from the deputy director

Please plan to attend our first annual “IDSC Day” on Thursday, September 28, in the great room of the new Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Science building. It will be an exciting face-to-face celebration that brings together faculty, staff, students, and industry partners, and marks the formal introduction of the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing (IDSC).

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. We will also highlight IDSC’s growth over the past two years and the impact we have made on the University of Miami, the South Florida community, and beyond. Toward the end of the day, we will host a relaxing social event, providing opportunities for conversations, learning and networking. In a work-from-anywhere world, we recognize the important of the tradition office “water cooler” conversations. Register Now (free)

New Hires

On a different note, I am also excited to announce four recent faculty hires who will strengthen our team in the coming year:

• Ching-Hua Chuan, a researcher in psychology with a “3M” approach that includes meta-science, (cognitive) modeling, and (psychological) measurement, recently joined IDSC in a joint appointment with the Department of Interactive Media.
( Read more about Ching-Hua and her efforts to bridge the AI gap.)

• Gabriel Reygondeau joins the Rosenstiel School and IDSC in October from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. His biogeography research efforts are quantifying marine species spatial distribution and biodiversity patterns, looking at the best areas for conservation, creating marine protected areas, and evaluating the climate risks to marine life.

• Juan Carlos Villaseñor-Derbez, who studies human-ocean interactions, will be coming to UM in March 2024 from Stanford University. Juan Carols draws on his training in oceanography, ecology, and environmental economics to combine geo-spatial, econometric, and machine learning methods in studying Marine Protected Areas and fisheries.

So, we have big plans for the coming year! Please join us on IDSC Day 9/28 (1:00-6:00 PM) at the Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Science at 1201 Memorial Drive, just east of the Cox Science Building and Richter Library.  Stay tuned for updates as we finalize more details for this important event.

Ben Kirtman, PhD
idsc deputy director | director, idsc earth systems