Alumnus Raja Bala has a patent on patents
Spring 2013 · Comment ·
You think red is red, blue is blue, and green is green, right? Alumnus Raja Bala has built a career on vastly different assumptions.
In the field of color theory, there’s plenty of room for innovation. A principal color scientist at Xerox, Dr. Bala has developed more than 100 patents in color imaging. Nearly 30 more are in the works.
“A color scientist tries to understand how humans perceive color in a principled, quantifiable manner and to apply this understanding to a wide variety of applications,” he says. “At Xerox the main application of color science is to develop algorithms that optimize the quality of images printed on our color devices.”
Bala ’87 started with Xerox more than 20 years ago after earning a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University. He traces his career success to his days at UT Arlington.
“UTA’s undergraduate engineering program is strong, especially in terms of its focus on real-world applications. I gained a solid foundation in electrical engineering with a good balance between theoretical and practical aspects.”
A recipient of the Xerox Ann Mulcahy Inventor Award, which recognizes significant business impact from intellectual property, Bala recently shifted focus to mobile imaging and video surveillance. His research involves computer vision, which helps computers “see” and make sense of the world the same way humans do.
“I enjoy exploring new concepts and applications,” he says. “I hope to continue developing technologies that not only push the boundaries of scientific research but make a meaningful impact on society.”
