Research

Recent projects of Dr. Ibaraki’s group include:

Hydrological Impact on Parasitic Disease Transmission

Large number of parasitic diseases are transmitted based on hydrological impact. They are caused by pathogenic microorganisms that are commonly found in contaminated fresh water. Use of this water during bathing, washing, and drinking, and even in preparation and consumption of food, commonly results in an infection.

Data Mining from Online Sources

Nowadays, it has become easier for scientists to conduct research because information is abundant on the Internet, yet, it is getting difficult becausescientists are drowning in data. The era of “Big Data” has arrived and people are finding their way out to work on the data. We are trying to apply data mining and machine learning techniques to extract information from online sources, such as scientific papers and newspapers, to study environmental issues.

Iterative Sparse Matrix Solver

χMD, written by Professor Ibaraki, is used as the predominant matrix solver in USGS-MODFLOW, the world famous groundwater flow simulation model. It improves upon its predecessors by achieving higher robustness, reducing execution time, and saving more memory.

Water/Energy Sustainability

Water sustainability is to ensure an adequate supply and quality of water in light of burgeoning human needs in the long run.  Sustainable energy is the form of energy obtained from non-exhaustible resources, such that the provision of this form of energy serves the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

*Human needs have reached an all time high and will continue to increase. Unfortunately, this applies a mountain of stress on the supply of our water and the supply of energy from various resources. By studying Water/Energy sustainability, we can not only ensure that the current population will have enough water and energy, but also ensure that the future generations will have enough water and energy to live satisfied lives.

Science Communication

Scientific communication is an essential  way to present scientists’ research outcomes to the public. However, only few scientific papers gain attention from mass media. The communication efficiency is a major problem which should be concerned urgently.

*Currently, only a few scientific journals gain the attention of mass media. This produces a problem in which the research outcomes of many scientists from other journals never reach the ear of the public. This is why Science Communication is essential. It is the public communication of these outcomes.

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