publication data, is now embedded in an interactive dashboard, powered by ArcGIS Operations Dashboard technology. Users can explore relationships among research areas involved in coronavirus research — from Public Health to Biochemistry and Pharmacology — and diverse concepts. To help novices make sense of the concept space, the dashboard includes live links to respective Wikipedia pages. Future extensions may include links to scientific articles and news reports.

First Results of CICS Coronavirus Study Available

San Diego, California / 29 March 2020

CICS is happy to report that early results are coming in from research being conducted by Co-Director Skupin into the intellectual structure of the coronavirus research community. In early March, a data set of 15,000 scientific publications was collected, spanning more than half a century, from the late 1960s to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Study results are now being turned into a story map — a guided tour of coronavirus research — and made available at bigdata.sdsu.edu/coronavirus/.

NSF Project Meeting on Analytics-Driven Workforce Development

Washington, D.C. / 18 February 2020

In the coming years, a variety of technological advances and social dynamics will assert increasing pressure on labor markets, simultaneously rendering large swaths of professions obsolete while opening an ever-increasing gulf between employer needs and employee qualifications. With funding by the National Science Foundation, a consortium of academic and industry partners has embarked on an analytical approach to improve career guidance. The project convened a meeting of experts providing perspectives from academic, business, and government sectors, with particular focus on guiding people in high-risk professions towards future-proof careers. André Skupin — here seen with Katy Börner and Sean Ahearn — was invited to provide both analytical expertise and reflections on how to leverage public-private partnerships for maximum impact.

Panel on Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence at ICA Seminar

Santa Barbara, California / 1 February 2020

The 2020 edition of the annual Winter Seminar of the Independent Cities Association (ICA) was dedicated to the title theme of "Preparing for Crisis". This included a panel offering industry perspectives on "Cyber Security and Artificial Intelligence" moderated by Göran Eriksson, Vice Mayor of Culver City. Panelists included CICS Co-Director and IRI President Pottathil, CICS Co-Director Skupin, CICS Law Enforcement Liaison and IRI Vice President Jerry Joaquin and Srinivas Atluri of Anvaya Solutions, a Left of Boom sponsor. A lively discussion in response to audience questions ensued, ranging from the security of devices and networks to video analytics and the impact of automation on the workplace.

Seminar on Knowledge Analytics

San Diego, California / 22 January - 22 May 2020

Governments, businesses and citizens alike are struggling with the “fog of more” – the ever-growing stream of diverse knowledge artifacts, from news articles to intelligence reports, social media content, scientific papers, medical records, and more. Knowledge analytics offers a framework for organizing these large, complex and interrelated data sources into meaningful structures, revealing hidden patterns and relationships and allowing monitoring and intervention. A brand-new seminar devoted to this topic is offered this semester at San Diego State University. With CICS Co-Director Skupin at the helm, the seminar will chart the current state and emerging future of knowledge analytics, based on market trends, scientific advances, and evolving toolsets.

Left of Boom VI Launches

San Diego, California / 1 January 2020

Left of Boom VI, the Sixth Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation, has launched. Since its inaugural edition in 2015, Left of Boom has evolved into a unique platform bringing together government, business and academia in the pursuit of innovative solutions to difficult societal problems. Topics at the three-day event, which this year will be held Sep 9-11, range from commerce and trade to environment, health, security, and technology. This year, the conference is jointly organized by CICS and the recently founded Intelligence Research Institute (IRI).

Smart and Safe Cities Forum

Culver City, California / 12 December 2019

CICS and its partner organization IRI were well represented at the "Smart and Safe Cities Forum Los Angeles" that was hosted by the Independent Cities Association (ICA) and Culver City, organized by CTG Intelligence. CICS Co-Director and IRI President Akshay Pottathil acted as moderator of several discussion panels, including one on the evolving role of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in the context of data resilience and smart cities. Several Left of Boom sponsors and IRI partner organizations were on hand to discuss technology trends from cybersecurity to video analytics and knowledge management.

Skupin Gives Spatial Intelligence Course

Bergen, Norway / 24-25 October 2019

CICS Co-Director Skupin gave a two-day course on "Spatial Intelligence for Big Data & Emergency Management" to graduate students in information science at the University of Bergen. Drawing lessons from diverse domains, Skupin discussed the myriad of ways in which moving from geospatial intelligence towards a broader spatial perspective can positively impact analytics scenarios in emergency management. Putting those lessons to practice, groups of students implemented a knowledge analytics workflow to derive insights from published literature and presented results to their peers.

Big Data & Emergency Management Workshop in Norway

Sogndal, Norway / 21-22 October 2019

The BDEM project held its annual workshop in Sogndal, Norway, bringing together researchers from three continents, as well as practitioners engaged in emergency management and graduate students of the University of Bergen. With Co-Director Skupin representing CICS, participants discussed the progress made in this three-year project funded by the Norway Research Council. The workshop program also included a briefing on the European Commission's Horizon 2020 program, with a view of future funding opportunities. Finally, students and practitioners engaged in lively brainstorming on possible indicators used to study and affect change in societal resilience to emergency situations.

CICS as Gold Sponsor of Managed Security Services Forum

San Diego, California / 15 August 2019

The managed security industry convened at the San Diego Automotive Museum for the second annual Managed Security Services Forum. CICS once again served as gold sponsor of the event and CICS personnel was well represented, including the Co-Directors, military and law enforcement liaisons, and several CICS researchers and subject-matter experts. Co-Director Pottathil led through the program, while Co-Director Skupin manned the CICS booth. The program reflected the permeation of computing security concerns across a range of business sectors. In addition to service providers, speakers also included enterprise and security architects of diverse companies, including Esurance, Illumina, Jack in the Box, Lululemon and Teradata, to name a few.

Left of Boom Nurtures Public-Private Partnerships

New York, New York / 30 July 2019

Left of Boom is rapidly evolving into a unique platform to trigger and nurture productive public-private partnerships. Recent efforts saw CICS Co-Director Pottathil and CICS Military Liaison Matranga travel to New York City and Jersey City to join Left of Boom V Sponsor DARVIS in a technology presentation to law enforcement and private sector entities. The team also met with Mr. Samir Saini, who previously served as Chief Information Officer for New York City and Atlanta.

Addressing Local Government Challenges Across the Globe

Calicut, India / 15 July 2019

The Honorable Sri. Thottathil Raveendran (Mayor, Kozhikode City) invited Co-Director Pottathil to offer a seminar to his administration. Attendees ranged from city engineers to Ward Councillors from 75 Wards (neighborhoods) across the city. The presentation covered elements of connected cities, data analysis, critical infrastructure protection, regional security, and disaster management. CICS looks forward to supporting the development of public-private partnerships in the pursuit of future projects with Kozhikode City.

Towards a Global Security Center in India

Gandhinagar, India / 8-12 July 2019

Dr. J M Vyas, Director General of Gujarat Forensic Sciences University (GFSU), invited Co-Director Pottathil for a one-week workshop and meetings aimed at establishing a center for global security in Gandhinagar. The visit included discussions with faculty, students, regional technology providers, forensic scientists, military and border security personnel, and officials engaged in anti-corruption efforts. Pottathil also moderated a panel discussion for Indo-US workshops on “Strengthening Supply Chain Security in the Pharmaceutical and Contract Chemical Synthesis Industries, ” in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Several business leaders met with Pottathil, offering support for future initiatives in India. Next year, GFSU will be hosting the 2020 BORDERPOL Conference, to which CICS members have been invited.

Town Hall Event with CICS Co-Director

Kozhikode, India / 6 July 2019

Co-Director Pottathil offered a seminar on “Innovation, Technology, and Connected Cities,” in collaboraton with Rotary Calicut Green City. The event was inaugurated by the mayor of Kozhikode, the Honorable Sri. Thottathil Raveendran and was designed to create public awareness of CICS' projects, research, and capabilities and launch future initiatives between CICS and the government of India. Attendees included members of academic institutions, regional business leaders, and students.

Seminar at St.Joseph's College

Kozhikode, India / 5 July 2019

The post-graduate and research department of Chemistry at St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous), Devagiri, hosted a one-day seminar titled “Technological Initiatives and Strategies: A Global Perspective” by Co-Director Pottathil. Students and faculty in attendance were briefed on the scope of capabilities that CICS provides in data visualization and pattern detection and in developing solutions within the “Left of Boom” framework. The head of the university is looking forward to seek funding for projects that can leverage this collaborative vision.

CICS Receives Regional Media Coverage

Kerala, India / 4-16 July 2019

A variety of Indian media outlets covered the visit by CICS Co-Director Pottathil to India, including several interviews and feature articles. CICS would like to thank Calicut Press Club and Rotary Calicut Green City for hosting a meeting with journalists to discuss the center’s capabilities and collaborative opportunities. We also extend our appreciation to The Hindu, Malayala Manorama, The Indian Express, Asianet, among others.

INTERPOL WORLD 2019

Singapore / 3 July 2019

Co-Director Pottathil held a series of meetings in Singapore in connection with the Interpol World 2019 conference. Among these events, highlights included a meeting with AC Bhopinder Singh (Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority) and Ms. Rasa Ostrauskaite (Co-ordinator of Activities to Address Transnational Threats at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe). Following up on a number of previous invitations, Pottathil visited various vendors at the conference to discuss collaborative opportunities with CICS and affiliate organizations. These vendors offer products ranging from biometrics and artificial intelligence to forensic tools and data analytics.

CICS Global TV Lends Production Support

San Diego, California / 30 June 2019

CICS Global TV is at it again, this time offering its assistance to a public service film production. The project featured two of our researchers: Paul Lorenz and Andrew Hill, with coordination by CICS Liaisons Matranga and Joaquin. A special thanks to STOPS for making this a reality.

CICS Team Invited to Musical Gala

Tijuana, Mexico / 27 June 2019

Orquestra de Baja California (OBC) held a fundraising gala and invited CICS Co-Director Pottathil and CICS Military Liaison Matranga to attend. The incredible work of musicians, educators, and children were on display at the event. CICS continues to be a strong supporter of a variety of projects in arts and education that contribute to building a vibrant society in the U.S.-Mexico border region and beyond.

Visit to University of Rostock

Rostock, Germany / 18 June 2019

The newly formed Visual and Analytic Computing (VAC) Institute at the University of Rostock, Germany, welcomed André Skupin for a colloquium presentation and a tour of its research facilities. The CICS Co-Director discussed a broad range of medical topics in a presentation titled "Visualizing the Many Spaces of Health". His host, Dr. Christian Tominski, arranged demos by several researchers, covering diverse projects that are typically developed in close coordination with industry and practice partners. Application domains ranged from ophtalmology to air traffic safety. The visit also included a tour of virtual reality and immersive computing facilities by Dr. Daniela Markov-Setter.

Data Mining Workshop and Research Presentation in Austria

Villach, Austria / 3-6 June 2019

Co-Director Skupin traveled to Villach to give a multi-day workshop on data mining and spatial intelligence at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences (CUAS). He also gave an invited research presentation on analytical applications in the health domain. CICS has had a long history of collaboration with CUAS, which is located in southern Austria, near the Italian and Slovenian borders. Skupin has served as external thesis supervisor for several CUAS Master's students who typically spend one semester in San Diego, thanks to support from the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation.

Left of Boom V

San Diego, California / 15-17 May 2019

Left of Boom V, the Fifth Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation, was organized and hosted by CICS on the campus of San Diego State University. CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin served as Conference Chair and Vice-Chair, while Charles Matranga and Jerome Joaquin served as Special Advisors for the military and law enforcement domains, respectively.
The fifth iteration of Left of Boom offered global perspectives on issues ranging from trade and security to health, environment, and technology. Its diverse and forward-looking program attracted speakers and participants from 15 countries. As in previous years, the event again drew enthusiastic endorsements from members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives as well as the San Diego County District Attorney and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. Letters of support were received from such notable organizations as the World Customs Organization (WCO), International Organization for Migration (IOM - the United Nations Migration Agency), BORDERPOL, International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

SDSU President Meets CICS Team

San Diego, California / 10 May 2019

Co-Director Pottathil, DoD Liaison Charles Matranga, Law Enforcement Liaison Jerome Joaquin, and the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, Dr. Norma Bouchard, welcomed the President of San Diego State University, Dr. Adela de la Torre, at CICS. In her remarks, Dr. Bouchard shared the CICS vision and discussed the Center's various accomplishments. The ensuing discussion centered around CICS' past projects, current research, and planned endeavors. President de la Torre congratulated the CICS team on the successful launch of numerous innovative initiatives at SDSU, from envisioning and developing the Left of Boom Conference series to the Geospatial Intelligence course offered by Co-Director Pottathil, and a number of other educational and research efforts across the globe.

Dagstuhl Seminar on "Visual Analytics of Sets over Time and Space"

Dagstuhl, Germany / 5-10 May 2019

André Skupin traveled to Germany to participate in a Dagstuhl Seminar titled "Visual Analytics of Sets over Time and Space." The Leibniz Center for Informatics at Schloss Dagstuhl is the leading conference venue for computer science. Participation in its renowned Dagstuhl Seminars - temporary home to the world's foremost computer scientists - is strictly by invitation only. In addition to contributing to the future research agenda in the field, Co-Director Skupin presented results of his ongoing work with CICS Researcher Tim Schempp on interactive visualization of multitemporal satellite imagery.

