Florence Hudson

Title: Leveraging Data Science and Advanced Technologies for Good 

Abstract: Data science and advanced technologies including artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things (IoT), cybersecurity, distributed ledger technology, and quantum computing are providing new ways to increase the value of data and technology for business, academia, government, society, connected healthcare and humans around the world.  As a data science community, we have the opportunity to enable students, professionals, government and citizens to leverage these tools for good. In this session you will learn about ground breaking and innovative programs, such as the National Student Data Corps and the COVID Information Commons led by the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub funded by the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, to enable data science learning and critical research collaboration to address societal challenges, with a special focus on engaging and enabling underserved and underrepresented individuals and communities. We do this through convening and nurturing a diverse and inclusive community across the U.S. and around the world of enthusiastic learners, educators, researchers and professionals to enable the teaching and leverage of data science and advanced technologies. We will discuss collaborations with researchers and students funded by the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and Centers for Disease Control, as well as initiatives with IEEE, the National Cancer Institute, and other collaborators across the country and around the world. Learn how you can participate in these programs, and together we can leverage data science and advanced technologies for good to build a better future.

Bio: Florence D. Hudson is Executive Director of the NSF Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub at Columbia University, and Founder & CEO of FDHint, LLC, a global advanced technology and diversity & inclusion consulting firm. She is the Principal Investigator for the COVID Information Commons (https://covidinfocommons.net) funded by NSF, providing an open resource to enable global researcher collaboration to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and Founder of the National Student Data Corps (https://nebigdatahub.org/nsdc) which was created to teach data science.