Dr. Hussein Almuallim

Research Associate

Vita

Education

  • Ph.D. in Computer ScienceMachine Learning from Oregon State University, USA, 1992
  • Masters of Engineering in Computer Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, 1986
  • Bachelor of Engineering in Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, 1984
  • Diploma in Japanese language proficiency, Takushoku University, Tokyo, Japan, 1980

Work Experience

  • CTO and Co-Founder, HOT FirmSoft Solutions LLC, 2019 ~ present.
  • President and Founder, FirmSoft Technologies Inc., 2007 ~ 2019.
  • Associate Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1997 ~ 2007.
  • Software Development Consultant, VeritasDGC Exploration Services (previously Reservoir Characterization Research & Consulting (RC2)), Denver, USA, 1999 ~ 2003 (on leave from KFUPM)
  • Assistant Professor, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1993 ~ 1997
  • Teaching Assistant, Oregon State University, (part time) Sept. 1987 ~ June 1992.
  • Lecturer, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, 1986 ~ 1987.
  • Engineer, Saudi Electric Company, Saudi Arabia, June 1986 ~ Dec. 1986.

Invited/Visiting Positions

  • Invited Professor, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), Basic Research Labs, Atsugi, Japan, July ~ Sept.  1996
  • Visiting Professor, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, July ~ Sept. 1995
  • Invited Professor, NTT Communication Science Labs, Yokosuka, Japan, July ~ Sept. 1994
  • Invited Researcher, NTT Communication Science Labs, Yokosuka, Japan, Sept 1992 ~ Sept 1993.

Consulting Contracts

  • Consultant, Petroleum Engineering Technology Department, Saudi ARAMCO, June 2004 ~ Sep 2005
  • Consultant, Petroleum Engineering R&D, Saudi ARAMCO, Jun 1998 ~ May 1999
  • Consultant, VeritasDGC Exploration Services, USA, 1999 ~ 2003

Professional Activities

  • Associate Chairman, the 8th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, organized by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence, Menlo Park, California, 1990
  • Program Committee Member, the International Conference on Machine Learning, Slovenia, 1999.
  • Program Committee Member, Algorithmic Learning Theory (ALT-2002), Germany, 2002
  • Refereed for international journals and conferences such as:
    • IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence
    • IEEE Expert Journal, issued by the IEEE Computer Society
    • Journal of Artificial Intelligence
    • Machine Learning Journal
    • The 4th ACM Annual Workshop on Computational Learning Theory, COLT-91

Awards and Honors

  • Monbusho (Japan’s Ministry of Education & Culture) Scholarship to pursue Master’s degree in Japan (April 1984 ~ March 1986).
  • Arabian Oil Company Scholarship to pursue Bachelor degree in Japan (April 1979 ~ March 1984).
  • Honorable Mention Award offered by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), for the paper “Learning with Many Irrelevant Features”, Proceedings of the 9th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence, July 1991
  • Best Paper Award offered by Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, for the paper “A Knowledge Revision Learner Using Artificial Examples Generation”, Proceedings of the 1995 conference of Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence
  • Best Teacher Award for the academic year 1996-1997, Information & Computer Science Department, KFUPM.

Languages

 Fluent in English and Japanese (speaking, listening, reading and writing), besides Arabic, my native language.

Fields of Research

Currently active in applying computer science technology to tackle challenges in petroleum industry in general, reservoir modeling and simulation in particular.

Research interest includes: Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Data Mining, Pattern Recognition, Parallel and Distributed Processing, 3D Visualization, Geostatisitics, Automatic History Matching.

Teaching

Lecturing

  •  Taught graduate and undergraduate courses on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Pattern Recognition, Design and Analysis of Algorithms, Data Structure, Discrete Mathematics, Databases, Introduction to Computer Science, Programming Courses (in C, C++, Java and Fortran), Automata and Formal Languages, and Databases
  • Taught and coordinated a number of short courses (e.g. on Unix, Java, Data Mining) at KFUPM for participants from Industry

Graduate Students Supervision

  • Supervised several Master’s theses in Computer Science at King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia
  • Served on the advising committees of several PhD students in Petroleum Engineering at the University of Technology, Institute of Subsurface Energy Systems, Clausthal, Germany.

