Press Release Archives - Page 2 of 3 - NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress

NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President Kyle Kimball today celebrated the graduation of CUSP’s inaugural class of students during a ceremony held at NYU Skirball Center for Performing Arts.

The CUSP program, created as part of the City of New York’s Applied Sciences NYC initiative, is graduating a class of 23 students who have successfully completed a Master of Science program in Applied Urban Science and Informatics. These graduates will now transition into various careers where they will use their education to analyze large-scale data, from a variety of sources, in an effort to understand and address real-world challenges in the urban context, while critically transforming the City’s capacity for applied sciences and engineering and increasing its global competitiveness.

“We are very proud to celebrate the graduation of our first class of students,” said CUSP Director Steve Koonin. “These graduates will move on to work for private technology firms, public sector agencies, and in entrepreneurship and new venture creation. We truly believe that the education they have received at CUSP, combined with their desire to have an impact on the cities in which they live, will enable them to thrive as urban scientists who will help cities around the world become more productive, livable, equitable, and resilient.”

“On behalf of Mayor de Blasio and the City of New York, I commend the graduates of the inaugural CUSP class and the many academic and private sector technology partners who have built this extraordinary program,” said Kyle Kimball, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. “This commencement follows through on the promise of the City’s Applied Sciences initiative to create a new cohort of homegrown talent dedicated to tackling the prominent urban challenges of our time, while powering and diversifying the City’s economy. Today’s graduates have already helped cement New York City as a global center of commerce and culture by using our streets as a living laboratory and, as they create new companies and hire New Yorkers to staff them, the great work being done here will create meaningful, lasting economic opportunity across the City.”

CUSP’s inaugural class entered the program with degrees from 24 universities around the world and came with training in more than 20 different academic disciplines – some from the core disciplines like Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering and Physics; others with strong preparation in the social sciences such as Sociology, Political Science, and Urban Studies & Planning.

During CUSP’s intensive, one-year, three-semester M.S. program, students study courses in the science of cities, urban informatics, and information and communication technology in cities. They selected from multiple policy domains to gain breadth and depth in the application of big data analytics to urban problems.  The program also contains a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation leadership, and students are given the option to study technology entrepreneurship or “change leadership” in an existing organization.  The core of the one-year curriculum is a two-semester project – the Urban Science Intensive – during which students, working closely with mentors from CUSP’s Industrial and National Laboratory partners, apply the principles of informatics to address an actual urban problem with a New York City agency to have a direct and meaningful impact on the quality of life in cities.

CUSP was designated in 2012 as part of the City’s groundbreaking Applied Sciences NYC initiative, which was created by NYCEDC to expand the City’s top-tier applied sciences and engineering campuses to help spur economic growth and increase the city’s global competitiveness. The initiative offered to provide City-owned land and seed investments of City capital to universities interested in establishing or expanding applied sciences and engineering programs in New York City. CUSP is currently operating at 1 Metrotech Center in Downtown Brooklyn while its permanent home at 370 Jay Street, formerly occupied by the MTA and NYPD, is developed. CUSP’s presence in Downtown Brooklyn was critical to establishing the area as one of the City’s foremost tech hubs.

Collectively, CUSP, along with the Cornell-Tech, Columbia and Carnegie Mellon Applied Sciences projects, are expected to generate more than $33.2 billion in nominal economic activity, over 48,000 permanent and construction jobs, and approximately 1,000 spin-off companies by 2046, fulfilling the initiative’s goal of dramatically transforming the City’s economy for the 21st century.

When all four Applied Sciences NYC projects are fully underway, the number of full-time, graduate engineering students enrolled in New York City Master’s and Ph.D. programs will more than double, ensuring the strength of New York City’s position in a global economy driven by technological fluency and innovation. Using New York City as its laboratory and classroom, CUSP has set out to respond to the City’s challenge by setting the research agenda for “the science of cities,” and educating the next generation of engineers in how to apply this research, bring innovative ideas to a world market, and create a new, fast-growing and indispensable industry.

In its first academic year, CUSP has continued to set the standard for Big Data institutions across the globe. Thus far, the Center has experienced tremendous success, including:

• Partnering with Related Companies to lay the groundwork for and launch the first “Quantified Community” in New York City’s Hudson Yards;
• Sponsoring, and contributing to, the most definitive book to date on the intersection of big data, privacy, and the public: “Big Data, Privacy, and the Public Good: Frameworks for Engagement”;
• Partnering with King’s College London and the University of Warwick to create CUSP London, an important step in the realization of CUSP’s objective of leading and nurturing a global entrepreneurial innovative ecosystem;
• And securing top-notch companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and organizations as partners.

