Data Science and AI
Data Science for All (ds4all)
The National Science Foundation expressed an interest in whether the Computer Science for All (CS4All) initiative could serve as a model for an equivalent: “Data Science for All” initiative. This was an outgrowth of the involvement of the New York Hall of Science in the founding of the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub which has been managed by the Columbia University Data Science Institute. Our role as the education partner included a number of tasks, which I led to promote the need for a baseline for data literacy to address society's increasing need to understand how both their data are being used, and ultimately how they can use the tools of data science to improve their knowledge and wellbeing. NSF supported conferences and workshops to explore this issue both from the societal and educational perspectives. They involved domain experts, community organizations, libraries, educators and tool developers. Go to the Data Science for All page for more information on this initiative. ​​
​​​Human-Centered Approaches to AI
The dramatic growth in interest and fear of AI misses the point. AI is a tool and like any other tool they are wielded by humans to solve problems. In the process of building and using AI tools, the focus needs to be on where the opportunities are for human intervention and decisionmaking, and what actions do we take there. We create the algorithms, we decide what data those algorithms act upon, we determine whether the decisions made by the machine are useful and just, and we decide whether and how to apply that outcome to further our goals. If we are not thinking about AI this way, we are not thinking. This philosophy elicited myself and a group of scientists at the New York Hall of Science to propose to get some perspective on these ideas through a gathering to see what the role of science centers and other informal science learning setting in building an AI - literate society. NSF sponsored (Award No. 223085) the Conference on Human-Centered Approaches to Artificial Intelligence Literacy in Informal Learning to begin realistic discussions about the role of AI in a just and equitable society. ​​
​​Big Data Fest
The term “Big Data” is frequently used to describe everything from how social media are used to gather information about consumers, to how data affect political, environmental and economic decision-making, to data that address security and health concerns. Yet although we might know that Big Data affects our daily lives, its exact nature – what Big Data is, and how it works – remains a mystery to most of us.
Big Data Fest pulls back the curtain on Big Data – revealing what it is, how it can help you know more about your world and how it helps the world know more about you. You will get to tinker with Big Data and interact with the researchers who work with it, find out how data and information have been used throughout history, and the ways that Big Data help us to better understand ourselves and how we fit into a global society. Through a wide variety of activities for all ages you will experience first-hand and hands-on how the most important scientific and technological advancements are made through the collecting and mapping of many different kinds of data - from the pictures you take with your phone to the satellites that hover above the Earth. Download the brochure here.
​​NEREID
Led the development of a convergence science startup and capacity-building venture for Associated Universities called the Network for Earth-space Research, Education and Innovation with Data (NEREID) and secured support for a convergence conference held at the Green Bank Observatory in The US National Radio Quiet Zone in West Virginia. I also served on AUI’s Education and Public Outreach Advisory Council and represented them at national conferences, workshops and university Keynotes. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation (Award Number1939471.