Cindy Chen

Cindy Chen serves as Department Chair and Associate Professor at the Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences within the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Her academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science with specialization in Database and Knowledge Base Management from UCLA (2001), an MS in Computer Science from UCLA, and a BS in Space Physics from Peking University.

• Ph.D.: Computer Science (Database and Knowledge Base Management), University of California at Los Angeles (2001)
• MS: Computer Science, University of California at Los Angeles
• BS: Space Physics, Peking University - Beijing, China

Her research spans spatio-temporal databases, data mining, cloud computing, and social network analysis. Early work focused on spatio-temporal data models and query languages, evolving into cloud data warehouse optimization and social network mining (particularly online dating behavior), then advancing to high-dimensional indexing, knowledge graph querying, and recent innovations in temporal database granulation using Allan Variance techniques for CAV friction modeling. Current work integrates database systems with autonomous vehicle infrastructure and real-time urban analytics.

Her publication timeline reveals a transition from foundational spatio-temporal database systems (1998-2008) to cloud/social applications (2008-2015), then to granulation techniques and CAV systems (2015-present). Key domains include XML databases, skyline queries, social trend discovery, and friction data modeling for autonomous vehicles.

• Dean's Fellowship (1998)
• Dean's Fellowship (1999)

Dr. Chen has secured significant research funding including the UMASS Transportation Center grant for an Interactive TMC Decision Support Tool (2008) and a UML Healey Grant Award for Spatio-Temporal Knowledge Discovery in Nuclear Physics (2008). Her collaborative projects span transportation systems, nuclear physics applications, and autonomous vehicle infrastructure. She actively advises on database curriculum development and serves as department chair overseeing academic operations.