Background & Interests

Dr. Robert Neches is Director of ISI’s Distributed Scalable Systems Division and a Research Associate Professor in USC’s Computer Science Department. He received his Ph.D. from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1981 for work in machine learning, spent a year at the University of Pittsburgh ’s Learning Research and Development Center , and joined USC ISI in 1982. His personal interests span control and coordination in distributed systems; collaboration and visualization aids for information management; and "system of systems" frameworks for information integration. His research interests span distributed software systems engineering, information management, intelligent human-computer inter action, computer-supported cooperative work, resource management, and decision support.

The Distributed Scalable Systems Division is a problem-driven R&D organization focused upon technologies which help distributed organizations gather information, assess its significance, decide upon actions, execute responses and monitor outcomes.

According to the data from CiteSeer, Dr. Neches ranks in the top 1% of most frequently cited authors in Computer Science. (This is based upon data from the CiteSeer scientific reference index, http://citeseer.ist.psu.edu/allcited.html. CiteSeer is a scientific literature digital library and search engine developed at the NEC Research Institute and currently hosted at Penn State 's School of Information Sciences and Technology.)

Dr. Neches has produced software that has transitioned to operational use in organizations ranging from intelligence analysts at USPACOM to USMC aviation organizations. He has been managing consortia on behalf of DARPA, NSF, ONR and other agencies since founding the DARPA Knowledge Sharing Effort in 1991. He served as a Program Manager at DARPA from 1994 to 1997. While there, he co-managed programs on Human-Computer Interaction and Intelligent Integration of Information, as well as managing the Planning and Decision Aids program (initiating new foci on distributed planning and evaluating alternatives). He also helped found DARPA's Advanced Logistics Program and assisted the Defense Logistics Agency in initiatiing their own, first-ever Logistics Research and Development Program, which focused on coordinating military operations and logistical support.

Since returning to ISI in 1997, Dr. Neches has led multiple consortia for DARPA, ONR, OSD and USMC, most notably GeoWorlds and the CACE ACTD / CARTE Future Naval Capabilities efforts. GeoWorlds explored synergies among “crème of the crop” contractors in the DARPA / NSF / NASA Digital Library Initiative. While producing 15 research publications, it also developed a system used daily at US Pacific Command Headquarters. CACE / CARTE likewise have produced published research and transitionable products, going to USMC via MARCORSYSCOM’s Battlespace Management and Air Defense Systems Product Group.

Dr. Neches has nearly 100 research publications, and has consulted in six different countries. He holds a secret clearance.