Matthew Valenti, professor of computer science and electrical engineering at West Virginia University, has been named site director for the Center for Identification Technology Research. CITeR is a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center focused in the areas of biometric systems, security and credibility assessment.

“Dr. Valenti has worked closely with CITeR personnel both at WVU and our other university partners,” said Brian Woerner, chair of the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. “He brings a wealth of experience in the areas of networked communications, efficient computation and security to the existing research strengths of our CITeR group in pattern recognition, machine learning and sensors. We are delighted that he is assuming the leadership of one of WVU’s most important research centers.”

CITeR is comprised of four universities—WVU, the University of Arizona, University at Buffalo and Clarkson University—with each focusing on a different area of expertise within biometrics. Most of WVU’s work is in the areas of biometrics, identification technology and systems, but Valenti sees these expanding in the years to come.

“We certainly have a lot of strengths in biometrics, most notably in face, iris and fingerprint recognition,” said Valenti. “I think these strengths can play a role as we expand our expertise into such emerging use areas as consumer electronics and cyber security.”

Valenti has spent a large portion of his career conducting research in wireless communications, dealing with cell phone and smart phone technologies. With more and more devices, such as Apple’s recently issued iPhone 6, utilizing biometric traits for security purposes, he notes that the time is right for WVU to expand its expertise into this area.

“As the use of biometrics becomes more prevalent, protecting people’s biometric traits becomes increasingly important,” Valenti said. “You need to preserve the privacy of the stored biometric characteristics because once you lose them, you can’t revoke them.”

Or at least not yet.

Valenti and the CITeR team are exploring the use of revocable biometrics, which would allow devices to store several biometric functions or traits at a time.

“One thing all users need to keep in mind is that a single biometric trait is just a piece of the identity management puzzle,” Valenti said. “There are many other things that make you who you are and users will need a combination of these things to make devices secure.”

According to Valenti, researchers need to broaden the conversation into other areas such as the behavioral sciences and molecular biometrics. Researchers at WVU are exploring the use of rapid-DNA analysis and hand bacteria as new biometric modalities.

-WVU-

mcd/09/29/14

CONTACT: Mary C. Dillon, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
304.293.4086, Mary.Dillon@mail.wvu.edu

Follow @WVUToday on Twitter.