Professor Tim W. Finin

Professor Tim W. Finin

Research Professor · Non-Tenure Track

Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering

College of Engineering and Information Technology

He/Him/His/Himself

About

Tim Finin has over 50 years of experience in applying artificial intelligence to problems in information systems and language understanding. His current research is focused on representing and reasoning with knowledge graphs, analyzing and extracting information from text, and enhancing security and privacy in information systems. He is an ACM fellow, a AAAI fellow, an IEEE technical achievement award recipient, and was selected as the UMBC Presidential Research Professor in 2012. He received an S.B. degree in Electrical Engineering from MIT and a Ph.D. degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has held positions at UMBC, Unisys, the University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, and the MIT AI Laboratory. He is currently a Research Professor at UMBC and is the director of the UMBC Center for Artificial Intelligence.

Research interests

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, knowledge graph technology, multiagent systems, natural language processing (NLP), computational linguistics, knowledge and database systems, applications involving cybersecurity, social media, mobile and pervasive computing

Teaching interests

Artificial intelligence, language understanding, knowledge graphs, cybersecurity

Education

  • Ph D, Computer Science — University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (1980)
    The Semantic Interpretation of Compound Nominals
  • MS, Computer Science — University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (1977)
    An Interpreter and Compiler for Augmented Transition Networks
  • BS, Electrical Engineering — Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1971)
    Three Problems in Analyzing Scenes

