The Washington-based Center for Applied Identity Management Research (CAIMR) has asked UALR and its experts in the fields of information quality to join the public-private partnership in addressing current and future identity management challenges and finding real-world solutions.

Dr. John R. Talburt, the Acxiom Chair of Information Quality at UALR, is an expert in the fields of information quality and entity resolution and will represent UALR at the center.

“Dr. Talburt is a widely recognized, well-respected expert in the field of information quality and identity resolution. His vast knowledge in these areas of identity management will be an incredible asset for CAIMR and the research we are undertaking this coming year,” said Dr. Gary R. Gordon, CAIMR’s executive director. “As our organization continues to grow and diversify its membership, tapping into the first-rate knowledge base of our academic partners will be critical to the success of our applied research.”

Launched in October 2008, CAIMR was created to focus on applied research that can address identity management challenges that include cyber crime, identity theft and fraud, attacks on critical infrastructure systems, data breaches, financial crimes and more, that impact individuals, public safety, commerce, government, and national security.

Partners in the center include IBM, the world’s leading information technology services provider; VISA, the world’s largest retail electronic payments network and one of the most recognized global financial services brands; and the U.S. Secret Service.

As an associate partner, UALR will join the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, U.S. Marshals Service, Wells Fargo & Co., Identity Theft Assistance Corp. (ITAC), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and TechAmerica.

“The information quality program at UALR aligns well with CAIMR’s vision and goals,” Talburt said. “We are thrilled to be one of CAIMR’s academic partners of choice as the group continues tackling critical identity management challenges.”

At the associate partner level, Talburt will participate in CAIMR’s research planning committees and provide peer review of the organization’s research reports and publications.

Talburt, a professor of information science, is the coordinator of the University’s Information Quality Graduate Program. He also holds appointments as executive director of the UALR Laboratory for Advanced Research in Entity Resolution and Information Quality (ERIQ), associate director of the Acxiom Laboratory for Applied Research (ALAR), and co-director of the Information Quality Program’s Working Group on Customer-Centric Information Quality Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the information quality startup company Black Oak Partners, LLC.

Prior to his appointment at UALR, Talburt was a leader for research and development and product innovation at Acxiom Corp., a global leader in information management and customer data integration.

Talburt holds several patents related to customer data integration and is the author of numerous articles on information quality and entity resolution. His current research interests are at the intersection of information quality and information integration, particularly the areas of entity resolution and entity identification.

He is the winner of the 2008 DAMA International Academic Award and has earned the designation of Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) from the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals at the mastery-level with specialties in data and information quality and information technology.