Looking to the future, CUSP has nearly completed its selection of graduate students for the Class of 2015, a class that is anticipated to be nearly triple the size of the Class of 2014. NYU also has unveiled its plans to turn the long-dormant 370 Jay Street in Downtown Brooklyn into a modern, sustainable academic center that will serve as the future home of CUSP.

For more information on CUSP, its programs and initiatives, please visit the Center’s website, www.cusp.nyu.edu.

About New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University with a consortium of world-class universities and the foremost international technology companies to address the needs of cities. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world.  This research will make CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics”.  For more news and information on CUSP, please visit http://cusp.nyu.edu/.

About NYCEDC

New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City’s primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC’s mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City’s competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City’s many opportunities. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, or visit our blog to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.

New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) today announced that it will partner with Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group to create the nation’s first “Quantified Community” – a fully-instrumented urban neighborhood that will measure and analyze key physical and environmental attributes at Hudson Yards.

This “Quantified Community” will create an interactive, data-driven experience for tenants and owners of the 28 acre mixed-use development now being built on Manhattan’s West Side. In line with the development’s overall aim of improving operational efficiencies, productivity, and quality of life, CUSP will use the data to help New York City – and, ultimately, cities across the world – become more productive, livable, equitable, and resilient. Related and Oxford will use the data to continually improve the worker, resident, and visitor experience, while also making the neighborhood more efficient.

CUSP and Related/Oxford are still developing the final list of attributes that will be measured in Hudson Yards, but examples include:

• Measuring, modeling, and predicting pedestrian flows through traffic and transit points, open spaces, and retail space.
• Gauging air quality both within buildings and across the open spaces and surrounding areas.
• Measuring health and activity levels of residents and workers using a custom-designed, opt-in mobile application.
• Measuring and benchmarking solid waste with particular focus on increasing the recovery of recyclables and organic (i.e. food) waste.
• Measuring and modeling of energy production and usage throughout the project, including optimization of on-site cogeneration plant and thermal microgrid.

Dr. Constantine Kontokosta, PE, Deputy Director & Head of the Quantified Community initiative at CUSP said, “The Quantified Community will create a unique experimental environment that provides a testing ground for new physical and informatics technologies and analytics capabilities, which will allow for unprecedented studies in urban engineering, urban systems operation, and planning, and the social sciences. Given the scale and significance of Hudson Yards, we believe that our partnership with Related will help to create a model for future sustainable, data-driven urban development.”

Jay Cross, President of Related Hudson Yards said, “The ability to conceive of and develop an entirely new neighborhood creates tremendous opportunities. Hudson Yards will be the most connected, measured, and technologically advanced digital district in the nation. Our cutting-edge commercial tenants are drawn to Hudson Yards for its state-of-the-art infrastructure featuring unprecedented wired, wireless, broadband, and satellite connectivity; and energy optimization through on-site power generation and central waste systems. Through our partnership with CUSP we will harness big data to continually innovate, optimize and enhance the employee, resident, and visitor experience.”

Dr. Steven Koonin, Director of CUSP said, “This partnership between Hudson Yards and CUSP is successful because Related and Oxford understand the importance of sensor-enriched environments in creating the most efficient and livable cities of the future. CUSP aims to be a leader and innovator in the emerging field of ‘Urban Informatics’ – the observation, analysis, and modeling of cities – and our first Quantified Community at Hudson Yards is a great step toward this goal. CUSP is extremely grateful for this partnership and we look forward to working with them as this project continues to take shape.”

About New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress
CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University with a consortium of world-class universities and the foremost international technology companies to address the needs of cities. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world.  This research will make CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics”.  For more news and information on CUSP, please visit http://cusp.nyu.edu/.

About Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards, developed by Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group, is the largest private real estate development in the nation’s history and the largest development in New York City since Rockefeller Center. Hudson Yards will be a hub of connectivity, community, culture, and creativity. It is anticipated that more than 24 million people will visit Hudson Yards every year. The site itself will include 17 million square feet of commercial and residential space, more than 100 shops and restaurants, approximately 5,000 residences, Culture Shed, 14-acres of public open space, a new 750-seat public school and a 150-room luxury hotel – all offering unparalleled amenities for residents, employees, and guests. The development of Hudson Yards will create more than 23,000 construction jobs, and when completed in 2024, more than 40,000 people a day will either work in or call Hudson Yards their home. For more information on Hudson Yards please visit http://www.hudsonyardsnewyork.com/

Media Contacts:

Kim Alfred, CUSP - 917.392.0859

kim.alfred@nyu.edu

Joanna Rose, Related Companies - 212.801.3902

jrose@related.com

Elizabeth Latino, The Marino Organization - 212.889.0808

elizabeth@themarino.org

NYU’s Center for Urban Science & Progress (CUSP) today announced the appointment of Michael Flowers, who served as New York City’s first Chief Analytics Officer, as its inaugural Urban Science Fellow.

