UB professors awarded Fulbright grant to research abroad

This year, two members of UB faculty are among the 800 recipients of the prestigious Fulbright scholar awards.

The grant, which allows scholars to research and teach abroad in specialized programs of their respective areas of study, was awarded to Matthew Becker, assistant professor of geology, and Jan Chomicki, associate professor of computer science and engineering.

"This idea behind the Fulbright, that the world can be made a better place if we understand more about one another, is something I believe deeply," said Becker, who will be conducting his research and lectures at the University of Trento located in the Italian Alps.

Becker's research will focus on the Dolomite Mountains, which are the primary source of fresh drinking water for the town of Trento, Italy.

"Agriculture and tourism development, along with warming climate, influence the quantity and quality of the water," Becker said.

Using a technology called "hydrogeophysics," he will be helping the environmental engineers at the University of Trento predict what the future holds for their water supply.

"I have been using these techniques in the U.S. and I hope that I can show their usefulness to the Italians," he said.

Becker will be conducting his research in honor of his late friend and colleague Paul Senese, who was planning on applying for a Fulbright grant in Bologna.

"We thought it would be wonderful if our families could be in Italy together, so I applied," he said. "In some way, I feel like I will be there for the both of us."

Both Becker and his family are excited, and nervous, about living in a foreign country. He hopes the language barrier and cultural differences won't be a problem.

"I'll be lecturing and working primarily with graduate students, and the European system is somewhat different than our own," Becker said. "On the other hand, that is what the Fulbright program is all about-cross-cultural experiences."

Jan Chomicki, who will be doing his teaching and research at Warsaw University in Poland, feels that receiving the Fulbright award is an excellent opportunity for professional and intellectual growth.

Chomicki will be studying "data integration," which is a technique of combining information from separate, independent data sources and presenting it to database users using a single, unified interface. One example he used was unifying comparison shopping engines on the Internet.

"This research has many practical applications, drawing at the same time on a variety of mathematical and logical techniques," he said. "It should lead to a new generation of flexible, non-monolithic database systems."

Chomicki is excited to experience the advanced mathematical skill of Warsaw students. He will be teaching the same course that he has taught at UB for the past four years, but will be able to raise the level of mathematical sophistication.

"There is a long tradition of mathematical logic research in Poland. The students are not only very well trained mathematically, but also excel in programming skills," he said. "For me, spending five months at Warsaw University will constitute a unique opportunity to tap into that talent and knowledge, build up new connections and expand my research program."

Though Chomicki is looking forward to working and exploring the many opportunities that life in Warsaw has to offer, there is one part of Buffalo life that he will miss.

"I will miss Buffalo winters. I love cross-country skiing," he said.

Both Becker and Chomicki plan to bring their teachings back to Buffalo upon their return.

"I'd like to introduce the material developed for the Warsaw lectures into UB CSE courses," Chomicki said. "I hope I will be able to develop joint research projects with the researchers in Poland.

Becker and a future colleague, Alberto Bellin, have discussed setting up an NSF-sponsored exchange program.

"I am hoping there will be some very tangible international relationships developed between UB and University of Trento," he said.

Becker also felt it was important to mention that the Fulbright awards are not just for faculty and professionals.

"The Fulbright program is really for students," he said. "Apply!"