Frost Institute for Data Science & Computing

IDSC Grants Program Call for Proposals INFO SESSION 9/9, 4PM
2024-09-09 16:00 - 16:30 (America/New_York) | Zoom (online)
An INFO SESSION for your questions on the IDSC “Expanding the Use of Collaborative Data Science at UM” Grants Program CALL FOR PROPOSALS will be held on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 4:00 PM (:30 minutes) via Zoom. The submission deadline is Friday, September 27, 2024 by 5:00 PM.
Register Now
This program is designed to increase the use of data science to foster breakthroughs in disciplinary pursuits making the research team more competitive for external funding.Applications are required to include at least one data scientist from the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) and one researcher from a specific discipline. Typically, the disciplinary researcher initiates and leads the project. The IDSC data scientist acts as a high-level consultant to ensure the proposal has enough data science.
The awards include $20K in discretionary funds[1] and 1M Service Units (SUs) to be used for high performance computing (HPC). It is anticipated that five awards will be made. Any topic and issue involving data science are welcome. Pre-submission inquiries are encouraged.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, IDSC seeks proposals that address issues in:

Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Humanities

Other topics and issues are also welcome. Pre-submissions are encouraged.
In terms of this grant opportunity, data science is defined as utilizing state-of-the-art approaches such as Machine Learning (ML) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable scientific discovery that is data driven. Simply, proposing to analyze large data sets with traditional techniques (e.g., linear regression) is not responsive to this opportunity. Proposals that use ML/AI to develop new understanding are strongly encouraged.
The application process includes two steps:
Step 1: The disciplinary researcher provides a one-page letter of intent to IDSC outlining the discipline-specific research and where data science fits in. Based on the letter of intent, the IDSC review team will identify an IDSC data scientist for collaboration, if the research team has not already identified a IDSC partner. Apply Now!
Step 2: Upon invitation to advance to Step 2, the research team (with assistance from the IDSC data scientist) will need to prepare 3 documents:
1) A two-page proposal that outlines the research and the data science plan. The proposal should also include a short discussion of potential external funding mechanisms that the proposed work can use to enhance the competitive position of the research team. The application should include:
2) an abbreviated one-page biosketch, and
3) a budget with justification using the linked templates included with this announcement.
Eligibility
This funding opportunity is open to UM Faculty with an active IDSC membership. For more information on IDSC memberships and to apply, visit https://idsc.miami.edu/membership/.
Reporting
The research team is required to submit an interim report midway through the performance period. The one-page report should include a brief description of the project’s progress and an overview of the financial situation. Upon project completion, the research team will submit a one-page final report detailing any accomplishments attributed to the work of this project [publications, proposal submission(s) for extramural funding, data sets generated, etc.] and give an oral presentation describing the research and results as part of IDSC’s seminar series. Scheduling of the oral presentation will be coordinated by IDSC’s Engagement Office.
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee to determine feasibility, relevance to IDSC programs, and in terms of how the proposed research will put the team in a more competitive position for external funding.

Important Information and Deadlines

Have questions? Attend an INFO session led by Ben Kirtman: Monday, September 9, 2024, at 4:00 PM (:30 minutes) via Zoom. Please REGISTER.
Step 1 – Letters of Intent: Due by 5:00 PM Friday, September 27, 2024 | Step 1 Form
Invitation to submit full proposal in Step. 2 with identification of an IDSC data scientist partner (if applicable): October 14, 2024
Step 2 – Two-page proposal: Due by 5:00 PM on: Friday, November 22,2024
Notice of Award: On or before: December 18, 2024
Project performance period: January 1 – December 31, 2025
Interim Report Due: June 30, 2025
Service Units (SU) expire: January 31, 2026
Final Report Due: February 28, 2026
Oral Presentation of Results Due in Spring or Fall 2026

[1] Discretionary funds can be used for salary, travel, and other research-related expenditures as outlined in the proposal budget. Equipment purchases are not allowed.

IDSC Grants Program Call for Proposals INFO SESSION Thursday 9/19 4PM via ZOOM
2024-09-19 16:00 - 16:30 | Zoom (online)
An INFO SESSION for your questions on the IDSC “Expanding the Use of Collaborative Data Science at UM” Grants Program CALL FOR PROPOSALS will be held on Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM (:30 minutes) via ZOOM.
Please Register to receive the ZOOM link
This program is designed to increase the use of data science to foster breakthroughs in disciplinary pursuits making the research team more competitive for external funding. Applications are required to include at least one data scientist from the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) and one researcher from a specific discipline. Typically, the disciplinary researcher initiates and leads the project. The IDSC data scientist acts as a high-level consultant to ensure the proposal has enough data science.
The awards include $20K in discretionary funds[1] and 1M Service Units (SUs) to be used for high performance computing (HPC). It is anticipated that five awards will be made. Any topic and issue involving data science are welcome. Pre-submission inquiries are encouraged.
For the 2024-2025 academic year, IDSC seeks proposals that address issues in:

Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Humanities

Other topics and issues are also welcome. Pre-submissions are encouraged.
In terms of this grant opportunity, data science is defined as utilizing state-of-the-art approaches such as Machine Learning (ML) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable scientific discovery that is data driven. Simply, proposing to analyze large data sets with traditional techniques (e.g., linear regression) is not responsive to this opportunity. Proposals that use ML/AI to develop new understanding are strongly encouraged.
The application process includes two steps:
Step 1: The disciplinary researcher provides a one-page letter of intent to IDSC outlining the discipline-specific research and where data science fits in. Based on the letter of intent, the IDSC review team will identify an IDSC data scientist for collaboration, if the research team has not already identified a IDSC partner. Apply Now!
Step 2: Upon invitation to advance to Step 2, the research team (with assistance from the IDSC data scientist) will need to prepare 3 documents:
1) A two-page proposal that outlines the research and the data science plan. The proposal should also include a short discussion of potential external funding mechanisms that the proposed work can use to enhance the competitive position of the research team. The application should include:
2) an abbreviated one-page biosketch, and
3) a budget with justification using the linked templates included with this announcement.
Eligibility
This funding opportunity is open to UM Faculty with an active IDSC membership. For more information on IDSC memberships and to apply, visit https://idsc.miami.edu/membership/.
Reporting
The research team is required to submit an interim report midway through the performance period. The one-page report should include a brief description of the project’s progress and an overview of the financial situation. Upon project completion, the research team will submit a one-page final report detailing any accomplishments attributed to the work of this project [publications, proposal submission(s) for extramural funding, data sets generated, etc.] and give an oral presentation describing the research and results as part of IDSC’s seminar series. Scheduling of the oral presentation will be coordinated by IDSC’s Engagement Office.
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee to determine feasibility, relevance to IDSC programs, and in terms of how the proposed research will put the team in a more competitive position for external funding.

Important Information and Deadlines

Have questions? Attend an INFO session led by Azizi Seixas: Thursday, September 19, 2024, at 4:00 PM (:30 minutes) via Zoom. Please REGISTER.
Step 1 – Letters of Intent: Due by 5:00 PM Friday, September 27, 2024 | Step 1 Form
Invitation to submit full proposal in Step. 2 with identification of an IDSC data scientist partner (if applicable): October 14, 2024
Step 2 – Two-page proposal: Due by 5:00 PM on: Friday, November 22,2024
Notice of Award: On or before: December 18, 2024
Project performance period: January 1 – December 31, 2025
Interim Report Due: June 30, 2025
Service Units (SU) expire: January 31, 2026
Final Report Due: February 28, 2026
Oral Presentation of Results Due in Spring or Fall 2026

[1] Discretionary funds can be used for salary, travel, and other research-related expenditures as outlined in the proposal budget. Equipment purchases are not allowed.

2-Day Software Carpentry "R" Workshop at Medical Campus 10/10+11
2024-10-10 09:00 - 2024-10-11 16:30 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
Join us for a free-2-day, in-person only Software Carpentry “R” Workshop at Medical Campus on Thursday and Friday, October 10+11, 2024, at the CTSI Research Training Center (Rooms 710 Q-R). Course Hours both days: 9:00AM – 4:30PM. (Course lasts two days—content is not repeated).
Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on 2-day workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.
Register Now
Click here for the Syllabus, which includes: The Code of Conduct, Pre- and Post-Workshop Surveys, a detailed schedule, and the required (free) software with installation instructions.
Who
The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where
Rooms 710 R&Q, Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33136. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When
Oct 10-11, 2024; 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed below).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible.
Accessible restrooms are available.

We are dedicated to providing a positive and accessible learning environment for all. We do not require participants to provide documentation of disabilities or disclose any unnecessary personal information. However, we do want to help create an inclusive, accessible experience for all participants. We encourage you to share any information that would be helpful to make your Carpentries experience accessible. To request an accommodation for this workshop, please fill out the accommodation request form. If you have questions or need assistance with the accommodation form please email us.
Glosario is a multilingual glossary for computing and data science terms. The glossary helps learners attend workshops and use our lessons to make sense of computational and programming jargon written in English by offering it in their native language. Translating data science terms also provides a teaching tool for Carpentries Instructors to reduce barriers for their learners.

Instructors

Emory Neer
Research Support Specialist
University of Miami
Miller School of Medicine
Cameron Riopelle, PhD
Director of Research Data & Open Scholarship
University of Miami Libraries
Thilani Samarakoon
Biomedical Data Librarian
University of Miami Libraries

Helpers

Charles Brown-Roberts
Applications Software Developer
University of Miami Libraries
Michele Mayne
PhD Sociology Major
Medical Sociology and
Community Health & Well-Being
Erica Newcome
STEM and Interdisciplinary Research Librarian
University of Miami Libraries

Timothy Norris, PhD
Data Scientist
University of Miami Libraries and
Frost Institute for Data Science
and Computing (IDSC)

Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.

2-Day Software Carpentry “Python” Workshop at Medical Campus 10/31+11/1
2024-10-31 09:00 - 2024-11-01 16:30 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
Join us for a free-2-day, in-person only Software Carpentry “Python” Workshop at Medical Campus on Thursday and Friday, October 31 and November 1, 2024, at the CTSI Research Training Center (Rooms 710 Q-R). Course Hours both days: 9:00AM – 4:30PM. (Course lasts two days—content is not repeated).
Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on 2-day workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.
This Session is full! Please email tnorris@miami.edu to be put on a Waiting List.

Click here for the Syllabus, which includes: The Code of Conduct, Pre- and Post-Workshop Surveys, a detailed schedule, and the required (free) software with installation instructions.
Who
The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where
Rooms 710 R&Q, Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33136. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When
Oct 31+Nov 1, 2024; 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed below).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible.
Accessible restrooms are available.

We are dedicated to providing a positive and accessible learning environment for all. We do not require participants to provide documentation of disabilities or disclose any unnecessary personal information. However, we do want to help create an inclusive, accessible experience for all participants. We encourage you to share any information that would be helpful to make your Carpentries experience accessible. To request an accommodation for this workshop, please fill out the accommodation request form. If you have questions or need assistance with the accommodation form please email us.
Glosario is a multilingual glossary for computing and data science terms. The glossary helps learners attend workshops and use our lessons to make sense of computational and programming jargon written in English by offering it in their native language. Translating data science terms also provides a teaching tool for Carpentries Instructors to reduce barriers for their learners.
Sponsored by
Department of Computer Science • Calder Memorial Library • CIMAS
OVPRS • The Graduate School • IDSC • UM Libraries

Instructors

Erica Newcome
STEM and Interdisciplinary Research Librarian
University of Miami Libraries
Timothy Norris, PhD
Data Scientist
University of Miami Libraries and
Frost Institute for Data Science
and Computing (IDSC)

Helper

Thilani Samarakoon
Biomedical Data Librarian
University of Miami Libraries

Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.

VizUM Symposium Monday 11/11 goes Beyond Data Visualization
2024-11-11 16:00 - 20:00 | Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
REGISTRATION OPENS AT 3:30. Join us on Monday afternoon, November 11, 2024 (4:00-7:00 PM), at the Newman Alumni Center as we welcome Santiago Ortiz, Rahul Bhargava, and Lauren F. Klein for with ViZUM 2024: Beyond Data Visualization lectures on new or more inclusive ways of looking at or understanding visualization. This event is free and open to the public.

Register Now (free)
Launched in 2014, VizUM is a free annual data visualization symposium held featuring speakers who are pioneers in the field, whose vision drive products and styles we see around us daily, and who forge new ground in this domain. VizUM is sponsored by IDSC, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the UM College of Arts & Sciences, and the UM School of Communication Center for Communication, Culture and Change.
AGENDA
3:30 Registration Opens
4:00 Introduction by Alberto Cairo
4:15 Santiago Ortiz
5:00 Rahul Bhargava
5:45 Lauren Klein
6:30 Closing Remarks
7:00 Event ends
LOCATION
University of Miami Newman Alumni Center
6200 San Amaro Drive (Room: Multi-Purpose ABC)
Coral Gables, FL 33146
FREE PARKING is valid in Gray Zones only (see map below). Park head-in only.
Click Here to enter your license plate number, click NEXT, then enter the registration code: 111124

Speakers

Santiago Ortiz | Moebio Labs
Santiago creates digital experiences that help people solve complex problems with data. He explores synergies between human and algorithmic intelligences. He develops interfaces that allow for exploration, combination, deep understanding, and decision making based on large, diverse and dynamic datasets. He has experience as a teacher, digital media artist, interactive data visualization researcher, data scientist, product leader and entrepreneur.