CICS Co-Director at Expert Meeting on Spatial Discovery

Santa Barbara, California / 1-3 May 2019

The third and final of a series of expert meetings dealing with spatial discovery, especially for university libraries, was recently organized by the Center for Spatial Studies at the University of California - Santa Barbara. The meeting brought together experts from library science, information retrieval and geographic information science. CICS Co-Director Skupin was invited and asked to speak about the range of user scenarios for spatialization. He called for a more diversified approach, including the potential of technology transfer from universities to industry, with the aim of providing sustainable technology solutions.

Skupin Discusses Healthcare Analytics at CUNY - Hunter College

New York, New York / 17 April 2019

Co-Director Skupin accepted an invitation of Dr. Sean Ahearn, Director of the Center for Advanced Research of Spatial Information (CARSI), to give a guest lecture in a graduate seminar on geoinformatics at City University of New York - Hunter College. Skupin's presentation, titled "Spatial Intelligence for Health" covered a variety of case studies aimed at yielding novel insights for the healthcare domain. In addition to graduate students, the lecture was attended by several community members engaged in such critical issues as organ transplantation, which informed a lively discussion of opportunities for analytics and visualization in improving healthcare delivery.

CICS Researcher as Lead Author in International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction

Sogndal, Norway / 9 April 2019

The participation of CICS in the multi-national consortium on Big Data & Emergency Management (BDEM) — funded by the Norway Research Council — has opened new venues for collaborative research across the globe. CICS researcher Timothy Schempp's two-month visit to Sogndal, Norway, has resulted in a paper that is being published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. With Schempp as first author, the research described in "A framework to integrate social media and authoritative data for disaster relief detection and distribution optimization" involved researchers from Japan (University of Tokyo), Germany (University of Hohenheim) and Norway (Western Norway Research Institute).

Pottathil speaks to Association of Information Technology Professionals at SDSU

San Diego, California / 9 April 2019

Invited by the Association of Information Technology Professionals at San Diego State University (AITP @ SDSU), CICS Co-Director Pottathil spoke about the diverse cyber threats encountered in contemporary society in a presentation titled "Digital Defense." AITP exists to assist students majoring in Information Systems, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering at SDSU and is specifically dedicated to helping students open doors to their future careers.

CICS Visits San Diego Harbor Police

San Diego, California / 8 April 2019

Several CICS team members followed the invitation of San Diego Harbor Police Chief Mark G. Stainbrook to witness first-hand the many and varied security-related tasks fulfilled by the Harbor Police. Co-Director Pottathil was joined by CICS DoD Liaison Charles Matranga, CICS Law Enforcement Liaison Jerome Joaquin and researchers Paul Lorenz & Andrew Hill on a tour of Harbor Police headquarters and capabilities.

Spatial Intelligence goes to Washington

Washington, D.C. / 7 April 2019

On the occasion of the annual meeting of the American Association of Geographers (AAG), Co-Director Skupin traveled to Washington, DC, to introduce a comprehensive vision for extending current geospatial intelligence approaches beyond the geographic domain. He called instead for a "spatial intelligence" approach that systematically applies spatial concepts to diverse data and domains, with particular attention paid to healthcare and biomedicine.

Now Open: Strategic Data Center

Undisclosed Location / 1 April 2019

An experimental data mining center has been launched in collaboration with our global affiliate centers in order to address diverse emerging threats and population dynamics. Co-Director Pottathil gave a tour of this secure facility and visualization center to the CICS Department of Defense (DOD) Liaison Matranga (featured at the facility's security check point). Meanwhile, CICS Law Enforcement Liaison Joaquin led a strategic briefing about location secrecy to the local population through a translator. CICS researchers will be randomly selected to be in charge of this station labeled "Annex 6" on a six-month deputation cycle. We thank our intelligence partners and university leadership for approving this project through a fast-track program.

CICS Capability Briefing to the Port of San Diego

San Diego, California / 20 March 2019

Chief Mark Stainbrook, Vice President of the Port of San Diego and Harbor Police Chief, and his senior leadership team visited CICS to discuss topics ranging from analytics to employee training. Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin, along with CICS Researchers Charlie Matranga, Jerry Joaquin and Paul Lorenz led a roundtable briefing to explore collaborative opportunities. The discussion centered on the impact that the advanced big data analytics and visualization capabilities of CICS could have in enabling the Port of San Diego to discover non-obvious patterns and trends beyond the scope of current commercial applications or existing systems.

CICS/CENDAI Team Visit OSCE Prague

Prague, Czech Republic / 14 March 2019

CENDAI Co-Directors Akshay Pottathil & Miloš Ulman visited the OSCE Documentation Centre in Prague, which holds the permanent historical archives and records of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The visit focused on a discussion of various opportunities in data analytics and visualization with Director Irena Krasnicka. The CENDAI Co-Directors were also given a tour of the facility and a presentation on its capabilities by Director Krasnica. CICS has long enjoyed a very productive relationship with OSCE, having welcomed several high-ranking OSCE officials at the annual Left of Boom conference.

Coffee with Pottathil

Prague, Czech Republic / 12 March 2019

CICS members and CENDAI Co-Directors Pottathil & Ulman welcomed representatives of local government, business and academia to discuss collaborative opportunities involving projects in the Czech Republic. The event, held in a town hall format, was called "Coffee Hour in Prague: Technology, Trade & Beyond."

Workshop on Information Systems Integration

Prague, Czech Republic / 11-15 March 2019

In a further sign of the strong partnership between CICS and the Czech University of Life Sciences, CICS Co-Director Pottathil traveled to Prague to deliver a series of lectures on the strategic development of information systems. Topics discussed in this workshop ranged from the evaluation of entrepreneurial activity to strategic marketing efforts that leverage information systems platforms.

Visit by Big Data & Emergency Management Project Director

San Diego, California / 8 February 2019

CICS is a founding partner in a transnational partnership dedicated to "Big Data and Emergency Management" (BDEM) that has been funded by the Norway Research Council since 2017. The consortium brings together partners from Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States, led by Dr. Rajendra Akerkar of Western Norway Research Institute. Dr. Akerkar recently traveled from Norway to San Diego to engage in discussions with CICS researchers regarding the current state and future plans of the BDEM project. He also gave a presentation in the Geography Department's colloquium series, highlighting a variety of current projects involving the big data topic.

Collaboration with Independent Cities Association

Beverly Hills, California / 10 January 2019

CICS Subject Matter Experts Greg Spiker and Jerome Joaquin, along with Co-Director Pottathil, met with elected officials and board members of the Independent Cities Association (ICA) at Beverly Hills City Hall to take action on collaborative opportunities that will extend beyond participating at ICA events. The ICA board unanimously agreed to move forward with this initiative, which will develop training programs and other projects to support the needs of ICA member cities. Mayor Julian Gold (Beverly Hills) and his team have been working with CICS to identify such opportunities since the 2018 ICA conference in Santa Barbara.

Left of Boom V Registration Opens

San Diego, California / 9 January 2019

CICS is pleased to announce that registration for Left of Boom V, the Fifth Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation, is now open. Over the course of three days (May 15-17, 2019) this invitation-only event will bring together experts in fields as diverse as global security, criminology, medicine, communication, big data, and adaptive intelligence. Previous iterations of the conference drew numerous endorsements from Members of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and international organizations, from INTERPOL to the World Customs Organization. A core mission of the Left of Boom series is to foster cross-fertilization among military and civilian domains and to provide a venue for open dialogue and exchange of ideas between public and private organizations from across the globe. The list of speakers at previous events will be reflective of this integrative vision. Visit leftofboomconference.com to request an invitation.

District Attorney Swearing-In Ceremony

San Diego, California / 7 January 2019

The San Diego District Attorney's office invited CICS Co-Director Pottathil as a distinguished guest to the swearing-in of District Attorney Summer Stephan. Attendees of the ceremony included Stephan's family members as well as various judges, attorneys, community leaders, and law enforcement representatives of local, state, tribal and federal government. CICS and the Left of Boom conference series have a long history of collaboration with the District Attorney's office. Co-Director Pottathil previously worked with Summer Stephan to address such problems as human trafficking and violence against women while she was a Deputy District Attorney. Pottathil said that "her professionalism and commitment are second to none."

CICS Recognized during Concert at CECUT

Tijuana, Mexico / 18 December 2018

A delegation representing CICS, including its leadership team and several CICS researchers and previous students of Co-Director Pottathil's Geospatial Intelligence class (GEOG 596) traveled to Tijuana on invitation of Alma Delia Ábrego, Director of Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM). Their visit entailed a concert at Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), during which several professional and youth orchestras and choirs performed a wide-ranging program, from classical music to latin rhythms and African folk songs. Particularly gratifying was the public recognition that Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin received at the event in connection with CICS' various cross-border cultural initiatives. In recent years, CICS has increasingly developed collaborative ties with Mexican cultural institutions, including CAM and the Orquesta de Baja California.

CICS Global TV Team at Baja Studios

Rosarito, Mexico / 1 December 2018

CICS Co-Directors Akshay Pottathil and André Skupin traveled to Rosarito, Mexico, to examine collaborative opportunities involving CICS Global TV and Baja Studios. Writer and director Rodrigo Alvarez Flores welcomed them for a personal tour of the extensive studio complex, where such notable features as Titanic (1997), Pearl Harbor (2001), and Master and Commander: the Far Side of the World (2003) were produced. Following the debut of "Breaking News" at the Left of Boom IV conference earlier this year, CICS Global TV is currently delineating its future productions.

Exploring CICS Links with Georgia

San Diego, California / 15 November 2018

The Honorary Consul of Georgia, Melory Tsipouria, recently visited the Center for a discussion of CICS' long-standing activities in the Caucasus region and an exploration of further prospects. Following his visit to CICS, the Honorary Consul gave a presentation to students of SDSU's program in International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR).

Pottathil Gives Invited Master Talk at International Downtown Association Conference

San Antonio, Texas / 25 October 2018

Illustrating the wide-flung recognition of CICS expertise in contemporary urban issues, Co-Director Pottathil accepted an invitation to give a Master Talk at the 64th Annual International Downtown Association conference held in San Antonio. The other speakers in his session were Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Laris Ortiz, New York City Planning Commissioner. Pottathil's presentation touched on various aspects of city planning, curb space management, autonomous transportation, and cybersecurity.

CICS Contributes to Big Data and Emergency Management Workshop

Sogndal & Bergen, Norway / 22-24 October 2018

In connection with a workshop hosted by the Western Norway Research Institute, CICS Co-Director André Skupin presented the first comprehensive scientometric survey of the multidisciplinary domain of Big Data & Emergency Management (BDEM). CICS is a founding member of the international BDEM consortium, which includes member institutions from Norway, Hong Kong, Japan, and the United States and is being funded by the Norway Research Council. The two-day workshop is followed by a BDEM hackathon held at the University of Bergen.

Exploring Collaborative Opportunities in India

Mumbai, India / 18 October 2018

Following up on previous discussions with Amb. Ashok Venkatesan (Consul General of India, San Fransisco), Akshay Pottathil traveled to India for a series of meetings. This included discussions with musician Stephen Devassy regarding an India-Mexico collaborative project centered on Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM) in Tijuana (see July 9 news item "Empowerment through Music"). Pottathil also met with Commander Gautam Nanda (Associate Partner, Aerospace Defence and Security, BDO India) to discuss opportunities for collaboration between CICS and BDO India, one of the leading business & management consulting firms in India.

Official CENDAI Appointment Ceremony

Prague, Czech Republic / 12 October 2018

With a ceremony held at the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) in Prague, Dr. Martin Pelikan (Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management) officially appointed CICS Co-Director Pottathil as Co-Director at the Center for Data Analytics and Intelligence (CENDAI). The CICS leadership team notes with appreciation the continued support received from Dean Pelikan and CULS faculty members, which has resulted in CENDAI successfully establishing a research team and securing office space.

Skupin as Invited Speaker at Inaugural Forward Summit

Charlotte, North Carolina / 11 October 2018

Co-Director André Skupin followed an invitation of Passport Labs to give a cornerstone presentation at the Inaugural "Forward Summit" held in Charlotte, NC. The event brought together thought leaders from government, business and academia to discuss innovative solutions in urban mobility, smart cities, predictive analytics and deep mapping. Skupin discussed how "Spatial Intelligence" can inform novel and integrative solutions involving diverse data sources.
The other cornerstone speakers were Anthony Foxx, incoming Chief Policy Officer at Lyft, who previously served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Keith Chen, Associate Professor of Economics at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, previously Head of Economic Research at Uber, and Stephen Goldsmith, Director of the Innovations in American Government Program at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, previously Deputy Mayor of New York, Mayor of Indianapolis, and Chief Domestic Policy Advisor to the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush.

CICS Workshops in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic / 8-12 October 2018

In continuation of CICS' strong links with the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS), Co-Director Pottathil traveled to Prague to teach two courses: Business Information Systems & Systems Integration. Students enrolled in these courses represented a wide range of nationalities and, in the course of Pottathil's practice-relevant curricular offerings, generated eight successful project proposals for the region.

From Transportation to Disaster Management

Manila, Phillipines / 29 September 2018

Members of the CICS leadership team met with the Chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Brig. Gen. Danilo (Danny) Lim, to discuss opportunities in traffic management and provide a status report on research conducted by students of the Fall 2018 Geospatial Intelligence course (GEOG 596) at San Diego State University. In other news, Philippines National Police personnel and Hotelier Ms. Reyes (Aristocrat) organized a dinner to discuss NGO activities in Manila and potential collaboration with CICS and initiatives springing from the annual Left of Boom conference.

