2002-2003 Research Centers, Laboratories, and InstitutesArtificial Intelligence LaboratoryMichael G. Dyer (Computer Science), Director The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Laboratory was established in 1984 to support graduate research and education in the following areas: Natural language processing (NLP). Cognitive modeling. Application of artificial neural network technology to modeling high-level cognitive tasks. Evolution of language and communication. Other AI faculty members within the Computer Science Department direct research in the areas of heuristic search and distributed AI, game playing, decision-making and Bayesian networks, neural modeling, machine vision, and expert systems. Center for Environmental Risk Reduction and Pollution PreventionYoram Cohen (Chemical Engineering), Director; http://www.cerr.ucla.edu/ The Center for Environmental Risk Reduction (CERR) is a multidisciplinary research center established in 1995. The objective of the CERR is to develop and evaluate risk reduction and pollution prevention technologies and strategies. The CERR focuses its research activities in a number of key areas such as
The CERR includes student and faculty members from HSSEAS. Center for High-Frequency ElectronicsSee Electrical Engineering Department Flight Systems Research CenterA.V. Balakrishnan (Electrical Engineering), Director; Kenneth W. Iliff (Electrical Engineering), Associate Director; http://fsrc.ee.ucla.edu/ The Flight Systems Research Center, established in 1985 under a Memorandum-of-Agreement with the NASA Ames/Dryden Flight Research Facility, is devoted to interdisciplinary research in flight systems and related technologies. Faculty from the Atmospheric Sciences, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Departments are currently associated with the center. Current research projects include:
Institute of Plasma and Fusion ResearchMohamed A. Abdou (Engineering) and Alfred Wong (Physics), Codirectors; http://www.ipfr.ucla.edu/ The Institute of Plasma and Fusion Research is a UCLA organized research unit dedicated to research into plasma physics, fusion energy, and the applications of plasmas in other areas of science and engineering. Students, professional research staff, and faculty, generally working in groups, study basic laboratory plasmas, plasma/fusion confinement experiments, fusion engineering and nuclear technology, computer simulations and the theory of plasmas, advanced plasma diagnostic development, laser/plasma interactions, and the use of plasma in applications ranging from particle accelerators to the processing of materials and surfaces used in microelectronics or for coatings. The institute and its members are affiliated with both the College of Letters and Science and the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science. Faculty, staff, and students come from the Electrical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Physics and Astronomy Departments. The overall UCLA effort in this field is quite broad. On a disciplinary basis, the program can be divided into the following categories:
Magnetic confinement fusion experiments include a tokamak machine, special confinement devices, and machines for basic plasma studies. Experiments have been built to simulate and study space plasmas and to investigate laser/plasma interactions as a means of accelerating particles for high-energy physics. Plasma sources are used in experiments to study plasma/material interactions research and as sources for the production of thin films and coatings. Theoretical and computer simulation research aims at understanding plasma behavior, ranging from plasmas in space to fusion plasmas. Fusion engineering activities include development of new diagnostics and RF power sources and the study of materials behavior, fusion nuclear technology, and fusion reactors. Research in plasma physics and fusion energy is an exciting area of modern technology. Last year, UCLAs plasma and fusion programs received more than $12 million in research grants from several federal agencies, from the National Laboratories, and from industry. The largest amount of funding comes from the U.S. Department of Energy, but substantial resources are received from the National Science Foundation, NASA, and research offices of the U.S. Department of Defense. Nanoelectronics Research FacilitySee Electrical Engineering Department |