TALK
Intelligence Everywhere
The future of humanity depends on finding harmony within an ecology that includes matter and energy but also information, computation, and multiple types of intelligences. While we learn, very slowly, to accept that other biological species are also highly intelligent, a new variety of algorithmic (or artificial) intelligences are becoming more ubiquitous and more integrated into human affairs.
In this talk I’ll introduce a variety of perspectives on intelligence. Seen as the emergence of information computation, intelligence exists everywhere in the universe, and here on Earth we see it at many scales: fundamental particles, chemistry, cellular, and organism interactions. All forms of life, each species, each individual indeed, expresses intelligence in its own unique way. But we also see intelligence in algorithms, and mechanical and digital machines. It’s also present in cities, information networks, and culture. At each scale, for each system, intelligence mediates internal and external information, allowing systems to thrive, replicate, evolve, or disappear.
Through interactive data visualization projects and ideas, this presentation aims to widen the concept of intelligence, and to point to ways we can create and collaborate with the new emergent ecology of algorithmic intelligences.

Rahul Bhargava | Northeastern University
Rahul Bhargava is an educator, researcher, and designer who builds collaborative projects to interrogate our datafied society with a focus on rethinking participation and power in data processes. His innovative approaches to data in community settings include award-winning data murals, data sculptures, interactive data exhibits, and data theatre.
Rahul has created big data research tools to investigate media attention, built AI-based tools that support activists monitoring news for human rights violations, designed hands-on interactive museum exhibits that delight learners of all ages, and has run over 100 workshops to build data culture in newsrooms, non-profits, and libraries.

He has collaborated with groups ranging from the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil to the World Food Program. Rahul’s publishes regularly in academic journals on data literacy, technology, and civic technology; his work has been shown at the Boston Museum of Science, Eyebeam in New York City, and the Fuller Craft Museum. Rahul is currently an Assistant Professor in Journalism and Art + Design at Northeastern University, where he directs the Data Culture Group. His first book, “Community Data: Creative Approaches to Empowering People with Information”, is coming this fall from Oxford University Press.
TALK
Fight the Bar Chart
Our standard toolkit of chart and graphs is poorly suited for the new community-oriented settings where data is now commonly used. Inspired by the arts, we can break free from outdated data practices and embrace creative, community-centered approaches that empower and engage people in public settings. Data sculptures, data murals, data theatre, and multi-sensory data experiences offer a broader and more appropriate set of approaches. Using this larger toolbox of data viz techniques can bring people together around data in ways that more fully reflect, embrace, and uplift their communities.

Lauren F. Klein | Emory University
Lauren is the Winship Distinguished Research Professor and Associate Professor in the Departments of Quantitative Theory and Methods and English at Emory University, where she also directs the Digital Humanities Lab and serves as PI of the Atlanta Interdisciplinary AI Network. Before arriving at Emory, Lauren taught in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication at Georgia Tech. She received her PhD in English and American Studies from the CUNY Graduate Center, and her AB in Literature (English and French) from Harvard University.
Lauren works at the intersection of data science, AI, and the humanities, with an emphasis on questions of gender and race. She is the author of several books, including Data Feminism (MIT Press 2020, coauthor Catherine D’Ignazio), which was named a “Must-Read Book for Spring 2020” by WIRED Magazine; and An Archive of Taste: Race and Eating in the Early United States (University of Minnesota Press, 2020), which shows how thinking about eating can help to tell new stories about the range of people, from the nation’s first presidents to their enslaved chefs, who worked to establish a cultural foundation for the United States.

Her next major project, Data by Design: An Interactive History of Data Visualization, coauthored with members of her research group, will be published in print and online by the MIT Press in 2024. With Matthew K. Gold, Lauren edits Debates in the Digital Humanities (University of Minnesota Press), a hybrid print/digital publication stream that explores debates in the field as they emerge. The most recent book in this series is Debates in the Digital Humanities 2019.
In previous incarnations, Lauren has worked as a web developer, educational technology consultant, music producer, and bike messenger. She says she has not, however, appeared on Law & Order, designed customized silver jewelry, or performed award-winning gymnastics routines. You can view her official bio here.
TALK
The Line Graph and the Slave Ship: Rethinking the Origins of Modern Data Visualization
“The Line Graph and the Slave Ship” takes us back over two hundred years in order to show how data visualization was—and remains—a tremendous form of power. Exploring two historical examples, the line graphs of British trade data included in William Playfair’s Commercial and Political Atlas (1786) and “Description of a Slave Ship” (1789), created and circulated by a group of British antislavery activists, I will demonstrate how the act of visualizing data always involves more than just turning numbers into visual form.
What forms of information are captured by the data? Whose knowledge or experience does the data represent? What knowledge or experience does the designer bring to the visualization process? For what purposes, and for whose goals? These are some of the questions that this talk will engage. Together, they show how questions of ethics and justice have always been present in the field of data visualization, and how they continue to offer lessons to those of us who design and view data visualizations today.

Photo Gallery
[gm album=185

Santiago Ortiz: Intelligences Workshop 11/12-15
2024-11-12 16:00 - 2024-11-15 20:00 | Newman Alumni Center, 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
Following VizUM 2024, a workshop led by Santiago Ortiz of Moebio Labs will be held Tuesday-Friday, November 12-15, 4:00-8:00 PM each day (content not repeated) at the Newman Alumni Center. Investigating how data is a part of our lives, the worksho will explore all forms intelligence through activities and experiments punctuated by videos and interactive projects.
“Intelligences Workshop: Intelligence is Information Having Fun”
The future of humanity depends on finding harmony within an ecology that includes matter and energy but also information, computation, and multiple types of intelligences. While we learn, very slowly, to accept that other biological species are also highly intelligent, new varieties of algorithmic (or artificial) intelligences are becoming more ubiquitous and more integrated into human affairs.
In this workshop, we’ll explore from multiple angles, and through different experiments and activities, what intelligence is (what intelligences are, really). Intelligence, seen as the emergence of information computation, exists everywhere in the universe, and here on Earth we see it at many scales: fundamental particles, chemistry, cellular, and organism interactions. All forms of life, each species, each individual indeed, expresses intelligence in its own unique way. But we also see intelligence in algorithms, and mechanical and digital machines. It’s also present in cities, information networks, and culture. At each scale, for each system, intelligence mediates internal and external information, allowing systems to thrive, replicate, evolve, or disappear.
The Intelligences Workshop is based on activities, exploration, and experiments, punctuated by some videos and interactive projects. We’ll use data science, data visualization, design, storytelling, and humor as tools to explore the infinite ecology of intelligences.
Workshop Lineup

Information | How can we extract information from the world and from ourselves? Entropy, data, information and meaning. Making information visual and tangible. Information is everywhere! The information session is about experiencing information that surrounds us, even if we cannot see it.
Intelligence | Let’s play with information, let’s help information play with itself. We’ll play with paper computers, experiment with semantic computation, become ribosomes to decode a hidden message, and play against a matchboxes learning machine.
Human Infosphere | Humans absorb and radiate data. We’ll investigate how data is part of our lives, what data we can capture, and what’s the value of that data.
Creativity | We’ll play with our own data and have fun with information. Based on data about ourselves, collected in the Information session, we’ll explore differences and similarities between us, and build a mini-collective intelligence.

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop is open by invitation. If you are interested in participating, please contact Prof. Alberto Cairo: a.cairo@miami.edu.
About Santiago Ortiz
Santiago creates digital experiences that help people solve complex problems with data, and explores synergies between human and algorithmic intelligences. He also develops interfaces that allow for exploration, combination, deep understanding, and decision making based on large, diverse, and dynamic datasets. Santiago has experience as a teacher, digital media artist, interactive data visualization researcher, data scientist, product leader, and entrepreneur. Read more about Santiago from his IDSC Data Citizens Distinguished Lecture Series lecture.

LOCATION
Newman Alumni Center
6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Parking information forthcoming . . .

Virtual Lecture: Cloud-Based Platforms and Architectures | Sharjeel Bin Khalid 11/21
2024-11-21 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
IDSC Director of Population Health Informatics, Dr. Azizi Sexias presents Sharjeel Bin Khalid, Director, Global Data Strategy and Architecture for Slalom. Mr. Bin Khalid will speak on “Cloud-Based Platforms and Architectures for Data Sharing and Analysis” via ZOOM on Thursday, November 21, 2024, 11AM-12PM.
This free lecture is part of Dr. Seixas’s Future of Data Health Innovation virtual lecture series.
REGISTER NOW

Announcing the 2024-2025 IDSC Fellows—Attend the Launch Symposium 12/3
2024-12-03 15:30 - 16:30 | Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, 1552 Brescia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL, 33146, United States
The Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) is pleased to announce the IDSC Fellows chosen for the 2024-2025 academic year. This is a prestigious designation historically awarded to four graduate or undergraduate students (sophomore level or above) students, but this year we had so many great applicants, we chose six!

Congratulations to Deema Abayawardena, Nimay Mahajan, Cait Martinez, Katarina Micin, Jessica Okutsu, and Alejandra Planells Devesa.

The vision of the IDSC Fellows Program is to inspire a new generation of leaders in data science to cross the traditional boundaries between disciplines. IDSC joins with University faculty to mentor the Fellows on how to best utilize the University’s cutting-edge advanced computing resources in their proposed research projects. Join us in person or online for the Launch Symposium 12/3 to hear the IDSC Fellows present their research project proposals. Registration confirmation will include a ZOOM link.
Tuesday, 12/3/2024, 3:30 – 4:30 PM
Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) Offices
1552 Brescia Avenue, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (Map + Directions)

Register Now
2024-2025 IDSC Fellows

Deema Abayawardena
4th year PhD in Biology
PROJECT: An “omics” approach to unravel the molecular basis for a fundamental polarity in animal eggs
MENTOR:
Zheng Wang, PhD | Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Department of Biology
Deema is a fourth-year PhD student in Dr. Athula Wikramanayake’s lab in the Biology Department at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that establish polarity in animal oocytes, a process critical for proper embryonic development. By bisecting Patiria miniata (sea star) oocytes, she uses RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry to identify and analyze molecules involved in the localized activation of the evolutionarily conserved Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. As an IDSC fellow, Deema plans to apply deep learning techniques to analyze RNA-seq and mass spectrometry data to identify differentially enriched factors within the oocytes.

Nimay Mahajan
Junior, BA/BSc in Meteorology + Mathematics
PROJECT: Exploring the Dynamics of a Changing Climate: A Machine Learning Analysis on Indian Monsoon and Atlantic Ocean Interactions under Elevated CO₂ Conditions
Nimay is currently a junior at the University of Miami, double majoring in Meteorology and Mathematics. Under the guidance of Dr. Ben Kirtman, he has been analyzing two datasets from a climate model, one of which simulates doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Using these datasets, his research has focused on examining variability within the Indian Monsoon and its potential impact on vorticity patterns and overall hurricane activity in the East Atlantic through variables such as precipitation. Using the resources at the IDSC, Nimay hopes to apply machine learning techniques to analyze a wide collection of variables and gain insights into their roles and interactions within the Atlantic Ocean.

Cait Martinez
3rd year PhD in Atmospheric Sciences
PROJECT: ENSO Preconditioning versus Noise as the Forecast Evolves: A Machine Learning Diagnosis
MENTOR:
Samuel Goldberg, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School | IDSC Core Faculty Member
Cait is a third-year PhD student in Atmospheric Sciences, advised by Dr. Ben Kirtman at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. Cait’s research aims to disentangle the dual influences of deterministic dynamics and stochastic processes on the predictability of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Prior to joining the Kirtman Group, Cait worked as watershed modeler for Daniel B. Stephens & Associates. She has a M.S. in Hydrologic Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.A. in Geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. As an IDSC Fellow, Cait’s objective is to develop a machine learning-based diagnostic tool to assess whether subsurface precursors or atmospheric noise play a more dominant role in determining ENSO event outcomes, with the goal of enhancing our understanding of the dynamic drivers of ENSO variability.

Katarina Micin
2nd year PhD in Human Genetics + Genomics
PROJECT: Development of Single-cell RNA Sequencing-Guided Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) Classification Model
MENTOR:
Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences | P.I., Data Science and Computational Biology Lab
Katarina is a second-year PhD student in the Human Genetics and Genomics program and is a member of Dr. Justin Taylor’s leukemia-focused research laboratory. They graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, and later graduated from the George Washington University with a M.S. in Anatomical and Translational Sciences. As an IDSC fellow, they hope to explore the integration of machine learning algorithms with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) technologies in the context of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML). More specifically, they are interested in the development of a scRNA-guided multinomial CMML classification model with drug response prediction capabilities.

Jessica Okutsu
2nd year PhD in Biology
PROJECT: Therapeutic Potential of Selenium Against Cadmium Toxicity in Zebrafish
ADVISOR: Delia S. Shelton, PhD | Department of Biology
Jessica Okutsu’s research examines how selenium pre-exposure may protect against cadmium-induced toxicity in zebrafish larvae, with a focus on photomotor behavior, mechanosensory behavior, developmental morphology, and cardiovascular function, the latter of which has resulted in a publication in Cardiovascular Toxicology. As an IDSC Fellow, she aims to leverage machine learning techniques to analyze her complex dataset of over 1 million behavioral data points from 1,900+ fish across 18 unique treatment combinations over 4 time points to uncover patterns in selenium-cadmium interactions between multiple datasets. Her work has already demonstrated promising results showing selenium’s protective effects against cadmium-induced malformations. Jessica’s research has implications for understanding potential therapeutic approaches to heavy metal toxicity.