Global Impact of Left of Boom Conference

Manila, Phillipines / 28 September 2018

Akshay Pottathil organized a ballistics demonstration for Bureau of Customs Commissioner Isidro "Sid" Lapeña and Philippines National Police (PNP) leadership personnel. A sign of the growing global impact and recognition of CICS' annual Left of Boom Conference was that the CICS Co-Director was accompanied by industry sponsors of Left of Boom IV, who had an opportunity to demonstrate their product and services.

First Results of Cardiology Project Revealed

San Diego, California / 21 September 2018

Dr. Keshav Nayak, CICS Subject Matter Expert and previous Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Lab at Naval Medical Center San Diego, presented first results of a nascent collaboration between CICS, the Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation and Cedars Sinai Heart Institute at TCT 2018, the annual meeting of the Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) community. Nayak, an interventional cardiologist and expert in humanitarian medicine, healthcare management and global health, discussed the analysis of a multi-year database of ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients that was largely executed by CICS Researcher Tim Schempp, with guidance by Co-Director Skupin.

CICS as Gold Sponsor of Managed Security Services Forum

San Diego, California / 21 August 2018

The Managed Security Services Forum was for the first time held in San Diego, with CICS as Gold Sponsor and Co-Director Pottathil moderating the program. Numerous industry experts discussed emerging challenges and opportunities in the MSS sector, which provides network security services ranging from intrusion detection to security audits, patch management, and emergency response. The accompanying industry exhibit gave CICS an opportunity to showcase its diverse research and educational activities.

Empowerment Through Music

Tijuana, Mexico / 9 July 2018

Musician Stephen Devassy followed an invitation of CICS Co-Director Pottathil to participate in a collaborative project discussion with Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM) and the Baja California orchestra. Armando Pesqueira (Conductor, Baja California Orchestra) and Alma Delia Ábrego (Director, CAM) joined this meeting with Pottathil in Tijuana. The visit also included meetings with senior members of the Baja California arts community and students from CAM, who performed on this occasion. Mr. Devassy played the piano for the group and also toured the CAM facility while engaging in discussions of technology with attending staff. Earlier this year, CAM students had performed at the Left of Boom IV conference. Pottathil shared CICS' vision for supporting tribal and indigenous populations globally and the growing capabilities of CICS to improve peoples lives through education.

DHS Joint Small Business Industry Day

Chula Vista, California / 21 June 2018

In connection with the Industry Day organized the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and United States Coast Guard (USCG), CICS Co-Director Pottathil was invited to present ideas on how academia can be leveraged toward greater societal good and impact. The audience of small business owners and government officials included many previous attendees of the annual "Left of Boom" conference series, hosted by CICS. The event highlighted the unique role played by CICS in catalyzing public-private partnership across the nation.

Skupin Presents on Data Mining, Big Data and Emergency Management

Villach, Austria / 12-14 June 2018

Co-Director Skupin followed an invitation of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences to deliver a three-day workshop within a graduate data mining course, with a focus on "Spatial Intelligence for Visual Understanding and Decision Support." He also gave a public research lecture in which he discussed results of CICS' participation in the international consortium Big Data and Emergency Management that is funded by the Norway Research Council.

Discussions of South East Asia Security and Trade Issues

Manila, Philippines / 1-6 June 2018

Co-Directors Pottathil held series of meetings with top Philippine officials on the latest technology trend and persistent surveillance frameworks. The discussions included an integration of a social media platform and information sharing system for law enforcement agencies in order to assist personnel in the detection, deterrence, and defense against emerging threats. These meetings included Brigadier General Dannilo Lim, Police Chief Superintendents Valeriano De Leon and Gulliermo Eleaza and others in top national leadership positions.

Co-Director Follows Invitation to Present at IFCBA World Conference

Manila, Philippines / 29-30 May 2018

Co-Director Pottathil delivered a presentation titled "The New Face of International Trade" at the International Federation of Customs Brokers Associations (IFCBA) World Conference that washosted by the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc. (CCBI). The event focused on "Redefining Global Trade Practices: A Conference for Customs Brokers and their Trade Partners". Senior leaders representing the World Customs Organization (Deputy Secretary Treviño Chapa) and the Philippines Bureau of Customs (Commissioner Lapeña), along with the CCBI president and vice president (Atty. Ferdinand Nague and Mr. Samuel Bautista, respectively) shared their joint vision to improve the flow the of goods through ports and borders with the CICS Co-Director. Pottathil serves as the Vice President, Technology, for BORDERPOL, the global organization of customs and border professionals. On another note, Pottathil also acted as emcee of the cultural night on the final day of the conference.

Pottathil Meets Winning Teams at International Space Development Conference

Los Angeles, California / 24-27 May 2018

CICS Co-Director Pottathil met and discussed opportunities in geospatial intelligence and collaborative research with several winning teams at the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) organized by the National Space Society. Pottathil emphasized the alignment between CICS' "Left of Boom" series and the development of space technology in connection with ISDC's theme of "Space Travel: Putting People into Space". The student teams he met were representing a vast range of educational institutions, from high schools in India to "Students for the Exploration and Development of Space " (SEDS) at the University of California, San Diego.

CICS Leadership Follows Invitation of General Consul of Azerbaijan

Los Angeles, California / 23 May 2018

CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin were happy to accept an invitation by the Consul General of Azerbaijan to attend a special celebration in honor of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. Among the notable accomplishments of the Republic had been the granting of voting rights to women as early as 1919, the first muslim-majority country to do so. In connection with the event, a congratulatory letter of CICS was presented to the Consul General, Nasimi Aghayev. The participation of the Co-Directors at this celebration follows a series of collaborative activities, including several workshops and student presentations given in Azerbaijan and a keynote given by the Consul General at Left of Boom IV earlier this month.

Skupin Speaks on Big Data and Health Applications

Round Rock, Texas / 17-18 May 2018

André Skupin, CICS Co-Director and expert on big data analytics, followed an invitation to speak at a "Health and GIS" conference organized by Texas State University in Round Rock, Texas. Skupin reflected on his experiences in applying natural language processing (NLP), machine learning and visualization to large collections of biomedical publications and patient records. Sponsored by regional medical providers Baylor Scott & White Health, Ascension and Seton Medical Center and Texas Oncology, the event brought together academic researchers and medical and public health practitioners to discuss trends in the application of GIS and related technologies to the medical domain and explore opportunities for novel collaborative partnerships.

Fourth Annual Left of Boom Conference

San Diego, California / 2-4 May 2018

Left of Boom, the Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation, was once again organized and hosted by CICS on the campus of San Diego State University. CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin served as Chair and Vice-Chair, respectively, with Jerome Joaquin and Lee Wakefield serving as Special Advisors.
The fourth iteration of this conference drew speakers from diverse countries, including Azerbaijan, Czech Republic, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, to name a few. Several Members of the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives sent letters of support, as did international organizations like the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) and BORDERPOL.
Topics discussed during the three-day event ranged from trade to security, health, environment, science, and technology, framed by the inaugural production of CICS Global TV, "Breaking News."
Coinciding with the start of Left of Boom IV, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors issued a proclamation honoring CICS and declaring May 2, 2018 the "Center for Information Convergence and Strategy Day" throughout the County.

Workshop on Information Systems Strategies

Prague, Czech Republic / 16-20 April 2018

Following a request by the Czech University of Life Sciences, CICS Co-Director Pottathil recently returned to Prague to give a series of lectures on the strategic development of information systems. Topics discussed in this workshop ranged from the evaluation of entrepreneurial activity to strategic marketing efforts that leverage information systems platforms.

CICS Is Granted BORDERPOL Center of Excellence Status

Prague, Czech Republic / 11-12 April 2018

CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil chaired the 2018 BORDERPOL annual conference, held in Prague, Czech Republic. Pottathil, who was recently promoted to serve as BORDERPOL's Vice President for Technology, also delivered a presentation titled "Digital Border Challenges for Ports and Borders" at the conference's plenary session.
In other news, BORDERPOL - a worldwide organization of border professionals headquartered in Ottawa, Canada - has granted CICS its "Center of Excellence" status. Previously, CICS had been given the "Affiliate Academic Research Center" status by the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU).

CICS Researchers Present at AAG Annual Meeting

New Orleans, Louisiana / 10-14 April 2018

Several CICS researchers traveled to New Orleans to present at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers, reflecting the holistic range of approaches within the Center's purview. In the context of CICS' participation in the global Big Data and Emergency Management consortium, Co-Director Skupin presented a scientometric analysis of the intersection of computing technology and emergency management. This is designed to inform curricular development and setting of strategic research directions. Timothy Schempp, winner of the 2018 Esri Development Center Student-of-the-Year award at SDSU, presented his thesis research, applying Skupin's tri-space analytics framework to multi-temporal and multi-spectral satellite imagery. Other CICS researchers presenting in New Orleans included Piotr Jankowski (Chair, Department of Geography), Doug Stow, Atsushi Nara, and Fernando De Sales.

CICS Investigates Easter Island Mystery

Hanga Roa, Chile / 1 April 2018

Easter Island's monolithic statues, the moai, have been an enigma for centuries. Using a combination of historic aerial photographs, recent drone imagery, and advanced natural language processing and data visualization techniques, CICS researchers have discovered startling connections between the moai, other iconographic artifacts found on the island, and patterns of human dynamics during a long gone mobile age. Detailed results of the study, though initially planned for publication, are currently being withheld, due to the explosive nature of the findings.

Pottathil Gives Keynote at Smart Parking / Smart Cities Symposium

Chicago, Illinois / 29 March 2018

Co-Director Pottathil gave a highly anticipated keynote, titled "Autonomous Motives," at the Smart Parking / Smart Cities Symposium that was held in conjunction with the annual Parking Industry Exhibition (PIE 2018). In front of a packed house Pottathil raised many issues - and some eyebrows - regarding emerging transportation infrastructure, questioning key assumptions and approaches of industry stakeholders. Autonomous vehicles are a case-in-point. As Pottathil put it, someone could "hack in, turn off the engine when you are going 80 mph or, in the case of cars that can park themselves, tell it to park in the middle of the street or on the freeway."
Pictured here are Pottathil on stage with Brandy Stanley (Parking Services Manager, City of Las Vegas) and being interviewed by John Van Horn (Editor, Parking Today).

CICS Researcher Wins Esri Development Center Award

San Diego, California / 23 March 2018

CICS congratulates Tim Schempp to being named the 2018 Student-of-the-Year by the Esri Development Center (EDC) at San Diego State University. In its nomination letter, the EDC recognized the broad range of Tim's contributions in developing technology solutions for diverse domains. Examples include his development of an interactive data visualization of the social network and socio-spatial dynamics of wild pigs, his work in applying natural language processing techniques to the study of urban agriculture, and his contributions to the project "Relational Analysis International Nexus (RAIN)," a collaboration between SDSU's Center for International Business Education & Research (CIBER) and CICS. The EDC award carries a monetary prize by GIS market leader Esri.
In other news, Tim successfully defended his Master's thesis proposal. In his research, he is developing a system for exploratory visualization of multispectral and multitemporal ssatellite imagery. In the pursuit of this effort, he spent the summer of 2017 at the Carinthia University of Applied Technology in Villach, Austria, on an Austrian Marshall Plan fellowship

U.S. State Department Offical Visits CICS

San Diego, California / 9 March 2018

Dr. Debbie Fugate, Deputy Director of the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues at the U.S. Department of State, received a tour of CICS from its Co-Directors. Pottathil and Skupin updated Dr. Fugate on the wide range of global initiatives and activities that CICS has been engaged in since her previous visit to the Center in 2016. Of particular interest was CICS' success in seeding innovation in Central Europe, the Middle East and South-East Asia. Further points of discussion included the international "Big Data and Emergency Management" consortium, of which CICS is a founding partner, and the annual "Left of Boom" conference series. Later that day, Dr. Fugate gave a presentation in the Geography Department's colloquium series, which is coordinated by Co-Director Skupin. Her talk was well-attended, with audience members from across the SDSU campus.

Collaboration with the Republic of Azerbaijan

San Diego, California / 21 February 2018

Co-Director Pottathil, a 2017 recipient of the medal "For Consolidation of Customs Cooperation" by the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee, met with the Consul General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Nasimi Aghayev, to debate a wide range of collaborative opportunities. The discussion also covered the excellent presentations that CICS leadership and researchers - including several student researchers - have given in Azerbaijan in recent years. The Consul General expressed his interest and support for future CICS initiatives. In related news, Pottathil continues to serve on the Advisory Board of The Journal of Customs & Economics Review (JCER), published by the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee's Academy.

Geography Students attend Hostler Institute Lecture

San Diego, California / 19 February 2018

During the Spring 2018 Lecture of the Charles W. Hostler Institute on World Affairs the former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, Dr. Michael G. Vickers, discussed national security challenges associated with a return of great power competition (China, Russia), regional powers with growing capabilities and expansionist aims (DPRK, Iran), the continued threat from global jihadist groups (al-Qa'ida, ISIS), and accelerating technological change that is transforming the distribution of wealth and power. He highlighted the changing posture the United States and its allies need to adopt in this new era of international security. Students in Co-Director Skupin's "Knowledge Visualization" seminar (GEOG 780) were invited to this event and took the opportunity to engage in a live concept mapping exercise. Meanwhile, Co-Director Pottathil accepted an invitation to join Dr. Vickers, Mrs. Hostler, Dean Bouchard, SDSU Past President Weber and several former U.S. diplomats for a reception and dinner at the College of Arts & Letters.

