Please join us at 4pm on September 21, 2017 for a DCI Lecture in BL 728  (Bissell building, 7th floor) by Prof. Cecilia Aragon from the University of Washington.

Abstract:

Extraordinary advances in our ability to acquire and generate data are transforming the fundamental nature of discovery across domains. Much of the research in the field of data science has focused on automated methods of analyzing data such as machine learning and new database techniques. However, the human aspects of data science, including how to maximize scientific creativity and human insight, how to address ethical concerns, and the consideration of societal impacts, are vital to the future of data science. Human-centered data science is a necessary part of the success of 21st century discovery. I will discuss promising research in this area, describe ongoing initiatives at the UW eScience Institute, and speculate upon future directions for data science.

Bio:
Cecilia Aragon is a Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering, Senior Data Science Fellow at the eScience Institute, and Director of the Human Centered Data Science Lab at the University of Washington in Seattle, US. She earned her Ph.D. in computer science from UC Berkeley in 2004. Her research focuses on human-centered data science, an emerging field at the intersection of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and the statistical and computational techniques of data science. She has published over 200 papers in the areas of HCI, CSCW, data science, visual analytics, machine learning, and astrophysics. In 2008, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor bestowed by the US government on outstanding scientists in the early stages of their careers.

Lab website: https://depts.washington.edu/hdsl/

Faculty website: http://faculty.washington.edu/aragon