Publications

  • Knowledge Graph-driven Tabular Data Discovery from Scientific Documents 2023 Proceedings of the Joint Workshops at 49th International Conference on Very Large Data Bases (VLDBW’23) — TaDA’23: Tabular Data Analysis Workshop · CEUR Workshop Proceedings Vijay S Kumar, Varish Mulwad, Jenny Weisenberg Williams, Timothy W Finin, Sharad Dixit, Anupam Joshi
  • PrivacyLens: A Framework to Collect and Analyze the Landscape of Past, Present, and Future Smart Device Privacy Policies, 2023 arXiv · arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.05890 Aamir Hamid, Hemanth Reddy Samidi, Timothy W Finin, Primal Pappachan, Roberto Yus
  • Quantum-Assisted Greedy Algorithms 2022 Proceedings of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS) · IEEE Ramin Ayanzadeh, John E Dorband, Milton Halem, Timothy W Finin
  • Delegated Authorization Framework for EHR Services using Attribute Based Encryption 2021 IEEE Maithilee Joshi, Karuna Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • Creating cybersecurity knowledge graphs from malware after action reports 2020 IEEE Access · 8 Aritran Piplai, Sudip Mittal, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin, James Holt, Richard Zak
  • Fine and Ultra-Fine Entity Type Embeddings for Question Answering 2020 International Semantic Web Conference · Springer-Verlag Sai Vallurupalli, Jennifer Sleeman, Timothy W Finin
  • Knowledge Graph Fact Prediction via Knowledge-Enriched Tensor Factorization 2019 Journal of Web Semantics · 59 Ankur Padia, Konstantin Kalpakis, Frank Ferraro, Timothy W Finin
  • Delegated Authorization Framework for EHR Services using Attribute Based Encryption 2019 IEEE Transactions on Services Computing · Accepted Maithilee Joshi, Karuna Panda Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • Cyber-Security at the Grassroots: American Local Governments and the Challenges of Internet Security 2018 Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Donald F Norris, Laura Mateczun, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • Modeling the Evolution of Climate Change Assessment Research Using Dynamic Topic Models and Cross-Domain Divergence Maps 2017 AAAI Spring Symposium on AI for Social Good · AAAI Press Jennifer Sleeman, Milton Halem, Tim Finin, Mark Cane
  • Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow! Combining Knowledge Graphs and Vector Spaces 2017 arXiv preprint arXiv:1708.03310 Sudip Mittal, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • Automating Cloud Services Lifecycle through Semantic Technologies 2014 IEEE Transactions on Services Computing · 7 (1) · pp. 109–122 Karuna Pande Joshi, Yelena Yesha, Timothy W Finin
  • Detecting data exfiltration by integrating information across layers 2013 IEEE 14th International Conference on Information Reuse & Integration · pp. 309-316 Puneet Sharma, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • A policy-based cloud broker for the VCL platform 2013 International Journal of Cloud Computing · 2 (3) · pp. 288-303 Karuna Pande Joshi, Yelena Yesha, Timothy W Finin, Yaacov Yesha
  • ACM HotMobile 2013 poster: an energy efficient semanticcontext model for managing privacy on smartphones 2013 Mobile Computing and Communications Review · 17 (3) · pp. 34-35 Prajit Kumar Das, Dibyajyoti Ghosh, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • CAST: Context-Aware Security and Trust framework for MobileAd-hoc Networks using policies 2013 Distributed and Parallel Databases · 31 (2) · pp. 353-376 Wenjia Li, Anupam Joshi, Timothy W Finin
  • Comparing and Evaluating Semantic Data Automatically Extracted from Text 2013 AAAI 2013 Fall Symposium on Semantics for Big Data · AAAI Press Dawn Lawrie, Timothy W Finin, James Mayfield, Paul McNamee
  • Extracting Cybersecurity Related Linked Data from Text 2013 ICSC · pp. 252-259 Arnav Joshi, Ravendar Lal, Timothy W Finin, Anupam Joshi
  • Improving Word Similarity by Augmenting PMI with Estimatesof Word Polysemy 2013 IEEE Trans. Knowl. Data Eng. · 25 (6) · pp. 1307-1322 Lushan Han, Timothy W Finin, Paul McNamee, Anupam Joshi, Yelena Yesha
  • Semantic Message Passing for Generating Linked Data fromTables 2013 International Semantic Web Conference (1) · pp. 363-378 Varish Mulwad, Timothy W Finin, Anupam Joshi
  • Quantum Annealing based Binary Compressive Sensing PRX QUANTUM, a Physical Review journal · Under Review Ramin Ayanzadeh, Ahmad Mousavi, Milton Halem, Timothy W Finin
  • LINT: Knowledge Graph Embeddings using Linear Tensor Factorization elsevier Journal of Web Semantics · Under Review Ankur Padia, Konstantin Kalpakis, Frank Ferraro, Timothy W Finin
  • Tensor Based Inference in Knowledge Graphs Thirty-Second AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence · AAAI · Not Accepted Ankur Padia, Konstantin Kalpakis, Timothy W Finin
  • T-Rho: Let's grow Multi-Dimensional Data Conference on Information and Knowledge Management · ACM · Not Accepted Ankur Padia, Konstantin Kalpakis, Timothy W Finin
  • Extending Multi-relational Data Coverage with Tensor Decomposition IJCAI 2017 · Not Accepted Ankur Padia, Konstantin Kalpakis, Timothy W Finin

Presentations

  • After 75 Years of AI, Can Machines Think? 2024 UMBC AOK library symposium series on AI, Privacy, and Ethics · University of Maryland, Baltimore County · Seminar
  • What generative AI systems know about cybersecurity 2023 AI for Maryland CS Teachers · CSEE, 325 ITE, Univ Maryland Baltimore County · Seminar
  • Evaluating what generative AI systems know about cybersecurity 2023 INCS-CoE Expert Community Seminar · International Cyber Security Center of Excellence · Seminar
  • Constructing and Using Knowledge Graphs for Cybersecurity 2020 OMG AI Platform Task Force Quarterly meeting · Object Management Group (OMG) · Keynote/Plenary Address
  • From Strings to Things: Populating Knowledge Bases from Text 2016 US Census Bureau Big Data Day · US Census Bureau · Keynote/Plenary Address
  • Semantics for Big Data (,) Security and Privacy 2014 NSF Workshop on Big Data Security and Privacy · NSF · Oral Presentation Timothy W Finin (Presenter), Anupam Joshi (Author)