With a depth of experience in federal and municipal government, Flowers will work closely with CUSP’s faculty, staff, and partners to identify approaches to advance the use of data analytics in municipal operations and urban policymaking.  A recognized leader in promoting the use of civic data, Flowers will serve as a key participant in CUSP projects that will help define the emerging field of urban informatics around the world.

Specifically, he will serve as a mentor and project advisor to CUSP’s M.S. students as they undertake practical data analysis of constraints on city operations and development, which include political, policy, and financial considerations.

Appointed by former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, Flowers served as the city’s first Chief Analytics Officer and established the Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics (MODA).  MODA’s work allowed the City of New York to better utilize its data to improve its infrastructure, emergency response, human services, and revenue collection.  As Chief Analytics Officer, Flowers implemented NYC DataBridge, an analytics platform integrating data spanning numerous city agencies for secure, on-demand access by city analysts.

“Mike brings to CUSP an outstanding record of achievement within the New York City government,” said Steve Koonin, CUSP’s Director.  “His innovative efforts have greatly aided the city to better utilize its vast amounts of data and respond to the needs of New York City’s residents.  Mike brings an invaluable, practical perspective on urban informatics and we are delighted to be working with him.”

Prior to joining the Bloomberg Administration, Mr. Flowers was Counsel to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations for the 110th and 111th Congress, where he led bipartisan investigations into off-shore tax haven abuses, failures in the mortgage-backed securitization market by U.S. investment and commercial banks and government agencies, and deceptive financial transactions by the North Korean government. From March 2005 to December 2006, Mr. Flowers was Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Regime Crimes Liaison’s Office in Baghdad, Iraq, supporting the investigations and trials of Saddam Hussein and other high-ranking members of his regime. Flowers’ numerous awards and honors include the New York City Government Award for Management Innovation and IT Collaboration (2013), the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy Award (2013), and the White House Champion for Change Award (2012).  He earned his bachelor’s degree in History from Tulane University and holds a law degree from Temple University.

“I am truly excited to bring my experience in city government and data analytics to bear as CUSP moves forward,” said Michael Flowers.  “Working closely with its government, academic, and corporate partners, CUSP’s research offers tremendous promise to cities like New York as they evaluate the best ways to utilize vast amounts of data for the public good.”

Established through generous support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, CUSP’s Urban Science Fellowship will enable leading practitioners to apply their expertise to the study of urban informatics and accelerate the rate at which knowledge and best practices can be shared with leaders in other cities.

About CUSP

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University with a consortium of world-class universities and leading international tech companies. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world. The Center will be the first program to assemble a global consortium to focus on this area of research and development at this scale, making it the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics.”  For more news and information on CUSP, click here.

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Media Contacts:

Kim Alfred, CUSP – 917.392.0859

kim.alfred@nyu.edu

Elizabeth Latino, The Marino Organization – 212.889.0808

elizabeth@themarino.org

Brooklyn, NY – December 12, 2013: New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress (CUSP) today announced the launch of a new executive education program in urban informatics and city analytics, one of the only such programs of its kind in the world.

The three-day, cohort-style program will be led by CUSP faculty members, all of whom are widely regarded as foremost innovators in their respective specialties. The course will equip professionals from both the public and private sector with the skills to use large-scale datasets and analytics to address fundamental problems and challenges of city operations, planning and development.

“We’re finding that more and more professionals want to drill down on this material not just because they’re intellectually curious or because they think it will add value down the road – they’re beginning to realize that knowledge in this area is rapidly becoming a strategic imperative,” said Dr. Steven Koonin, Director of CUSP. “Much of the city data that can be used to improve service delivery, optimize operational and planning decisions, increase public engagement and improve problem solving already exists. The executive education program teaches professionals how to leverage existing data and turn it into insight that can catalyze data-driven policy.”

The program covers trends and challenges in data science for urban systems, such as data management and manipulation at scale, data mining and analytics, and information visualization, with a special focus on how to use data to develop and implement solutions for the most current and pressing challenges facing today’s cities.

Through case studies, group discussions, and professional development, participants will acquire a deeper understanding of the alignment of data and information with complex urban systems.

The program is geared toward leaders in organizations and government who would like to improve their ability to utilize, create and manage a data-driven approach to city operations, as well as to professionals who wish to learn how to observe, analyze and model cities and senior level executives who would like to enhance their data-driven management skills with the goal of extracting meaning and insight from data to improve cities around the world.