Alejandra Planells Devesa
2nd year PhD in Biochemistry + Molecular Biology
PROJECT: Exploring Peptide-Small Molecule Interactions with AI and Large Language Models for Versatile Molecular Detection and Biosensor Design
MENTOR:
Ravi Vadapalli, PhD | Director, Advanced Computing, Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
Alejandra Planells Devesa is a second-year Ph.D. student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Sylvia Daunert Lab at the Miller School of Medicine. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the high academic program at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain and has gained extensive international research experience in labs across Spain, France, and Switzerland. As an IDSC Fellow, Alejandra aims to advance her work on designing adaptable peptide-based biosensors, leveraging machine learning algorithms and large language models (LLMs). Her focus is on developing a streamlined computational pipeline for the rapid identification and optimization of peptide binders with high specificity and affinity, applicable to diverse molecular targets. This approach has the potential to address a broad spectrum of challenges in molecular recognition across biological, clinical, and environmental contexts.

Data Citizens: A Distinguished Lecture Series presents Eric M. Meslin 12/4
2024-12-04 15:00 - 16:00 | Abess Center, 1365 Memorial Drive, Suite 230C-D, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146
The IDSC Data Citizens: A Distinguished Lecture Series is pleased to present Eric M. Meslin, Ph.D., FRSC, FCAHS, ICD.D. Join us on Wednesday, December 4, from 3:00 to 4:00 PM in person or via ZOOM. This event is free and open to the public.
Register Now
In person Arthur Ungar Building, Abess Center, 2nd Floor, Room 230
1365 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables FL 33146 | (Map + Directions)
or via ZOOM: Registration confirmation will include a ZOOM link
TALK TITLE: “”On Value and Values in a World of Data: Getting Clear on What Should Matter and Why”
About Eric M. Meslin
Dr. Eric Meslin has enjoyed a distinguished 35-year career in healthcare, academic, and government settings focusing on the ethical and policy issues confronting researchers, clinicians, organizations, and society. Born in Toronto, he has a BA in Philosophy from York University, an MA and PhD from the Bioethics Program at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and the ICD.D certification from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
At the end of 2023, he stepped down after 8 years as President and CEO of the Council of Canadian Academies, a not-for-profit that undertook more than 30 expert assessments for the Government of Canada on topics in Climate, Health, Innovation, Indigenous Affairs, Energy, Security, and Science & Technology Policy.
Some of his other leadership roles included: Bioethics Research Director in the Ethical, Legal, and Social Implications Program of the Human Genome Project; and Executive Director of the U.S. National Bioethics Advisory Commission established by President Bill Clinton.
Dr. Meslin’s academic resume includes 15 years at Indiana University where he was Founding Director of the Center for Bioethics; Associate Dean for Bioethics in the School of Medicine; and Indiana’s first Endowed Professor of Bioethics. He has also held academic positions at the University of Western Australia, University of Oxford, and as Pierre de Fermat Chair at the University of Toulouse. He has published more than 125 peer-reviewed articles, 40 book chapters, and 2 edited books.
He continues to undertake research and advice, advising institutions and governments including WHO and OECD, and through current appointments as:

Distinguished Research Scholar at the University of Miami Institute of Health Policy and Bioethics
Adjunct Professor of Public Health at the University of Toronto
Senior Fellow at the PHG Foundation at the University of Cambridge, and
Visiting Scholar at the Centre of Genomics McGill University

Among Dr. Meslin’s honors he has been recognized as:

Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences
Fellow of The Hastings Center, and
A Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Mérite (Knight of the National Order of Merit) by the French government.

Virtual Lecture: Encryption and Sharing of Health Data | Kurt Rohloff 1/23
2025-01-08 08:00 - 17:00
IDSC Director of Population Health Informatics, Dr. Azizi Sexias presents Dr. Kurt Rohloff, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Office for Duality. Dr. Rohloff will speak on “Fully homomorphic encryption to enable secure data sharing and collaborative analysis of sensitive health data in the cloud” via ZOOM on Thursday, January 23, 2025, 11AM-12PM.
This free lecture is part of Dr. Seixas’s Future of Data Health Innovation virtual lecture series.
REGISTER NOW

MIAMI XR 2025 February 6+7 | Ticket Covers Both Days
2025-02-06 17:00 - 20:00 | Shalala Student Center Complex, 1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States
UMverse at the University of Miami invites you to dive into the cutting-edge world of XR at Miami XR 2025, Thursday and Friday, February 6+7. Join industry experts, tech visionaries, artists, and university scholars from around the globe to explore the latest trends and innovations in XR technology.
Register Now
$30.00 per person (both days included) • Free for UM Faculty, Staff, and Students. Using your miami.edu email, please contact idsc@miami.edu for the PROMO CODE.

Special thanks to our Sponsors!

Agenda
Day 1 Thursday 2/6/2025 • Shalala Student Center Complex, Rooms 304-6

1330 Miller Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | Directions
5:00 PM Registrations + Cocktail Hour Opens
5:30 PM Student Welcome | Mia Uy
5:40 PM UM Welcome | Provost Willy Prado
—Introduction by Mia Uy
5:50 PM Faculty Welcome | Kim Grinfeder
5:55 PM Intro to XR at the U | Thomas Merrick
6:05 PM Lightning Talks
6:35 PM KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Dan O’Brien
—Introduction by Thomas Merrick
6:55 PM Meta Closing Remarks | Matthew Sanders
7:00-8:00 PM Networking Cocktails
RESERVED PARKING is available using the Pay by Phone app at the Pavia Garage (see maps below). The dark green dotted line indicates the walking path from Pavia to the Shalala Student Center Complex. Once you enter the lobby, take the elevator or stairs to the 3rd floor.
Click on either map for a larger version.

Day 2 Friday 2/7/2025 • Newman Alumni Center (Multipurpose ABC)
6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | Directions
9:00 AM Registration Opens | Breakfast + Demos
10:00 AM Welcome Remarks | Thomas Sydnor + Thomas Merrick
10:10 AM Lightning Talks
10:30 AM KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Jeremy Bailenson
—Introduction by Thomas Merrick
11:15 AM Break
11:35 AM The Tipping Point for XR | John Cunningham
11:45 PANEL: Future of XR | Moderator: John Cunningham
Panelists: Matthew Sanders, Denise Mendez, Anna Queiroz
12:15 PM Lunch and Demos
1:30 PM Lightning Talks
1:50 PM KEYNOTE SPEAKER | Carolina Cruz Neira
—Introduction by Sidney Cocimano
2:35 PM Break
3:00 PM PANEL: Jobs in XR | Moderator: Mia Uy
Panelists: Chanel Menard, Sofia Perez-Baux, Sadah Espii Proctor, Alec Warren
3:45 PM Closing Remarks | Kim Grinfeder
4:00-5:30 PM Cocktail Reception + Demos

COMPLIMENTARY PARKING | Day 2 Newman Alumni Center

Complimentary parking is available if you register your vehicle:
https://www.offstreet.io/location/SVMCNHTN
Enter your license plate number, then enter this code: 0207
Parking valid in Gray Lots only. | Please park head-in only.

Keynote Speakers

Jeremy Bailenson
Founding Director, Stanford University Virtual Human Interaction Lab
Jeremy Bailenson is founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab, Thomas More Storke Professor in the Department of Communication, Professor (by courtesy) of Education, Professor (by courtesy) Program in Symbolic Systems, and a Senior Fellow at the Woods Institute for the Environment. He has served as Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication for over a decade.
He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1994 and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University in 1999. He spent four years at the University of California, Santa Barbara as a Post-Doctoral Fellow and then an Assistant Research Professor. Read More

Carolina Cruz Neira
Agere Chair in Computer Science, University of Central Florida
Steering Committee member, NSF Big Data South Hub
Inventor of the CAVE Virtual Reality System
XR Hall of Fame Inductee

Carolina Cruz-Neira is a pioneering computer scientist and a leading figure in virtual reality, known for inventing the CAVE Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE). She currently serves as the Agere Chair Professor in Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, where she co-leads the UCF Digital Twin Strategic Initiative and heads the VARLab. Cruz-Neira’s contributions to real-time visualization, VR frameworks, and immersive technologies have earned her numerous accolades, including membership in the National Academy of Engineering and the XR Hall of Fame. Her work bridges engineering, art, and education, inspiring advancements in virtual environments and interactive applications worldwide. Read More

Daniel O’Brien
President, Americas | HTC VIVE
Daniel is a seasoned technology executive with over 24 years of experience in leading and managing the commercialization of emerging technologies, innovations, and solutions for consumers and professional customers. He is the HTC VIVE President for the Americas, overseeing the sales, marketing, product, and operations for the immersive and wireless divisions of HTC.
As a humanity mission driven leader, Daniel is focused on delivering revenue growth, brand building, e-commerce strategies, business development, content creation, and strategic partnerships for HTC VIVE, the pioneer and global leader in virtual reality. He has a proven track record of defining and executing the channel strategy, marketing strategy, product management, supply chain, and public relations for HTC VIVE. Read More

Speakers

Chanel Menard
Digital Product Specialist, SafeKitchen VR
UM Graduate May 2024

Denise Mendez
Principle Software Engineer, Microsoft Mixed Reality
Thomas Merrick
Sr Project Manager, XR Initiatives
Lecturer, Dept. of Interactive Media

Sofia Perez-Baux
Project Manager, Xennial
UM Graduate May 2024
Matthew Sanders
Education and VR Director,
Meta Global Affairs

Conference Organizers

Thomas Merrick
Senior Project Manager, XR Initiatives, UM School of Communication Department of Interactive Media
Sidney Cocimano
UX/UI Designer,
The VESL
Evelyn Cruz
Director, Business Operations,
IDSC

Jacqueline Green-Allen
Sr. Administrative Assistant
and Events Coordinator,
IDSC

Kim Grinfeder
Founding Chair and Professor, UM School of Communication Department of Interactive Media
Anna Muller Queiroz
Associate Professor, UM School of Communication Department of Interactive Media
Core Faculty Member, UM IDSC, Creative Technologies program

Mia Uy
Project Manager, The VESL, UM School of Communication, Department of Interactive Media
Co-Founder and President, Kappa Theta Pi

Where to Stay

Hotel Arya, Coconut Grove
The Mutiny Hotel, Coconut Grove
Courtyard by Marriott, Coconut Grove
Thesis Hotel Miami, Coral Gables
All Choices

Places to Eat

Virtual Lecture: A Practical Overview of AI in Medicine | Brendan O'Leary 2/27
2025-02-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
IDSC Director of Population Health Informatics, Dr. Azizi Sexias presents Brendan O’Leary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Former Acting Director | Digital Health Center of Excellence. Mr. O’Leary will speak on “AI in Medicine: A Practical Overview with Insights from a Former Regulator” via ZOOM on Thursday, February 27, 2025, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM EST.
This free lecture is part of Dr. Seixas’s Future of Data Health Innovation virtual lecture series.
REGISTER NOW (free)

Free 2-Day Software Carpentry "R" Programming Workshop at Medical Campus 3/3+4
2025-03-03 09:00 - 2025-03-04 16:30 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
Join us for a free-2-day, in-person only, Software Carpentry “R” Workshop at Medical Campus on Monday and Tuesday, March 3 and 4, 2025, at the CTSI Research Training Center (Rooms 710 Q-R). Course Hours both days: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM. (Course lasts two days—content is not repeated).
Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research-computing skills. This free, hands-on 2-day workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.
Registration is Closed—This Session is FULL
Click here for the Syllabus, which includes additional information, such as: The Code of Conduct, Pre- and Post-Workshop Surveys, a detailed Schedule, and the required (free) software with installation instructions.
Who
The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where
Rooms 710 R&Q, Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33136. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When
March 3+4/2025 | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST. Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed on the syllabus).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible.
Accessible restrooms are available.

We are dedicated to providing a positive and accessible learning environment for all. We do not require participants to provide documentation of disabilities or to disclose any unnecessary personal information. However, we do want to help create an inclusive, accessible experience for all participants. We encourage you to share any information that would be helpful to make your Carpentries experience accessible. To request an accommodation for this workshop, please fill out the accommodation request form. If you have questions or need assistance with the accommodation form please email us.
Glosario is a multilingual glossary for computing and data science terms. The glossary helps learners attend workshops and use our lessons to make sense of computational and programming jargon written in English by offering it in their native language. Translating data science terms also provides a teaching tool for Carpentries Instructors to reduce barriers for their learners.
Sponsored by
Department of Computer Science • Calder Memorial Library • CIMAS
OVPRS • The Graduate School • IDSC • UM Libraries

Instructors

Erica Newcome
STEM and Interdisciplinary Research
Librarian
University of Miami Libraries
Charles Brown-Roberts
Applications Software Developer
University of Miami Libraries
Emory Neer
Research Support Specialist
University of Miami
Miller School of Medicine

Helpers

Thilani Samarakoon
Biomedical Data Librarian
University of Miami Libraries
Timothy Norris, PhD
Data Scientist
University of Miami Libraries and
Frost Institute for Data Science
and Computing (IDSC)

Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.