Publications

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jc1uHv4AAAAJ&hl=en

Publications in Top Computer Science Journals and Conferences

  1. H. Almuallim and T. G. Dietterich, “Learning Boolean Concepts in the Presence of Many Irrelevant Features'', Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Elsevier, Vol. 69, pp 279--305, 1994.
  2. Almuallim, “An Efficient Algorithm for Optimal Pruning of Decision Trees”, Journal of Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 83, pp. 347--362, Elsevier, June 1996.
  3. H. Almuallim and S. Yamaguchi, “A Method of Recognition of Arabic Cursive Handwriting”, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 715--722, Sept. 1987.
  4. H. Almuallim and T. G. Dietterich, “Learning with Many Irrelevant Features”, Proceedings of the 9th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence (by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence), pp. 547--552,  Anaheim, California, July 1991.  [This paper is award winner]
  5. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “An efficient algorithm for finding optimal gain-ratio multiple-split test on hierarchical attributes in decision tree learning'', Proceedings of the 13th National Conference on Artificial Intelligence (by the American Association for Artificial Intelligence), Portland, Oregon, August, 1996.
  6. H. Almuallim and T. G. Dietterich, “On Learning More Concepts”, Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Machine Learning, pp. 11--19, Scotland, July 1992.

Publications in the Fields of Petroleum Engineering and Geoscience

  1. B. Jenei, L. Ganzer, H. Almuallim, R. Manasipov, “Geologically Consistent History Matching Honoring Rock Types Driven by Adjoint Method”, SPE 203231-MS at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition & Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2020.
  2. D. Awofodu, L. Ganzer, H. Almuallim, J. Schellinger, “An Adjoint Based Method for Improving Reservoir Characterization During History Matching”, Oil and Gas European Magazine, 45 (3), 126-135, 2019.
  3. D. Awofodu, L. Ganzer, H. Almuallim, “Revealing Hidden Reservoir Features During History Matching Using an Adjoint Method”, ECMOR XVI-16th European Conference on the Mathematics of Recovery, 2018.
  4. H. Almuallim, L. Ganzer, H. Uematsu, S. Bellah, V. Virlan, “Advanced Assisted History Matching of a Large Mature Oil Field Based on a Huge Number of Grid-Block Level Parameters and Saturation Functions”, SPE 192780-MS at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition & Conference, Abu Dhabi, UAE, November 2018.
  5. D. Awofodu, L. Ganzer, H. Almuallim, “Enhancing Reservoir Understanding in Mature Fields: Adjoint-State Method Applied to a Semi-Synthetic Model”, SPE Latin America and Caribbean Mature Fields Symposium, March 2017.
  6. D Awofodu, L Ganzer, H Almuallim, “An Evaluation of Grid-block-based Optimization Methods Applied to History Matching Workflows”, OIL GAS-EUROPEAN MAGAZINE, Vol 42, issue 4, p 201-206, 2016.
  7. R. Schulze-Riegert, I. Ajala, D. Awofodu, H. Almuallim, J. Baffoe, F. Chataigner, N. Kueck, O. Pajonk, A. Shiromizu, “Cross-Verification of Adjoint and MCMC Workflows for Estimation of Prediction Uncertainties Including Historical Data”, 76th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2014
  8. R. Schulze-Riegert, J. Baffoe, I. Ajala, O. Pajonk, N. Kueck, F. Chataigner, H Almuallim, “Strategic Scope of Alternative Optimization Methods in History Matching and Prediction Workflows”, SPE-Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference, 10-13 March 2013.
  9. R.H. Lind, O. Allottai, A.M. Gaaim, H. Almuallim, “Computer Assisted History Matching-A Field Example”, SPE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference and Exhibition Abu Dhabi, UAE, 16–18 September 2013.
  10. 16.  H. Almuallim, K. Edwards, and L. Ganzer: “History-Matching With Sensitivity-Based Parameter Modifications at Grid-Block Level” SPE 131627 at SPE EUROPEC/EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition, Barcelona, Spain, 14–17 June 2010.
  11. L.Ganzer. and H.Almuallim, “History-Matching in Reservoir Simulation Using Sensitivity Computations”, OIL and GAS European Magazine, Vol 36, 3, September 2010 and Erdöl Erdgas Kohle, Vol 126, 9, September 2010.
  12. L.Ganzer. and H.Almuallim “History-Matching in Reservoir Simulation Using Sensitivity Computations”, DGMK/ÖGEW Frühjahrstagung, 2010. Celle, Germany, 12-13. April, 2010.

