Catalyzing Computing

Khari Douglas interviews Gregory D. Hager, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. In this episode, Hager discusses the use of robots in surgery and the future of telemedicine. Timestamps to jump to certain topics: Language of Surgery - (1:18) Automated Robotic Surgery - (13:13) Future of Computing and Medical Uses - (20:40) Future of Telemedicine - (32:14) Outro - (42:36)

Khari Douglas interviews Gregory D. Hager, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. In this episode, Hager discusses tactile perception, the founding of the Malone Center, and data privacy.

In this episode I interview Dr. Burcin Tamer and Heather Wright, respectively the Director and Associate Director of the CRA's Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). We discuss CERPs ongoing projects and the benefits of diversity in computing.

Part two of Khari Douglas' interview with Dr. Mark D. Hill, the Gene M. Amdahl and John P. Morgridge Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Chair Emeritus of the CCC Council. This episode was recorded prior to Dr. Hill joining Microsoft as a Partner Hardware Architect with Azure. His research interests include parallel computer system design, memory system design, computer simulation, deterministic replay and transactional memory. In this episode, Mark discusses the importance of hardware security, the impact of AI on hardware, and working in academia vs industry. Timestamps to jump to certain topics: Hardware Security & Vulnerabilities - (1:01) Mark's Involvement with CCC/CRA - (5:58) AI and the Future of Hardware - (10:38) Simulation of Computer Hardware - (14:00) Thoughts on Running Successful A Successful Organization - (18:11) Academia Versus Industry - (23:53) Future of Computing Research - (28:24) Outro - (30:56)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Mark D. Hill, the Gene M. Amdahl and John P. Morgridge Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Chair Emeritus of the CCC Council. This episode was recorded prior to Dr. Hill joining Microsoft as a Partner Hardware Architect with Azure. His research interests include parallel computer system design, memory system design, computer simulation, deterministic replay and transactional memory. In this episode Hill discusses the importance of computer architecture, the 3C model of cache behavior, and overcoming the end of Moore's law. Timestamps to jump to certain topics: What is Computer Architecture? - (1:01) Three C Model of Cache Behavior - (5:40) Log-based Transactional Memory - (9:58) End of Moore's Law - (16:36) Hardware accelerators - (20:40) The Gables Model - (29:41) Three Other Models of Computer System Performance - (32:24) Outro - (36:15)

Part two of Khari Douglas' interview with Dr. Katie Siek, a professor in Informatics and the Chair of Informatics at Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Siek is interested in integrating pervasive technologies in health and wellness environments to study how technology affects interventions. Her research interests include human-computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and health informatics. In this episode Katie discusses health disparities and how computing technologies can play a role in their reduction, as well as the challenges to doing health informatics research in the field.

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Katie Siek, a professor in Informatics and the Chair of Informatics at Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Siek is interested in integrating pervasive technologies in health and wellness environments to study how technology affects interventions. Her research interests include human computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and health informatics. In this episode Katie discusses health informatics, fitness trackers, data ownership, and aging in place. Timestamps to jump to certain topics: What is Informatics - (0:55) Fitness Trackers and The Accuracy of Their Data - (9:20) Data Ownership - (17:16) Aging in Place - (22:42) Outro - (34:17)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Behçet Açikmeşe. Behçet was a technologist and a senior member of the Guidance and Control (G&C) Analysis Group at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 2003 to 2012 where he developed guidance, control, and estimation algorithms for formation-flying spacecraft and distributed networked systems, proximity operations around asteroids and comets, and planetary landing. He is currently a Professor in Aeronautics & Astronautics, as well as Electrical & Computer Engineering, at the University of Washington and a member of their Autonomous Controls Lab. In this episode, Dr. Acikmese discusses control theory and the University of Washington Autonomous Controls Lab. Timestamps to jump to certain topics below: Intro - (00:00) Control Systems and Spaceflight - (01:31) Convex vs. Non-convex Optimization - (10:25) Markov Decision Process - (14:02) Model Predictive Control - (19:43) Lossless Convexification - (21:04) University of Washington Autonomous Controls Lab - (25:00) Assured Autonomy - (31:15) Outro - (36:50)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Behçet Açikmeşe. Behçet was a technologist and a senior member of the Guidance and Control (G&C) Analysis Group at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 2003 to 2012 where he developed guidance, control, and estimation algorithms for formation-flying spacecraft and distributed networked systems, proximity operations around asteroids and comets, and planetary landing. He is currently a Professor in Aeronautics & Astronautics, as well as Electrical & Computer Engineering, at the University of Washington and a member of their Autonomous Controls Lab. In this episode, Dr. Açikmeşe discuss his time at JPL and what it takes to land a rover on Mars. Timestamps to jump to certain topics below: Intro - (00:00) Background and Joining NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory -(01:23) Landing a Rover on Mars - (06:00) Other Projects at JPL -(19:46) Sensors on Spacecraft - (27:10) Landing on Earth vs. Mars - (31:42) Working at JPL and Career Advice - (33:55) Outro - (40:56)