Participants can receive continuing professional education credit as applicable, for completing the program.

The first three-day program will be held January 27 – 29 at the CUSP campus in Downtown Brooklyn and additional cohorts will be held throughout the year on an ongoing basis. For more information, please contact: J.C. Bonilla, Director of Enrollment Management and Student Services at 646-997-0511 or jb3379@nyu.edu.

CUSP welcomed its inaugural class of graduate students in August 2013. The NYU center was designated last year as part of the City’s groundbreaking Applied Sciences NYC initiative, which seeks to increase New York City’s capacity for applied sciences. Building on its mission to define the emerging field of Urban Informatics, CUSP will shape its students into the next generation of scientists who will understand urban data sources and how to manipulate and integrate large, diverse datasets. These skills will enable them to develop solutions to pressing urban problems that recognize and account for the constraints embedded in complex urban systems.

About CUSP

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University with a consortium of world-class universities and leading international tech companies. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world. The Center will be the first program to assemble a global consortium to focus on this area of research and development at this scale, making it the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics.”  For more news and information on CUSP, click here.

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Contact:

Kim Alfred. CUSP – 917.392.0859

kim.alfred@nyu.edu

Elizabeth Latino, The Marino Organization – 212.889.0808

elizabeth@themarino.org

The Interational Foundation for Greece (IFG) has announced that Dr. Aristides Patrinos, Deputy Director for Research at New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), is one of this year’s recipients of the IFG Award, a tribute to those of Greek decent living beyond its borders with outstanding accomplishments in the areas of science, art, entrepreneurship, film and theater, media and philanthropy. To celebrate Dr. Patrinos’ accomplishments as this year’s science honoree, as well as the accomplishments of all the 2013 IFG Award recipients, the IFG, in conjunction with Greece’s Hellenic Post, has issued a commemorative collection of postage stamps bearing the likeness of each honoree.

“I am honored to receive this tribute from IFG, and humbled to be placed in a category with other Greeks whose achievements have made our country so incredibly proud,” said Dr. Aristides Patrinos. “My Greek roots are – and always will be – at the heart of everything that I do, and I will continue to strive to embody the Greek ideal as I advance in my career.”

The IFG Science Award, in particular, honors international scientists who have devoted themselves to the service of mankind and society and whose innovative research has become a bright example in the scientific world. The stamp collection will remain in circulation for one year and each honoree receives their personal stamp in gold.  All the recipients were honored at a ceremony on September 16, 2013 at the Acropolis Museum in the presence of political leaders, distinguished goodwill ambassadors, and the Greek and international media.

“The issuance of the stamp is a wonderful recognition of Dr. Patrinos’ achievements in advancing both environmental science and genomics, said Dr. Steven Koonin, Director of CUSP. “ We’re extremely fortunate that he’s now applying those same talents to CUSP’s study of Urban Science.”

Dr. Patrinos came to CUSP from Synthetic Genomics where he previously served as its President and Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs.  He directed research and business activities in biotechnology for renewable fuels and chemicals and led the government affairs office.  Previously, Dr. Patrinos spent almost two decades in senior leadership posts within the Department of Energy (DOE), most notably as the Director of the Office of Biological & Environmental Research.  In that role, Dr. Patrinos managed research programs in genomics, structural biology, nuclear medicine, environmental remediation and global environmental change.  He was also instrumental in launching the Department’s part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, establishing the Human Genome Project and building DOE’s Joint Genome Institute.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Patrinos was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Sciences at the University of Rochester and also served as a research scientist at both Oak Ridge and Brookhaven National Laboratories.  He is the recipient of several prestigious honors and awards, including three Presidential Rank Awards, two U.S. Secretary of Energy’s Gold Medals, and the ComputerWorld Smithsonian Platinum Technology Award.  Dr. Patrinos earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Astronautical Science from Northwestern University.

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About New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University and NYU-Poly with a consortium of world-class universities and the foremost international technology companies to address the needs of cities. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world.  This research will make CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics”.  For more news and information on CUSP, please visit http://cusp.nyu.edu/.

About the International Foundation for Greece

The “International Foundation for Greece” has been founded with the aim of developing an international network of support for groups of people enduring serious problems during the difficult period of the economic crisis in Greece. The foundation is initially aiming to finance and reform hospital units, to buy medical equipment, acquire ambulances and other high speed vehicles and to provide heating for schools and charitable organizations throughout Greece. It is also developing a means for whoever wants to contribute so that help can reach its target quickly and effectively.