Grants and Contracts

  • Digital Twin for Wildfire Worldwide 2025 NSF · Grant · Not Funded Karuna Joshi (Principal), Milton Halem (Co-Principal), Charles Ichoku (Co-Principal), Belay B Demoz (Co-Principal), Anupam Joshi (Supporting), Timothy W Finin (Supporting), Adam Bargteil (Supporting)
  • Workshop on Human-Machine Integrated Formations 2024 U.S. Army Research Laboratory · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Cynthia Matuszek (Principal)
  • Optimizing Knowledge Graph Reasoning for High-Performance Computing Environments 2023 Dod · Sponsored Research · Funded Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal), Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Karuna Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • Collaborative Research: EAGER SaTC-EDU: Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity: From Research to the Classroom 2021 National Science Foundation · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal), Alan T Sherman (Co-Principal), Richard Forno (Supporting), Linda M Oliva (Supporting)
  • OnRamp II Research: 2020 NSA · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • ONRAMMP II 2020 NSA · Grant · In-Progress Keith M Harmon (Principal), Tim W Finin (Co-Principal)
  • Life-cycle Management of Shop-Floor-to-Top-Floor Manufacturing Services 2020 NIST · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Hakju Oh (Supporting)
  • Beyond Watson 2018 DoD (via NSF supplement to CHMPR) · Grant · Funded Anupam Joshi (Principal), Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal)
  • IPA Agreement 2016 National Security Agency · IPA · Funded
  • Systematically boosting clinical impact of linked open data in genetic medicine 2016 NIH · Grant · Not Funded Qian Zhu (Principal), Michael A Grasso (Other), Anupam Joshi (Other), Jianwu Wang (Other), Timothy W Finin (Other)
  • Beyond Watson Research Support 2015 DoD (via supplement to CHPMR I/UCRC) · Grant · Funded Anupam Joshi (Principal), Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Karuna Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • Ensuring Secure Cloud Services using Policy-based Approaches 2015 Office of Naval Research · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Karuna Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • Semantic Modeling for Smart Manufacturing Architecture and Solution Stack 2014 NIST · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Yun Peng (Principal)
  • Semantic Modeling for Smart Manufacturing Architecture and Solution Stack 2014 National Institute of Standards and Technology · Sponsored Research · Funded Hakju Oh (Supporting), Timothy Wilking Finin (Principal)
  • EarthCube Building Blocks: Collaborative Proposal: GeoLink - Leveraging Semantics and Linked Data for Data Sharing and Discovery in the Geosciences 2014 NSF,National Science Foundation 47.000 · Funded
  • Semantic Open Information Extraction for RFPs 2014 Maryland Industrial Partnerships · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal), Zareen Syed (Supporting)
  • Situational Awareness for Cybersecurity -- Cloud Security and Service Agreements 2014 DoD (via NSF supplement to CHMPR) · Grant · Funded Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal), Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Karuna Joshi (Principal)
  • EAGER: Collaborative Research: EarthCube Building Blocks, Leveraging Semantics and Linked Data for Geoscience Data Sharing and Discovery 2013 NSF,National Science Foundation 47.000 · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Thomas W Narock
  • TWC: Medium: Collaborative Proposal: Policy Complaint In 2012 NSF,Computer&Info Sci.&Engineerin 47.070 · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • Information-rich programming for semantically enriched web tables 2012 Microsoft Corporation · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • NetSE: Large: Collaborative Research: Platys: From Position to Place in Next Generation Networks 2009 NSF,National Science Foundation 47.000 · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi (Co-Principal)
  • (MURI -08) A Framework for Managing the Assured 2008 DOD,OSD A.Force Adv. Res. Sci&Eng 12.630 · Grant · Funded Timothy W Finin (Principal), Anupam Joshi
  • SparqSSM: A Lightweight Hybrid State Space Framework for Fast SPARQL Query Generation and Conversation on Personal Lifelong Knowledge Graphs Samsung · Sponsored Research · Not Funded Timothy W Finin (Co-Principal), Manas Gaur (Principal), Rajasekhar Anguluri (Co-Principal)

Courses Taught

  • Introduction to Artificial Intelligence CMSC 471 · Spring 2023