Libby Hemphill selected as a finalist for the Nayar Prize II
Illinois Institute of Technology, a premier, global, technology-focused university located in Chicago, announces three finalists for its Nayar Prize II, a $1 million-plus prize package awarded to develop breakthrough projects that will, within three years, produce meaningful results with a societal impact.
Libby Hemphill, associate professor of communication and information studies, and Aron Culotta, assistant professor of computer science, have been selected as one the finalist teams for their project, Cyberbullying Early Warning and Response System.
Cyberbullying is a widespread public health issue affecting roughly a third of teenage Internet users and often resulting in serious consequences such as physical violence, depression, and substance abuse. The goal of this project is to develop software tools to forecast imminent cyberbullying threats and vulnerabilities in online social networks. The approach will build on recent advances in natural language processing, machine learning, and social network analysis. With the resulting cross-platform tool, individuals and communities will be better equipped to intervene in cyberbullying episodes in real-time to reduce harm and improve outcomes.
The two other finalist projects are A Data-Driven Crime Prevention Program and Microfluidic Drug-Microbiota Interaction Platform.
The Nayar Family Foundation created the prize for students, faculty, and staff at Illinois Tech to recognize their extraordinary problem-solving capabilities and help move the needle toward significant innovations to impact society, the economy, and our environment.
“The projects selected for the Nayar Prize represent the incredible work, and creative and critical innovations, coupled with the ambitions of the university,” said Frances Bronet, provost. “The array of entries crossed all disciplines and embodied a commitment to solving difficult and pressing large-scale issues through technological and social analysis that offers clear and applicable action plans.”
The three finalist teams will each be granted $100,000 to spend within a year to show significant progress toward a solution for the problem they are investigating. In year two, up to two teams that show the most promise will receive an additional $100,000 each to continue their work over the next year. In the end, the Finalist Team receives an additional $100,000 for another year of effort to complete the goals of its program. The successful completion of these goals as judged by the Nayar Prize II Steering Committee and approved by the Nayar Prize Oversight Committee will result in the awarding of the $500,000 Nayar Prize II to the Finalist Team.
The Nayar Prize is funded by distinguished Illinois Tech alumnus and trustee Madhavan Nayar and his wife, Teresa, on behalf of the Nayar Family Foundation. Madhavan Nayar is the founder of a company that is a pioneer in information integrity software.
Learn more about the Nayar Prize and the finalists at www.iit.edu/nayar-prize.