Press Inquiries:

Kim Alfred – CUSP

917.392.0859

kim.alfred@nyu.edu

Elizabeth Latino – The Marino Organization

212.889.0808

elizabeth@themarino.org

New York University today announced it is awarding $250,000 each to two teams of researchers in its newly created “Grand Challenge” competition to promote significant scientific research that has the potential to solve major national or global problems.

The two winners, which were selected from among 32 applicants, are a “MetaGenome” project that will map the microbial genome of New York City and a brain-machine technology that use neural signals to wirelessly enable sensory and motor prosthetics.

The aim of the Grand Challenge is to create ambitious but achievable goals that harness technology to solve important societal and health problems. The concept was first originated more than a century ago by mathematician David Hilbert, who listed 23 great unsolved mathematical problems.

NYU’s competition was created in response to President Obama’s call on universities and other institutions to identify and initiate Grand Challenges that would promote great research. (http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/grand-challenges)

Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, said, “The President has called on research universities, companies, and foundations to join him in identifying Grand Challenges to promote scientific breakthroughs that advance national and global priorities, and to help create new industries and jobs that we can only dream about today. We commend NYU for launching a competition for research projects targeted at Grand Challenges, and we look forward to the seeing the results of the winners’ research.”

Deputy Mayor Robert Steel said, “New York City was built on innovation and the pursuit of big ideas, and the establishment of the Center for Urban Science and Progress is a great example of that. Their selection as a winner in NYU’s Grand Challenge is a tangible sign that Applied Sciences NYC is already encouraging scientific research that will strengthen our economy and improve the lives of New Yorkers.”

“NYU faculty and alumni have helped create some of the world’s most important technological breakthroughs, from the creation of the telegraph to the treatment for polio,” said Paul Horn, NYU senior vice provost for research. “The Grand Challenge demonstrates that NYU remains at the forefront of technology and supports research that can capture the public imagination and benefit all mankind.”

The $250,000 grants are unrestricted seed funds to help the two projects get off the ground. The University will also help the two winning teams generate support from philanthropies, individuals, foundations, governments, and corporations to continue their research. The seed money comes from the proceeds of spin-offs that used technologies and discoveries developed by the NYU faculty.

Thirty-two teams of NYU faculty submitted applications in the six-month competition for the Grand Challenge awards. The final awards were made by a distinguished external advisory committee. The applications were judged on validity, usability, originality, and affordability.

Here are descriptions of the two winning research projects:

Mapping NYC’s “MetaGenome”:

This project aims to map New York City’s microbial MetaGenome and could lead to the identification of potential bio-threats and improve the health of all New Yorkers. It could help predict and stifle flu epidemics as well as gauge the impact on the environment of events such as 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy. Researchers plan to gather microbial samples from sewage lines in all five boroughs and from dollar bills circulating in New York City–sources that capture many of the components of the city’s MetaGenome.

The team, led by biology Professor Jane Carlton, director of the NYU Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, includes Ari Patrinos, deputy director for research at Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP); Richard Bonneau, an associate professor in the Department of Biology and at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences; Patrick Eichenberger, an associate professor in the Department of Biology; Steven Koonin, director of CUSP; Cláudio Silva, head of disciplines at CUSP; Martin Blaser, director of the Human Microbiome Program at NYU School of Medicine; and Cheryl Healton, director of NYU’s Global Institute of Public Health and dean of Global Public Health.

Smart Neuroprosthetics: Brain-Machine Interfaces for the 21st Century:

This project seeks to develop a new generation of powerful wireless implantable devices that could be used to manipulate prosthetic limbs, improve auditory prosthetic implants, or improve impaired learning, memory, or social cognition.  The team will seek to build on technology already in its infancy. Current implantable devices are large, use too many wires, and interact imperfectly with the brain. NYU-Poly is already working on smaller, high-resolution, wearable, and bendable device arrays. The Grand Challenge team will work to make the devices wireless and ultimately usable for medical purposes. This technology could also open a new window into understanding brain function.

The team is led by engineering Professor Jonathan Viventi of NYU-Poly and includes Robert Froemke, professor of otolaryngology at the School of Medicine; Michael Long, professor of physiology and neuroscience at the School of Medicine; Dan Sanes, professor in the Center for Neural Science; and Bijan Pesaran, professor in the Center for Neural Science.

New York University, founded in 1831, is one of the world’s foremost research universities and a member of the selective Association of American Universities. NYU has degree-granting university campuses in New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai; has eleven other global academic sites, including London, Paris, Florence, Tel Aviv, Buenos Aires, and Accra; and sends more students to study abroad than any other U.S. university.  Through its numerous schools and colleges, NYU conducts research and provides education in the arts and sciences, law, medicine, business, dentistry, education, nursing, the cinematic and performing arts, music and studio arts, public administration, social work, engineering, and continuing and professional studies, among other areas.

