Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation

Vasilis Sotiris

The description of the AMSC department at the University of Maryland advertised a graduate program that connected my two interests, mathematics and computing. I was attracted to the interdisciplinary research topics and interdepartmental network of professors available to AMSC students. I can say now, after nearly four years in AMSC, that it is a great program for me. It provided a course work plan relevant to my interests and research needs; it has given me the opportunity to meet, learn from, and work with, faculty from computer science, mechanical engineering and mathematics/statistics. With connections made through AMSC, I got a summer internship with Metron Inc. and have come to appreciate the reputation of the AMSC program in industry and its high rank in academia.

What are your research interests and why?
My research interests, I believe, started with work for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) while working at Lockheed Martin. For that work, the FAA was interested in detection and prediction of flight conflicts, including critical conflicts like collision. I became interested in detection and prediction based on data, on evidence. I was interested in using data to make important decisions, to influence strategy and determine optimal policy. Those early experiences were the driving force to my current research and academic interest, which are still routed on detection and prediction.

Currently, I am focused on developing models and algorithms for real-time reliability prediction. The objective is to fit these models into application areas of prognostics and health management. More specifically, I am interested in first hitting time models that relate failure times, stochastic time-varying covariates (markers), and latent degradation variables. The time to failure is modeled as the first hitting time (fht) of a barrier a by a degradation process (collection of latent degradation variables). Such models as used for a variety of purposes, in my case, to improve prediction of failure time in operational settings.

What do you like to do in your free time?
There is a lot to do in DC. I like to swim, mostly here on campus. In the winter, hiking, skiing, things that you can do within an hour's drive from campus. I enjoy a good beer, time with friends, and most of all getting out of town, traveling.

Brother, mom, Vasilis, and wife at wedding in Cyprus

What are your favorite parts of the greater Washington DC area?
Washington DC is a good place to live, I think both as a student and a professional. Moving to this area from New York City, I initially thought that DC was small, too quiet and dry; that it catered to Capitol Hill between the hours of 9 to 5. I realized that I enjoy having some room to breathe, I discovered a good social scene, and I appreciate that it's manageable in contrast to the one in New York. I especially like Georgetown by the Potomac river, its water front, in general, the environment. I discovered great places to eat, catch a show, and best of all that DC is very international. I made good friends here, both at the university and outside.

Vasilis with wife Katya

What advice would you give to incoming students?
I believe it's important to follow you interest(s), for one. Secondly, I advise taking challenging courses that will strengthen fundamental knowledge, and address difficult questions in your research. Talk to faculty about what they are interested in, what they are looking for, get an understanding of the dynamic at the university, who is doing what, and who isn't, who is a good fit and who isn't. Take some time before choosing an advisor, ask around about other opinions. In the process, you might find new, stronger interests, and ideas.

Story posted 8/5/10