3rd annual Computing Day 4/25
2025-03-04 10:00 - 17:00 | Lakeside Village, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, 33146, United States
Computing Day showcases the vast array of interdisciplinary research and scholarship in computing at the University of Miami. Join us at the Lakeside Village Expo Center on Friday, April 25, 2025. UM faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff are invited to submit posters and /or demos for presentation.
Computing Day convenes audiences engaged in computing to design the future, and fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. This event is free and open to the public.
Register Now
Agenda
9:00 AM Poster + Demo Check-in
10:00 AM Registration Opens | Poster Review Session
10:55 AM Welcome Remarks
11:00 AM Keynote Speaker | Dr. Madeline Ganon, ATONATON
12:00 PM Lunch | Posters + Demos | Networking
2:00 PM Panel Discussion
3:05 PM Closing Remarks
3:15-5:00 PM Posters + Demos | Networking Happy Hour
Keynote Speaker | Madeline Gannon
We are pleased to announce the Keynote Speaker of the third annual Computing Day is one of the top ten women in the Robotics Industry, Dr. Madeline Gannon of ATONATON.

ATONATON is led by Dr. Madeline Gannon, a multidisciplinary designer and inventor forging new futures for human-robot relations. Also known as “The Robot Whisperer”, Gannon blends techniques in art, design, computer science, and robotics to convince robots to do things they were never intended to do: from transforming giant industrial robots into living, breathing mechanical creatures, to taming hordes of autonomous machines to behave like a pack of animals.
Gannon believes that technology is a cultural medium, and tunes her work to engage communities across science and society. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Copernicus Science Centre, and has been exhibited at international cultural institutions, published at academic conferences, and profiled at global media outlets, such as the BBC, the Guardian, FT, the Science Channel, WIRED, FastCompany, Dezeen, and The Verge.
Dr. Gannon has been a Knight Foundation Awardee, a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader, a Robotics & AI Researcher at NVIDIA, and an artist in residence at ETH Zurich, Autodesk Pier 9, and the Carnegie Mellon STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. She is known as one of the ‘Top 10 Women in Robotics Industry‘ and ‘World’s 50 Most Renowned Women in Robotics’ according to Analytics Insight. Gannon holds a M.Arch from Florida International University, and a Ph.D. in Computational Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Panelists

Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, PhD
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences
ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Weill Cornell Medicine Neuroscience
PI, Data Science and Computational Biology Lab (vaguiarpulido.github.io)

Dr. Aguiar-Pulido is passionate about problem solving in biomedical research, with a focus on developing tools and algorithms that will impact diagnosis and therapeutics of rare and complex genetic disorders. Her background and interests include big data analytics, machine learning, AI, bioinformatics, neuroscience, data mining, ontologies, biomedical data integration, health informatics, epigenetics, and omics in general.
Her DSaCB Lab is at the interface of Computer Science and Biomedical Sciences, and her research focuses on understanding the underlying genetic causes of monogenic and complex disorders, how these causes can be influenced by environmental factors, and how these findings can be applied to clinical practice.

Mingzhe Chen, PhD
KNIGHT FOUNDATION CHAIR IN DATA SCIENCE AND AI
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering
CORE FACULTY MEMBER, AI + Machine Learning, Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)

Dr. Chen received his PhD from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications in Beijing, China (2019). From 2016-19, he was a Visiting Researcher at the Virginia Tech Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. From 2019-21, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Princeton’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In 2022, he worked as an AI Researcher at Ericsson Research, USA. His research interests include federated learning, reinforcement learning, virtual reality, unmanned aerial vehicles, and the Internet of Things.
Dr. Chen received two IEEE Communication Society paper awards including the 2021 Young Author Best Paper Award, the 2022 Fred W. Ellersick Prize Award, and three conference best paper awards at IEEE ICC and IEEE GLOBECOM (2020), and IEEE WCNC (2021).
Dr. Chen currently serves as an Associate Editor of IEEE Wireless Communications Letters, IEEE Transactions on Green Communications and Networking, and IEEE Transactions on Machine Learning in Communications and Networking. Previously, he guest edited a special issue on Distributed Learning over Wireless Edge Networks for IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications (JSAC).

Clay Ewing, MFA
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Department of Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences
DIRECTOR, NERDLab.miami
CREATOR, Queso—a classroom management system for educators who want to run a gameful course.

Prof. Ewing is a creative technologist with a focus on serious games, on implementing game mechanics into real-world applications, and on social justice. As an award-winning game designer and developer, his games have tackled issues such as vector-borne diseases, the cost of health care, social safety nets, and labor practices. His most recent game, “Unsavory,” was the winner of a special emphasis award at the Serious Games Showcase and Challenge for its use of social media crowdsourcing for peer learning.
Prof. Ewing has worked with numerous nonprofits including Red Cross Red Crescent, Open Society Foundations, ROC United, Oxfam, and the AIDS & Rights Alliance for Southern Africa. His projects have been covered by The Huffington Post, NPR, Forbes, and The Consumerist.

Andres Sawicki, JD
PROFESSOR OF LAW, School of Law
DIRECTOR, Business of Innovation, Law, and Technology Concentration
CO-DIRECTOR, Data Ethics + Society, Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)

Prof. Sawicki teaches in the area of intellectual property. His primary research projects explore the extent to which IP can help solve problems in the production of inventions and expressive works. He’s particularly interested in the complex psychology of creativity and in the difficulty of coordinating multiple creative collaborators. His research also examines the interaction among distinct patent doctrines. His work has been published by leading journals, including Cornell Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, and The University of Chicago Law Review, among others. Prof. Sawicki graduated from MIT with S.B. degrees in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Science, Technology, & Society. He then earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School (2006), where he was an Articles Editor for the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif.
After graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Robert D. Sack of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From 2007-10, he worked as an associate in the NY office of Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. His practice focused on intellectual property litigation, especially Hatch-Waxman Act pharmaceutical patent cases. Prior to his appointment at UM, he was a Bigelow Teaching Fellow and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School.

Zheng Wang, PhD
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, Department of Computer Science, Department of Biology
Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center | Z. Wang Lab

Dr. Wang’s research expertise is in 3D genome structure reconstruction and analysis (since 2010), protein structure prediction (since 2006), protein function prediction (since 2010), and complex biological network analysis (since 2010). His Lab has experience in analyzing various biological and next-generation sequencing data and applying machine learning algorithms and other algorithms or software to biomedical data. For example, they developed deep learning algorithms to forecast the Hi-C profiles at future time points based on the past and current Hi-C profiles, predict bp-specific single-cell DNA methylation status based on single-cell Hi-C data, predict ChIA-PET contacts from Hi-C data, predict protein functions in terms of GO terms solely based on amino acid sequence, reconstruct the whole-genome 3D structures of single-cells, and predict the qualities of predicted protein structures. Moreover, the lab has collaborated with neuroscientists, cancer biologists, and other bioinformatics scientists on high-impact research.

Moderator

Nick Tsinoremas, PhD
VICE PROVOST FOR RESEARCH COMPUTING AND DATA
FOUNDING DIRECTOR, Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
PROFESSOR, Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Computer Science, Health Informatics and Data Science, and Orthopaedics

At the University of Miami, Dr. Tsinoremas is the Vice Provost for Research Computing and Data and the Founding Director of the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC), which was established to catalyze data-intensive research in fields ranging from medicine to earth sciences, urban planning, digital humanities, and business. Before joining UM, he served as Head of Informatics and Cheminformatics at The Scripps Research Institute—Florida. In the past, he was the Director of Computational Genomics and Genomic Discovery at Rosetta/Merck where he directed the project that combined data science and computational approaches with gene expression profiling, high-throughput screening, and genetics to discover, prioritize, and define new drug targets and novel therapeutics.
Prior to working for Merck Research Laboratories (MRL)/Rosetta, Dr. Tsinoremas was the Vice-President of Genomics at DoubleTwist Inc., where he determined the scientific direction and development of DoubleTwist’s bioinformatics applications and databases. At that time, he also led a team that developed the first annotation of the Human Genome.
Dr. Tsinoremas received his B.A. in Chemistry from the University of Athens, Greece, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Leeds, U.K. His research focus includes projects that combine data science and computational approaches; informatics, digital health, clinical genomics, molecular biology, computational biology, and drug discovery.

Register Now
Friday April 25, 2025 | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM ET
University of Miami Coral Gables campus
Lakeside Village EXPO CENTER
1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | (Directions)
Complimentary Parking (you will need your License Plate Number)
Location: Pavia Garage-1st floor Visitor Area
Valid: Friday, April 25, 2025, 7:00am to 6:00pm
Link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/L5Z3AB7R
Registration Code: 10820

Call for Posters and Demos
Submissions are limited to University of Miami only.
Poster Dimensions: 48″ wide x 36″ high (or 36″ wide x 48″ high) maximum. Information on how to design an academic poster (with templates): Click here.
Poster Printing: The event will cover the cost of posters printed in house through the School of Architecture Computing Lab, Building 49. Please email idsc@miami.edu for the billable account number. (The Richter Library Creative Studio large format printer is currently down.)
The submission deadline is Friday, April 18, 2025. If you have any questions and/or require additional information concerning posters or demos, please email idsc@miami.edu.
Before you enter your submission, please make sure that you have the following ready:

Presentation Title
Principal Investigator/Author name(s) and Affiliations
350-word (maximum) Abstract

Poster + Demo Submission Form

2nd Annual IDSC DAY 3/7 Showcases the U's Interdisciplinary Research
2025-03-07 11:30 - 18:00 | Lakeside Village, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, 33146, United States
The Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) cordially invites you to the 2nd annual IDSC Day on Friday, March 7, 2025, at the University of Miami Lakeside Village EXPO CENTER. Demos, posters, and presentations will showcase the impact IDSC has made on the University of Miami, South Florida community, and beyond.

Register Now (free)
Friday 3/7 | 11:30 AM-6:00 PM (includes Lunch 12:00-1:30 + Networking Reception 4:30-6:00)
This exciting event convenes faculty, staff, students, and industry partners to enable discovery through leading-edge scientific and computational projects that extract hidden knowledge and generate fresh insights from large and complex datasets. At IDSC Day, you can meet our core faculty members and IDSC Fellows, and discuss their projects, studies, and research interests. There will be demos, posters, and presentations from grant recipients who will discuss how IDSC support has made them more competitive for Federal funding. The program begins at 1:30 PM. Toward the end of the day, we will host a relaxed social event, providing opportunities for conversations, learning, and networking. In a work-from-anywhere world, we recognize the important of the traditional office “water cooler” conversations.
IDSC is pleased to announce the keynote speakers for the second annual IDSC Day: Miami Herbert Business School Dean Paul Pavlou, and distinguished UM alum Dr. Eddy Vadia ’06.

Opening Keynote Speaker | Dean Paul Pavlou

Paul A. Pavlou is the Dean of the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School. He is also the Leonard M. Miller University Chair Professor.
His research has been cited more than 90,000 times by Google Scholar, and Thomson Reuters recognized him among the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” based on an analysis of Highly Cited Researchers. Paul was ranked No. 1 globally in publications in top Information Systems journals from 2010 to 2016. He earned a Ph.D. in Information Systems and a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and managerial studies, magna cum laude, from Rice University.
In his former position as Dean of the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston, Paul helped raise over $150M in philanthropic gifts and commitments. During his tenure, the Bauer College led all business schools by ascending 34 spots in the U.S. News & World Report rankings to become a Top 50 MBA program; climbed 44 spots in the online master’s programs rankings; joined the Top 15 public undergraduate programs by Poets&Quants; and ranked #1 undergraduate entrepreneurship program by The Princeton Review for five consecutive years. Read More

Closing Keynote Speaker | Eduardo “Eddy” Vadia, MD ’06

Dr. Eduardo Vadia graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 2006. He completed his Internal Residency Residency, Chief Medical Residency, and Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX. Dr. Vadia was tenured as a faculty physician at UT Southwestern through April 2019, where he focused his efforts on medical education in the Parkland Hospital ICU. He is currently boarded in Internal Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine, and Critical Care Medicine.
During his fellowship, Dr Vadia co-founded Access Physicians, a multi-specialty telemedicine physician group focused on “scaling clinical excellence” in its effort to deliver care to high-acuity, high-complexity patients in the inpatient setting. Dr. Vadia grew the company from inception to the second-largest inpatient telemedicine group in the country. Access Physicians had over 200 hospital deployments across 30 states, managed over 600 physicians, and secured enterprise agreements with many of the largest health and hospital systems in the country. Access Physicians was acquired in March, 2021 by SOC Telemed.
Dr. Vadia has since returned home to Miami and is focused on high-impact innovation as an investor and founder.

Location
University of Miami
Lakeside Village EXPO CENTER (Map + Directions)
1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Where to Park
Complimentary Reserved Parking is available in the Pavia Garage (see map below) right next to the Lakeside Village (1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146). Enter on Pavia Street and tell the attendant you’re here for IDSC Day. You must register your vehicle online. Click here: https://www.offstreet.io/events/BKUL2U3J and enter your License Plate Number and State, click NEXT. Enter your Name, click Next, then enter this Code: 10632, and click PARK.
Parking is valid during the hours of 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. only on Friday, March 7, 2025. NOTE: Please park head in only.