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Media Contacts:

Phil Lentz - 212.998.6833

Philip.lentz@nyu.edu

James Devitt - 212.998.6808

James.devitt@nyu.edu

Brooklyn, NY — August 29, 2013: NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP), today announced that Lynn A. Goldstein, former Privacy General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at JPMorgan Chase, has been appointed CUSP’s Chief Data Officer. Ms. Goldstein joins the CUSP leadership team as the Center prepares to welcome its inaugural class this fall.

“We are very pleased that Lynn has decided to join our team at CUSP,” said Dr. Steven Koonin, Director of CUSP. “Her experience at JPMorgan Chase will be a great resource for our administration, faculty and students as we embark on our journey to define the emerging field of Urban Informatics.  As CUSP pursues its mission to collect and analyze data about urban environments, it is keenly aware of the concerns regarding privacy and access to data.  The addition of a Chief Data Officer to the leadership team is a significant step towards advancing CUSP’s research agenda while addressing issues related to privacy and data protection.”

As Chief Data Officer, Ms. Goldstein will provide guidance, strategic direction and coordination of compliance with privacy, confidentiality, and data protection laws and regulations.  She will aid in the implementation of organizational and procedural measures to ensure appropriate data access as well as the establishment of an independent data access advisory committee.

“This role at CUSP presents a unique and challenging opportunity in an area that I have become very familiar with over the years,” said Lynn Goldstein. “I look forward to working alongside CUSP’s administration to develop data integrity strategies that best serve the Center’s research mission.”

As Privacy General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer at JPMorgan Chase, Ms. Goldstein coordinated and oversaw the company’s global compliance with privacy, confidentiality, secrecy and data protection laws and regulations. Prior to this position, she also held other positions at JPMorgan Chase predecessor entities including Card Services General Counsel and Head of Litigation.

Ms. Goldstein was also an Adjunct Professor of Law at Syracuse University and Northwestern University School of Law, and an instructor for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. She has two articles published in the Chicago-Kent Law Review and authored a chapter on the use of jury consultants in Successful Partnering Between Inside and Outside Counsel. As a participant in various industry organizations and regulatory meetings, Ms. Goldstein is a frequent speaker on privacy and data protection topics.

About CUSP

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University and NYU-Poly with a consortium of world-class universities and leading international tech companies. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world. The Center will be the first program to assemble a global consortium to focus on this area of research and development at this scale, making it the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics.”  For more news and information on CUSP, click here.

Media Contacts:

Kim Alfred, CUSP – 917.392.0859

kim.alfred@nyu.edu

John Marino, The Marino Organization – 212.889.0808

john@themarino.org

Brooklyn, NY — August 26: Mayor Bloomberg was on hand to welcome the inaugural class of graduate students at New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress (CUSP). The NYU center was designated just last year as part of the City’s groundbreaking Applied Sciences NYC initiative, which seeks to increase New York City’s capacity for applied sciences. Building on its mission to define the emerging field of Urban Informatics, CUSP will shape its students into the next generation of scientists who will understand urban data sources and how to manipulate and integrate large, diverse datasets. These skills will enable them to develop solutions to pressing urban problems that recognize and account for the constraints embedded in complex urban systems.

“NYU’s Center for Urban Science and Progress will establish New York City as a global leader in urban informatics, and I’d like to welcome their inaugural class of graduate students to Downtown Brooklyn,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “As a key part of our Applied Sciences initiative, we are excited to see CUSP attract even more of the best and brightest from around the world to New York City.”

“We are truly excited to welcome our first class of students,” said CUSP Director Steve Koonin.  “We believe that CUSP’s curriculum offers a vigorous, dynamic and comprehensive educational program.  This first group of students has outstanding credentials, validating the idea that the best young minds are drawn to studying cities, and we are particularly honored to have Mayor Bloomberg – whose Applied Sciences NYC initiative made all this possible – here to welcome them.   Using New York City as its classroom, this accomplished group of students, along with CUSP researchers, will be poised to study and use big data analytics to drive decision-making in urban areas.  We believe that CUSP’s graduates will go on to work for private technology firms, public sector agencies, and in entrepreneurship and new venture creation.”

The incoming class of 25 students will receive a Master of Science in Applied Urban Science and Informatics. The class holds degrees from 24 universities around the world and come with training in more than 20 different academic disciplines – some from the core disciplines like Mathematics, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering and Physics; others with strong preparation in the social sciences such as Sociology, Political Science, and Urban Studies & Planning.  The unprecedented range of backgrounds illustrates the diversity of the inaugural class ranging from one student with a Ph.D. in Mathematics and another with a degree in Studio Art with near perfect quantitative GRE scores.