This episode of the podcast is taken from a video interview with Andreas Matt, co-founder and CEO of IMAGINARY, a non-profit organization for the communication of modern mathematics. this interview was recorded as part of traversing separation with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, a non-profit which was stablished in 2013 to foster mathematics and computer science.The foundation organizes the annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), a networking conference where 200 outstanding young researchers in mathematics and computer science interact with the recipients of the most renowned prizes in the field. In this episode, Andreas Matt discusses IMAGINARY and managing open source exhibitions, as well as the impact of the pandemic.

This episode of the podcast is taken from a video interview with Peter Mirski, the chair in Management and IT at the Management Center Innsbruck or MCI. This interview was recorded as part of traversing separation with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, a non-profit which was established in 2013 to foster mathematics and computer science. The foundation organizes the annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), a networking conference where 200 outstanding young researchers in mathematics and computer science interact with the recipients of the most renowned prizes in the fields. In this episode, Peter Mirski discusses digital learning particularly with regards to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The video version of the interview can be found on the Heidelberg Laureate Forum’s Youtube channel.

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Nadya Bliss, the Executive Director of Arizona State's Global Security Initiative. Before joining ASU in 2012, Bliss spent 10 years at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, most recently as a founding group leader of the Computing and Analytics Group. In this episode, she discusses the work of Arizona State University's Global Security Initiative, how to combat the spread of misinformation and the impact of sustainability on security.

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Nadya Bliss, the Executive Director of Arizona State's Global Security Initiative. Before joining ASU in 2012, Bliss spent 10 years at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, most recently as a founding group leader of the Computing and Analytics Group. In this episode, she discusses her time at Lincoln Lab, what a federally funded Research and Development Center does, and the history of graph analytics.

This episode of the podcast was recorded live at the “This Study Shows” Sci-Mic stage at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington. Khari Douglas interviews Dr. John Beieler, a former program manager at IARPA and currently the Director of Science and Technology in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In this episode they discuss working in national security and the technical challenges the intelligence community is facing.

This is part 3 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode we discuss integrated photonics and how optical fibers work.

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas' interview with Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode, Erik continues to discuss building educational games and using games, virtual reality, and augmented reality for job training. If you're interested in playing one of the games mentioned on the podcast, you can reach Erik Verlage at everlage@mit.edu.

Khari Douglas interviews Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode we discuss building educational games and using games, virtual reality, and augmented reality for job training.

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas' interview with Dr. Liz Bradley, the current Vice-chair of the CCC Council. Bradley has been with the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder since January of 1993, and her current research focuses on nonlinear dynamics and chaos, as well as scientific computation and AI. In this episode we discuss nonlinear dynamics, chaos theory in pop culture, and the future of artificial intelligence.

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Liz Bradley, the current Vice-chair of the CCC Council. Bradley has been with the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder since January of 1993, and her current research focuses on nonlinear dynamics and chaos, as well as scientific computation and AI. In this episode we discuss teaching computational thinking, participating in the olympics, and using math and computing to analyze ice cores.

This is part two of Khari Douglas’ interview with Natesh Ganesh, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Massachussetts at Amherst and a current Research Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder through the NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). Natesh's research interest lie in the fields of AI, neuromorphic hardware, thermodynamics, and the emergence of consciousness. In this episode we talk about some of the key contributors to the space of artificial consciousness and discuss the ethics of artificial consciousness.

Khari Douglas interviews Natesh Ganesh, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Massachussetts at Amherst and a current Research Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder through the NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP), whose research interest lie in the fields of AI, neuromorphic hardware, thermodynamics, and the emergence of consciousness. In this episode they discuss some, though certainly not all, of the leading theoretical frameworks for studying artificial consciousness.

Khari Douglas interviews Vint Cerf, known as one of the “fathers of the internet” and a recipient of the 2004 ACM A.M. Turing Award at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum. In this episode, Cerf discusses net neutrality, how to combat spoofing, the future of Internet connected devices, and the challenges of developing interplanetary Internet.

Khari Douglas interviews Shwetak Patel, 2018 ACM Prize in Computing winner and Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum. In this episode we discuss how he got started in computer science, entrepreneurship, building a team, and the future of smart health systems.

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas' interview with Melanie Mitchell, a Professor of Computer Science at Portland State University, and External Professor and Member of the Science Board at the Santa Fe Institute. In this episode, Dr. Mitchell discusses genetic algorithms, complexity science, and the art of writing a book.

