Invited speakers for this year's conference:

Albert-László Barabási is the T. Hofman Professor of Physics at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Barabási is a pioneer in networking as a unified scientific theory and the author of the critically acclaimed book “Linked: The New Science of Networks.” He has examined network patterns in all aspects of life, from the worldwide spread of AIDS to the social relationships among Hollywood film luminaries. His findings frequently are featured in Nature, Science and other prestigious research journals. His research has identified the influences of “hubs” or “connectors” as reoccurring elements that influence interactions, be they in social settings, among the molecules of a cell, or on the World Wide Web. The influence of the hubs contradicts previous understanding that networks behave randomly.
http://www.nd.edu/~alb/

Steven M. Boker is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia Department of Psychology and Associate Research Professor at the University of Notre Dame. Boker's research interests include the application of Dynamical Systems analytic techniques to psychological and physiological data. One project is using magnetic motion tracking technology to measure the degree to which individuals' motions are coordinated during dyadic conversation. Another project is measuring and modeling the dynamic coupling between visual, proprioceptive and vestibular input during the process of standing postural stabilization. A third project is modeling the dynamics of mood swings in a sample of Rapid Cycling Bipolar Disorder patients. Dr. Boker also acts as interface design consultant for the Mx Structural Equation Modeling software.
http://people.virginia.edu/~smb3u/

Ryan P. Bowles is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. Dr. Bowles's research focuses on measurement and change simultaneously, both the role of measurement in assessing individual longitudinal change, and change that occurs during the process of measurement.
http://psychology.msu.edu/People/faculty/bowles.htm

Amitabh Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. His research interests include Online algorithms, spatial data structures, and graph theory.
http://www.nd.edu/~achaudha/

Peter F. Craigmile is Assistant Professor of Statistics at the Ohio State University. Dr. Craigmile's research interests include time series analysis, longitudinal methods, and spatial statistics. He is interested in the use of spectral and wavelet methods to investigate dependency structures and to analyze periodicities and trends. One application of this is to the study of long memory processes. In the area of spatial statistics, he does research in the study of space-time processes and the prediction of spatial exceedances. He enjoys application-oriented research.
http://www.stat.osu.edu/~pfc/

Robert Cudeck is Professor of Psychology at the Ohio State University. Dr. Cudeck’s research interests include applications of structural equation models and random coefficient models to psychological data.
http://faculty.psy.ohio-state.edu/cudeck/

Emilio Ferrer is Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Ferrer is interested in methods to analyze change and intra-individual variability, in particular latent growth analysis and linear and nonlinear dynamical systems. His current research in this area involves techniques to model nonlinear developmental processes and the dynamics of affective processes in dyadic interactions.
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/faculty/Ferrer/

Fushing Hsieh is Professor of Statistics at the the University of California, Davis. Dr. Hsieh'r research interests include survival analysis, joint modeling in biomedical dynamic system, modeling animal behavior, evolutionary ecology and aging, analysis of cognitive processing and neural spikes train data
http://anson.ucdavis.edu/faculty/fushing.html

Peter C. M. Molenaar is Professor of Human Development at the Penn State University. The general theme of his work concerns the application of mathematical theories to solve substantive psychological issues. His research areas include (1) application of mathematical-statistical ergodic theory to study the relationships between intra-individual (ideographic) analyses and inter-individual (nomothetic) analyses of psychological processes, (2) development of multivariate time series techniques for person-specific data analysis (e.g., dynamic factor analysis), (3) application of nonlinear multivariate statistical signal analysis techniques to solve the problem of mapping theoretical models of cognitive information-processing onto dynamically interacting EEG/MEG neural sources embedded in spatio-temporally coherent backgrounds, (4) application of mathematical singularity theory (in particular catastrophe theory) to solve the longstanding debate about the reality of developmental stage transitions, and (5) application of advanced multivariate analysis techniques in quantitative genetics and application of adaptive resonance theory (ART neural networks) to study the effects of nonlinear epigenetical processes.
http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/hdfs/faculty/molenaar.html