Agenda
11:30 AM Registration Opens + Posters
12:00 PM Lunch + Posters
1:30 PM Welcome Address
1:35 PM Opening Keynote Speaker: Dean Paul Pavlou
2:05 PM IDSC Joint Faculty Panel
3:00 PM Break + Posters
3:30 PM IDSC Fellows Highlight
3:50 PM Closing Keynote Speaker: Dr. Eddy Vadia
4:20 PM Closing Remarks
4:30 PM Networking Reception + Posters
6:00 PM Event Ends

Poster and Demo Submissions
We are excited to invite our faculty, researchers, students, and collaborative data science awardees to submit posters and demos for our upcoming event, IDSC Day! The success of this event truly relies on your participation—your innovative research, creative projects, and cutting-edge work are what will make IDSC Day impactful.
Submission Guidelines:

Posters: Share your research, discoveries, or projects through an engaging visual presentation. Max dimensions: 48″’ wide x 36” high or 36″ wide x 48″ high.
Demos: Showcase your interactive or experimental work with live demonstrations.
Deadline: February 28, 2025
Please Note: The Richter Library Creative Studio large format printer is not available. IDSC will cover the cost of posters printed in house through the School of Architecture Computer Lab in Building 49. Please email idsc@miami.edu for the account number to give the student attendant at the Lab.

Submission Form (click here to submit)
This event thrives on the diversity and depth of ideas that come from your teams. Your participation is key to making it a dynamic and valuable experience for everyone. For additional information, please email idsc@miami.edu or call 305-243-4962.

About IDSC
IDSC believes in a collaborative approach that brings together talented minds in multiple disciplines and leverages the University’s state-of-the-art technology including an AI-ready supercomputer. In fields ranging from medicine to earth sciences, urban planning, digital humanities, and business, IDSC strives to enhance Data Science understanding among our students and the public, helping individuals of all ages including underrepresented minorities develop the STEM skills needed for professional success in the 21st century.
As a member of the University of Miami’s Frost Institutes of Science and Engineering, IDSC supports basic and applied research initiatives throughout the University and with other leading institutions around the world. We are committed to developing strong partnerships in south Florida, while building bridges to the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond.

Yelena Yesha to Speak at BioFlorida South Florida Life Sciences Showcase 3/19
2025-03-19 09:30 - 14:00 | Miami International Airport, 2100 NW 42nd Avenue,, Miami, FL, 33142, United States
IDSC Innovation Officer Dr. Yelena Yesha will speak at the Annual BioFlorida South Florida Life Sciences Showcase on Wednesday, March 19th. Discover the future of life sciences! This premier event unites industry leaders, innovators, investors, and key stakeholders for a dynamic day of insightful discussions, networking, and collaboration.
The event will be held at the Miami International Airport Auditorium ( 2100 NW 42nd Avenue, 4th Floor Auditorium Terminal D, Miami, FL 33142) from 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EST.

Networking: Connect with industry peers, investors, and policymakers.
Exhibitors: Explore cutting-edge solutions from top companies and organizations.
Startup Spotlights: Discover groundbreaking ideas shaping the future of life sciences.

Engage with South Florida’s leading life sciences community and gain valuable industry insights. Don’t miss out—register today!
Showcase your organization: Explore sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities to amplify your visibility. For more information, contact them at admin@bioflorida.com or call 561-653-3839.
Register Here
Agenda (subject to change)

9:30 – 9:50 a.m.
Breakfast/Networking/Exhibitors

9:50 – 10:05 a.m.
Opening Remarks | Mark Glickman, President + CEO

10:05 – 10:15 a.m.
MIA Airport Welcome | Jimmy Nares
Section Chief, Cargo Development, Marketing & Air Service Development Division
Miami-Dade Aviation Department

10:15 – 10:20 a.m.
BioFlorida Chapter Ambassador | Gina Alexis, Director, Business Development, BioTeknica

10:20 – 10:25 a.m.

10:25 – 10:55 a.m.
Panel #1—South Florida Commercial Success | Mark Glickman, MODERATOR
Jason Matuszewski | CEO, BioStem Technologies
Maurice Ferre, MD | CEO + Chairman, Insightec

10:55 – 11: 10 a.m.
Innovators & Companies to Watch | Gregory Mario, CEO, TAXIS Pharmaceuticals

11:10 – 11:25 a.m.
Innovators & Companies to Watch | Franck Carlier, CEO, LifePulse

11:25 – 12:00 p.m.
Networking/Exhibitors/Lunch

12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE Presentation | Rich Daly, President + CEO, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals

12:30 – 12:55 p.m.
Fireside Chat: The Intersection of Innovation & Collaboration: Advancing Technology Together
Dr. Yelena Yesha, Innovation Officer, University of Miami Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing
Knight Endowed Foundation Chair of Data Science and AI

12:55 – 1:20 p.m.
Networking/Exhibitors

1:20 – 1:4 5p.m.
Panel #2—Incubation and Acceleration in South Florida
Mark Glickman | MODERATOR
Andrew Duffell | President, Research Park at FAU
Will Silverman, PhD | Executive Director, Counter Program + New Ventures, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Jaap Donath, PhD | Assistant Executive Director of Programs, Alan B. Levan/NSU Broward Center of Innovation

1:45 – 2:00 p.m.
Closing Comments | BioFlorida

Parking
Attendees should take the lanes to “Parking” (not Departures or Arrivals). Attempt to park as close to American Airlines/Terminal D for ease of navigation. Park in the Dolphin (preferred) or Flamingo garage on 3rd level and head towards Terminal D. If you park on a different level of garage, take the elevator to 3rd level. Then take the moving walkway entrance to Concourse D. At the end of the Concourse, turn left, then right and take the escalator to the 4th level.

2-Day Software Carpentry—Python Workshop at Medical Campus 3/20+21
2025-03-20 09:00 - 2025-03-21 16:30 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
Join us for a free-2-day, in-person only Software Carpentry “Python” Workshop at Medical Campus on Thursday and Friday, March 20 and 21, 2025, at the CTSI Research Training Center (Rooms 710 Q-R). Course Hours both days: 9:00AM – 4:30PM. (Course lasts two days—content is not repeated).
Software Carpentry aims to help researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on 2-day workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation. Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems.
Registration Closed—This Session is full
Click here for the Syllabus, which includes: The Code of Conduct, Pre- and Post-Workshop Surveys, a detailed schedule, and the required (free) software with installation instructions.
Who
The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Where
Rooms 710 R&Q, Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St., Miami, FL 33136. Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
When
March 20+21, 2025 | 9:00 am – 4:30 pm EST Add to your Google Calendar.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed here).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible.
Accessible restrooms are available.

We are dedicated to providing a positive and accessible learning environment for all. We do not require participants to provide documentation of disabilities or disclose any unnecessary personal information. However, we do want to help create an inclusive, accessible experience for all participants. We encourage you to share any information that would be helpful to make your Carpentries experience accessible. To request an accommodation for this workshop, please fill out the accommodation request form. If you have questions or need assistance with the accommodation form please email us.
Glosario is a multilingual glossary for computing and data science terms. The glossary helps learners attend workshops and use our lessons to make sense of computational and programming jargon written in English by offering it in their native language. Translating data science terms also provides a teaching tool for Carpentries Instructors to reduce barriers for their learners.
Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.
Sponsored by
Department of Computer Science • Calder Memorial Library • CIMAS
OVPRS • The Graduate School • IDSC • UM Libraries

Instructors

Cameron Riopelle
Director of Research Data & Open Scholarship
University of Miami Libraries
Timothy Norris, PhD
Data Scientist
University of Miami Libraries and
Frost Institute for Data Science
and Computing (IDSC)

Helper(

Cecilia Lopez-Gamundi
PhD Student
University of Miami Rosenstiel School
Marine Geology + Geophysics

Virtual Lecture on Secure 5G Private Networks | Karl Connolly, Esq. 3/20
2025-03-20 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
IDSC Director of Population Health Informatics, Dr. Azizi Seixas presents Karl Connolly, Esq., Chief Technology and Marketing Officer for Cellhub | Netmaven. Dr. Connolly’s talk entitled “Secure 5G Private Networks to Enable Multi-Organizational Collaboration” will he held via ZOOM on Thursday, March 20, 2025, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM EST.
This lecture is part of Dr. Seixas’s Future of Data Health Innovation virtual lecture series, and is free and open to the public.
REGISTER NOW

Smart Cities MIAMI 2025 Conference, April 3+4
2025-04-03 09:00 - 18:00 | Lakeside Village, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, 33146, United States
Message from the Conference Chair
The University of Miami School of Architecture and Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing presented the 9th annual Smart Cities MIAMI Conference on Thursday and Friday, April 3+4. This year’s conference theme “Equitable Urban Futures” explored data and design innovations for shaping more equitable, human-centric, and agile smart cities.

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Day One was held at the University of Miami Coral Gables campus Lakeside Village Expo Center. A smaller, Day Two Workshop gathered a by-invitation group of external partners for a brainstorming session to create a disciplinary proposal with measurable outcomes.
CONFERENCE Day 1 April 3, 2025 Lakeside Village Expo Center, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | Exhibits are Day 1 ONLY
WORKSHOP Day 2 April 4, 2025 Newman Alumni Center Tower Room (4th Floor), 6200 San Amaro Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Sponsorship Opportunities and limited free Exhibitor Spaces are available. For more information, please call 305/ 243.4962 or email idsc@miami.edu.
Register Now for Day 1 ($50 per person)
Attendance for University of Miami Faculty, Staff, and Students is complimentary. Please email idsc@miami.edu for the PROMO CODE.
Complimentary Parking for Day 1 is available in the Pavia Garage 1st floor Visitor Area | Valid: April 3rd 2025 only, from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. You will need your License Plate number to register your vehicle. Click here: https://www.offstreet.io/events/ZI71PBLC | Use Registration Code: 10708

Agenda:

[8:30 am-9:00 am]
Registration

[9:00 am-9:10 am]
Introduction and Welcome
Opening Remarks: Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury, PhD
Conference Chair Remarks: Sarbeswar Praharaj, PhD

Session 1: Keynote Presentation

[9:10 am-9:40 am]
Keynote 1:
Jennifer Clark, PhD
Professor and Head, City and Regional Planning
The Ohio State University

[9:40 am-10:10 am]
Keynote 2 :
Nathalie Crutzen, PhD
Founder/Director, HEC Smart City Institute
University of Liège, Belgium

[10:10 am-10:30 am]
Break / Expo Hall

Session 2: Data & Urban Tech for Designing Equitable Smart Cities

[10:30 am-11:30 am]
Session 2 Presentations:
Speaker 1: Fábio Duarte, PhD
Associate Director of Research & Design, MIT Senseable City Lab
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Speaker 2: Anthony Townsend, PhD
Senior Research Associate at Jacbos Urban Tech Hub
Cornell Tech

[11:30 am-12:00 pm]
Panel Discussion:

Raimundo Rodulfo, Director/CIO of Innnovation & Technology, City of Coral Gables
Florence M. Chee, PhD, Associate Professor & Director, Center for Digital Ethics & Policy, School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago
Fábio Duarte, PhD, Associate Director, MIT Senseable City Lab
Anthony Townsend, PhD, Senior Research Associate at Jacobs Urban Tech Hub, Cornell Tech

Moderator: Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury, PhD, University of Miami School of Architecture

[12:00 pm-1:30 pm]
Networking Lunch with Exhibits

Session 3: Innovating Agile and Humane Smart Cities

[1:30 pm-2:30 pm]
Speaker 1: Yan Wang, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director of Urban Agility and Resilience Lab
College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of FloridaSpeaker 2: Eduardo Costa, PhD
Professor of Knowledge Management
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

[2:30pm -3:00 pm]
Panel Discussion:

Christina Viala, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Pompano Beach
Masahiko Haraguchi, PhD, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Yan Wang, PhD, Assistant Professor and Director of Urban Agility and Resilience Lab, University of Florida
Eduardo Costa, PhD, Professor of Knowledge Management, Federal University of Santa Catarina

Moderator: Nicholas Tsinoremas, PhD, Director, University of Miami Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing

[3:00 pm-3:15 pm]
Coffee and Networking at Exhibits

[3:15 pm-4:00 pm]
Industry Panel

Jayson Dunn, Sr. Business Manager – State and Local Government, NVIDIA
Fredrik Wannius, Co-Founder and Chief Executive, 1Print
Victor Dover, Founding Principal, Dover, Kohl & Partners Town Planning
Tony Garcia, Co-Founder and Principal, Street Plans
Matthieu Merchadou, Co-Founder & CEO, Magma

Moderator: Anna Queiroz, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Miami School of Communication

[4:00 pm-5:00 pm]
Closing Keynote
Martin de Jong, PhD
Professor and Director of the Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity Rotterdam School of Management. Erasmus University, Netherlands
Nora Noori, PhD
Digital Transformation Advisor
Erasmus University, Netherlands

[5:00 pm]
Closing Remarks
Conference Chair, Sarbeswar Praharaj, PhD

Featured Speakers

Jennifer Clark, PhD
Professor and Head, City and Regional Planning Section
The Ohio State University

Nathalie Crutzen, PhD
Founder/Director HEC Smart City Institute
University of Liège, Belgium