Khari Douglas interviews Melanie Mitchell, a Professor of Computer Science at Portland State University, and External Professor and Member of the Science Board at the Santa Fe Institute. In this episode, Dr. Mitchell discusses moving from physics to computer science, the development of Copycat, a computer program that makes analogies, and common AI fallacies.

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Daniel Lopresti, the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of the Data X strategic initiative at Lehigh University. In this episode, Dr. Lopresti discusses a few of the courses he is currently teaching, the Code 8.7 conference on using AI and Computational science to end modern slavery, and the work of the CCC’s intelligent infrastructure task force.

In this episode Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Daniel Lopresti who serves as the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of the Data X strategic initiative at Lehigh University. In this episode Dr. Lopresti discusses his work applying computer science to molecular biology, pattern recognition, and voting machine security.

In this episode, Khari Douglas continues his interview with Peter Harsha, the Director of Government Affairs for the Computing Research Association (CRA), to discuss the impact of the 2013 budget sequestration on federal funding for science, the recent push for regulations on foreign research collaborations, and the history of CRA.

In this episode Khari Douglas sits down with Peter Harsha, the Director of Government Affairs for the Computing Research Association (CRA), to discuss the federal funding landscape and it's impact on science research. He also highlights the CCC's Leadership in Science Policy Institute (LiSPI) and walks through the National Research Council's (part of the National Academies) Tire Tracks Chart of the IT ecosystem.

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas' interview Dr. Beth Mynatt, the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT). In this episode Dr. Mynatt discusses the concept of digital self-harm, Shoshana Zuboff's "The Age of Surveillance Capitalism," and the history of the CCC.

In this episode Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Beth Mynatt, the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), a College of Computing Distinguished Professor, and the Director of the Everyday Computing Lab. Dr. Mynatt discusses her research into human computer interaction and her work at IPaT and the GVU center.

The Computing Community Consortium held a visioning workshop in Atlanta, GA in March 2019 to discuss and articulate research visions for authoring rich graphical content for new workforce training. The workshop’s goal was to articulate research challenges and needs and to summarize the current state of the practice in this area. This workshop is in response to growing needs in the field and new research programs such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier: Advancing Cognitive and Physical Capabilities (FW-HTF). In this episode Khari Douglas discusses the goals and outcomes of the event with workshop organizer Dr. Holly Rushmeier (Yale) and Dr. Beth Mynatt (Georgia Tech).

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas' interview with Dr. Keith Marzullo, the Dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and formerly the director of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program. In this episode, Dr. Marzullo discusses joining an iSchool as a computer scientist, the latest projects at the Maryland iSchool, and the future of cybersecurity.

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Keith Marzullo, the Dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Marzullo joined the iSchool from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he directed the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program. In this episode, Dr. Marzullo discusses his research background, experience teaching, and his time spent in the federal government.

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently co-sponsored the Code 8.7: Using Computational Science and AI to End Modern Slavery conference. Code 8.7 brought together computer science researchers and technologists with policy researchers, law enforcement officials, and activists involved in the fight against human trafficking. In this episode Khari Douglas interviews CCC Council Members Dan Lopresti (Lehigh University), Nadya Bliss (Arizona State), and James Cockayne (Centre for Policy Research at UN University) on the discussions, outcomes, and next steps of Code 8.7.

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently hosted a visioning workshop on Thermodynamic Computing. This episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast features an interview with Natesh Ganesh, one of the workshop organizers and a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who is interested in the physical limits to computing, brain inspired hardware, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and emergence of intelligence in self-organized systems. Gavin Crooks, formerly a Senior Scientist at Rigetti Quantum Computing and a world expert on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the physics of information, also shares his thoughts on the workshop.

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) recently hosted a visioning workshop on Thermodynamic Computing. This episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast features an interview with workshop organizers, Tom Conte (Georgia Tech) and Todd Hylton (UC San Diego) to discuss their reasons for proposing the workshop, what thermodynamic computing is, and the potential impact that thermodynamic computing could have on future technology. Workshop participant Christof Teuscher (Portland State University) also shares his thoughts on the workshop and his work with new models of computation, including computing with DNA.

The second episode of Catalyzing Computing features an interview of CCC Council Member Suresh Venkatasubramanian. Suresh is a professor at the University of Utah with a background in algorithms and computational geometry, as well as data mining and machine learning. Suresh talks about joining the CCC, the work of the CCC’s Fairness and Accountability task force, and the impact of the internet and algorithms on the modern world.

The first episode of Catalyzing Computing features an interview of CCC Council Member Suresh Venkatasubramanian. Suresh is a professor at the University of Utah with a background in algorithms and computational geometry, as well as data mining and machine learning. In this episode Suresh talks about growing up in India, his grad school trajectory, career choices, and his current research interest in algorithmic fairness.