What does the future of collaborative efforts look like when research methods and strategies of academics are combined with industry help?
The powerful information available in large social science data sets is critical to understanding and addressing many of our nation and world’s most pressing challenges: from Covid-19 to racial, social and economic injustice; and from climate change to deep and damaging political and cultural divides. To help address these challenges, the University of Maryland has launched a new Social Data Science Center (SoDa) designed to advance research, education, and applications of social data measurement and analysis. This center leverages UMD’s strengths in survey methods, measurement, information management, visualization, and analytics. Facebook is providing support for the center’s research and education programs over the next three years.
DAY 1 September 28, 2020 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Social Data Science and Health
A panel discussion with presentations on “Ubiquitous Data Collection: Self-Tracking with Mobile, Wearable, and Embedded Devices” and “Social Data Science and Health: A Geospatial Perspective” as well as an overview of work by research scientists at Facebook will cover big complex issues involving health.
Panelists:
- Kathleen Stewart, Director Center for Geospatial Information (CGIS), UMD
- Eun Kyung Choe, Associate Professor, College of Information Sciences Doctoral Program Director, iSchool
- Katherine Morris, Research Scientist, Demography and Survey Science, Facebook
- Sarah LaRocca, Research Scientist, Demography and Survey Science, Facebook
Moderated by Kim Nickerson, Assistant Dean, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, UMD
DAY 2 September 29, 2020; 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Social Data Science and Business & Economics
A panel discussion with presentations on “Big Data for Real-Time Local Economic Statistics”, “Frameworks for Exploring Technology Policy Design and Impacts”, and “Protecting the Privacy and Utility of Data – a Practitioners View” covering social data science, business, and economics.
Panelists:
- Lori A. Perine, Lecturer, College of Information Studies, UMD
- Julia Lane, Director, Coleridge Initiative, Professor,NYU, Provostial Fellow, Innovation Analytics
- Katharine Abraham, Professor, Economics Department, UMD
Moderated by David Loshin, Director, MIM Program, UMD
DAY 3 September 30, 2020; 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Social Data Science and Privacy & Perceptions
A panel discussion with presentations on ““Data Privacy and Survey Methodology”, “Privacy and Surveillance Challenges Across Work and Home Environments”, as well as an overview of work by research scientists at Facebook will cover big complex issues involving privacy and perceptions.
Panelists:
- Samantha Chiu, JPSM Ph.D. Student, UMD
- Jessica Vitak, Assoc. Professor, iSchool, Dir., CASCI, Assoc. Dir., HCIL, UMD
- Justin Hepler, Quantitative UX Researcher, Privacy Research Team, Facebook
Moderated by Katie Shilton, Associate Professor, iSchool, UMD
