ORAU Webinar Series

For more than 70 years, ORAU has helped our customers advance their mission by providing science, health and workforce solutions. Through our specialized teams of experts and a consortium of more than 120 universities, we connect the right people and resources to help our customers solve our nation’s most challenging issues.

Our 2020 Webinar Series features world-class subject matter experts presenting novel and emerging research in their respective fields. Our goal is to stimulate conversation and collaboration around some of the important research needs facing our country.

The Future of Data Science: Its Role, Impact and Responsibility to the Advancement of Scientific Research and Public Understanding

In case you missed it, watch the first webinar in a series below that was originally presented on Dec. 2, 2020.

The demand for data science in making business, research and policy decisions continues to explode, as does the need for data scientists. ORAU is hosting this webinar, along with the University of Virginia, to drive more dialog on key factors that shape the current and future evolution of data science, promote more in-depth discussions on current trends; and what it means to be a data educator, a data scientist, and a data policy maker and why all three are critical to advance data science.

Moderator:

Philip Bourne

Philip E. Bourne, Ph.D., FACMI
University of Virginia

Presentation: "Why Start a School of Data Science?”

Philip E. Bourne, PhD, FACMI is the Stephenson Dean of the School of Data Science, professor of Data Science and professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Virginia, USA. Prior to that he was the associate director for Data Science (ADDS; aka Chief Data Scientist) for the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) and a senior investigator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). In his role as ADDS he led the trans NIH US $110M per year Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) research initiative and contributed to data policies and infrastructure aimed at accelerating biomedical discovery.

His current research focuses on data science methods applied to systems pharmacology structural bioinformatics and scholarly communication. He has a strong interest in helping the next generation through the Ten Simple Rules series of professional development articles and his work as Dean of one of the few data science schools worldwide where new models of higher education are being emphasized.

Presenters:

Renée Cummings
Data activist and criminologist at the University of Virginia School of Data Science

Presentation: “Data: The Untold Story”

Renée Cummings is a data activist and criminologist at the University of Virginia School of Data Science. Cummings specializes in urban AI, ethical AI adoption, AI leadership, diversity, equity and inclusion in AI development and deployment, algorithmic authenticity and accountability, data integrity and equity, AI for social good and social justice in AI policy and governance. Read more about Renée Cummings.

sallie keller

Dr. Sallie Ann Keller
Distinguished Professor in Biocomplexity, Director of the Social and Decision Analytics Division within the Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative at University of Virginia and Professor of Public Health Sciences

Presentation: "Doing Data Science"

Dr. Sallie Ann Keller is an endowed Distinguished Professor in Biocomplexity, Director of the Social and Decision Analytics Division within the Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative at University of Virginia and Professor of Public Health Sciences. Her areas of expertise are social and decision informatics, statistical underpinnings of data science, and data access and confidentiality. Dr. Keller’s is a leading voice in creating the science of all data and advancing this research across disciplines to benefit society. Read more about Dr. Keller.

Opening Remarks:

Ken Tobin, Ph.D.
ORAU

Dr. Kenneth W. Tobin serves as vice president of Research and University Partnerships. In this role, he enhances ORAU’s scientific research opportunities and expands partnerships with universities, national laboratories and private industry. Under his direction, the University Partnerships office provides awards to ORAU member universities, identifies and promotes funding opportunities by facilitating inter-institutional relationships, and leverages relationships with other organizations to support increased funding for scientific research and education. Prior to joining ORAU, Tobin served as director of the office of institutional planning at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Dean Evasius, Ph.D.
University of Virginia

Dean Evasius is the associate vice president for research development at the University of Virginia. He previously served as the division director for the Division of Graduate Education at the National Science Foundation. While at NSF he also served as the head of the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and as a program director in the Division of Mathematical Sciences. After receiving a Ph.D. in mathematics from the California Institute of Technology he served as a research mathematician at the National Security Agency, where he worked on problems in mathematics, data science, and cybersecurity. At ORAU he served as a senior vice president and the director of Scientific Assessment and Workforce Development.