Martin de Jong, PhD
Professor and Director of the Dynamics of Inclusive Prosperity
Rotterdam School of Management. Erasmus University, Netherlands

Fábio Duarte, PhD
Associate Director of Research & Design, MIT Senseable City Lab
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Anthony Townsend, PhD
Senior Research Associate at the Jacobs Urban Tech Hub
Cornell Tech

Yan Wang, PhD
Assistant Professor and Director of Urban Agility and Resilience Lab
College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida

Eduardo M. Costa, PhD
Professor of Knowledge Management
Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Masahiko Haraguchi, PhD
Harvard University T. H. Chan School of Public Health

Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury, PhD
University of Miami School of Architecture

Sarbeswar Praharaj, PhD
Conference Chair
Assistant Professor and Director, Urban Sustainability & Resilience Program, University of Miami

Nick Tsinoremas, PhD
Director, University of Miami Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing

Fredrik Wannius
C0Founder and Chief Executive, 1Print

Florence M. Chee, PhD
Associate Professor & Director, Center for Digital Ethics and Policy, School of Communication, Loyola University Chicago

Victor Dover
Founding Principal, Dover, Kohl, & Partners Town Planning

Jayson Dunn
Sr. Business Manager – State and Local Government, NVIDIA

Tony Garcia
Co-Founder and Principal, Street Plans

Matthieu Merchadou
Co-Founder & CEO, Magma

Nora Noori, PhD
Digital Transformation Advisor
Erasmus University, Netherlands

Anna Carolina Queiroz, PhD
Associate Professor, University of Miami School of Communication

Raimundo Rodulfo
Director/CIO of Innovation & Technology, City of Coral Gables

Christina Viala
Sustainability Coordinator, City of Pompano Beach

Attend the 2024-2025 IDSC Fellows Capstone Event 4/24 in Person or via ZOOM
2025-04-24 15:00 - 17:00 | Richter Library, 1300 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, Florida, 33146, United States
The Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) invites you to hear the final research project proposal presentations from the 2024-2025 IDSC Fellows. IDSC Fellow is a prestigious designation historically awarded to four graduate or undergraduate students (sophomore level or above) students, but this year we had so many great applicants, we chose six!

Join us to hear Deema Abayawardena, Nimay Mahajan, Cait Martinez, Katarina Micin, Jessica Okutsu, and Alejandra Planells Devesa give us an update on their projects.
The vision of the IDSC Fellows Program is to inspire a new generation of leaders in data science to cross the traditional boundaries between disciplines. IDSC joins with University faculty to mentor the Fellows on how to best utilize the University’s cutting-edge advanced computing resources in their proposed research projects.
Thursday, 4/24/2024, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
IN PERSON:
Richter Library 3rd Floor Conference Room (343)
1300 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 (Map + Directions)
VIA ZOOM:
Zoom link will be included in your registration confirmation.
Register Now (free)
2024-2025 IDSC Fellows

Deema Abayawardena
4th year PhD in Biology
PROJECT: An “omics” approach to unravel the molecular basis for a fundamental polarity in animal eggs
MENTOR:
Zheng Wang, PhD | Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Department of Biology
Deema is a fourth-year PhD student in Dr. Athula Wikramanayake’s lab in the Biology Department at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on uncovering the molecular mechanisms that establish polarity in animal oocytes, a process critical for proper embryonic development. By bisecting Patiria miniata (sea star) oocytes, she uses RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry to identify and analyze molecules involved in the localized activation of the evolutionarily conserved Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. As an IDSC fellow, Deema plans to apply deep learning techniques to analyze RNA-seq and mass spectrometry data to identify differentially enriched factors within the oocytes.

Nimay Mahajan
Junior, BA/BSc in Meteorology + Mathematics
PROJECT: Exploring the Dynamics of a Changing Climate: A Machine Learning Analysis on Indian Monsoon and Atlantic Ocean Interactions under Elevated CO₂ Conditions
Nimay is currently a junior at the University of Miami, double majoring in Meteorology and Mathematics. Under the guidance of Dr. Ben Kirtman, he has been analyzing two datasets from a climate model, one of which simulates doubled atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Using these datasets, his research has focused on examining variability within the Indian Monsoon and its potential impact on vorticity patterns and overall hurricane activity in the East Atlantic through variables such as precipitation. Using the resources at the IDSC, Nimay hopes to apply machine learning techniques to analyze a wide collection of variables and gain insights into their roles and interactions within the Atlantic Ocean.

Cait Martinez
3rd year PhD in Atmospheric Sciences
PROJECT: ENSO Preconditioning versus Noise as the Forecast Evolves: A Machine Learning Diagnosis
MENTOR:
Samuel Goldberg, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School | IDSC Core Faculty Member
Cait is a third-year PhD student in Atmospheric Sciences, advised by Dr. Ben Kirtman at the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science. Cait’s research aims to disentangle the dual influences of deterministic dynamics and stochastic processes on the predictability of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Prior to joining the Kirtman Group, Cait worked as watershed modeler for Daniel B. Stephens & Associates. She has a M.S. in Hydrologic Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.A. in Geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. As an IDSC Fellow, Cait’s objective is to develop a machine learning-based diagnostic tool to assess whether subsurface precursors or atmospheric noise play a more dominant role in determining ENSO event outcomes, with the goal of enhancing our understanding of the dynamic drivers of ENSO variability.

Katarina Micin
2nd year PhD in Human Genetics + Genomics
PROJECT: Development of Single-cell RNA Sequencing-Guided Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) Classification Model
MENTOR:
Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, PhD | Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science, College of Arts & Sciences | P.I., Data Science and Computational Biology Lab
Katarina is a second-year PhD student in the Human Genetics and Genomics program and is a member of Dr. Justin Taylor’s leukemia-focused research laboratory. They graduated from the University of Tennessee with a B.S. in Biology with a concentration in Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, and later graduated from the George Washington University with a M.S. in Anatomical and Translational Sciences. As an IDSC fellow, they hope to explore the integration of machine learning algorithms with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) technologies in the context of Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML). More specifically, they are interested in the development of a scRNA-guided multinomial CMML classification model with drug response prediction capabilities.

Jessica Okutsu
2nd year PhD in Biology
PROJECT: Therapeutic Potential of Selenium Against Cadmium Toxicity in Zebrafish
ADVISOR: Delia S. Shelton, PhD | Department of Biology
Jessica Okutsu’s research examines how selenium pre-exposure may protect against cadmium-induced toxicity in zebrafish larvae, with a focus on photomotor behavior, mechanosensory behavior, developmental morphology, and cardiovascular function, the latter of which has resulted in a publication in Cardiovascular Toxicology. As an IDSC Fellow, she aims to leverage machine learning techniques to analyze her complex dataset of over 1 million behavioral data points from 1,900+ fish across 18 unique treatment combinations over 4 time points to uncover patterns in selenium-cadmium interactions between multiple datasets. Her work has already demonstrated promising results showing selenium’s protective effects against cadmium-induced malformations. Jessica’s research has implications for understanding potential therapeutic approaches to heavy metal toxicity.

Alejandra Planells Devesa
2nd year PhD in Biochemistry + Molecular Biology
PROJECT: Exploring Peptide-Small Molecule Interactions with AI and Large Language Models for Versatile Molecular Detection and Biosensor Design
MENTOR:
Ravi Vadapalli, PhD | Director, Advanced Computing, Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC)
Alejandra Planells Devesa is a second-year Ph.D. student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the Sylvia Daunert Lab at the Miller School of Medicine. She graduated with a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the high academic program at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia in Spain and has gained extensive international research experience in labs across Spain, France, and Switzerland. As an IDSC Fellow, Alejandra aims to advance her work on designing adaptable peptide-based biosensors, leveraging machine learning algorithms and large language models (LLMs). Her focus is on developing a streamlined computational pipeline for the rapid identification and optimization of peptide binders with high specificity and affinity, applicable to diverse molecular targets. This approach has the potential to address a broad spectrum of challenges in molecular recognition across biological, clinical, and environmental contexts.

3rd Annual COMPUTING DAY 4/25 Showcases UM's Interdisciplinary Research
2025-04-25 10:00 - 17:00 | Lakeside Village, 1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, 33146, United States
We are pleased to announce the Keynote Speaker of the third annual Computing Day is one of the top ten women in the Robotics Industry also known as “The Robot Whisperer”, Dr. Madeline Gannon of ATONATON. Computing Day showcases the vast array of interdisciplinary research and scholarship in computing at the University of Miami.
Join us at the Lakeside Village Expo Center on Friday, April 25, 2025. Computing Day convenes faculty and student scholars, corporate and government professionals, and other audiences engaged in computing to design the future and foster interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. This event is free and open to the public.
Keynote Speaker | Madeline Gannon

AtonAton is led by Dr. Madeline Gannon, a multidisciplinary designer and inventor forging new futures for human-robot relations. Dr. Gannon blends techniques in art, design, computer science, and robotics to convince robots to do things they were never intended to do: from transforming giant industrial robots into living, breathing mechanical creatures, to taming hordes of autonomous machines to behave like a pack of animals.
Gannon believes that technology is a cultural medium, and tunes her work to engage communities across science and society. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Copernicus Science Centre, and has been exhibited at international cultural institutions, published at academic conferences, and profiled at global media outlets, such as the BBC, the Guardian, FT, the Science Channel, WIRED, FastCompany, Dezeen, and The Verge.
Gannon has been a Knight Foundation Awardee, a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader, a Robotics & AI Researcher at NVIDIA, and an artist in residence at ETH Zurich, Autodesk Pier 9, and the Carnegie Mellon STUDIO for Creative Inquiry. She is known as one of the ‘Top 10 Women in Robotics Industry‘ and ‘World’s 50 Most Renowned Women in Robotics’ according to Analytics Insight. Gannon holds a M.Arch from Florida International University, and a Ph.D. in Computational Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Register Now
Friday April 25, 2025 | 10:00 AM-5:00 PM ET
University of Miami Coral Gables campus
Lakeside Village EXPO CENTER
1280 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33146 | (Directions)
Complimentary Parking
Location: Pavia Garage- 1st floor Visitor Area
Date: April 25th 2025
Time: 7:00am -6:00pm
Link: https://www.offstreet.io/events/L5Z3AB7R
Registration Code: 10820
Agenda
9:00 AM Poster + Demo Check-in
10:00 AM Registration Opens | Poster Review Session
10:55 AM Welcome Remarks
11:00 AM Keynote Speaker | Dr. Madeline Ganon, ATONATON
12:00 PM Lunch | Posters + Demos | Networking
2:00 PM Panel Discussion
3:05 PM Closing Remarks
3:15-5:00 PM Posters + Demos | Networking Happy Hour

Call for Posters and Demos!
Faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and staff are invited to submit posters and /or demos for presentation (scroll down for instructions). Submissions are limited to University of Miami only.
Poster Dimensions: 48″ wide x 36″ high (or 36″ wide x 48″ high) maximum. Information on how to design an academic poster (with templates): Click here.
Poster Printing: The event will cover the cost of posters printed in house through the School of Architecture Computing Lab, Building 49. Please email idsc@miami.edu for the billable account number. (The Richter Library Creative Studio large format printer is currently down.)
The submission deadline is Friday, April 18, 2025. If you have any questions and/or require additional information concerning posters or demos, please email idsc@miami.edu.
Before you enter your submission, please make sure that you have the following ready:

Presentation Title
Principal Investigator/Author name(s) and Affiliations
350-word (maximum) Abstract

Poster + Demo Submission Form

Health TechQuity 2025 Addresses Advancements and Social Determinants of Health 4/25
2025-04-25 13:00 - 17:00 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Department of Informatics and Health Data Science presents Health TechQuity 2025 on Friday, April 25, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM at the Don Soffer Clinical Research Center’s Gordon Center Auditorium (1120 NW 14th Street, Miami, FL 33136).
Hosted by the Media and Innovation Lab (“The MIL”), this year’s event offers an insightful panel discussion on the rapidly evolving FemTech industry, along with dynamic fireside chats featuring expert leaders at the forefront of innovation. Discover how cutting-edge technology is addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) and driving meaningful advancements in health equity.
Register Now

LOCATION
Don Soffer Clinical Research Center
Gordon Center Auditorium
1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL 33136

Panelists

Brooke Aggarwal, EdD, MS, FAHA
Assistant Professor of Medical Sciences
Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU)

Lindsey Calcutt, PhD
Co-Founder + CEO
Incora Health

Layo George, BSN, MHSA
Founder + CEO
Wolomi

Kerstin Recker Alexandre
Co-Founder + CEO
Peli Health

MODERATOR
Mairead Moloney, PhD
Associate Professor Lead
Department of Informatics and Health Data Science
Miller School of Medicine
University of Miami

Fireside Chats

Stacy T. Lindau, MD, MA
Catherine Lindsay Dobson Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Professor of Medicine
University of Chicago

Nicole Cook
Founder + CEO
Alvee

MODERATOR
Azizi Seixas, PhD
Interim Chair
Department of Informatics and Health Data Science
Miller School of Medicine
University of Miami

For more information, contact: TheMIL@miami.edu or call 305-243-8276.

