About Me

I am keenly interested in changing the world for the better through technological innovation. My current research focuses on (a) assisting data science practitioners, especially the user untrained in databases, in using big data effectively and correctly; (b) creating new data models, for example crowd-sourced data models, for the benefit of society; and (c) improving recommender systems for use in non-profits, such as museums, and small businesses.  Ultimately, I think recommender technology can help us have happier, healthier lives.  Stay tuned for research updates!

Before there was Google, I was an innovator in the area of Big Data, making it easier to search, integrate and use information available on the Internet. For this work, I received the “10 Year Best Paper Award” at the Very Large Data Bases (VLDB) Conference. I also invented meta-directories, and then led efforts to create Avaya’s meta-directory product.

I am happy to be here at Lafayette after many years as a researcher in industry.  I came here from Avaya Labs which I joined at its birth in 2000 in a spin-off from Bell Labs, and previously I joined Bell Labs after completing my Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Among other degrees, I hold an M. A. in the History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Pittsburgh.

When the day is done at Lafayette, I return to our family farm in Tewksbury, NJ, where I live with my husband, Terry, our standard poodles, Katie and Jackie, many chickens and a few goats. Katie and Jackie love coming to Lafayette, and, like me, have made many friends here.

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