CICS Global TV Launches

San Diego, California / 10 February 2018

Filming of "Breaking News" started over the weekend at various locations across San Diego. This also represents the official launch of CICS Global TV, a production house under the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy (CICS). "This maiden project will form the core of our upcoming Left of Boom IV conference, and we are confident that it will have a positive impact on that event and the broader community" said Co-Director Pottathil, who is directing this venture. Shooting will continue through March 2018, followed by post-production in April. The film is going to be screened exclusively for the production team on May 1, 2018. As stated by Co-Director Skupin, "it is impressive how CICS has transformed itself into a center where no idea is beyond reach."

Mongolian Delegation Receives Security Briefing

San Diego, California / 5 February 2018

Mongolian Consulate officials were briefed by Co-Director Pottathil on a wide array of CICS security training capabilities, ranging from civil protection to countering human trafficking. The briefing was presented within a visit to San Diego State University by Galbadral Enkhtur (Consul General of Mongolia in San Francisco), Mendjargal Ganbold (Consul), and Sukhbaatar Chuluunbaatar (Vice Consul).

Cybersecurity Threats to Governments and Public Institutions

Santa Barbara, California / 27 January 2018

Akshay Pottathil gave an invited presentation titled "Decoding The Internet of Threats (IoT)" to the Independent Cities Association's Winter Seminar, which was held in Santa Barbara. Fellow panelists included FBI Special Agent Ron Manuel and former FBI Special Agent Maureen O'Connell. The session was moderated by Mark Henderson (City of Gardena Council Member and President-Elect, ICA). According to feedback received, elected officials felt that the CICS Co-Director's discussion of emerging cybersecurity threats and associated risk factors was both "scary" and "eye-opening." Pottathil and CICS Subject Matter Expert Greg Spiker also met with Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell, following his impactful presentation on the national narcotics crisis.

Left of Boom IV Registration at Record Pace

San Diego, California / 18 January 2018

Within two weeks of the launch of Left of Boom IV, conference registration has been progressing at a record pace, with 75% of available seats already allocated. The CICS leadership team thanks the sponsors and speakers, as well as the numerous conference volunteers, for their support of this important endeavor.
Early registration ended January 15 and regular registration rates are now in force. Please direct any further requests for registration or sponsorship to the organizers via lob.sdsu.edu.

Pottathil on UCSD Panel on Human Trafficking

San Diego, California / 17 January 2018

"NO MORE, NO MORE: Women, Girls, ICT & Violence" is a special program hosted by the Social Impact and Innovation initiative at the University of California - San Diego, aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking and contributing to the national conversation on this issue. CICS Co-Director Pottathil was an invited panelist at the program's most recent event, held at Atkinson Hall Auditorium on the UCSD campus. The event was opened by Pradeep K. Khosla (UC San Diego Chancellor) & Elizabeth H. Simmons (UC San Diego Executive Vice Chancellor), followed by a keynote by Summer Stephan (San Diego County District Attorney) and a panel discussion moderated by Carrie Hessler-Radelet (President and CEO, Project Concern International - PCI). Concluding remarks were given by Suresh Subramani (Distinguished Professor and Former Exec. Vice Chancellor, UCSD). In addition to CICS, other entities invited to the discussion panel include UCSD's Qualcomm Institute, the UCSD Center on Gender Equity and Health, and the FBI.
In his remarks, Pottathil highlighted a number of relevant technology trends, including end-to-end encryption, but also stressed the need for broader societal responsibility in recognizing and countering human trafficking in all its forms. Other CICS participants included Co-Director Skupin and several CICS researchers, subject matter experts, and supporters, highlighting the ongoing commitment of the Center to developing strategic solutions to the illicit trafficking of humans and commodities.

Left of Boom IV Launched

San Diego, California / 1 January 2018

CICS is proud to announce the launch of Left of Boom IV, the Fourth Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation. It will be held May 2-4 on the campus of San Diego State University. Left of Boom is an invitation-only event that has established itself as a unique venue for the open exchange of ideas from business, government, and academia, spanning a wide range of domains, including national defense, border security, infrastructure protection, emergency management, healthcare, and environment. You can request an invitation at lob.sdsu.edu.

Visit to Bergen Joint Cooperation Center

Bergen, Norway / 16 November 2017

Co-Director Pottathil followed an invitation to visit the Joint Cooperation Center at the Bergen Municipality Office (City Hall) to discuss collaborative opportunities with Mr. Ivar Konrad Lunde (Head) and Mr. Snorre Halvorsen (Special Advisor) of the "Section for Public Safety and Emergency Management." Among the points of discussion were the ongoing BDEM project - a global consortium funded by the Research Council of Norway, with CICS as a founding partner - and possible training missions in connection with the CICS-affiliated Center for Data Analytics and Intelligence (CENDAI) in Prague.

Big Data and Emergency Management Project Workshop

Bergen, Norway / 13-15 November 2017

The CICS Leadership team - Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin - traveled to Bergen, Norway, to participate in the second workshop of the international "Big Data and Emergency Management" consortium. Researchers from Norway, Japan, Hong Kong and the United States met with emergency management practitioners from urban administration, fire services, and civil aviation to discuss ways in which education and research activities in the BDEM domain can be developed for maximum real-world impact.

Collaboration between CICS and Hostler Institute

San Diego, California / 8 November 2017

CICS researchers and students of the Geospatial Intelligence course (GEOG 596) taught by Co-Director Pottathil) attended a presentation given by Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok (Consul General of India - San Fransisco) within the lecture series of the Charles W. Hostler Institute on World Affairs. Amb. Ashok spoke about "India-U.S. Partnership: A New Paradigm," covering various aspects of current India-US relations, including political, economic, and cutural topics. On invitation of CICS, two student societies were invited as well, the recently founded Society for Information Convergence and Strategy (SICS; President: Aishwaryaa Dev) and Sanskriti (President: Ankita Chaturvedi). Students also had a chance to interact with Dean Norma Bouchard and Ms. Chinyeh Hostler.

RAI Amsterdam Security Conference

Amsterdam, Netherlands / 1 November 2017

CICS Co-Director Pottathil delivered a keynote titled "Strategic Data Analytics, Visualization, and Social Media Exploration" to the RAI Amsterdam Security Conference and Expo. He offered reflections on spatial intelligence, data fusion, and pattern recognition, focusing on how they can be leveraged into actionable intelligence for public and private sectors. The event included a scenario-based discussion with senior level government and private sector leaders. Pottathil challenged attending professionals to move towards a strategic and collaborative information convergence platform through public-private partnerships. Given the diverse audience, the role of academia in solving such challenges as cybersecurity and organizational capacity building was addressed as well.
Pictured here are Pottathil along with Mr. David Thompson (Event Director, Clarion Defence & Security) and Ms. Nynke Lipsius-Mulder (Director, RAI Amsterdam).

CICS Affiliate Center Inauguration in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic / 26 October 2017

A special event was held in Prague on October 26 to celebrate the inauguration of the Center for Data Analytics and Intelligence (CENDAI), located on the campus of the Czech University of Life Sciences. CENDAI was established at the Faculty of Economics and Management in cooperation with San Diego State University's Center for Information Convergence and Strategy. CICS Co-Director Pottathil will serve as CENDAI Co-Director, while CICS Co-Director Skupin has been appointed as CENDAI's Associate Director for Data Visualization and Analytics. The inauguration was opened by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management, Dr. Martin Pelikán and the Vice Dean for R&D, Associate Professor Milan Houška.
The opening keynote, highlighting the strategic vision and future activities of the Center, was given by Co-Director Akshay Pottathil. Distinguished guests from the Czech Ministry of Interior, private companies and academia then convened and discussed opportunities for collaboration. CENDAI will serve as a research, consultancy and project platform for developing new ideas and support innovative solutions addressing current challenges in technology, security, trade, finance and public affairs.

Systems Integration and Business Information Systems Workshop

Prague, Czech Republic / 23-26 October 2017

More than 40 students participated in CICS' workshop on Systems Integration and Business Information Systems at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. Delivered by Co-Director Pottathil, the rigorous course requirements - including a final paper, exams, and overall contribution - resulted in 22 students receiving a CICS "Certificate of Excellence." During the workshop, students focused their efforts on the global agriculture industry.

Co-Director Presents on "Trade Facilitation & Security"

San Diego, California / 19 September 2017

The SDSU International Business Society invited Co-Director Pottathil to give a talk on "Trade Facilitation & Security" at the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Several members of the organization previously attended workshops held by CICS in Europe during the summer and are seeking opportunities for ongoing engagement with CICS.

Pottathil as Special Guest at Sanskriti Orientation

San Diego, California / 26 August 2017

Akshay Pottathil was a special guest at an annual event hosted by the Sanskriti Association of Indian Students at SDSU. This orientation event for Indian students was held at SDSU's International Student Center. Pottathil spoke about the Indian American experience and its impact on a globalized society across multiple domains.

CICS Researchers Return to Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM)

Tijuana, Baja California / 22 August 2017

In alignment with the collaborative initiative launched by CICS and CAM earlier this year, Co-Director Pottathil, several CICS researchers and students taking the Geospatial Intelligence course (GEOG 596) were happy to accept a special invitation to an exclusive CAM musical evening. Pottathil, along with Mexican elected officials and business leaders, was also invited to give closing remarks.
CAM and CICS leadership further held a meeting to discuss plans for a large musical project with the working title "ESPERANZA: UN VIAJE MUSICAL" that is is scheduled to premiere in 2018. Pottathil will play an active role in developing this project, which aims at raising awareness of issues of global concern while offering music and digital media as a means for affecting positive transformation. "I trust that my personal knowledge of international challenges and digital technology, along with CICS' special capabilities, can be an excellent resource for CAM, contributing energy and expertise towards successful realization of this project," said the CICS Co-Director.

CICS/BORDERPOL Visit to Czech Ministry of Interior

Prague, Czech Republic / 20 July 2017

Akshay Pottathil, CICS Co-Director and BORDERPOL Director of Digital Borders, visited the Czech Ministry of Interior to discuss the upcoming BORDERPOL Prague Conference and CICS' role with Mr. Jiří Nováček (First Deputy Minister), Mr. Ondřej Koutek (Head of EU Unit), and Mr. Jiří Čelikovský (Department of Asylum and Migration). Pottathil was accompanied by Dr. Miloš Ulman (CICS Czech Liaison / Faculty of Czech University of Life Sciences), Mr. Tim Porter and Mr. David Thompson (Clarion Defence & Security).

CICS and Czech University of Life Sciences Offer Week-Long Workshop

Prague, Czech Republic / 17-22 July 2017

CICS, in collaboration with the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) conducted the inaugural workshop "Continuity of Operations: Threats, Technology, and Trade." The workshop was developed by CICS Co-Director Pottathil, Dr. Vlastimil Černý and Dr. Miloš Ulman. Workshop content and activities included a macroeconomic overview, tax fraud issues, usability engineering, cyber security, e-governance and visits to a usability lab, a major industrial facility (Foxconn), and the Czech Parliament. See video testimonials.

Skupin as Invited Panelist at Esri Science Symposium

San Diego, CA / 11 July 2017

Co-Director Skupin was an invited panelist at the Esri Science Symposium, held in conjunction with the Esri International User Conference. During the Symposium, convened by Esri Chief Scientist Dawn Wright, an audience of several hundred people witnessed a keynote by Jon Foley, Executive Director of the California Academy of Sciences. This was followed by a robust panel discussion touching on issues ranging from science communication to political discourse.

CICS Participation at Customs Management Conference

Qusar, Azerbaijan / 3-7 July 2017

A CICS delegation led by Co-Director Pottathil participated at the 2nd International Student Conference "Contemporary Issues and Challenges in Customs Management" in Azerbaijan. CICS Researchers Colby Tunick and Aishwaryaa Dev presented on "Emerging and Evolving Customs Challenges," while Pottathil's talk was titled "Network of Everything: Future Challenges of Customs Management." Conference participants included multiple Nobel Laureates, directors general of customs organizations from across the globe, as well as representatives of business, academia, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations.

Visit to Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM)

Tijuana, Baja California / 22 June 2017

CICS leadership visited the Center for Musical Arts (CAM) in Tijuana, which has first-class facilities that are specially designed for artistic education, including 60 classrooms for individual and group instruction, 2 rehearsal rooms, an audio library, a concert forum, and a recording studio. The Director of CAM, Ms. Alma Delia Abrego, and CICS Co-Director Pottathil agreed to collaborate on opportunities to promote arts and music in the cross-border region.

Skupin Visualization Spotted at Stanford University

Stanford, CA / 22 June 2017

Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist of Esri, recently came across CICS Co-Director Skupin's 2005 work "In Terms of Geography" while visiting the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford University. This iconic visualization was among the first to combine natural language processing, machine learning, GIS, and traditional cartographic design principles. This approach has since been developed further, resulting in patent applications and commercialization. SDSU students will be able to learn about visualization techniques in these upcoming courses: Cartographic Design / Data Visualization (GEOG 581, Fall 2017), Knowledge Visualization (GEOG 780, Spring 2018).

Pottathil as Invited Panelist at International Summit on Borders

Washington, DC / 14 June 2017

Co-Director Pottathil was invited to an expert panel at the International Summit on Borders, held at The Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC. Moderated by Lars Karlsson (Managing Director, KGH Global Consulting), the panel was titled "SAFE, SAFER: The next generation of international security standards needed for the global supply chain." Pottathil introduced a new paradigm for Digital Borders and Customs, highlighting the crucial role of data integrity, knowledge visualization, and domain maps in tackling new challenges in border enforcement and transnational crimes. Further perspectives on enhanced trade and border security were presented by Alan Bersin (Former DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs) and David Widdowson (President, International Network of Customs Universities).