Virtual Lecture on Remote Access Risks | Niam Yaraghi, PhD 5/22
2025-05-22 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
IDSC Director of Population Health Informatics, Dr. Azizi Seixas presents Niam Yaraghi, PhD., Associate Professor of Business Technology, Miami Herbert Business School. Dr. Yaraghi’s talk entitled “Remote Access, Real Risks: The Impact of Telehealth Expansion and Rollback on the Opioid Epidemic” will he held via ZOOM on Thursday, May 22, 2025, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM EST. The talk will cover the impact on opioid prescriptions, overdoses, and OUD treatments.
This lecture is part of Dr. Seixas’ Future of Data Health Innovation virtual lecture series, and is free and open to the public.
REGISTER NOW

IDSC Grants Program Call for Proposals INFO SESSION via ZOOM Wednesday 9/10 4PM
2025-09-10 16:00 - 16:30 | Zoom (online)
An INFO SESSION for your questions on the IDSC “Expanding the Use of Collaborative Data Science at UM” Grants Program CALL FOR PROPOSALS will be held on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, at 4:00 PM (:30 minutes) via ZOOM.
The session was recorded and is now online.
This program is designed to increase the use of data science to foster breakthroughs in disciplinary pursuits making the research team more competitive for external funding. Applications are required to include at least one data scientist from the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC) and one researcher from a specific discipline. Typically, the disciplinary researcher initiates and leads the project. The IDSC data scientist acts as a high-level consultant to ensure the proposal has enough data science.
The awards include $20K discretionary funds[1] and 1M Service Units (SUs) to be used for high performance computing (HPC). It is anticipated that five awards will be made.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, IDSC seeks proposals that address the following:

Using data science to improve access to healthcare, and accelerate services and improve healthcare efficiency

Other topics and issues are also welcome. Pre-submission inquiries are encouraged.
In terms of this grant opportunity, data science is defined as utilizing state-of-the-art approaches such as Machine Learning (ML) or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable scientific discovery that is data driven. Simply, proposing to analyze large data sets with traditional techniques (e.g., linear regression) is not responsive to this opportunity. Proposals that use AI/ML to develop new understanding are strongly encouraged.
The application process includes two steps:
Step 1: The disciplinary researcher provides a one-page letter of intent to IDSC outlining the discipline specific research and where data science fits in. Based on the letter of intent, the IDSC review team will identify an IDSC data scientist for collaboration, if the research team has not already identified an IDSC partner. Applications are now closed.
Step 2: Upon invitation to advance to Step 2, the research team with assistance from the IDSC data scientist will prepare a two-page proposal that outlines the research and the data science plan. The proposal should also include a short discussion of potential external funding mechanisms that the proposed work can be used to enhance the competitive position of the research team. The application should include an abbreviated one-page biosketch and a budget with justification using the templates included in this announcement. All documents should be combined into a single .pdf.
Eligibility:
This funding opportunity is open to UM Faculty with an active IDSC membership. For more information on IDSC memberships and to apply, visit https://idsc.miami.edu/membership/.
Reporting
The research team is required to submit an interim report midway through the performance period. The one-page report should include a brief description of the project’s progress and an overview of the financial situation. Upon project completion, the research team will submit a one-page final report detailing any accomplishments attributed to the work of this project (publications, proposal submission(s) for extramural funding, data sets generated, etc.) and give an oral presentation describing the research and results as part of IDSC’s seminar series. Scheduling of the oral presentation will be coordinated by IDSC’s Engagement Office.
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by an evaluation committee to determine feasibility, relevance to IDSC programs and in terms of how the proposed research will put the team in a more competitive position for external funding.
Important Information and Deadlines

Zoom INFO session led by Ben Kirtman: Wednesday, September 10, 2025 at 4: 00 pm (30 minutes) | Please register to receive ZOOM link.
Step 1 – Letters of Intent: Due by 5:00 PM, Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
Invitation to submit full proposal in Step. 2 with identification of an IDSC data scientist partner (if applicable): October 17, 2025.
Step 2 – Two-page proposal: Due by 5:00 PM on Friday, November 21, 2025
Notice of Award: On or before December 19, 2025
Project performance period: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026.
Interim Report Due on June 30, 2026
Service Units (SU) expire January 31, 2027
Final Report Due on February 28, 2027
Oral Presentation of Results Due in Fall 2027/Spring 2028

[1] Discretionary funds can be used for salary, travel, and other research-related expenditures as outlined in the proposal budget. Equipment purchases are not allowed.

Dr. Rebecca Shafee of the National Institute of Mental Health | Virtual Lecture 9/18
2025-09-18 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
The Future of Health Data Innovation seminar series continues with a virtual lecture by Dr. Rebecca Shafee, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, at the National Institute of Mental Health. Talk Topic: “Sex Differences in the Genetic Architecture of the Human Brain Anatomy.”
The Future of Health Data Innovation seminar series explores practical applications of AI and machine learning in healthcare, helping participants evaluate data-driven solutions for improved clinical outcomes and patient access.
At the conclusion of this activity participants will be able to explain the results of Dr. Shafee’s recent work investigating sex differences in the common genetic architecture of brain anatomy in the UK Biobank sample.
The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The speaker and planning committee indicate no relevant financial disclosures. For additional information please contact Alexander Gonzalez atalex_gonzalez@miami.edu.
Date: Thursday, September 18, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Registration link: https://miami.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_uaP2UKTWS0azkcLUgzqZWQ

Virtual AI Lecture Series Exploring Practical Applications—Indraneel Chakraborty 9/26
2025-09-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom (online)
Hosted by Joseph Johnson and Mitsunori Ogihara, this new webinar series promotes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among University of Miami faculty, staff, and students, and the surrounding community.
Each session explores practical applications of AI in research, business, and everyday life. The content of these lectures is tailored for a general, non-technical audience and concludes with a Question and Answer session. All lectures take place via ZOOM on Fridays from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, and are free and open to the public. Each session has a separate registration link. An email confirmation containing the ZOOM link will be sent upon completion of registration.

September 26 | Watch Now

Indraneel Chakraborty, PhD
D E P A R T M E N T C H A I R a n d P R O F E S S O R
Finance Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Chakraborty received his Ph.D. in finance from Wharton, an M.S. from MIT, and a B.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (President of India Gold Medalist). He has worked for Citadel Investments and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.’s fixed income divisions. Dr. Chakraborty has won multiple awards for his research and teaching. He received the excellence in teaching award in the Master of Science in Finance program each year from 2018 to 2023). In 2018, Poets and Quants recognized him as one of the top 40 under 40 business school professors. Read more . . .

October 17 | Watch Now

Tom Collins, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Engineering Technology
FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Tom is an Associate Professor of Music Engineering Technology within the Music Engineering program at the Frost School of Music and Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab (situated in the Frost School of Music). His research concerns the development and application of machine learning techniques for/to music-analytical and music-generative tasks, with projects leading to research papers, reusable code, and collaborations with upcoming and GRAMMY Award-winning artists on songs co-created with AI. The lab also works on audio/music in extended reality (XR/AR/VR), AI for podcasting and game audio, and pattern discovery algorithms applied to coordinated movement in music and athletics.
Dr. Collins has a strong track record in the supervision of PhD students—training them and helping them pursue careers in industry or academia, with recent graduates joining ByteDance, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In terms of teaching, Dr. Collins offers courses on electronic production technologies, research methods, and music artificial intelligence. Read more . . .

October 31 | Register Now

Joseph Johnson, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Marketing Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Johnson teaches Marketing Analytics, New Product Development, Strategic Brand Management and a doctoral seminar on quantitative methods for marketing management. He has thirty-two years of experience, divided between academia and industry, in computerization and empirical models for manufacturing, supply chain and marketing. His current research focuses on the use of AI and text mining tools as a decision aid for managers. Dr. Johnson has created and collaborated in the development of:

Deep learning algorithms for advertising design and testing
Brand management tools using text mining
Customer satisfaction and service quality measurement tools using text mining
Dynamic optimization methods for retail promotions
Media planning tools for big Pharma
Digital media analytics for non-profit organizations
Clinic scheduling model for UM’s clinics
Risk models for predicting post-surgery health outcomes. Read more . . .

November 14 | Register Now

Reynaldo Sanchez, MM
A S S O C I A T E D E A N
Strategic Initiatives + Innovation
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Business + Entertainment
FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Dean Sanchez is a multi-faceted educator and musician. As the Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, he has been responsible for expanding the educational opportunities offered by the Frost School of Music overall. An accomplished multi-tasker, he also serves as Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, an innovative performing and songwriting program curriculum developed with Frost School alumnus Bruce Hornsby to incorporate both American roots music and contemporary composition. The program has become one of the School’s fastest growing areas of study. It also offers those with an interest in electronic music performance an opportunity to become full music majors, a first for a major music school in the U.S. Read more . . .

February 20 | Register Now

Andres Sawicki, JD
P R O F E S S O R O F L A W
Director, Business of Innovation, Law, & Technology concentration
SCHOOL OF LAW
D I R E C T O R
Data Ethics & Society
FROST INSTITUTE FOR DATA SCIENCE AND COMPUTING
Prof. Sawicki teaches in the area of intellectual property. His primary research projects explore the extent to which IP can help solve problems in the production of inventions and expressive works. He is particularly interested in the complex psychology of creativity, and in the difficulty of coordinating multiple creative collaborators. Professor Sawicki’s research also examines the interaction among distinct patent doctrines.
Professor Sawicki graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with S.B. degrees in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Science, Technology, & Society. He then earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2006, where he was an Articles Editor for the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. After graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Robert D. Sack of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From 2007 through 2010, he worked as an associate in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focused on intellectual property litigation, especially Hatch-Waxman Act pharmaceutical patent cases. Prior to his appointment at Miami Law, Professor Sawicki was a Bigelow Teaching Fellow and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School.
His work has been published by leading journals, including Cornell Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, and The University of Chicago Law Review, among others. Read more . . .

March 20 | Register Now

Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, MD
L E C T U R E R
Business Technology Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Prof. Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes is a visionary leader operating at the intersection of academia, business, government and not-for-profit sectors, recognized globally for her deep tech diplomacy and digital ethics efforts.
With over two decades of executive experience, she has held numerous high-impact leadership roles and has extensive complex system integration expertise, driving the development of responsible, inclusive, diverse, sustainable AI, blockchain and other deep tech innovation ecosystems at a regional, national or international level. Her unique background positions her as a thought leader on how emerging or frontier technologies are posing unique ethical challenges and are reshaping law, regulatory frameworks, corporate governance, risk management, compliance and enterprise digital strategy.
She is an alumna of MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia University, and University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. In addition, she is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, holding executive certifications in AI, Blockchain, Finance, Mediation, Tech Diplomacy, Human Rights, and Ethics. Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes has served as an expert advisor to numerous Fortune 100 and 500 companies, US DOD, IEEE, NIST, and EU, UN or G20-affiliated organizations, guiding them on strategic decisions around digital transformation, digital risk governance, digital trust, and digital cyber-ethics orchestration. Read more . . .
Read a NEWS@TheU PROFILE of Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes: “We have to rethink everything”

Virtual AI Lecture Series Exploring Practical Applications—Tom Collins 10/17
2025-10-17 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom (online)
Hosted by Joseph Johnson and Mitsunori Ogihara, this new webinar series promotes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among University of Miami faculty, staff, and students, and the surrounding community.
Each session explores practical applications of AI in research, business, and everyday life. The content of these lectures is tailored for a general, non-technical audience and concludes with a Question and Answer session. All lectures take place via ZOOM on Fridays from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, and are free and open to the public. Each session has a separate registration link. An email confirmation containing the ZOOM link will be sent upon completion of registration.
October 17 | Watch Now

Tom Collins, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Engineering Technology
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Tom is an Associate Professor of Music Engineering Technology within the Music Engineering program at the Frost School of Music and Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab (situated in the Frost School of Music). His research concerns the development and application of machine learning techniques for/to music-analytical and music-generative tasks, with projects leading to research papers, reusable code, and collaborations with upcoming and GRAMMY Award-winning artists on songs co-created with AI. The lab also works on audio/music in extended reality (XR/AR/VR), AI for podcasting and game audio, and pattern discovery algorithms applied to coordinated movement in music and athletics.
Dr. Collins has a strong track record in the supervision of PhD students—training them and helping them pursue careers in industry or academia, with recent graduates joining ByteDance, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In terms of teaching, Dr. Collins offers courses on electronic production technologies, research methods, and music artificial intelligence. Read more . . .

October 31 | Register Now

Joseph Johnson, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Marketing Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Johnson teaches Marketing Analytics, New Product Development, Strategic Brand Management and a doctoral seminar on quantitative methods for marketing management. He has thirty-two years of experience, divided between academia and industry, in computerization and empirical models for manufacturing, supply chain and marketing. His current research focuses on the use of AI and text mining tools as a decision aid for managers. Dr. Johnson has created and collaborated in the development of:

Deep learning algorithms for advertising design and testing
Brand management tools using text mining
Customer satisfaction and service quality measurement tools using text mining
Dynamic optimization methods for retail promotions
Media planning tools for big Pharma
Digital media analytics for non-profit organizations
Clinic scheduling model for UM’s clinics
Risk models for predicting post-surgery health outcomes. Read more . . .