Hernando Ombao is Associate Professor of Statistics, Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His research interests include Statistical Signal Processing, Spatio-Temporal Analysis, Statistical Learning, Applications in Neuroscience, Atmospheric Sciences, Speech Processing and Finance.
http://www.stat.uiuc.edu/~ombao/

Raquel Prado is an Assistant Professor in the Applied Mathematics and Statistics group which belongs to the School of Engineering. Her areas of research interests include Bayesian non-stationary time series modeling, multivariate time series, biomedical signal processing and statistical genetics. Dr. Prado is currently the principal investigator in a NIH/NIGMS grant to develop Bayesian models for detecting natural selection in malaria antigens. She is also a Co-PI in a California Sea Grant project recently awarded to Mary Silver and Carrie Pomeroy to quantify exposure of the fish caught from the Santa Cruz Wharf to a neurotoxin (domoic acid).
http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~raquel/

Steven B. Skaar is Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Notre Dame. His research centers on the use of estimation techniques including the Extended Kalman Filter to apply computer-vision samples of mechanisms and mechanism targets of manipulation in order to control or guide the mechanisms and bring about robust and precise closure or completion of the robotic maneuvers. These techniques are used to control industrial robots and are used to control NASA's Spirit and Opportunity MERs. He has developed similar techniques for automatic control of wheelchair navigation for the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs.
http://www.nd.edu/~ame/facultystaff/Skaar,Steven.html

Notre Dame Quantitative Faculty

Sy-Miin Chow
Dr. Chow's research focuses on the development and adaptation of modeling and analysis tools that are suited to evaluating linear and nonlinear dynamical models. In particular, Chow has applied Bayesian estimation approaches such as the Kalman filter to fitting linear and nonlinear dynamic models. Her current work involves using dynamical systems models to represent the dynamic structure of cognition and emotion, and age-related differences in potential linkages between them.
http://www.nd.edu/~schow/

Gitta Lubke
Dr. Lubke's research interests include applications of latent variable modeling and purely methodological topics. Her current applied research is mainly in the field of psychiatric genetics, with a focus on the question whether a disorder is best described in terms of qualitatively different subtypes or in terms of a continuous underlying risk factor. The methodological topics are in the area of measurement invariance, factor mixture modeling as an extension of latent class analysis, multi-group factor analysis including longitudinal analysis, analysis of categorical data, and genetic statistics.
http://www.nd.edu/~psych/faculty/lubke.htm

Scott E. Maxwell
Dr. Scott Maxwell's research interests are in the areas of research methodology, statistics, and individual differences especially in the domains of abilities and intelligence. His most recent research investigates how statistical power to detect treatment effects can be increased through longitudinal assessment. Other substantive areas of research include statistical analyses of discrimination in employment selection, college admissions, and salary administration. Dr. Maxwell's teaching interests span courses in research methodology, statistics, structural equation modeling, tests and measurement, and differential psychology.
http://www.nd.edu/~psych/faculty/maxwell.htm

Ke-Hai Yuan
Dr. Yuan's research interests are in the areas of psychometric theory and applied multivariate statistics. His research includes structural equation modeling, meta-analysis, multilevelmodeling, classical testing theory and item response theory. His teaching interests span courses in psychometric theory, structural equation modeling, item response theory, and simulation based research methodology.
http://www.nd.edu/~psych/faculty/yuan.htm

Guangjian Zhang
Dr. Zhang is currently a postdoc in the psychology department at the University of Notre Dame and he will be joining the faculty as an assistant professor in August, 2007. He received his Ph.D. in quantitative psychology from the Ohio State University in 2006. His research interests include factor analysis, structural equation modeling, time series analysis, and statistical computing.
http://psychology.nd.edu/people/faculty/zhang-guangjian/