Skupin gives workshop at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

Villach, Austria / 30 May - 1 June 2017

The multi-year tradition of academic exchanges with the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences continued with CICS Co-Director Skupin delivering a workshop to graduate students in the "Data Mining" course within CUAS' Geoinformatics Department. This year's workshop focused on "Spatial Intelligence" techniques. Skupin also gave a research presentation to faculty and students titled "Social Networks of Wild Pigs: A Visual Exploration." The presentation was co-authored with Tim Schempp, a CICS researcher spending the summer of 2017 in Villach on an Austrian Marshall Plan Fellowship.

CICS Hosts Left of Boom III - Third Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation

San Diego, California / 3 - 5 May 2017

This year's edition of Left of Boom – again organized and hosted by CICS – featured a jam-packed program, with 30 speakers from 11 countries on 4 continents. Corporate sponsors included entities from North America, Europe, the Middle East, and South East Asia. Among the topics discussed were global trade, border security, public safety, human trafficking, corporate leadership, and social media approaches to well-being, to name a few. Numerous innovative solutions were presented, ranging from e-government to transportation infrastructure, physical security, big data, and bio technology.
International diplomacy, commerce, and humanitarian action were well represented, including through presentations by Amb. Venkatesan Ashok (Consul General of India), Amb. Paul Bekkers (Director of the Office of the Secretary General, Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe – OSCE) and Richard Lake (Director of Global Security, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation). The emotionally charged topic of sex trafficking was addressed from a prosecutorial perspective by Summer Stephan, Chief Deputy District Attorney, while Susan Johnson of the Alabaster Jar Project discussed practical solutions in providing safe housing for victims of sexual violence and exploitation. Colleagues from SDSU's College of Arts & Letters, College of Business Administration and School of Public Affairs presented perspectives on big data, network analysis, crime, and global investments.
As in previous years, Left of Boom received several letters of support, including from U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters, County Supervisor Bill Horn, District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, INTERPOL, BORDERPOL, the World Customs Organization (WCO), and other organizations.

Congressional Proclamation Honoring CICS

San Diego, California / 3 May 2017

Coinciding with the kick-off of the Third Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation – Left of Boom – a congressional proclamation was issued on initiative of U.S. Representative Scott Peters (CA-52). The U.S. House of Representatives proclamation enumerates the many contributions made by CICS since its inception, only three years ago, with technological advances in big data, adaptive intelligence and visualization being crafted into innovative solutions, especially in the mitigation of emerging threats. The role of Left of Boom in "bringing together key government, military, academic and civilian experts" is recognized as well. The proclamation concludes that "the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy at San Diego State University be recognized and honored on behalf of the constituents of California's 52nd Congressional District for their continued contribution to the broader international community."

Big Data & Emergency Management Project Kick-Off in Norway

Sogndal & Bergen, Norway / 25-28 April 2017

Co-Director Skupin represented CICS at the kick-off meeting of the transnational "Big Data & Emergency Management" (BDEM) project, which brings together partners from Norway, Japan, Hong Kong, and the United States. As one of three U.S. partners and a recognized leader in the domain, CICS will contribute its wide-ranging expertise in the development of practical computing and threat mitigation solutions. With support from the Norwegian Research Council, the project will develop innovative curricular content in response to public and private sector needs. The project includes opportunities for student and faculty exchanges between CICS and the Norwegian partner institutions, the Western Norway Research Institute and the University of Bergen.

International Visitor Leadership Program

San Ysidro, California / 25 April 2017

Senior members of the law enforcement and judiciary community from Argentina, Austria, Kenya, Lebanon, Macedonia, Philippines, Slovakia, Spain, Tanzania, Thailand, and the U.S. were given a CICS capability briefing by Co-Director Akshay Pottathil. The visitors were on an invited tour of the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

Celebrating a Decade of Customs Brokerage in the Philippines

San Diego, California / 6 April 2017

Co-Director Pottathil delivered a CICS video greeting for Nague Malic Magnawa & Associates, the largest customs brokerage firm in the Republic of the Philippines. The video message was played during the exclusive anniversary celebration event.

CICS Launches MARS Project

San Diego, California / 1 April 2017

Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin announced the launch of a new initiative: the Mars Auxiliary Research Station (MARS) project. Over the next year, CICS will leverage its growing network of public and private partners from around the world, and beyond, in the pursuit of this ambitious project. Launch schedules and further announcements regarding major milestones are expected to be made shortly after the 2020 spring equinox.

Collaborative Research Center in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic / 31 March 2017

Akshay Pottathil met with Dean Martin Pelikán and Vice Dean Dr. Karel Tomšík, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, to discuss a joint CICS-CULS research center. Dr. Miloš Ulman supported the meeting and will be tasked to lead this joint effort. The center will focus on broad range of solutions leveraging data analytics, visualization, and research in the trade, security, and financial domains.

Seminar at Czech University of Life Sciences

Prague, Czech Republic / 27-31 March 2017

Co-Director Pottathil taught a week-long "Seminar in Information Systems & Strategy" at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. The seminar explored topics ranging from decision-making to digital technology. As the latest in a series of workshops, which are a testament to the international collaborations developed and nurtured by Dr. Vlastimil Černý and his team.

Pottathil Meets with Director Novotná

Prague, Czech Republic / 30 March 2017

Ms. Pavla Novotná (Acting Director of International Cooperation and European Union Department, Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic) and CICS Co-Director Pottathil met to discuss preparations for the 2018 BORDERPOL conference, as well as capacity building with data analytics and visualization. Ms. Novotná shared her personal background in developing data fusion projects in the Czech Republic and agreed on the value of a common operating platform.

Discussions with Czech Department of Asylum and Migration Policy

Prague, Czech Republic / 27 March 2017

CICS Co-Director, Akshay Pottathil, and CICS Czech Republic Liaison, Dr. Miloš Ulman, met with Mr. Jiří Čelikovský (Head of Unit for Coordination of Schengen Cooperation and Border Control, Department for Asylum and Migration Policy, Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic) and Mr. Králík Zbyněk to discuss collaborative opportunities with the Czech government and the BORDERPOL 2018 conference.

Seminar on Countering Human Trafficking

San Diego, California / 13 March 2017

The President and Vice-President of SDSU's International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR) Society, Roberto Campos-McDonald and Colby Tunick, invited CICS Co-Director Pottathil, to deliver a 90-minute immersion seminar on efforts to counter human trafficking. The seminar was presented to ISCOR students at the Council Chambers in the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union. Topics of discussion included the roles we individually play in creating a demand for human trafficking, international conditions that foster such trade, global regulations and enforcement, ethics and morality, as well as the potential synergistic impact of integrating the disparate organizations that are addressing the issue, such as OSCE, Interpol, CBP, District Attorneys, Safe Houses, various NGOs, BORDERPOL, CICS, and INCU.

Thompson Finishes Master's Thesis

San Diego, California / 1 March 2017

Veteran CICS researcher Gardner Thompson successfully defended his Master's thesis, titled "Exploratory Analysis of Longitudinal Data: Design and Implementation of a Tri-Space Solution." The project considered a range of implications of André Skupin's tri-space framework for multivariate analysis. Thompson applied this approach to crime statistics and a corpus of scientific publications dealing with climate change. CICS Co-Director Skupin served as chair of the thesis committee, with Co-Director Pottathil and CICS Subject Matter Expert Jeffrey McIllwain as committee members.

CICS Youth Forum - Now Open

San Diego, California / 6 February 2017

Initiated by our student researchers, CICS is launching a Youth Forum on May 6, 2017. The invitation procedures and registration fees for this one-day event are separate from the Left of Boom Conference. Please email cics@sdsu.edu if you are a student interested in participating. The CICS Youth Forum is an invitation-only event - hosted by the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy on the SDSU campus.

Left of Boom III Sold Out

San Diego, California / 5 February 2017

The Third Annual Left of Boom Conference has reached maximum capacity. The CICS team would like to thank the LOB III sponsors, speakers, students and other invited guests for their prompt response and registration for this conference that will be held May 3-5. The rate of response and support has been gratifying and motivates the CICS team to propel its various initiatives forward, generating impact from regional to global scale. We look forward to a productive three days in San Diego, California, as we envision diverse approaches to proactive threat mitigation in multiple domains, from global security to infrastructure protection, healthcare, big data, and secure computing.

CICS Co-Director Awarded Medal by Azerbaijan State Customs Committee Chair

Baku, Azerbaijan / 30 January 2017

Co-Director Pottathil and students from the Fall 2016 "Geospatial Intelligence" class (GEOG 596) followed an invitation to attend the 25th anniversary celebration of the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During the ceremony, Pottathil was awarded a medal "for consolidation of customs cooperation" by the Chair of the State Customs Committee, Aydin Aliyev. This award is a testimony to the unique and productive relationship between CICS and professionals in the global customs and border protection domain.

Conference Presentations in Azerbaijan

Baku, Azerbaijan / 27 January 2017

Akshay Pottathil, in his capacity as CICS Co-Director and Director of Digital Customs of BORDERPOL, gave two presentations titled "The Use of Machine and Human Intelligence in the Border Context" and "Digital Customs and Borders" at the conference "Economic Security: Aspects of Trade Facilitation and Security" that was jointly hosted by the Azerbaijan State University of Economics and the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

CICS Holds Training Session On International Customs Day

Baku, Azerbaijan / 26 January 2017

Akshay Pottathil gave an all-day training session on "Digital Borders and Customs" at the World Customs Organization (WCO) European Regional Office for Capacity Building in Azerbaijan, in connection with the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU) Winter Internship/Fellowship Program.

Places & Spaces Exhibition at Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee / 23 January - 23 April 2017

Now in its 12th year, the Places & Spaces exhibition has been shown in several hundred locations across the globe. Curated by Katy Börner, Director of the Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center at Indiana University, the exhibit features innovative visualizations that provide novel perspectives on diverse data and domains. CICS Co-Director Skupin's visualization "In Terms of Geography" has been one of the signature pieces in the exhibit, which is on display at Vanderbilt University through April 2017.

SDSU Geospatial Intelligence Students Invited to INCU Fellowship Program

Baku, Azerbaijan / 22-26 January 2017

Several students from the Fall 2016 "Geospatial Intelligence" course (GEOG 596) were invited to travel to Azerbaijan to join a global consortium of students in the INCU Winter Internship/Fellowship Program. During the five-day program, students became immersed in topics ranging from "Tariff Classification" to "Machine and Human Intelligence: Threat Detection Awareness and Non-Verbal Behavioural Analysis in the Border Environment".

Collaboration between CICS and Tejon Ranch Conservancy

San Diego, California / 19 January 2017

Dr. Michael White, Conservation Science Director of the Tejon Ranch Conservancy, visited the Center to discuss next steps in the ongoing collaboration between the Conservancy and CICS in the area of wildlife monitoring and modeling. CICS Co-Director Skupin and graduate researcher Tim Schempp took the opportunity to present an interactive visualization of the spatio-social networks of wild pigs. The prototype web application ingests data derived from a grid of motion-triggered wildlife cameras installed at the Conservancy. Participants in the live streamed demo included Tejon Ranch researchers and specialists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and Conservation Science Partners.

Big Data and Emergency Management Consortium Funded

Sogndal, Norway / 15 January 2017

CICS is a founding partner in the “Transnational Partnership for Excellent Research and Education in Big Data and Emergency Management (BDEM)" that recently received funding approval from the Norwegian Research Council. Coordinated by the Western Norway Research Institute, the consortium includes the University of Bergen and partner organizations in the U.S. and Japan. The BDEM research and education network will run for a term of three years. The choice of CICS as one of three U.S. partners, together with researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology and George Mason University, reflects its international reputation in the big data and emergency management domains.

Left of Boom III Launched

San Diego, California / 1 January 2017

CICS is proud to announce the launch of Left of Boom III, the Third Annual Conference on Proactive Threat Mitigation. It will be held May 3-5 on the campus of San Diego State University. Left of Boom is an invitation-only event that has established itself as a unique venue for the open exchange of ideas from business, government, and academia, spanning a wide range of domains, including national defense, border security, infrastructure protection, emergency management, healthcare, and environment. You can request an invitation at lob.sdsu.edu.

Workshop on Countering Human Trafficking

Budapest, Hungary / 8 December 2016

Over the next decade, human trafficking is expected to surpass all other forms of illicit trafficking – including drugs and arms – due to increased vulnerability of economically disenfranchised communities in the context of degrading global economic conditions, global migration, and highly profitable market conditions. CICS Co-Director Pottathil delivered a workshop titled "People Smuggling Counter Strategy" to an audience that included senior leadership of BORDERPOL, customs advisors, trade consultants, and representatives of INTERPOL and Thomson Reuters Special Services.

Pottathil appointed Director of Digital Borders for BORDERPOL

Budapest, Hungary / 6-8 December 2016

CICS CO-Director Akshay Pottathil has been appointed as Director of Digital Borders by the BORDERPOL executive committee during its 2016 annual meeting in Budapest, Hungary. This newly created position will enable BORDERPOL to promote the digitization of borders, enhance global security, strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking, provide technology training and consultation, and establish and enhance innovative strategic relationships, while developing sustainable global and regional certification programs in the Internet of Everything era.

