INTELLIGENT AGENTS AND MULTIAGENT SYSTEMS (IAMAS) GROUP

122E Avery Hall

Lincoln, NE 68588-0115

TEL: (402) 472-6738 FAX: (402) 472-7767

E-mail: lksoh at cse dot unl dot edu

The group is led by Professor Leen-Kiat Soh with a team of students (undergraduate, M.S. and Ph.D.) who are interested in intelligent agents and multiagent systems. This group was founded in 2002 and has graduated thus far 5 Ph.D. student, 22 M.S. students, and numerous undergraduate students. Our research foci in this area include deliberative reflective information gathering, ad hoc team formation, cognitive computing, coalition formation, negotiation, and human scaffolding. Our work has its applications in computer-aided education, survey informatics, and smart grid. We have also extended our research work to intelligent data analytics that include image processing and adaptive decision making.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Aida Intelligent Image Analysis on Poem Identification | Building an intelligent system to automatically identify poems in old newspapers | with Yi Liu, Chulwoo (Mike) Pack, Dr. Liz Lorang | supported by NEH and IMLS

Ad Hoc Team Formation in Open Environments | Considering environmental openness and learning, how should one form teams in an ad hoc environment? | with Yi Xia, Dr. Adam Eck of Oberlin College, Dr. Prashant Doshi of University of Georgia | supported by NSF

Education Data Mining as Part of IC2Think and AIR@NE | Topic analysis, tonal analysis, semantic analysis | with Patrick Morrow | supported by NSF

SURGE | Developing techniques for predicting social unrests using computational- and social science-based solutions, using multiagent simulations to model event triggering patterns | with Sudeep Basnet, Krishna Venkata, Dr. Ashok Samal, Dr. Regina Werum, Dr. Deepti Joshi of Citadel College | supported by NGA

Online MOOCs | Developing an agent-powered platform for delivering and supporting online collaborations for students in MOOCs | with Dr. Jamie Loizzo of University of Florida, Dr. Lisa Pytlik Zilig | supported by Food for Health, UNL

Adaptive Decision Making | Analyzing and understanding decision making in blue jays | with Dr. Jeff Stevens | supported by NSF

Adaptive Decision Making | Attention, WM, and Visual Perception to Reduce Risk of Injuries in the Construction Industry | with Dr. Mike Dodd, Dr. Behzad Esmaeili of George Mason University | supported by NSF

CURRENT MEMBERS

Chulwoo (Mike) Pack, Ph.D. in CS, 2017 –

Yi Liu, Ph.D. in CS, 2016 –

Yi Xia, Ph.D. in CS, 2018 –

Sudeep Basnet, M.S. in CS, 2016 –

Kyle Janvrin, B.S. in Math, 2019 –

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

See here.

INACTIVE & PAST PROJECTS

Smart Grid | Simulation of intelligent agents, both demand and supply-side analyses (Elham Foruzan)

Deliberative Reflective Information Gathering | Observer effect, resource-aware multiagent sensing, large team information sharing, potential-based reward shaping (Dr. Adam Eck)

Survey Informatics | Analyzing Gallup Panel data and Census ATUS data, building self-administered and intelligent survey instruments! Funded by NSF CRN, with collaborators Dr. Allan McCutcheon and Dr. Bob Belli. (Dr. Adam Eck, Dr. Antje Kirschner) (Supported by NSF)

Computational Unified Learning Model (C-ULM) | A multiagent modeling and simulation of the Unified Learning Model. This framework is to our knowledge the first that investigates sophisticated modeling of learning as a distinct process. We expect our C-ULM to fundamentally impact research in multiagent learning and knowledge transfer, especially when human agents are involved. (Dr. Duane Shell)

IDEASPERE | An online environment for computer-supported collaborative argumentation (CSCA), funded by NSF SaTC, with Dr. Lisa PytlikZillig. (LD Miller, Bin Chen, Xi Chen)

The Written Agora | An online environment for collaborative Wiki, originally funded by NSF BDI, with Dr. Stephen Scott, on Biofinity; later funded by NSF graduate research fellowship to support Adam Eck, NSF CPATH, NSF TUES, to support the IC2Think project. (Adam Eck, LD Miller)

Intelligent Learning Object Guide (iLOG) | An automated learning object metatagging framework with collaboration from Dr. Gwen Nugent and Dr. Samal (LD Miller, Ziyang Lin)

Semantic Cyberinfrastructure for Information Discovery (SCID) | Working with Dr. Stephen Scott, we built a framework that integrates biological data repositories (Adam Eck, Derrick Lam)

ClassroomWiki | CSCL system for essay writing! (Nobel Khandaker)

Intelligent Learning Materials Delivery Agent (ILMDA) | An introspective case-based learning agent for intelligent tutoring systems (LD Miller, Todd Blank, Akira Endo, Ashok Kumar Thirunavukkaras)

MINDS and ConferenceXP-Powered I-MINDS | With collaboration from Dr. Jiang Hong, we built our first generation of CSCL system powered by multiagent intelligence (Phanivas Vemuri, Suresh Namala, Xuli Liu, Xuesong Zhang, Nobel Khandaker, Adam Eck, LD Miller, Kyle Dobitz)

DARPA ANTS Challenge | Case-based reflective negotiation model to form coalitions in complex environments, distributed sensor networks, with Dr. Costas Tsatsoulis (Xin Li, Juan Luo)

Conceptual Understanding and Distributed Ontology (CUDO) | Learning to map ontology on demand, as modeled by agents (Jingfei Xu, Chao Chen)

