Bob Smith

... We just received news that Bob Smith has passed away on Nov. 1, 2013. Bob was a longstanding member and valued contributor to the Ontolog community, and we will miss him. -PeterYim & Leo Obrst / 2013.11.02

Bob is Professor Emeritus, California State University, and currently involved with evaluating semantic web services for business clients in the US and Hong Kong. These clients are not interested in technical research interests, but are interested in understanding how to make "practical" changes in current strategy and business processes.

My primary interest, then, is the evolving roles of ontology research and ontology tool builders as they address economic and organizational challenges.

The current health care information technology landscape and evolving health standards is especially exciting as a domain in search of serious solutions to interoperability problems. Specifically, the NHIN Project of Dr. Brailer and the 4 current RFP's stemming from that RFI deserve Ontolog's attention: See

• Standards harmonization: a single award contract to develop, test, and evaluate a feasible prototype standards harmonization process.
• Certification: a single award contract to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a compliance certification and inspection process for EHRs.
• Prototypes for an Internet-based NHIN Architecture: six awards for prototypes of Internet-based interoperable NHIN architectures. Prototypes must be able to function in real-world settings in a non-proprietary fashion.
• Privacy and Security Solutions for Health Data Exchange: a single contract with up to 40 subcontracts with designees of state or territorial governments to review state and local interpretations of privacy and security regulations to determine challenges and possible solutions for achieving smoother transmission of healthcare data.

My 35 years of University teaching and research was concentrated in Operations Management-Logistics, MIS-Expert Systems, Health Care-HazMat Rapid Response Management, and Enterprise Strategy.

The books on my desk with the largest number of Post-it Notes are currently:

• 1) Daconta, Orbst, Smith; The Semantic Web: a Guide to the Future of XML, Web Services, and Knowledge Management
• 2) Stephens, Hochgurtel; VB.NET and XML
• 3) McComb; Semantics in Business Systems
• 4) Ross; Principles of the Business Rule Approach
• 5) Warren; Competitive Strategy Dynamics
• 6) Leymann, Roller; Production Workflows
• 7) Burlton; Business Process Management
• 8) Pollock - Hodgson, Adaptive Information
• 9) Cooper, The Inmates are Running the Asylum
• 10) Goldfarb-Walmsley; XML in Office '03_ InfoPath
• 11) Lee Lacy; OWL,; Trafford Press, 2005

My recent hands-on experience with Ontology tools is limited largely to Semtalk www.semtalk.com and Protege 2000 2.x Earlier experience with primitive DOS based FoL included 7 years of design and construction of a Hazardous Chemical categorization tool for emergency first responders.

The Doctorate, given in 1977, is from University of California, Irvine