Other Publications

  1. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, and S. Kaneda, “Induction of Japanese-English Translation Rules From Ambiguous Examples and a Large Semantic Hierarchy”, Journal of Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 9, No. 5, pp. 730--740, Sept. 1994.
  2. H. Almuallim and T. G. Dietterich, “A Study of Maximal--Coverage Learning Algorithms”. A book chapter in Mathematics of Generalization, David Wolpert (Ed.), Addison-Wesley, 1995. 
  3. M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “A Simplification Method Using BDD for Majority-Voting Classifiers”, Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (Japan), Vol. J78-D-II, No. 10, pp. 1469--1478, October, 1995. English version appears in Systems and Computers in Japan, Vol. 27, No. 7, June 1996, published by Scripta Techinica, Inc., USA.
  4. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, and S. Kaneda, “Learning Verb Translation Rules From Ambiguous Examples and a Large Semantic Hierarchy”, a book chapter in Computational Learning Theory and Natural Learning Systems, Vol. 4, pp. 335--349, MIT Press, 1996.
  5. S. Kaneda, M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, Y.  Akiba, and T. Kawaoka, “A Revision Learner for Acquiring Verb Selection Rules from Hand-made Rules and Examples”, a book chapter in Lecture Notes in AI: Symbolic, Connectionist, and Statistical Approaches to Learning for Natural Language Processing, Stefan Wermter, Ellen Riloff, and Gabriele Scheler (Eds.), Springer Publishers, 1996.
  6. Akiba, M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda, “A Revision Learner to Acquire Verb Selection Rules”, Journal of Natural Language Processing (Japan), Vol.3 No.3, June 1996.
  7. M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, Y.  Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “A Knowledge Revision Learner Using Artificial Examples Generation”, Transactions of the Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers (Japan), English version appears in the journal Electronics and Communications in Japan, published by Scripta Technica, Inc., USA.
  8. H. Almuallim,  Y. Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “On Handling Tree-Structured Attributes in Decision Tree Learning”, Journal of Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 12, No. 3, May. 1997.
  9. H. Almuallim and T. G. Dietterich, “Coverage of Inductive Learning Algorithms”, Workshop on Computational Learning Theory and Natural Learning Systems, Princeton, New Jersey, Sept. 1990.
  10. H. Almuallim and T.G. Dietterich, “Efficient Algorithms for Identifying  Relevant Features”, Proceedings of the 9th Canadian Conference on Artificial Intelligence, AI'92, pp. 35--45, Vancouver, May 1992.
  11. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, A. Yokoo, and S. Kaneda, “Induction of Machine Translation Rules Based on a Semantic Hierarchy”, Proceedings of the 7th Annual Conference of Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, pp. 395--398, Tokyo, Japan, July 1993.
  12. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, A. Yokoo, S. Kaneda, and T. Kawaoka, “Acquisition of Machine Translation Rules Using Inductive Learning Techniques”.  The 13th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI 93)---Proceedings of the Workshop  on Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition, pp. 1--13, Chambery, France, August 1993.
  13. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, and S. Kaneda, “A Multi-Class Learning Method Using Covering Ratio and Binary-Class Hypotheses”, Proceedings of the 1993 Conference of the Information Processing Society of Japan,  Vol.3, pp. 11--12, Tottori, Japan, 1993.
  14. Y. Akiba, H. Almuallim, T. Yamazaki, and S. Kaneda, “Learning Decision Trees From Ambiguous Examples”,  Proceedings of the 1993 Conference of the Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol.3, pp. 19--20, Tottori, Japan, 1993.
