Laura Balzano partners with 3M to advance research in big data

Prof. Laura Balzano received a 2018 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award to advance her research in Big Data, with a focus on challenges not typically addressed by traditional machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. These challenges include the combination of massive amounts of continuously incoming data on a system with the knowledge that some data are corrupted or incomplete – and the necessity of retaining only the most important data being collected.

Her specific research project is Algorithms for Low-Dimensional Modeling of High-Dimensional Data.

Leveraging recent advances in statistical signal processing, optimization, and machine learning, Balzano’s research includes algorithm development and theory for novel machine learning algorithms that learn both linear and non-linear low-dimensional structure in modern datasets.

Applications include environmental sensor networks (to monitor air pollution on a continuing basis), gene sequencing data analysis, and real-time video processing.

3M’s Non-Tenured Faculty Award recognizes outstanding junior faculty nominated by 3M researchers on the basis of their demonstrated record of research, experience, and academic leadership. Balzano is one of 21 recipients among more than 100 nominations from 60 institutions.