The M.S. program offers students the opportunity to engage in the interdisciplinary study of urban science and informatics and to apply their technical skills to challenges facing cities around the world.  The intensive, one-year, three-semester M.S. program provides students with core courses in the science of cities, urban informatics, and information and communication technology in cities.  Students will select from multiple policy domains to gain breadth and depth in the application of big data analytics to urban problems.  The program also contains a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation leadership, and students will be given the option to study technology entrepreneurship or “change leadership” in an existing organization.  The core of the one-year curriculum is a two-semester project – the Urban Science Intensive – during which students, working closely with mentors from CUSP’s Industrial and National Laboratory partners, will apply the principles of informatics to address an actual urban problem with a New York City agency to have a direct and meaningful impact on the quality of life in cities.

About New York University’s Center for Urban Science & Progress

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New YorkUniversity and NYU-Poly with a consortium of world-class universities and the foremost international technology companies to address the needs of cities. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world.  This research will make CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics”.  For more news and information on CUSP, please visit http://cusp.nyu.edu/.

Contact:

Kim Alfred. CUSP – 917.392.0859
kim.alfred@nyu.edu

John Marino, The Marino Organization – 212.889.0808
john@themarino.org

For Immediate Release
July 30, 2013

New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) announced that it will team up with The Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Center for Market Innovation to develop benchmarks for commercial tenant energy performance. The project has been made possible through a CBRE Group, Inc. (CBRE) Real Green Research Challenge grant awarded to NRDC earlier this month.

“We are thrilled to work with NRDC and CBRE on this important project and to bring CUSP’s unique
informatics capabilities to understanding tenant energy efficiency,” said Dr. Constantine E. Kontokosta, PE, CUSP Deputy Director and Research Lead for the project. “Commercial tenants represent a critical stakeholder in the effort to reduce energy consumption in buildings, and this research will set the standard for data collection, analysis, and benchmarking of tenant energy performance.”

At its Open House & Ribbon Cutting, NYU’s Center for Urban Science & Progress (CUSP) welcomed Mayor Bloomberg and President John Sexton as it showcased its new Downtown Brooklyn office and announced partnerships with Microsoft and Lutron Electronics.

“The innovative faculty and students at CUSP will set out to tackle urban challenges and bring innovative solutions to a world market, and it’s only appropriate that we begin shaping these ideas in Brooklyn – one of the most dynamic neighborhoods in the world,” said Doctor Steven Koonin, Director of CUSP. “And we could not be more pleased to use today’s event to welcome both Microsoft and Lutron Electronics to the CUSP team. Each brings an expertise in their respective fields that is unmatched. Research collaborations with Microsoft and Lutron present exciting opportunities to advance CUSP’s mission and improve the quality of life of New York residents.”

“NYU CUSP will spin off hundreds of new companies, create thousands of jobs, and generate billions of dollars in economic activity for the city,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “It will drive innovation and lend even more momentum to our booming tech sector – which is creating good-paying jobs for New Yorkers every day. CUSP’s success is vital to the future of our city, and the private sector partners announced today clearly also recognize its value and importance.”

“The Center for Urban Science and Progress is a centerpiece of our efforts to transform New York City into the global capital of innovation for the 21st Century,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky. “Not only will CUSP lead to hundreds of new companies, thousands of new jobs, and more than $5 billion in nominal economic activity over the next three decades, the research coming out of the center will also help cities like New York address some of the great urban challenges in the coming decades. We look forward to watching the partnerships announced today with Microsoft and Lutron help realize this potential.”

CUSP’s facilities at MetroTech and its future home at 370 Jay Street will build on NYU’s existing presence in Brooklyn, which includes NYU-Poly, by bringing together global leaders of science, technology, and education while anchoring the next phase of economic development initiatives in the area. CUSP, one of the winning proposals submitted in response to the City’s Applied Sciences NYC initiative, will, at full strength, include 50 researchers and faculty members from universities and private industry, along with more than 400 Masters students and 100 Ph.D. candidates, as well as adjuncts, post-doctoral scholars and support staff.

Features of CUSP’s new office space include:

• 26,000 square feet of space, including offices and workstations for faculty, visiting industrial researchers, administrators, and staff.
• Three easily configured collaborative spaces at the corners of the building providing everyone working at CUSP access to views of the city they are studying.
• Two large visualization labs which will allow researchers to gain insight and understanding of large urban data sets or phenomena that are simulated in large, complex computer models.
• An electronics lab for the design and fabrication of low-cost hardware that collects validated, crowd-sourced urban data.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled that the NYU Center for Urban Science and Progress is part of Brooklyn’s ‘big stage,’” said Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. “CUSP’s new partnership with Microsoft and Lutron Electronics is nothing short of an innovation ‘trifecta.’ With CUSP arriving at Metro Tech and eventually to 370 Jay Street, we can truly say that NYU begins in Brooklyn!”