Multiagent Games | Fox-and-Hound, and game bots … (Kye Halsted, Jeremy Glasser)

PAST MEMBERS

Pooja Ahuja, M.S. CS (Advisor), 2016-2017, July 2017: Investigating Diversity in Open Multiagent Team Formation

Bin Chen, M.S. CS Thesis (Advisor), 2014-2017, June 2017: Investigating Agent and Task Openness in Ad Hoc Team Formation

Elham Foruzan, M.S. CS Project (Advisor), 2016 – 2017, April 2017: Distributed Energy Management in a Microgrid: A Multiagent Reinforcement Learning Approach

Shilpa Kanal, M.S. CS Thesis (Advisor), 2014 – 2016, December 2016 (May 2017 officially): Towards Building a Review Recommendation System that Trains Novices by Leveraging the Actions of Experts

Hariharan Arunachalam, M.S. CS Thesis (Advisor), 2014-2016, August 2016: Towards Building an Intelligent Integrated Multi-Mode Time Diary Survey Framework

Adam Eck, Ph.D., CS (Advisor), 2011-2015, August 2015: Reflective, Deliberative Agent-Based Information Gathering

Lee Dee Miller, Ph.D. CS (Advisor), 2008-2014, November 2014: Cluster-Based Boundary of Use for Selective Improvement to Supervised Learning

Rasheed Ali Rajabzadeh, M.S. CS (Advisor), 2012-2014, July 2014: Measuring Autonomy and Solving General Stabilization Problems with Multi-Agent Systems

Leonard Cleve Stuart, M.S. CS (Advisor), 2012-2014, April 2014: User Modeling via Machine Learning and Rule-Based Reasoning to Understand and Predict Errors in Survey Systems

Vlad Chiriacescu, M.S. CS (Advisor), 2011-2013, November 2013: November 2013: Understanding Human Learning using a Multiagent Based Unified Learning Model Simulation

Derrick Lam, M.S. CS (Advisor), 2009-2013, May 2013: Improving Virtual Collaboration: Modeling for Recommendation Systems in a Classroom Wiki Environment

Nobel Khandaker, Ph.D. Dissertation (Advisor), 2005-2011, May 2011: Multiagent Coalition Formation in Uncertain Environments with Type-Changing Influences and Its Application Towards Forming Human Coalitions

XuLi Liu, Ph.D. CS (co-Advisor), 2002-2007 (April 9, 2007): APOP: Automatic Pattern and Object-based Code Parallelization Framework for Clusters

Xin Li, Ph.D. CS (Advisor), 2001-2007 (April 12, 2007): Improving Multi-Agent Coalition Formation in Complex Environments

Ziyang Lin, M.S. Project (Advisor), 2010-2011, July 2011: Search and Retrieval of Learning Objects

Adam Eck, M.S. Thesis (Advisor), 2008-2010, November 2010, Agent Sensing with Stateful Resource

L.D. Miller, M.S. Thesis (Advisor), 2003-2007, November 2007: Genetic Algorithm Classifier System Framework for Semi-Supervised Classification

Jared Kite, M.S. Thesis (Advisor), 2003-2007, June 2007: A Flexible Framework for Knowledge Engineering and Automation of An Adaptive Conversational Case-Retrieval System

Todd Blank, M.S. Thesis, CS (Advisor), 2003-2005, November 2005: ILMDA: An Intelligent Tutoring System with Integrated Learning

Nobel Khandaker, MS. Thesis, CS (Advisor), 2004-2005, August 2005: VALCAM – An Auction Based Learning Enabled Multiagent Coalition Formation Algorithm for Real-World Applications

Kye Halsted, M.S. Project, CS (Advisor), 2002-2004, December 2004: Predator/Prey Domains: Analyzing Multiagent Communication in a Noisy Environment

Xuesong Zhang, M.S. Thesis, CS (Co-Advisor), 2002-2004, December 2004: I-MINDS: An Intelligent Multiagent System Supported Teaching and Cooperative Learning Environment

Suresh Namala, M.S. Project, CS (Advisor), 2002-2004, November 2004: An Intelligence Module for I-MINDS

Chao Chen, M.S. Thesis, CS (Advisor), 2002-2004, November 2004: A Multiagent Approach Using Ontology and Operational Learning to Improve Distributed Information Retrieval

Jeremy Glasser, M.S. Thesis, CS (Advisor), 2002-2004, May 2004: Using Adaptive Agents to Create a Continuous Challenge in Computer Games

Jingfei Xu, M.S. Project, CS (Advisor), 2002-2003, July 2003: Operational Distributed Ontology Learning in a Multi-Agent System

Juan Luo, M.S. Project, CS (Advisor), 2001-2003, May 2003: Case-Based Learning Behavior in a Real Time Multi-Agent System

Undergraduate students: Joseph Bernadt (2004), Feroz Patwa (2003), Preston Mesick (2004), Guanshan Yu (2005), Akira Endo (2006), Josh Rupiper (2006), Adam Eck (2007), Steve Mott (2008), Kyle Dobitz (2007), Huinee Chin (2003), Jesse Hostetler (2009), Michael Gubbels (2009), Wayloon Tan (2011), Nate Stender (2011), Sing Hwa Lee (2013), Joe Lunde (2014), Maanas Datla (2015), Gregory Atkin (2015), Spencer Kulwick (2015), Xi Chen (2015), Elliot Sanfort (2016), Jonathan Avery (2017)