  15. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, and S. Kaneda, “A Tool for the Acquisition of Japanese--English Translation Rules Using Inductive Learning Techniques”, Proceedings of the 10th IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence  Applications, pp.194--201, San Antonio, Texas, March 1994.
  16. H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, T. Yamazaki, A. Yokoo, and S. Kaneda, “Two Methods for Learning Translation Rules From Examples and a Semantic Hierarchy”.  Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Computational Linguistics (COLING--94), pp. 57--63, Kyoto, Japan, August 1994.
  17. M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “A Simplification Method Using BDD for Majority-Voting Classifiers”, Proceedings of the 12th IASTED International Conference on Applied Informatics, pp. 148--155, Innsbruck, Austria, Feb. 1995.
  18. Y. Akiba, M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda, “Leaning English Verb Selection Rules From Hand-Made Rules and Translation Examples”,  Proceedings of the 6th International Conference on Theoretical and Methodological Issues in Machine Translation (TMI95), pp. 206--220, Belgium, July 1995.
  19. H. Almuallim,  Y. Akiba, and S. Kaneda, “On Handling Tree-Structured Attributes in Decision Tree Learning”, Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Machine Learning, pp.12--20, Tahoe City, California, July 1995.
  20. M. Ishii, Y. Akiba, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda, “A Knowledge Revision Learner Using Artificial Examples Generation”, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference of Japan Society for Artificial Intelligence, pp. 131--134, July 1995.
  21. S. Kaneda, H. Almuallim, Y. Akiba, and M. Ishii, “A Revision Learner to Acquire Verb Selection Rules from Human-made Rules and Examples”, International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence  (IJCAI--95)---Proceedings of the Workshop on New Approaches to Learning Natural language Processing, pp. 95--102, Montreal, Canada, August 1995.
  22. Y. Akiba, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda, “A Decision Tree Learner with Tree Structured Attributes”, Proceedings of the 1996 Conference of the Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol.3, pp. 121--122, Tokyo, Japan, March 1996.
  23. S. Kaneda, H. Almuallim, and Y. Akiba, “A Revision Learner using Artificial Examples Generation (II)”, Proceedings of the 1996 Conference of the Information Processing Society of Japan, Vol.3, pp. 119--120, Tokyo, Japan, March 1996.
  24. Y. Akiba, M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda. “Machine Learning Algorithms for Acquiring Knowledge from Scarce Examples”, NTT Research & Development Journal, Vol. 45, No.4, pp.363--372, April 1996.       
  25. M. Ishii, H. Almuallim, and S. Kaneda, “A knowledge revision learner using artificially generated Examples”, Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Industrial & Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence & Expert Systems (IEA-AIE~96), Fukuoka, Japan, June 1996.
  26. Y. Akiba, S. Kaneda, and H. Almuallim, “Turning Majority Voting Classifiers into a Single Decision Tree”, Proceedings of the 10th IEEE Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence, pp. 224--230, Nov. 1998.
  27. K. Shintani, A. Inoue, S. Watanabe, S. Kaneda, H. Almuallim, “Automatic Bus Approach Notification System Through Mobile Phone Email and Application for Kindergarten and Nursery School Buses”, Third International Conference on Advances in Infrastructure for Electronic Business, Education, Science, and Medicine on the Internet, L’Aquila, Italy, 2002.
  28. H. Almuallim (with others), “Dictionary of Basic Terms of Science and Technology, Japanese-Arabic-English”, Publisher: Middle-East Counseling Services, Inc., Tokyo, 1993.

 

Contact

hussein@firmsofttech.com

Consultation hours:
on appointment