Microsoft

As part of its partnership, Microsoft will provide CUSP with Windows Azure computing services to help the Center improve city infrastructure by delivering elastic scale storage and computing services that are quick to deploy and easy to manage. Additionally, researchers from Microsoft Research (MSR), the company’s global research organization comprised of more than 850 researchers who openly collaborate with leading academic, government, and industry researchers to advance the state of the art of computing, will participate in CUSP’s projects and help develop academic materials, internships, and curricula leveraging New York City as a living lab to create a unique data-driven educational program.

“Microsoft is incredibly excited to be able to apply our expertise in big data to some of the most compelling problems in urban computing – from fundamental research questions to practical questions that can impact cities and societies worldwide,” said Jennifer Chayes, managing director of MSR New England and New York City. “We are thrilled to be working with our colleagues at CUSP, the agencies of the great city of New York, and our partners, using machine learning, information retrieval, data visualization and social science approaches to data science, to find new ways to analyze, navigate and protect the privacy of urban data, and to use these to drive new insights and solutions.”

Lutron

As part of this collaboration with CUSP, Lutron, a technology-centered company which provides energy-saving lighting control innovations, has donated its Quantum® total light management system – which includes Radio Powr Savr™ occupancy sensors, Pico® wireless controls and Sivoia® QS wireless shades – to the CUSP offices. Lutron will work with CUSP to focus on the creation of predictive models and analytics in areas of building lighting and energy management, both of which are critical components to the operation of a city. In the United States alone, Lutron lighting controls have reduced electrical use by 9.2 billion kWh, which has reduced its customers’ electric bills by $1 billion annually.

“The future of our economy is dependent on finding new ways to reduce electricity costs in commercial buildings,” said Russ MacAdam, director, commercial engineering development at Lutron. “We look forward to working with CUSP to advance the area of lighting energy management studies and helping resolve the nation’s energy crisis.”

Both Microsoft Research and Lutron will have the opportunity to nominate employees who are scientific or technical experts in CUSP’s field of study to serve as Visiting Scientists in the pursuit of collaborative research. Additionally, research staff from both companies will teach classes, participate in the submission of joint project funding proposals with CUSP, assist in defining CUSP’s curriculum and projects, and provide summer and internship opportunities for CUSP students when possible.

About Microsoft Research

Founded in 1991, Microsoft Research is dedicated to conducting both basic and applied research in computer science and software engineering. More than 850 Ph.D. researchers focus on more than 55 areas of computing and openly collaborate with leading academic, government, and industry researchers to advance the state of the art of computing, help fuel the long-term growth of Microsoft and its products, and solve some of the world’s toughest problems through technological innovation. Microsoft Research has expanded over the years to seven countries worldwide and brings together the best minds in computer science to advance a research agenda based on an array of unique talents and interests. Microsoft Research operates in Redmond, WA.; Cambridge, MA.; New York City; Mountain View, CA.; Cambridge, U.K.; Beijing, China; and Bangalore, India; and also conducts research at the Advanced Technology Labs Cairo in Egypt; the Advanced Technology Labs Europe in Aachen, Germany; Advanced Technology Labs in Israel; FUSE Labs in Redmond and Cambridge, U.K.; and the eXtreme Computing Group in Redmond; and Station Q in Santa Barbara, Calif. More information can be found at http://research.microsoft.com.

About Lutron

Founded in 1961, Lutron Electronics is headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, in the heart of the Lehigh Valley. From dimmers for the home, to lighting management systems for entire buildings, the company offers more than 17,000 energy-saving products, sold in more than 100 countries around the world. In the US alone, Lutron products save an estimated 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year. The company’s early inventions— including the first solid-state dimmer invented by Lutron’s founder, Joel Spira—are now at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. More information can be found at www.lutron.com.

Quantum, Pico, and Sivoia QS are registered trademarks of Lutron Electronics Co., Inc.

About New York University’s Center for Urban Science and Progress

CUSP is an applied science research institute created by New York University and NYU-Poly with a consortium of world-class universities and the foremost international technology companies to address the needs of cities. At the heart of its academic program, CUSP will investigate and develop solutions to the challenges that face cities around the world. This research will make CUSP the world’s leading authority in the emerging field of “urban informatics”. For more news and information on CUSP, please visit http://cusp.nyu.edu/.