Deputy Director
Intelligent Performance Analytics Division

Laura is the Deputy Division Director of the Intelligent Performance Analytics Division. In this capacity, she helps to manage a division focused on developing innovative analytics to assess and improve human performance and decision making in complex environments. Previously, Laura led Aptima’s System Optimization Analytics (SOA) capability, a portfolio of projects focused on operationalizing Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches to dynamic human-machine systems. She specializes in bridging technical and operational requirements across a variety of domains to achieve results that quickly and succinctly synthesize data in support of informed decision making. Laura has led several successful research and development efforts for the DoD, including serving as Principal Investigator on multiple projects for ONR, DARPA, AFRL, and MCSC. She currently supports multiple DARPA programs in developing methods for test and evaluation of algorithms in the context of human-machine systems. For more than ten years, she has also led technology development for the Marine Civil Information Management System (MARCIMS), a deployed Program of Record supporting Marine Corps Civil Affairs operators. This work has included leveraging next-generation technology insertion focused on innovative applications of machine learning and AI technologies in this domain.

Laura holds a MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University focusing on counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, and a BA in International Relations from Boston University.

Notable Publications

Cummings, P., and Cassani, L. (2020). Hybrid Collaborative-Context Based Recommendations for Civil Affairs Operations. Submitted to the International Conference on Semantics-Enabled Recommender Systems and Applications.

Clark, T., Cassani, L., Lucia, L., Smith, A., Ganberg, G., Bharadwaj, V., … Jenkins, C. (2019). FitForce Planner: Data-driven Physical Training Programming For Reducing USMC Musculoskeletal Injuries. Presented at the Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS), Kissimmee, FL, August 19-22, 2019.

Cassani, L., and Caglayan, A. (2016). Collecting Data and Semantic Content via Mobile Devices. In Sae Schatz, Joseph Cohn, Denise Nicholson, David Combs (Eds.), Modeling Sociocultural Influences on Decision Making: Understanding Conflict, Enabling Stability. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.

Cassani, L. (2016). Automating Canonical Subjects and Place Names in Semantic MediaWiki for Humanitarian Assistance. Presentation at the Humanitarian Technology 2016: Science, Systems, and Global Impact, Boston, MA.

Cassani, L., Caglayan, A, Alavedra, J., Bharadwaj, V., Lee, N., and Parkes, J. (2014). Semantic enrichment and reasoning for mobile data collection of socio-cultural data. In Sae Schatz, Joseph Cohn, Denise Nicholson (Eds.), Advances in Cross-Cultural Decision Making. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.

Clark, T., and Cassani, L. (2014). Semantic knowledge management and Linked Data for humanitarian assistance. Procedia Engineering, 78, 134–142. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2014.07.049.

Caglayan, A., Cassani, L., Mooney, L., Morgan, W., Boyles, A. (2012). Semantic Technologies for Civil Information Management during Complex Emergencies. Poster presentation at IEEE Technologies for Homeland Defense, Boston, MA.

For more information about Laura’s publications, please contact aptima_info@aptima.com.