timothy vogel

on-to-logica

on-to-logica

semiotic semantics;

the sounds in the names we give to things point to cognitively derived models that define those things.

• Startup type: Company
• Status: On Hold
• Stage: Beta

heur-e-ka?
…the process of heuristic discovery, using cutting edge inference science to characterize data-centric relationships between seemingly unconnected and unrelated topical spaces.

We are in the process of raising capital for ontologica.com, an automated real-time content tagger using semiotics (the study of symbols) within semantics (the study of meaning) framework.

Timothy has a B.S. in Genetics from the University of Illinois and an M.S. in Statistics from Florida State University. After teaching and doing field research at the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute on Big Pine Key, FL and completing his graduate work, he began his career of applied predictive science in New York City with Sol Steinberg’s Reliance Consulting Group. At RCG he worked for Fortune 500 companies like Kohler, Chamberlain, LaBaats, M&M/Mars, National Fruit, Celanese Chemicals, 3Com, Rich SeaPak, Warner-Lambert, Johnson & Johnson, Schering-Plough, Stanley Tools, Toyota and manufacturing institutes like the PMI in NYC and FIEI in Chicago.

From there he went on to lead applied data mining and predictive analytics efforts to companies around the country; National Demographics & Lifestyles, Abacus Direct/Double-Click, MCI, Andromedia, Macromedia, IBM, Cisco Systems, and Aggregate Knowledge.
His most recent post-graduate training in unstructured data analysis led him to apply Readware/Miti to the classification of online content while Chief Scientist at Aggregate Knowledge, Inc., eventually building several new patent pending predictive algorithms in social-graph mathematics, automated taxonomies, serendipitous discovery, stochastic behavioral clustering, and human decision-making in online situations.

Tim lives and works in San Mateo, CA.

Employer:	heur-e-ka, LLC; San Mateo, CA
Position:	Founder/Chief Scientist
Time period:	July 2008 - Present
Description:	Lexically derived topical classifiers, in combination with derived emotional states from online clickstreams, are applied to advertising arbitrage in the online advertising industry.

Employer:	Aggregate Knowledge, Inc; San Mateo, CA
Position:	Chief Scientist
Time period:	December 2006 - July 2008
Description:	Responsible for the ongoing development of algorithms and data strategies in a web-services based Discovery Engine that promises highly-targeted back-end fulfillment for any content delivery effort. As part of this effort, I helped form fledgling definitions for the emerging and rapidly changing “Discovery Segment”, an ongoing effort that has spread to many more people in many more places since its inception in the summer of 2006.

Employer:	Cisco Systems, Inc; San Jose, CA
Position:	Text Mining Consultant
Time period:	May 2006 - November 2006
Description:	Through the application of both unstructured and structured data mining techniques, I designed and programmed a prototype system for reverse-engineering output information from Cisco’s family of routing and IP-based devices, predicated on their proprietary language IOS (Internet-Working Operating System).

Employer:	IBM Inc; Research Triangle Park, NC
Position:	Sr. Software Engineer
Time period:	June 2001 - May 2005
Description:	Managed the integration of LikeMinds Personalization Server (see Macromedia Inc., below) into their WebSphere Portal Suite, while designing new features within the rules-based deployment of IBM’s Personalization engine (like HMM-based state predictions and transaction-based naïve-Bayesian model-change triggers).

Employer:	LikeMinds; Macromedia, Inc.; San Francisco, CA
Position:	Analytics Architect
Time period:	November 1999 - June 2001
Description:	As Analytic Architect for the LikeMinds Personalization Server (LPS 5.0, a real-time personalization server for internet applications), I was responsible for the testing, development, and enhancement of all the real-time predictive algorithms and recommendation technology. We managed two entire releases while there, enhancing its real-time recommendation performance as well as broadening the platforms, database packages, and operating systems upon which it would run.

