Advancing spatial data science
Congratulations to BIFOLD Junior-Fellow and alumni Eleni Tzirita Zacharatou, who has just been appointed as a W2 Professor at the Hasso Plattner Institute, University Potsdam. From October 2019 – April 2022 Eleni worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Database Systems and Information Management (DIMA) group, led by Prof. Volker Markl, at BIFOLD, before taking up an Assistant Professorship in Copenhagen. “I consider it one of the greatest achievements of my academic career that I was able to secure a faculty position at my top-choice institution, where I am genuinely happy to work” says Eleni.
Her research group’s main objective is to advance spatial data science by developing abstractions, tools, and systems that facilitate efficient execution and improve data scientists’ productivity. In terms of application areas, she is particularly interested in (collaborative) projects focused on sustainability, equity, and social dynamics. “We develop core technologies for efficient data analysis and management, particularly for large-scale data. I mainly focus on spatial data, such as urban data or satellite images, but I also work with other data types, such as relational data, time series, and data streams. My research is motivated by real-world applications like climate monitoring and urban planning, where efficient data retrieval and analysis enable timely, data-driven decision-making. To design effective solutions, I employ a broad portfolio of techniques, including leveraging modern hardware efficiently and adapting methods to workload characteristics and resource constraints”, explains the newly appointed professor.
Beyond research and teaching, Eleni is involved in various organization roles in database conferences, including serving as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair for EDBT, a cause she cares about and wants to keep promoting in the future.
In the upcoming weeks and months, she will be busy building and establishing her research group. Overall, she plans to hire three PhD students and one research assistant. The overall goal for the next five years is to maintain a focused research group of up to five PhD students and potentially a postdoctoral researcher.
When Eleni isn’t busy with her new position or wrestling with database issues, she enjoys taking advantage of the rich cultural offerings of the Berlin/Potsdam metropolitan region or spending time outdoors. “One thing on my personal agenda,” she adds, “is to get back into making music. I have studied piano and violin, and though I haven’t practiced much in recent years, I would love to play music with others again.”