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Notice and Invitation Oral Defense of Doctoral Dissertation The Volgenau School of Engineering, George Mason University
Ahmed Abu Jbara
Bachelor of Science, Islamic University - Gaza, 2002
Master of Science, George Mason University, 2006
On Using Meta-Modeling and Multi-Modeling to Address Complex Problems
Wednesday,
July, 3, 2013, 2:00
– 4:00 PM
Engineering Bldg., Room 3507
All are
invited to attend.
Committee
Dr. Alexander H. Levis, Chair
Dr. Larry Kerschberg
Dr. Gabor Karsai
Dr. Abbas
Zaidi
Dr. Sam
Malek
Abstract
Models, created using different modeling
techniques, usually serve
different purposes and provide unique insights. While each
modeling technique
might be capable of answering specific questions, complex
problems require
multiple models interoperating to complement/supplement each
other; we call
this Multi-Modeling. To address the syntactic and semantic
challenges of this
multi-modeling approach for solving complex problems, a
systematic methodology
for developing multi-modeling workflows is presented. The
approach is domain
specific: Identification of the domain and the supporting
modeling techniques
is the first step. Then a Domain Specific Multi-Modeling
Workflow Language
(DSMWL), supported by a Domain Ontology, is developed and then
used to construct
workflows that capture interoperations between various models.
The domain
ontology provides semantic guidance to effect valid model
interoperation.
The approach is illustrated using a case study from
the Drug
Interdiction and Intelligence domain. The Joint Inter-Agency
Task Force (JIATF)
- South, an agency well known for interagency cooperation and
intelligence
fusion, receives large amounts of disparate data regarding drug
smuggling
efforts. Analysis of such data using various modeling techniques
is essential
in identifying best Courses of Action (COAs). The proposed
methodology is
applied to the Drug Interdiction domain by performing domain
analysis,
developing a Domain Specific Multi-Modeling Workflow Language
(DSMWL) and a
Domain Ontology, and then using the DSMWL and the Domain
Ontology to create
workflows of model interoperations involving Social Networks,
Timed Influence
Nets, and Geospatial models.
A copy of this doctoral dissertation is on reserve
at the Johnson
Center Library.