Employer:	MCI Telecommunications Corporation; Denver, Colorado
Position:	Senior Manager, Data Mining
Time period:	January 1993 - December 1998
Description:	Responsible for managing all aspects of predictive mathematical modeling in the Consumer Markets Division, while with MCI, I designed and implemented a scoring strategy for direct support of mass-market sales strategies. This was accomplished in both external prototype and in-house data warehouses, which was also designed by my Database Strategy group.

Employer:	Abacus Direct Corporation; Boulder, Colorado
Position:	Statistician and Director of Research
Time period:	January 1990 - December 1992
Description:	Abacus Direct was formed by two of the original partners in National Demographics & Lifestyles, Inc. (see below). Through the use of a pooled database collected from participating direct marketers, Abacus' business was to supply mathematical models predicting purchase behavior. This was the first time such pooled data had been used in the Direct Marketing Industry, attempting to expand the universe of mail order buyers through the use of time-series relationships only evident when analyzing a full complement of each individual's purchase history.

Employer:	National Demographics & Lifestyles; Denver, Colorado
Position:	Analytic Products Manager
Time period:	December 1988 - December 1990
Description:	NDL is a marketing information services company, collecting point-of-purchase, marketing, and demographic/lifestyle data of consumers. Through the inclusion of warranty registration cards with the products of large, durable goods manufacturers, the database comprises nearly one in four households in the United States.

Employer:	Herbert W. Davis and Company; Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Position:	Senior Management Consultant
Time period:	December 1984 - October 1988
Description:	HWDCO is a management consulting firm specializing in distribution, manufacturing, and customer service. Initially hired as an entry-level consultant, I completed over forty client assignments in my four years there. My prime role was as a statistical analyst, responsible for the mathematical modeling aspects of our client projects. Typical projects included inventory forecasting, distributor/dealer customer service surveys, distribution site location, demographic segmentation, transportation modeling, and manufacturing/distribution synergy studies.

Employer:	Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute; The Florida State University Physics Department; Tallahassee, Florida
Position:	Scientific Programmer
Time period:	August 1982 - August 1984
Description:	GFDI is the sister laboratory to the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO. They do original research on the atmosphere, considering its behavior to be governed by the rules of fluid dynamics. As a scientific programmer I applied the fast-Fourier transform to both field and model data; numerical and spectral analysis were also a large part of my job responsibility.

Employer:	The Florida State University Statistical Consulting Center; Department of Statistics, Tallahassee, Florida
Position:	Statistical Consultant
Time period:	September 1981 - December 1984
Description:	The Statistical Consulting Center functions as a clearinghouse for all research on the FSU campus, available to any state government or university researcher. The Center is the cornerstone of the graduate level statistics curriculum, with all students required to fulfill sixteen credit hours of training in statistical consulting. Once the training is complete, graduate students are allowed to stay on staff as paid consultants.

Employer:	The Newfound Harbor Marine Institute; Big Pine Key, Florida
Position:	Biologist
Time period:	May 1977 - August 1984
Description:	NHMI is a non-profit marine science education and research center located in the lower Florida Keys. Originally hired as a Marine Science Instructor in their summer program for high school students, I was promoted to the Administrative Staff as one of the four resident Biologists. Jobs I held during my tenure include Scheduling Coordinator, Waterfront Director, Harbormaster, College Course Instructor, and Biologist.

University:	Florida State University
Time period:	1983
Degree:	Statistics, MSc

University:	University of Illinois System - Urbana-Champaign
Time period:	1977
Degree:	Genetics, BSc

Papers:

A New Theory of Cognition and Software Implementations in Information Technology; http://www.igi-global.com/bookstore/article.aspx?titleid=...

Hobbies:	marine science education, swimming, tennis, surfing, writing poetry
Memberships:	American Statistical Association Direct Marketing Association (DMA) DMA Research Council National Center for Database Marketing (NCDM) IBM Data Mining Development Task Force Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KD-Nuggets) ACM’s RecSys panelist and contributor