November 14 | Register Now

Reynaldo Sanchez, MM
A S S O C I A T E D E A N
Strategic Initiatives + Innovation
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Business + Entertainment
FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Dean Sanchez is a multi-faceted educator and musician. As the Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, he has been responsible for expanding the educational opportunities offered by the Frost School of Music overall. An accomplished multi-tasker, he also serves as Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, an innovative performing and songwriting program curriculum developed with Frost School alumnus Bruce Hornsby to incorporate both American roots music and contemporary composition. The program has become one of the School’s fastest growing areas of study. It also offers those with an interest in electronic music performance an opportunity to become full music majors, a first for a major music school in the U.S. Read more . . .

February 20 | Register Now

Andres Sawicki, JD
P R O F E S S O R O F L A W
Director, Business of Innovation, Law, & Technology concentration
SCHOOL OF LAW
D I R E C T O R
Data Ethics & Society
FROST INSTITUTE FOR DATA SCIENCE AND COMPUTING
Prof. Sawicki teaches in the area of intellectual property. His primary research projects explore the extent to which IP can help solve problems in the production of inventions and expressive works. He is particularly interested in the complex psychology of creativity, and in the difficulty of coordinating multiple creative collaborators. Professor Sawicki’s research also examines the interaction among distinct patent doctrines.
Professor Sawicki graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with S.B. degrees in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Science, Technology, & Society. He then earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2006, where he was an Articles Editor for the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. After graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Robert D. Sack of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From 2007 through 2010, he worked as an associate in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focused on intellectual property litigation, especially Hatch-Waxman Act pharmaceutical patent cases. Prior to his appointment at Miami Law, Professor Sawicki was a Bigelow Teaching Fellow and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School.
His work has been published by leading journals, including Cornell Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, and The University of Chicago Law Review, among others. Read more . . .

March 20 | Register Now

Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, MD
L E C T U R E R
Business Technology Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Prof. Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes is a visionary leader operating at the intersection of academia, business, government and not-for-profit sectors, recognized globally for her deep tech diplomacy and digital ethics efforts.
With over two decades of executive experience, she has held numerous high-impact leadership roles and has extensive complex system integration expertise, driving the development of responsible, inclusive, diverse, sustainable AI, blockchain and other deep tech innovation ecosystems at a regional, national or international level. Her unique background positions her as a thought leader on how emerging or frontier technologies are posing unique ethical challenges and are reshaping law, regulatory frameworks, corporate governance, risk management, compliance and enterprise digital strategy.
She is an alumna of MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia University, and University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. In addition, she is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, holding executive certifications in AI, Blockchain, Finance, Mediation, Tech Diplomacy, Human Rights, and Ethics. Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes has served as an expert advisor to numerous Fortune 100 and 500 companies, US DOD, IEEE, NIST, and EU, UN or G20-affiliated organizations, guiding them on strategic decisions around digital transformation, digital risk governance, digital trust, and digital cyber-ethics orchestration. Read more . . .
Read a NEWS@TheU PROFILE of Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes: “We have to rethink everything”

Past Speakers
September 26 | Watch Now

Indraneel Chakraborty, PhD |
D E P A R T M E N T C H A I R a n d P R O F E S S O R
Finance Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Chakraborty received his Ph.D. in finance from Wharton, an M.S. from MIT, and a B.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (President of India Gold Medalist). He has worked for Citadel Investments and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.’s fixed income divisions. Dr. Chakraborty has won multiple awards for his research and teaching. He received the excellence in teaching award in the Master of Science in Finance program each year from 2018 to 2023). In 2018, Poets and Quants recognized him as one of the top 40 under 40 business school professors. Read more . . .

Free 2-Day Scientific Computing Python Workshop 10/23+24 at Rosenstiel
2025-10-23 09:00 - 2025-10-24 16:30 | Rosensteil School of Marine Atmospheric and Earth Science, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key, Florida, 33149, United States
The Software Carpentry community (software-carpentry.org) helps researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on “Python” workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation.
Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems. The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Registration Closed (this session is full)
Thursday and Friday, October 23+24 2025, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM | Course Hours BOTH DAYS | Add to your Google Calendar.
Click here for Full Syllabus + Instructions
Location
Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Library (Room 106 upper level Science and Administration Building “SLAB”
4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Virginia Key, FL 33149.
Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed on syllabus).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible (take the elevator located on the ground level in the parking lot area beneath the building).
Accessible restrooms are available.

Parking
Anyone with a UM parking permit associated with their vehicle license plate number can park anywhere inside the gate on the Rosenstiel campus. Parking is first-come, first-served, except for a few spaces tagged “RESERVED.” Outside the gate, the (free) public parking lots are also an option, and alternatively, there is the Rosenstiel Shuttle that originates at the Miller Circle on the Gables campus. (Please check the schedule to see if they are running on the day/time of the event.)
Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.

Instructors

Cameron Riopelle
Director of Research Data & Open Scholarship
University of Miami Libraries

Timothy Norris, PhD
Data Scientist
University of Miami Libraries and
Frost Institute for Data Science
and Computing (IDSC)

Charles Brown-Roberts
Applications Software Developer
University of Miami Libraries

Helpers
Jenna Courtade
Rimpi Khurana
Raquel Quintanilla

Sponsored by
Louis Calder Memorial Library | Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) | Department of Computer Science | Graduate School | IDSC | Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship

Virtual AI Lecture Series Exploring Practical Applications—Joseph Johnson 10/31
2025-10-31 14:00 - 16:00 | Zoom (online)
Hosted by Joseph Johnson and Mitsunori Ogihara, this new webinar series promotes the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) among University of Miami faculty, staff, and students, and the surrounding community.
Each session explores practical applications of AI in research, business, and everyday life. The content of these lectures is tailored for a general, non-technical audience and concludes with a Question and Answer session. All lectures take place via ZOOM on Fridays from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, and are free and open to the public. Each session has a separate registration link. An email confirmation containing the ZOOM link will be sent upon completion of registration.

October 31 | Register Now

Joseph Johnson, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Marketing Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Johnson teaches Marketing Analytics, New Product Development, Strategic Brand Management and a doctoral seminar on quantitative methods for marketing management. He has thirty-two years of experience, divided between academia and industry, in computerization and empirical models for manufacturing, supply chain and marketing. His current research focuses on the use of AI and text mining tools as a decision aid for managers. Dr. Johnson has created and collaborated in the development of:

Deep learning algorithms for advertising design and testing
Brand management tools using text mining
Customer satisfaction and service quality measurement tools using text mining
Dynamic optimization methods for retail promotions
Media planning tools for big Pharma
Digital media analytics for non-profit organizations
Clinic scheduling model for UM’s clinics
Risk models for predicting post-surgery health outcomes. Read more . . .

November 14 | Register Now

Reynaldo Sanchez, MM
A S S O C I A T E D E A N
Strategic Initiatives + Innovation
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Business + Entertainment
FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Dean Sanchez is a multi-faceted educator and musician. As the Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, he has been responsible for expanding the educational opportunities offered by the Frost School of Music overall. An accomplished multi-tasker, he also serves as Director of the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program, an innovative performing and songwriting program curriculum developed with Frost School alumnus Bruce Hornsby to incorporate both American roots music and contemporary composition. The program has become one of the School’s fastest growing areas of study. It also offers those with an interest in electronic music performance an opportunity to become full music majors, a first for a major music school in the U.S. Read more . . .

February 20 | Register Now

Andres Sawicki, JD
P R O F E S S O R O F L A W
Director, Business of Innovation, Law, & Technology concentration
SCHOOL OF LAW
D I R E C T O R
Data Ethics & Society
FROST INSTITUTE FOR DATA SCIENCE AND COMPUTING
Prof. Sawicki teaches in the area of intellectual property. His primary research projects explore the extent to which IP can help solve problems in the production of inventions and expressive works. He is particularly interested in the complex psychology of creativity, and in the difficulty of coordinating multiple creative collaborators. Professor Sawicki’s research also examines the interaction among distinct patent doctrines.
Professor Sawicki graduated from Massachusetts Institute of Technology with S.B. degrees in Brain & Cognitive Sciences and Science, Technology, & Society. He then earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 2006, where he was an Articles Editor for the Law Review and a member of the Order of the Coif. After graduation, he clerked for the Honorable Robert D. Sack of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From 2007 through 2010, he worked as an associate in the New York office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. His practice focused on intellectual property litigation, especially Hatch-Waxman Act pharmaceutical patent cases. Prior to his appointment at Miami Law, Professor Sawicki was a Bigelow Teaching Fellow and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School.
His work has been published by leading journals, including Cornell Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, and The University of Chicago Law Review, among others. Read more . . .

March 20 | Register Now

Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes, MD
L E C T U R E R
Business Technology Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Prof. Dr. Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes is a visionary leader operating at the intersection of academia, business, government and not-for-profit sectors, recognized globally for her deep tech diplomacy and digital ethics efforts.
With over two decades of executive experience, she has held numerous high-impact leadership roles and has extensive complex system integration expertise, driving the development of responsible, inclusive, diverse, sustainable AI, blockchain and other deep tech innovation ecosystems at a regional, national or international level. Her unique background positions her as a thought leader on how emerging or frontier technologies are posing unique ethical challenges and are reshaping law, regulatory frameworks, corporate governance, risk management, compliance and enterprise digital strategy.
She is an alumna of MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia University, and University of Miami’s Herbert Business School. In addition, she is a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, holding executive certifications in AI, Blockchain, Finance, Mediation, Tech Diplomacy, Human Rights, and Ethics. Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes has served as an expert advisor to numerous Fortune 100 and 500 companies, US DOD, IEEE, NIST, and EU, UN or G20-affiliated organizations, guiding them on strategic decisions around digital transformation, digital risk governance, digital trust, and digital cyber-ethics orchestration. Read more . . .
Read this NEWS@TheU PROFILE of Dr. Vasiliu-Feltes: “We have to rethink everything”

Past Speakers
September 26 | Watch Now

Indraneel Chakraborty, PhD |
D E P A R T M E N T C H A I R a n d P R O F E S S O R
Finance Department
MIAMI HERBERT BUSINESS SCHOOL
Dr. Chakraborty received his Ph.D. in finance from Wharton, an M.S. from MIT, and a B.Tech. from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (President of India Gold Medalist). He has worked for Citadel Investments and Citigroup Global Markets Inc.’s fixed income divisions. Dr. Chakraborty has won multiple awards for his research and teaching. He received the excellence in teaching award in the Master of Science in Finance program each year from 2018 to 2023). In 2018, Poets and Quants recognized him as one of the top 40 under 40 business school professors. Read more . . .

October 17 | Watch Now

Tom Collins, PhD
A S S O C I A T E P R O F E S S O R
Music Engineering Technology
FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Tom is an Associate Professor of Music Engineering Technology within the Music Engineering program at the Frost School of Music and Principal Investigator of the Music Computing and Psychology Lab (situated in the Frost School of Music). His research concerns the development and application of machine learning techniques for/to music-analytical and music-generative tasks, with projects leading to research papers, reusable code, and collaborations with upcoming and GRAMMY Award-winning artists on songs co-created with AI. The lab also works on audio/music in extended reality (XR/AR/VR), AI for podcasting and game audio, and pattern discovery algorithms applied to coordinated movement in music and athletics.
Dr. Collins has a strong track record in the supervision of PhD students—training them and helping them pursue careers in industry or academia, with recent graduates joining ByteDance, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In terms of teaching, Dr. Collins offers courses on electronic production technologies, research methods, and music artificial intelligence. Read more . . .

FULL—Free Scientific Computing "R" Workshop 11/4-7 (9AM-1PM daily) at Medical Campus
2025-11-04 09:00 - 2025-11-07 13:00 | Don Soffer Clinical Research Center, 1120 NW 14th St, Miami, FL, 33136, United States
The Software Carpentry community (software-carpentry.org) helps researchers get their work done in less time and with less pain by teaching them basic research computing skills. This hands-on “R” workshop will cover basic concepts and tools, including program design, version control, data management, and task automation.
Participants will be encouraged to help one another and to apply what they have learned to their own research problems. The course is aimed at graduate students and other researchers. You don’t need to have any previous knowledge of the tools that will be presented at the workshop.
Registration is now closed. This session is full.
Tuesday to Friday, November 4-7, 2025, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM | Course Hours All 4 Days
Workshop is broken into 4 half-day sessions | Add to your Google Calendar.
Click here for Full Syllabus + Instructions
Location
Don Soffer Clinical Research Building (aka “CRB”)
Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Room 710 R+Q
1120 NW 14th Street, 7th Floor, Miami, FL 33136
Get directions with OpenStreetMap or Google Maps.
Requirements
Participants must bring a laptop with a Mac, Linux, or Windows operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they have administrative privileges on. They should have a few specific software packages installed (listed on syllabus).
Accessibility
We are committed to making this workshop accessible to everybody. The workshop organizers have checked that:

The room is wheelchair / scooter accessible.
Accessible restrooms are available.

Parking
The building has its own parking “14th Street Garage.” Parking is available at a rate of $1.00 per hour, with a maximum charge of $8.00 per day. The building does not validate.
Contact
Please email tnorris@miami.edu for more information.

Instructors

Emory Neer
Research Support Specialist
UM Miller School of Medicine

Erica Newsome
Stem and Interdisciplinary Research Librarian
UM Libraries

Thilani Samarakoon
Biomedical Data Librarian
University of Miami Libraries

Helpers
Rimpi Khurana
Tim Norris

Sponsored by
Louis Calder Memorial Library | Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) | Department of Computer Science | Graduate School | IDSC | Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship
