Diesner to discuss biases in data science at Big Data Summit

Jana Diesner
Jana Diesner, Associate Professor and BSIS Program Director

Associate Professor Jana Diesner will present her research on biases in data science at the Big Data Summit, which will be held virtually on November 12. The annual summit brings together experts from the University of Illinois Research Park, industry, and academia to share knowledge about big data and its business applications through panel discussions, keynote presentations, and networking opportunities. This year's summit will include sessions on machine learning, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation.

"Using computational methods, such as techniques from machine learning and AI, for studying social structure and behavior requires scholars and practitioners to make a plethora of unavoidable choices," said Diesner. "This includes choices about how to sample, index, and preprocess data, implement algorithms, measure effects, and validate results."

In her talk, Diesner will present findings from her group's research on assessing the impact of some of these choices on our understanding of social systems, give an overview on sources of potential biases, and suggest strategies for mitigating biased insights.

Diesner's research in human-centered data science and responsible computing combines the benefits of machine learning, AI, network analysis and natural language processing with the consideration of social science theories, social contexts, and ethical concerns. At the University of Illinois, recognition for her research expertise includes a Linowes Fellowship from the Cline Center for Advanced Social Research, an R.C. Evans Data Analytics Fellowship from the Deloitte Foundation Center for Business Analytics, and an appointment as the CIO Scholar for Information Research & Technology. She holds a PhD in computation, organizations and society from Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science.

Updated on
Backto the news archive

Related News

iSchool researchers receive Lee Dirks Award for Best Paper

A paper authored by PhD student Yuerong Hu, HTRC Associate Director for Research Support Services Glen Layne-Worthey, Alaine Martaus (PhD '19), Professor J. Stephen Downie, and Associate Professor Jana Diesner, "Research with User-Generated Book Review Data: Legal and Ethical Pitfalls and Contextualized Mitigations," has received the Lee Dirks Award for Best Paper at iConference 2023.

iSchool instructors ranked as excellent

Fifty-one iSchool instructors were named in the University's List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent for Fall 2022. The rankings are released every semester, and results are based on the Instructor and Course Evaluation System (ICES) questionnaire forms maintained by Measurement and Evaluation in the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Only those instructors who gave out ICES forms during the semester and who released their data for publication are included in the list.

iSchool Building

Knox receives Oboler Memorial Award for book on intellectual freedom

Associate Professor Emily Knox has received the 2023 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award from the Intellectual Freedom Round Table of the American Library Association (ALA). She was selected for the award, which recognizes the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom, for her book, Foundations of Intellectual Freedom (ALA Neal-Schuman, 2022).

Emily Knox

McDowell to present keynote on data storytelling

Associate Professor Kate McDowell will present the closing keynote of the Measures of Success Educator Impact Series at Western Michigan University (WMU) on March 21. The virtual series, which is sponsored by the WMUx Office of Faculty Development, focuses on equity and educator impact.

Kate McDowell

Dahlen selected as judge for National Book Awards

Associate Professor Sarah Park Dahlen has been selected by the National Book Foundation to serve as a judge for the 74th National Book Awards. The foundation chose 25 judges for this year's awards, which are given in the categories of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translated literature, and young people’s literature.

Sarah Park Dahlen