Keynote in Qatar in Connection with World GIS Day

Doha, State of Qatar / 16 November 2016

On the occasion of World GIS Day, CICS Co-Director Pottathil gave a keynote presentation alongside Mr. Venu Sarakki (CEO, Sarakki and Associates, Inc.) and Mr. Bob Youakim (CEO, Passport, Inc.), both corporate sponsors of CICS' Left of Boom conference series. "GIS DAY QATAR 2016" was sponsored by the local Esri distributor, Mannai Corporation, and the Centre for Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) of the Qatar Ministry of Municipality & Urban Planning. The presentations addressed global trends in smart cities, urban planning, transportation and security, while leveraging geographic information systems platforms.

INCU Head of Secretariat Visits CICS

San Diego, California / 11 November 2016

Following CICS' recognition as an affiliate research center by the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU), Dr. Mikhail Kashubsky, Head of Secretariat, visited the CICS Co-Directors in San Diego on Veterans Day 2016. The discussions centered around collaborative research, training, and student engagement opportunities. Dr. Kashubsky also serves as a CICS subject matter expert for International Trade and Offshore Oil & Gas Security. The visit was followed by a tour of the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the busiest land border crossing in the world, with over 30 million people crossing annually.

Pottathil Gives Lectures on Business Information Systems in Prague

Prague, Czech Republic / 24-28 October 2016

In the second of two workshops held at the Czech University of Life Science, CICS Co-Director Pottathil lectured on Business Information Systems (ETEA5E). Topics covered included the theory of information systems, principles of enterprise information systems and criteria for evaluating information used in decision support tasks.

CICS in Further Discussions with CULS Faculty of Economics and Management

Prague, Czech Republic / 21 October 2016

Akshay Pottathil met with Dean Martin Pelikán and Vice Dean Dr. Karel Tomšík, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences, to discuss a wide range of topics, including joint CICS-CULS workshops and the development of a permanent regional center focused on data convergence. Dr. Vlastimil Černý and Dr. Miloš Ulman successfully supported the meeting and added insight to this process.

Pottathil Delivers Seminar on Systems Integration at Czech University of Life Sciences

Prague, Czech Republic / 17-21 October 2016

CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil delivered a week-long seminar on Systems Integration (EIE32E) at the Czech University of Life Sciences. The workshop covered diverse issues ranging from global enterprise strategies and information strategies to business practices in information systems and technology.

Skupin Gives Invited Presentation at Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas / 14 October 2016

André Skupin followed an invitation to give a research presentation in the colloquium series of the Department of Geography at Texas State University. The presentation, titled "Making Noise with Big Data," took the audience on a visual and sonic journey across high-dimensional attribute space. The visit was a chance for CICS Co-Director Skupin to learn about the largest Geography Department in the U.S., with its more than 30 faculty members serving 700+ students majoring in Geography, plus 150 graduate students. Skupin also took the opportunity for one-on-one dicussions with faculty that are engaged in a range of research topics relevant to CICS, from narco-trafficking to emergency preparedness, immigration, genocide, public health, and information visualization.

Counter Smuggling and Counterfeiting Project Kicks Off

Manila, Philippines / 8 October 2016

Akshay Pottathil (CICS-Co-Director) kicked off a research project regarding counterfeiting, commodity trafficking, and smuggling at regional shopping markets. Early research results will be integrated into CICS' January 2017 workshop on "Security and Surveillance," to be held at Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City, in collaboration with the Lyceum of the Philippines University, Laguna campus.

CICS holds Workshop on Homeland Security Management in Philippines

Manila, Philippines / 4 - 6 October 2016

Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin just returned from the Philippines, where CICS offered a three-day workshop on Homeland Security Management. The event was held at the headquarters of Philippine National Police (PNP) in Quezon City. Attendees came from a range of backgrounds, including senior PNP officers, emergency response and disaster management professionals, intelligence analysts, and practitioners from the customs and trade sectors. Pottathil lectured on various topics in homeland security and global security, while Skupin focused on spatial intelligence and pattern recognition. CICS researcher and Philippines liaison, Samuel Bautista, coordinated much of the workshop, in addition to lecturing on issues related to customs management and global and regional trade.
The workshop was hosted by the Academy of Developmental Logistics and Lyceum of the Philippines University(LPU). Significant logistic support, as well as catering, was provided by Donate.Philippines, an organization dedicated to the provision of a safe and reliable blood supply in the country. Messages of support for the workshop came from Dr. Peter Laurel (President, LPU - Batangas & Laguna), Mrs. Myrna Reyes (Chair and President, Donate.Philippines), and Chief Ronald dela Rosa (Director General, Philippine National Police).
The event brought together around 100 people, including 60 workshop attendees. It kicked off a series of workshops in collaboration with the Master's in Homeland Security Management Program at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, Laguna. The next workshop, titled “Security and Surveillance,” is scheduled for January 4-6, 2017, and is expected to accommodate more than 200 participants.

Customs Brokers Event on "Border Security Management"

Alabang, Philippines / 29 September 2016

Attorney Ferdinand A. Nague (Managing Partner, Nague Malic Magnawa & Associates Customs Brokers) and Attorney Norberto V. Castillo (President, Philippine Association of Customs Brokers in Education – PACBE) present Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director) a Certificate of Appreciation for sharing his knowledge and expertise in the area of "Border Security Management" at a customs brokers event held at the Vivere Hotel.

CICS Discusses Global Customs Strategy

Manila, Philippines / 29 September 2016

CICS Co-Director Pottathil discussed global research and development opportunities with several international customs officials, including: Customs Director General of the Customs Department Libya (Mustafa Turjman), Chairman, State Customs Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Prof. Aydin A. Aliyev), Kingdom of Bahrain - Directorate of Planning and Customs Policies (Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Khalifa), Director General of Tunisian Customs (Adel Ben Hassen).

Cultural Night with the Philippines Bureau of Customs

Manila, Philippines / 28 September 2016

Current Philippines Bureau of Customs Commissioner Nicanor Escalona Faeldon hosted a gala on behalf of the Bureau of Customs for the World Customs Organization PICARD event participants. Pottathil attended the event alongside Commissioner Faeldon and past commissioner Mr. Alberto Lina (who worked positively towards making this event successful during his term in office).

CICS Co-Director Presents at PICARD Conference

Manila, Philippines / 28 September 2016

The annual WCO PICARD Conference focuses on the presentation of research and policy analysis by academics and practitioners. The 2016 Picard Conference, hosted by the Philippine Bureau of Customs, took place in Manila September 27-29, 2016. At the Plenary session on day two, Pottathil introduced the collaborative workshops and training program jointly organized between CICS and Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU). The venue also served as the official announcement of the upcoming Master's in Homeland Security Management program at LPU, co-directed by Dr. Peter Laurel and CICS CO-Director Akshay Pottathil, with CICS Co-Director André Skupin and CICS Philippines Liaison Samuel Bautista serving as Assistant Directors.

World Customs Organization PICARD Conference Reception

Manila, Philippines / 26 September 2016

CICS Co-Director attends a welcome reception hosted by Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization (WCO), along with Lyceum of the Philippines University President, Dr. Peter P. Laurel (Batangas and Laguna campuses), and Mr. Samuel Bautista (Former Chief of Staff to the Philippines Commissioner of Customs).

Pottathil Joins Reunion of United States Military Academy Students

Manila, Philippines / 25 September 2016

Retired Brigadier General Danilo Delapuz Lim meets with CICS Co-Director, Pottathil along with Mr. Lee Wakefield (CEO, Sentir Global, Inc.), and Mr. Guy Poolanui Ontai (President, Alakai Consulting & Engineering, Inc.) in Manila. BG Lim was incarcerated at Camp Crame (Quezon City) for four yeas between 2006-2010. In 2013, he resigned his post as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence of the Bureau of Customs in protest against corruption.

CICS Researcher Receives NIJ STEM Fellowship

San Diego, California / 1 September 2016

Crystal English, CICS Researcher and a PhD Candidate in the Joint SDSU/UCSB Doctoral Program in Geography, has been awarded a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The fellowship supports her dissertation research project titled "Development of Advanced Computational and Geographic Visualization Methods for Geospatial and Temporal Strategic Risk Assessment of Crime".
The GRF program has supported doctoral student research for more than 40 years. Ms. English is the first SDSU student to be awarded this fellowship in the last 16 years. NIJ is the entity within the U.S. Department of Justice dedicated to improving the scientific understanding of crime and justice issues. The goal of the GRF program is to increase the pool of scholars engaged in research that addresses the challenges of crime and justice in the United States, particularly at state and local levels.

Launch of New Course on Geospatial Intelligence at SDSU

San Diego, California / 31 August 2016

CICS Co-Director Pottathil launched a semester-long "Geospatial Intelligence" course at San Diego State University. Enrollment in this new course (GEOG 596) comprises undergraduate and graduate students in diverse degree programs across campus, including Journalism, Public Administration, Political Science, and Geography. It deals with evolving challenges for building geospatial intelligence, from content visualization to data analysis, remote sensing, and predictive mapping, all meant to address the needs of governmental and non-governmental organizations, domestically and internationally.

Pottathil as Special Guest at Sanskriti Matinee

San Diego, California / 27 August 2016

Akshay Pottathil was a special guest of the annual Matinee of the Sanskriti Association of Indian Students at SDSU. This orientation event for Indian students was held at SDSU's International Student Center. Pottathil had been part of the initial group of Indian students that founded Sanskriti back in 2001.

Co-Directors Convene Healthcare Panel at AMCIS

San Diego, California / 11 August 2016

The role of CICS as a source of innovative healthcare solutions was recognized by the organizers of a workshop titled "Health Care Transformation through Digital Leadership: Inside and Outside the Hospital Walls in Support of Continuity of Care" with an invitation to Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin to convene a panel on "Big Data in Healthcare." Moderated by Pottathil, the panel discussed a range of healthcare innovations, from Internet of Things (IoT) to medical intelligence and knowledge management solutions using semantic web and analytics techniques. Workshop speakers included executive leaders and healthcare practitioners (e.g., St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Crittenton Hospital), industry innovators, and thought leaders like the Global Health Initiative at Henry Ford Health System. The workshop was held in conjunction with AMCIS 2016, the 22nd Americas Conference on Information Systems.

Visit to CICS by U.S. State Department's International Visitor Leadership Program

San Diego, California / 25 July 2016

An international delegation representing 15 different European countries visited CICS for a discussion of a range of solutions in the security domain. The visit included a tour of the Center and briefings by Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin and CICS vendor partner Sentir Global. The visitors had been invited to the U.S. under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program. Their geographic and topical backgrounds covered a wide range, from members of parliament to government officials in the national and homeland security domain, as well as international entities, like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

International Partner Visit to San Ysidro Border Crossing

San Ysidro, California / 02 July 2016

In pursuit of CICS's mission as an enabler of global cooperation in enhanced border security, Co-Director Pottathil met for extensive discussions with Mr. Binu M R, Vice President of Mannai InfoTech. This included a visit to facilities at the San Ysidro/Tijuana border port of entry, the busiest border crossing in the Western Hemisphere. This followed a previous meeting with CICS vendor partner and Left of Boom conference sponsor SAI, aimed at providing strategic security solutions to the State of Qatar.

Pottathil as Invited Guest at Independent Cities Association Event

Oceanside, California / 23 June 2016

Co-Director Pottathil was an invited guest at a dinner held in connection with the annual Summer Seminar of the Independent Cities Association (ICA), a nonprofit organization representing nearly fifty Southern California Cities. The event was an opportunity to reconnect with Mr. Greg Spiker, CEO of Ken Spiker and Associates (KSA), and Mr. Nathan Berry of mobility platform provider Passport, in continuation of discussions triggered by the annual Left of Boom conference. Both KSA and Passport had been sponsors of Left of Boom II, held in May 2016.

Skupin as Invited Speaker at Vienna University of Technology

Vienna, Austria / 17 June 2016

Co-Director Skupin followed an invitation from the Department of Geodesy and Geoinformation at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien). His visit included a research presentation titled "Space[s] and the Cartography of Everything" and a discussion of future collaboration opportunities with his host, Prof. Georg Gartner, head of the Cartography Research Group at the Austrian university.

CICS Researchers give Workshops and Lectures at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

Villach, Austria / 13 - 16 June 2016

André Skupin gave a three-day workshop on foundations and applications of Kohonen neural networks within the graduate course on Data Mining at the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, followed by a research lecture on his recent efforts at sonifying a 69-dimensional data set of the 200,000+ U.S. Census blockgroups. Meanwhile, Dr. Piotr Jankowski (SDSU Geography Department Chair) gave a workshop on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) and various location-choice optimization approaches. His research lecture addressed the evolution and current state of spatial decision support systems (SDSS), including a range of applications, such as radioactivity monitoring.

CICS Hosts Second Annual Left of Boom Conference

San Diego, California / 4 - 6 May 2016

Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin hosted the Second Annual Left of Boom Conference on the SDSU campus. Over the course of three days, conference participants and the thirty speakers at this invitation-only event engaged in a discussion of proactive threat mitigation strategies in domains ranging from global security to law enforcement, health, population, infrastructure protection, and cyber security. LoB II was especially honored to welcome a delegation of twenty members of the U.S. Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendleton for the duration of the conference.
Keynotes were given by Dennis Cosgrove of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Captain John Love, Director of Medical Services at Naval Medical Center San Diego, and Michael Lowder, Director of the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response in the U.S. Dept of Transportation.
One of the distinguishing marks of the conference noted by participants was its extremely interdisciplinary scope and the great variety of institutions represented, from General Charles Jacoby Jr (former commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, Ret.) discussing the complex relationship of borders and globalization to Summer Stephan (Chief Deputy District Attorney of San Diego County) addressing human trafficking and child prostitution. Other topics covered by speakers hailing from government, business, and academia included global population trends, school safety, biohazard protection, as well as cyber threats to SCADA systems. County Supervisor Dave Roberts spoke as well and presented Akshay Pottathil with a special award recognizing his contributions to the community.

