The theme of Interface 2008 is RISK : Reality. Through the dual focus on the problems of information extraction, risk modeling, analysis and decision-making and on the computational technology and advances in tools to make characterization, quantization and evaluation of risk possible, this symposium will address issues central to understanding real risks and to conceptualizing potential risks and potential risks and risk management scenarios.
Symposium Theme
RISK : Reality
Everywhere today RISK is assessed, projected, analyzed, managed. Decisions based on perceived RISK are made daily in every economic sector and, indeed each aspect of life. The pharmaceutical industry continually deals with risk of rare and unexpected side effects of marketed drugs. Homeowners and federal agencies like NOAA deal with the risk of Categories IV and V hurricanes. Security agencies deal with risk of terrorists crossing borders into the US. Federal agencies and companies risk unauthorized penetration of classified and/or proprietary databases. Nuclear power plants must manage risk of radiation escape; while other energy resource managers evaluate strategies to manage risk to the power grid.
Understanding RISK depends crucially on Information –
First - Acquiring Information:
• data acquisition
• data bases
• expert opinion
Second - Extracting Knowledge-
Computational/statistical tools for:
• massive data / data bases
• high-dimensional data
• streaming data
• text
Third - Drawing Inference:
• modeling complex systems
• dynamic analytic processes
• verification and validation of models and algorithms
• decision theory
Managing RISK depends on understanding specific Contexts –
• extreme events
• natural disasters
• infrastructure (e.g., energy)
• communications & internet
• portfolios
• adversaries & human threats
Program Committee
David Banks (Duke University)
Dipak Dey (University of Connecticutt)
David Dunson (NIEHS)
Lutz Edler (German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg)
Alan Gelfand (Duke University)
Karen Kafadar (CU Denver) David Marchette ()
Steve Marron (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
Wendy Martinez (ONR)
George Michailidis (University of Michigan)
Amy Nail (North Carolina State University)
Michael Porter (North Carolina State University)
David Rios-Insua (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos)
Yasmin Said (George Mason University)
Michael G. Schimek (University of Graz)
Richard Smith (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)
Jeff Solka (George Mason University)
David van Dyk (University of California-Irvine)
Ed Wegman (George Mason University)
Stanley Young (NISS)
Helen Zhang (North Carolina State University)
Sponsored by:
Interface Foundation of North America, Inc.
Cooperating Organizations:
ASA, CSNA, ENAR, IASC, IMS, INFORMS, SIAM, WNAR
Event Type
- NISS Hosted