The Natural Language Processing group at the Computer Science Department at
Columbia University is seeking a full-time programmer for a one to two year
term, with possible renewal.
DESCRIPTION: The successful applicant will work with Prof. Kathleen McKeown
and a research scientist. He or she will participate in the development and
support of two systems: a text summarization system, and a system for the
processing and filtering of medical records. In cooperation with Columbia
Presbyterian Medical Center, we are developing a summarization system that
will process medical records, notes from doctors and nurses, and online
medical sources and construct appropriate summaries geared towards the
patient or the health care providers. In the process, a comprehensive
system for the extraction of relevant information and the protection of the
privacy of patients will also be developed.
We offer a supportive and informal environment with flexible working
hours. The successful applicant will have the opportunity for original
research work and for participation in the resulting publications. Salary
is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Since this is a
full-time university staff position, excellent benefits are provided.
QUALIFICATIONS: B.S. or M.S. in computer science or a related discipline
required. The position requires strong programming skills, with expertise
in the C or C++ language; experience with programming in a Unix
environment, including knowledge of shell-level programming; solid
knowledge of formal languages, in particular of finite state automata and
transducers; good communication skills; and good interpersonal skills. The
following are also desired, although not necessary; the applicant will be
expected to cover any deficiencies in these areas as the need arises:
Knowledge of the lex language for specifying finite-state scanners;
Familiarity with elementary natural language and text processing
techniques, as conferred by a course in Natural Language Processing;
Knowledge of LISP and Prolog; Knowledge of text-processing languages such
as awk and Perl; and familiarity with basic probability theory and
statistics. Experience with natural language generation is a big plus.
We value the ability for independent work, innovation, and contributing
fresh ideas to the project and the implementation.
CONTACT: For further information, or to submit an application, contact
Prof. Kathleen McKeown (kathy@cs.columbia.edu) or Vasileios
Hatzivassiloglou (vh@cs.columbia.edu). Electronic submission of
applications (in plain ASCII format) is encouraged. The starting date for
this position will be within July or August 1997.
Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.