Pottathil Gives Geospatial Intelligence Seminars at LEIU/IALEIA

New Orleans, Louisiana / 27 - 28 April 2016

CICS Co-Director Pottathil delivered two seminars on Geospatial Intelligence at the Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Units / International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (LEIU/IALEIA) Training Event. Pictured from left to right are Bob Morehouse, LEIU Executive Director, Akshay Pottathil, and Van Godsey, LEIU General Chairman.

Skupin Invited Speaker at Workshop on Culture Analytics and User Experience Design

Los Angeles, California / 11 - 15 April 2016

André Skupin followed an invitation to present in a workshop held at the UCLA Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM). The organizing committee consisting of Cecilia Aragon (U. Wash.), Katy Börner (Indiana U.), Peter Leonard (Yale U.) and Tim Tangherlini (UCLA) had assembled 30 speakers hailing from six countries and such diverse academic and industry entities as Stanford U., Georgia Institute of Technology, Google, and Microsoft Research, resulting in a spirited discussion of "Culture Analytics and User Experience Design."
Skupin's presentation argued for the continued relevance of centuries of cartographic expertise and geographic concepts in an era of advanced computing, contrasted with the overuse of such buzzwords as big data or heat map. He concluded with the live performance of a symphonic fly-through of high-dimensional attribute space, combining machine learning with visualization and generative sound.

Pottathil and Skupin Give Seminar at CETYS University

Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico / 22 February 2016

CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin traveled to Mexicali to give a seminar on "Geographic Information Systems: Importance and Societal Impact" to students in the social sciences and humanities at the Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior (CETYS University). CETYS is the only Mexican university holding accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Pottathil Holds Seminar at Czech University of Life Sciences

Prague, Czech Republic / 15 - 19 February 2016

Akshay Pottathil, CICS Co-Director, taught a week-long “Seminar in Information Systems & Strategy” at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. A group of 24 international students attended the 20-hour course, which explored topics ranging from decision-making to digital technology. The seminar follows a previous visit to CICS by administrators of the Czech university's Faculty of Economics and Management.

Skupin Visualization on Display at CDC

Atlanta, Georgia / 25 January - 17 June 2016

André Skupin's iconic "In Terms of Geography" is on display at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the most recent installation of the "Places & Spaces: Mapping Science" exhibition. Out of 100 visual artifacts that make up the ten-year Places & Spaces project, Skupin's piece was highlighted as the signature graphic in the media statement announcing the exhibit, which is displayed in the only CDC facility open to the public, the David J. Sencer CDC Museum.

Co-Directors Speak at Pediatrics 2040

Dana Point, California / 9 January 2016

CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin followed invitations to speak at Pediatrics 2040, held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Dana Point. Pottathil spoke about the potential that persuasive messaging technology holds for empowering patients and improve health outcomes. Skupin discussed the need for a more integrated pediatric knowledge ecosystem. He provided a first glimpse of an analysis of the pediatric domain, using patent-pending technology that was first conceived at SDSU and is now being developed into a commercial product by the BigKnowledge^® start-up. Program chair of Pediatrics 2040 was Dr. Anthony Chang, who previously spoke at CICS' inaugural Left of Boom conference in May 2015.

Skupin on Expert Panel on Big Data and Open Government

Carlsbad, California / 8 December 2015

Co-Director Skupin was invited to an expert panel on "Big Data and the Future of Open Government," where he spoke on the topic of "Data Analytics for Strategic Planning and Understanding the Future Workforce." Moderated by Kathy Dodson (City of Carlsbad, Interim City Manager), other panel members included Maksim Pecherskiy (City of San Diego, Chief Data Officer), Gary Eaton (San Diego County Water Authority, Chief Innovation Officer), and Tom Mullen (County of Riverside, Chief Data Officer). The ensuing discussion ranged from next generation tech solutions to government accountability, and educational needs assessment.

Second InnovTalk Presentation hosted at University of Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 6 December 2015

Mr. Venu Sarakki was the featured speaker at the second InnovTalk workshop, hosted by CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil at the University of Dubai. Mr. Sarakki is a registered professional engineer in the state of California and has published over a dozen technical papers in both national and international journals. He was recently presented with the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award by ASEIO. He and his company have received numerous awards for outstanding engineering excellence by both US and Overseas governments. CICS is proud to add SAI to the list of 2015 corporate workshop sponsors.

CICS Co-Director in Consultations with Qatar Ministry of Interior

Doha, Qatar / 2 December 2015

Hosted by Mannai Coporation, Akshay Pottathil met with the senior leadership of the Ministry of Interior's Information Technology Division in Doha. Discussions centered on collaborative opportunities involving the Center for Information Convergence & Strategy and CICS strategic partners for training and delivery of security solutions to the State of Qatar and beyond.

InnovTalk Series Launches in UAE

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 29 November 2015

CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil officially launched the InnovTalk series in collaboration with the University of Dubai. The inaugural speaker, Darryl T. Anderson, offered a workshop on "Change Management". Mr. Anderson is the Founder & CEO of Tr33 Inc. and the Principal of Tr33 LLC and is responsible for strategic planning & operations, with particular focus on client relationship management, as well as general management of the firm. With InnovTalk, CICS is proud to host another public-private partnership workshop internationally and invites organizations seeking collaborative training and research opportunities.

Pottathil gives Keynote at Chamber of Customs Brokers 25th Anniversary

Manila, Philippines / 25 November 2015

Akshay Pottathil, CICS Co-Director, delivered a keynote titled "Holistic Enforcement: The Amalgamated Role of Customs Officials and Brokers in Securing our Ports & Borders" to a record turnout of attendees for the 25th Anniversary of the Chamber of Customs Brokers, Inc., in Manila, Philippines.

CICS Co-Director Gives TV Interviews on Climate Change and Disaster Relief

Manila, Philippines / 25 November 2015

Jesy Basco of Panahon.TV, a program of PTV Philippines, recorded a series of interviews with CICS Co-Director Pottathil on topics ranging from climate change to disaster relief. They are scheduled to air starting January 2016.

Pottathil Meets with Philippines Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina

Manila, Philippines / 24 November 2015

Co-Director Pottathil was invited by Philippines Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina for a discussions of security challenges and customs enforcement solutions in the region and to share global community concerns. Commissioner Lina shared his experience in customs - as the current head of the bureau as well as in his previous role in the business world - and his vision to create a better future for the Philippine nation. In connection with this visit, CICS announced plans to collaborate with regional research leadership to support the needs of Philippines customs and brokers, starting in 2016.

Lyceum of the Philippines University Wins CICS Approval of New Collaborative Research Center

Manila, Philippines / 24 November 2015

The Lyceum of the Philippines University has won selection by CICS to host a new collaborative research center for the South East Asia region. University President Peter P. Laurel met with CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil to launch the facility commitment and program review. Inauguration of the new center will occur in conjunction with the PICARD 2016 conference. Conference attendees will be able to visit the center and discuss collaborative training and research opportunities. The Lyceum of the Philippines Laguna campus was selected to host this center of excellenceafter a strategic review of the possible locations.

CICS Co-Director Visits with Chief of Staff to the Philippines Commissioner of Customs

Manila, Philippines / 24 November 2015

Co-Director Pottathil met with Mr. Samuel Bautista, currently Chief of Staff to the Philippines Commissioner of Customs, to discuss collaborative training exercises and technology integration though international and regional research partnerships. These discussions with CICS leadership are especially timely due to global threats to ports and borders and can also assist the Philippines and the Bureau of Customs with its preparations to host the 2016 WCO PICARD Conference (September 2016) and to maximize its value going forward.

Pottathil Presents at Philippines Bureau of Customs

Manila, Philippines / 24 November 2015

CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil presented a keynote titled "Geospatial Intelligence: Leveraging Technology for Operational Agility" to the intelligence and enforcement group within the Bureau of Customs in Manila, Philippines. The talk emphasized the need for customs operators to embrace strategic missions and build scalable operational solutions to tackle the challenges ahead.

Pottathil Visits Lina Group of Companies

Manila, Philippines / 23 November 2015

During his recent visit to the Phillipines, CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil was invited for a tour and collaborative discussions with the Lina Group of Companies, a conglomerate of 18 affiliates engaged in industries as diverse as logistics, information technology, food, environment, waste management, business process outsourcing, travel, communications and media.

Seminar at Lyceum of the Philippines University

Manila, Philippines / 23 November 2015

Akshay Pottathil, CICS Co-Director, delivered a seminar titled "20/20: Twenty Challenges to Tackle by 2020" to the Philippine Society of Customs Administration Students (PSCAS) at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, Manila campus. Students and faculty shared their diverse interests in collaborative research and training opportunities. Pottathil spent time exploring educational and research potential with students and instructors.

Crystal English Featured in Trajectory Magazine

20 November 2015

CICS Researcher Crystal English was featured in the latest issue of Trajectory Magazine (link). The Scholarship Spotlight section of the magazine traced her passion for crime mapping and analysis, from serving in the U.S. Army Signals Intelligence Service to her educational and professional experience in television/radio production and extensive experience in various aspects of law enforcement and crime analysis. Ms. English - a certified crime and intelligence analyst - recently became the recipient of a United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) scholarship in support of her studies in the joint doctoral program of San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Pottathil Gives GIS Day Keynote at IIT Madras

Chennai, India / 18 November 2015

On the occasion of the "2015 World GIS Day" CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil gave a keynote at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras campus. His presentation explored the utilization of mapping, GIS and remote sensing for airports, border crossings, public and private spaces, civilian use, law enforcement use, military use, and examined recent developments in technology and regulations.

CICS at Annual Conference of the Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Units

Beverly Hills, California / 6 October 2015

Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director) delivered the Keynote and Crystal English (CICS Researcher) was an invited speaker for the Annual 20/20 Conference of the Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Units (LEIU). The impact of research at CICS and the subject matter expertise in law enforcement and national security through advanced data analysis and visualization was showcased to an audience of law enforcement and government analysts through their presentations.

CICS Researchers at Cymer Knowledge Day

San Diego, California / 14 September 2015

CICS Researchers Albert Herrera, Susan Madruga, Crystal English, André Skupin and Garland McNew attended the "Knowledge Day 2015" event hosted by Cymer at its U.S. Headquarters. Since the event focused on data science and its diverse applications from personalized medical care to marketing, it was a natural fit for the CICS team. Key notes were given by Cymer's CEO Emeritus, Ed Brown, and Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Machine Learning, Joseph Sirosh.

Pottathil kicks off CEI lecture series at University of Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 13 September 2015

CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil kicks off the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) lecture series at the University of Dubai. Further workshops, subsequently titled INNOVTALK, are scheduled to begin in November 2015. During the upcoming months, global industry leaders will be invited to participate in CEI's INNOVTALK series held in Dubai.

Pottathil Meets with INCU Leaders

Baku, Azerbaijan / 9 September 2015

Dr. David Widdowson (President, International Network of Customs Universities), Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director), and Dr. Mikhail Kashubsky (Head of Secretariat, International Network of Customs Universities) discuss collaboration between INCU and CICS at the INCU General Meeting held during the World Customs Organization's PICARD conference.

CICS Co-Director Discusses Research Collaboration with Dr. Eric Maskin

Baku, Azerbaijan / 8 September 2015

Dr. Eric S. Maskin (2007 Nobel laureate in Economics) and Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director) met to explore opportunities for future research collaboration.

Pottathil meets with Azerbaijan Officials

Baku, Azerbaijan / 8 September 2015

Co-Director Pottathil met with Lieutenant General Aydin Aliyev (Chairman, State Customs Committee, Republic of Azerbaijan) and Abid Sharifov (Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Azerbaijan).

Visit by NGA Administrators

San Diego, California / 1 September 2015

The Department of Geography received a visit by senior administrators of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Hosted in the CICS lab, the visitors engaged in discussions with researchers from the CESAR, CICS, and HDMA research centers. Pictured here are Dr. Ernest Reith (Deputy Director and CIO, IT Services, NGA), Kenneth Graham (NGA), David Cacner (Director, NSG Expeditionary Activities, NGA), R.W. "Space" Kraft (NGA SPAWAR Liaison), and CICS Co-Directors Pottathil and Skupin.

Big Data Visualization Selected for Contemporary Art Exhibition

San Diego, California / 29 August 2015

A big data visualization derived from a dataset containing 8 million social media tags is currently on display in the exhibit "Ephemeral Objects" at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park. Organized by SDAI's Curator-in-Residence Andrew Horwitz, the exhibit features 34 contemporary artists from Southern California and Baja California. Marinta and André Skupin (CICS Co-Director) combined natural language processing and machine learning with GIS to produce their "You on Music" installation, which invites viewers to mark their own location in the social media space. The exhibit remains open until September 27.

English Receives USGIF Scholarship

San Diego, California / 12 August 2015

The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) has selected CICS Researcher and Doctoral Candidate Crystal English as one of five doctoral students nationwide to receive a USGIF Scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year. This followed a highly competitive review by an independent panel of GEOINT professionals. English was previously selected for this national award in 2013. Aside from a monetary award for education and research expenses, the USGIF Scholarship also includes an invitation to the annual GEOINT Symposium held in Orlando, FL, in May 2016.

