Hanan Samet

Hanan Samet is a Distinguished University Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Maryland, College Park. He holds affiliations with the Center for Automation Research and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies (UMIACS). His academic journey includes a PhD from Stanford University (1975) in Computer Science, following degrees in Engineering (UCLA) and Operations Research/Computer Science (Stanford).

• Affiliations: University of Maryland, College Park (since 1975)
• Roles: Professor, Founding Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Spatial Algorithms and Systems, Founder of ACM SIGSPATIAL

Samet's research focuses on spatial data structures, spatial databases, GIS, computer vision, and information retrieval. His seminal work includes the Foundations of Multidimensional and Metric Data Structures, an award-winning book addressing spatial indexing and query optimization. He pioneered frameworks like NewsStand for map-based news exploration and Coronaviz for pandemic visualization.

Key contributions span spatial synonyms for approximate search, SAND spatial browser for digital government, and trajectory analysis systems for aviation safety and urban mobility. His work bridges theory and practice, influencing databases, graphics, and geographic systems.

• Education:
  • B.S. Engineering, UCLA
  • M.S. Operations Research, Stanford
  • M.S./Ph.D. Computer Science, Stanford

Samet has advised numerous students and led NSF-funded projects on spatio-textual data, similarity search, and spreadsheet analysis. His honors include the ACM Paris Kanellakis Award (2011), IEEE Wallace McDowell Award (2014), and UCGIS Research Award (2009).

His labs and teams focus on spatial algorithms, visualization, and GIS applications. Notable projects include VASCO (spatial index demo), MARCO (image databases), and CHOLERA (disease tracking).