Laura I. Toma

Affiliation: Computer Science
Professor of Computer Science, Chair of Computer Science Department

My research is focused on  the theory and practice of cache-efficient algorithms for large data, and in particular applications that involve large, high-resolution data in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). We explore algorithms for fundamental problems on terrains such as visibility, flooding, sea level rise and least-cost-path surfaces. Our goal is to come up with approaches that are resource-efficient (CPU, IO, cache, parallel), are backed by algorithms that we can theoretically prove efficient, and at the same time work well in practice. Ultimately our goal is to transfer these algorithms into free and open-source software. 

Laura Toma headshot

Education

  • PhD, Duke University, 2003
  • MS, Duke University, 2001
  • BS & MS, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania, 1997