Pottathil Speaks at Customs and Border Protection Industry Day

Chula Vista, California / 30 July 2015

Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director) unveiled the Behavior Analysis and Intelligence Tools (BAIT) program at the annual Industry Day hosted by the United States Customs and Border Protection for the Service Disabled Veterans Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and the Hub Zone certified companies. Pottathil was part of a six member subject matter expert panel at the CBP Industry Day. The presentation highlighted the vast collaborative opportunities for the disadvantaged and small business community through CICS and the importance of strategic partnerships for meeting government contracting requirements.

Somalia Director of Counterterrorism and Maritime Security Visits CICS

San Diego, California / 1 July 2015

Mr. Abdiaziz Shire, Director of Counterterrorism and Maritime Security at the Ministry of National Security (Federal Government of Somalia) visits the CICS lab to discuss potential collaboration with Akshay Pottathil (CICS Co-Director) and Dr. Jeffery McIllwain (CICS Subject Matter Expert). The CICS mission to develop globally deployable national security solutions are strengthened through such meetings as they offer a local perspective into the various challenges in Somalia and the larger African continent.

CICS at the Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium

Christchurch, New Zealand / 22 June 2015

CICS Researcher Crystal English gave an invited presentation in Christchurch, New Zealand at the Environmental Criminology and Crime Analysis (ECCA) Symposium. ECCA is an informal association of the leading international scholars in the fields of environmental criminology, crime science, situational crime prevention and problem-oriented policing. It meets each year in a different country to discuss the latest developments in theory, analysis techniques (including crime mapping) and policing and crime prevention practice. She spoke about "Strategic Pattern Detection and Visualization for Crime Mitigation.

CICS at Carinthia University of Applied Sciences

Villach, Austria / 12 June 2015

SDSU's long-standing collaboration with the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences continued this summer with two CICS researchers, Dr. André Skupin and Dr. Piotr Jankowski, traveling to Villach to teach short courses within the Bachelor and Master's programs. Skupin gave a course on self-organizing maps to students in the Master's program in Spatial Information Management, while SDSU Department Chair Jankowski focused on spatial decision support systems. In addition, both gave lectures focused on recent research efforts.

CICS Researchers Receive Awards

San Diego, California / 15 May 2015

Researcher Garland McNew and Co-Director Dr. André Skupin were honored as the 2015 Outstanding Graduating Senior and the 2015 Outstanding Professor in the Department of Geography, respectively. Their accomplishments were acknowledged during the College of Arts and Letters commencement ceremony and then during the Geography Department graduation ceremony.
After graduating with a B.S. in Geography, with a focus on Geographic Information Science, McNew plans to continue his studies in the Master's program, working closely with CICS Researcher and Department Chair Dr. Piotr Jankowski and other CICS team members.

CICS Hosts Inaugural Left of Boom Conference

San Diego, California / 6-7 May 2015

The Center for Information Convergence and Strategy (CICS) held its inaugural Left of Boom conference May 6-7, 2015. Keynote speakers were General Charles H. Jacoby Jr., former Commander of U.S. Northern Command (U.S. NORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), and Ambassador Venkatesan Ashok, currently Consul General of the Republic of India in San Francisco. Further highlights included presentations by renowned pediatric cardiologist Dr. Anthony Chang, Chief Intelligence and Innovation Officer at CHOC Children's, and Colonel Joseph Davidson, Commander of the Fort Hamilton Garrison in New York City.
Greetings received included those from U.S. Representatives Susan Davis and Scott Peters and from the International Network of Customs Universities (INCU). The more than 100 conference attendees reflected a range of backgrounds and expertise, including advanced data analysis, national security, and health informatics. The event concluded with an awards ceremony and the launch of CICS' BIG:DATA initiative.

San Diego County Proclaims CICS Day

San Diego, California / 6 May 2015

The County of San Diego officially proclaimed May 6, 2015 to be the "Center for Information Convergence and Strategy Day" throughout San Diego County. The declaration was presented by Vice Chairman Dave Roberts and Supervisor Dianne Jacob and signed by Chairman Bill Horn and all members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors. On behalf of the Board, the proclamation was delivered by Evan Bollinger (video), Policy Advisor and Representative of Vice Chairman Dave Roberts, during the inaugural Left of Boom Conference.

Skupin Presents at CUNY Graduate Center and GISMO Anniversary

New York, New York / 1 May 2015

CICS Co-Director André Skupin gave two invited presentations in New York City. At the City University of New York Graduate Center he spoke about "Knowledge Visualization: From Abstract Space to Real Impact," hosted by the Earth and Environmental Sciences Program. Later the same day he presented at an event celebrating the 25th Anniversary of GISMO, the NYC Geospatial Information Systems and Mapping Organization.

Skupin Map on Display at Harvard

Cambridge, Massachusetts / 9 Apr - 15 May 2015

One of Dr. Skupin's most iconic works, "In Terms of Geography" (2005), was included in an exhibit in the Harvard Graduate School of Design's Frances Loeb Library. The exhibit was featured in an event celebrating the legacy of the Harvard Lab for Computer Graphics and Spatial Analysis, which made key contributions to the evolution of GIS during 1965-1991. Pictured with Skupin's map are SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus David M. Mark of the University at Buffalo and Professor Patrick McHaffie of DePaul University.

Philippine Honorary Consul Visits CICS

San Diego, California / 13 Mar 2015

Co-Director Akshay Pottathil welcomed the Honorary Consul of the Philippines, Mr. Audie J. De Castro, for a visit of CICS. Pottathil and De Castro discussed a range of future collaborative opportunities, from engagement of the Philippine community in Southern California to CICS' various activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

U.S. Representative Susan Davis Visits CICS

San Diego, California / 12 Mar 2015

Congresswoman Susan Davis (CA-53), member of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited CICS to learn more about the domain knowledge analysis and pattern recognition efforts spearheaded by its Co-Directors, André Skupin and Akshay Pottathil. The CICS Co-Directors presented advanced visualization and data mining insights for wide range of domains, including health informatics, social media, and governance. Skupin and Pottathil further discussed their personal research challenges and their passion for impacting larger society through novel information systems platforms developed by the Center.

Documentary Film Production Kicks Off at CICS

San Diego, California / 12 Mar 2015

The production of a documentary film kicked off this week at CICS. Produced by AY! Cinema (Los Angeles, CA), the film covers unique methods of data analysis and advanced visualization of Big Data for tackling emerging issues of contemporary society. The film's trailer will be launched at the Left of Boom conference organized by CICS in May 2015 and filming will occur at various locations during the next three months, with post-production scheduled for late June 2015. Appearing in the documentary are several CICS researchers and subject matter experts. The expected commercial release will be announced by AY! Cinema after August 2015.

Skupin Speaks at AAAS Luncheon

San Jose, California / 15 Feb 2015

Dr. Skupin followed an invitation to present his work in a special luncheon organized by Julia Laurin (Thomson-Reuters) and Katy Börner (Indiana University) during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The luncheon, titled "Visualization Metaphors for Communicating the Structure and Dynamics of Science" featured Skupin elaborating on the topic of "Visualizing Knowledge Spaces: Cartographic Perspectives."

CICS Co-Director at Expert Workshop in Germany

Hamburg, Germany / 20 Jan 2015

Dr. Skupin represented CICS at the expert workshop "Supporting Decision-Making through Geovisualization" held at HafenCity University in Hamburg, Germany. His presentation titled "Spaces Everywhere: Spatialization for Impact" discussed the power of visualization for uncovering non-obvious patterns in heterogeneous data. The CICS Co-Director also reflected on the potential of visual technologies for bringing together diverse practice partners, exemplified by CICS' cultivation of a collaborative network of experts and organizations.

CICS Opens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Dubai

Dubai, United Arab Emirates / 1 Jan 2015

The Center for Information Convergence and Strategy and the University of Dubai are pleased to announce the creation of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (UD-CEI). The new center will act as a research and consultancy platform for students, alumni, and faculty to network, collaborate, and develop their ideas. Situated within the University of Dubai, UD-CEI will support entrepreneurs through various stages of the entrepreneurial and innovation process. CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil is the Center's Director of Innovation & Strategy, while CICS Founder Andre Skupin assumes the position of Associate Director for Data Visualization Analytics.

Skupin Invited Speaker at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC)

Orange, California / 15 Dec 2014

Dr. Skupin was an invited guest speaker at recent meetings of the Medical Intelligence (MI1) and Medical Intelligence and Innovation (MI2) groups at Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Hosted by Dr. Anthony Chang - Medical Director of the CHOC Heart Institute and Founder and Medical Director of the recently formed Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (MI3) - the Dec 15 meetings were attended by pediatric doctors, medical informatics specialists and industry representatives, as well as leaders of the Sharon Disney Lund Foundation, which provides funding to MI3. The first of its kind in a hospital, the Institute aims to integrate data science and artificial intelligence into medical practice.

CICS Outreach to Post-Hurricane Los Cabos

Los Cabos, Mexico / 11 Dec 2014

With continuity of operations a key concern in post-disaster recovery, CICS Co-Director Akshay Pottathil visited Los Cabos, Mexico, to gain a first-hand impression of the area ravaged by hurricane Odile earlier this year. Pottathil discussed with local entities his experience in disaster management, from both an academic and business perspective. His visit also included a ceremony reopening an art gallery in Los Cabos that had been destroyed in the disaster. The ceremony included local art patrons, community members, and promoters. The photograph features Pottathil and the owner of the re-opened art gallery.

Visit by SDSU President Hirshman

CICS / 5 Dec 2014

On occasion of the Geography Department's centenary celebration, SDSU President Dr. Elliott Hirshman toured the Department and its various research centers. Dr. Hirshman's visit concluded at CICS, where co-directors Pottathil and Skupin briefed him on recent activities, including the nascent collaboration with the University of Dubai.

Skupin Invited Speaker at University of Zurich

Zurich, Switzerland / 21 Nov 2014

On invitation of the University of Zurich's Research Priority Program (URPP) Language and Space, CICS Founder and Co-Director Dr. André Skupin traveled to Switzerland to present a keynote titled "Visualizing Domain Language: Concepts and Practice" within the workshop "Visualization of Linguistic Data" that was held on November 21. He also discussed prospects for collaborative work with researchers at Zurich's Department of Comparative Linguistics, in particular the Psycholinguistics Laboratory.

Pottathil and Skupin give GIS Day Keynote in Qatar

Doha, Qatar / 19 Nov 2014

The Co-Directors of the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy (CICS), Dr. André Skupin and Akshay Pottathil, traveled to Doha, Qatar, on November 19 to give the GIS Day Keynote in an event organized by Mannai Corporation—the local Esri distributor— and the Centre for Geographic Information Systems (CGIS) of the Qatar Ministry of Municipality & Urban Planning. Well over 100 attendees enjoyed a three-hour presentation titled "Beyond GIS" that elaborated on how geographic concepts, cartographic techniques, and GIS technology could move beyond traditional GIS applications. The domains discussed included operational management, customs, civil protection, healthcare, and others.

SDSU Delegation Visits United Arab Emirates

Dubai, UAE / 9 - 20 Nov 2014

The SDSU Provost, Dr. Chukuka S. Enwemeka, and the Co-Directors of the Center for Information Convergence and Strategy (CICS), Dr. André Skupin and Akshay Pottathil, recently visited the University of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The SDSU delegation met with senior leaders of the University of Dubai, including its Chief Academic Officer, Dr. Ananth Rao, the University President, Dr. Eesa M. Bastaki, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Majid Hamad Al Shamsi. The discussion centered on the development of educational and research ties between the two institutions.

Czech Delegation visits CICS

CICS / 20 Oct 2014

CICS was honored to welcome a delegation from the Faculty of Economics and Management of the Czech University of Life Sciences. The Vice-Dean for International Relations, Dr. Karel Tomšík, and the Head of the Department of International Relations, Dr. Vlastimil Černý, learned about the diverse expertise and perspectives offered by the newly founded Center and discussed with the CICS Co-Directors and the Geography Department Chair possible avenues for future collaboration.

Pediatric Data/Intelligence Forum

Dana Point, California / 13-14 Oct 2014

Dr. Skupin was an invited guest speaker at the inaugural Pediatric Data/Intelligence Forum, hosted by Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and the Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (MI3). His talk addressed geographic approaches to the visual representation of biomedical knowledge, based on collaborative research with colleagues at Indiana University, UCSD, and the University of Utah.

In Terms of Medicine: Language, Space, and Computation

Knowledge Mapping and Information Retrieval Workshop

London, United Kingdom / 11 Sep 2014

Dr. Skupin was the keynote speaker at the Knowledge Mapping and Information Retrieval Workshop (KMIR 2014) held at City University of London as part of the ACM/IEEE Joint Conference on Digital Libraries (JCDL).

Keynote Lecture: "Managing Domain Knowledge: Ontology, Visualization, and Beyond"

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CICS Inauguration

San Diego, California / 29 Aug 2014

San Diego State University inaugurated a new center that will use data mining and advanced visual techniques to help industry, government agencies and emergency responders.

GI-Forum 2014: Geospatial Innovation for Society

Salzburg, Austria / 1-4 Jul 2014

The GI_Forum 2014 provided a platform for dialogue among technologists and critical thinkers, GIScientists and educationalists in an ongoing effort to support the creation of an informed GISociety.

Keynote Lecture: "A World beyond Networks: Geographic Approaches to Knowledge Visualization"