IT Matters

IT Matters is a speaker series hosted by Kevin Boyd, associate vice president and CIO. During these sessions, Kevin welcomes guests to the IT Matters stage to discuss the important work of the University and the key role information technology plays in enabling and advancing the efforts of faculty, students, staff, and community partners.

Recent IT Matters Events

Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering

Friday, December 2, 2022 | 2:00–3:30 p.m.

The last IT Matters speaker series featured a group of faculty and staff from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), which integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. We spoke with PME faculty and staff: Craig Hamill, Liang Jiang, and Nancy Kawalek.

View the PME recording (Panopto video)

About the Speakers

Craig Hamill

Craig Hamill is Director of Information Technology for the PME. He provides technology-based leadership in support of academic, administrative and research excellence. As the Director of IT, he is establishing and creating an IT Vision, strategy and plan that will align with and enable the PME’s mission of research, education and service. He is responsible for working and collaborating with the PME’s executive team, faculty, staff and partners to create the most efficient and effective service delivery model that encompasses both common and specialized needs.

Liang Jiang

Liang Jiang is Professor of Molecular Engineering at PME. He investigates quantum systems and explores various quantum applications, such as quantum sensing, quantum transduction, quantum communication, and quantum computation. His efforts are helping to make quantum computing and communication technology scalable and more accessible. Professor Jiang is Principal Investigator (PI) for the Jiang Group, which investigates quantum control and quantum error correction to protect quantum information from decoherence for various physical platforms.

Nancy Kawalek

Nancy Kawalek is Professor and Distinguished Fellow in the Arts, Science and Technology, at PME. She is an artist and innovator specializing in the creation and development of theatre inspired by science and technology. She is the founder and director of STAGE: Scientists, Technologists and Artists Generating Exploration—a laboratory for creating multimedia theater pieces in which science and technology play prominent roles in content and form. Kawalek’s team, which includes distinguished scientists, engineers, professional actors, technology experts, and diverse theatrical, visual, media and performing artists, collectively engages in the development of new theatrical work.

Past IT Matters Events

March 2022 | Data Science Institute

The March 2022 IT Matters speaker series featured a group of faculty leading the UChicago Data Science Institute, which facilitates research collaboration, outreach and educational programs, and community around data science at the University of Chicago.

Kevin Boyd spoke with Nick Feamster, Dan Nicolae, David Uminsky, and Rebecca Willett about what they do and how the discipline is growing.

View the Data Science Institute Recording (Panopto Video)

About the Speakers

Nick Feamster is Neubauer Professor in the Department of Computer Science and the College. He researches computer networking and networked systems, with a particular interest in Internet censorship, privacy, and the Internet of Things. His work on experimental networked systems and security aims to make networks easier to manage, more secure, and more available.

Dan Nicolae obtained his Ph.D. in statistics from The University of Chicago and has been a faculty at the same institution since 1999, with appointments in Statistics (since 1999) and Medicine (since 2006). His research focus is on developing statistical and computational methods for understanding the human genetic variation and its influence on the risk for complex traits, with an emphasis on asthma related phenotypes.

David Uminsky joined the University of Chicago in September 2020 as a senior research associate and Executive Director of Data Science. He was previously an associate professor of Mathematics and Executive Director of the Data Institute at University of San Francisco (USF). His research interests are in machine learning, signal processing, pattern formation, and dynamical systems.

Rebecca Willett is a Professor of Statistics and Computer Science at the University of Chicago. She completed her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University in 2005 and was an Assistant then tenured Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University from 2005 to 2013. She was an Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Harvey D. Spangler Faculty Scholar, and Fellow of the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2013 to 2018.

IT Matters Archives

October 2021 | The Sociome Project

Scientists from the Data Science Institute are studying the Sociome, or the social, environmental, behavioral, and psychological factors that play a critical role in human health outside the biological structures of disease. In this collaboration across disciplines, researchers are focused on answering the question, “How can we use the social factors that influence health and disease in data-driven medicine?”

Learn more about the speakers and view the online recording.

June 2020 | Innovative Approaches to Remote Teaching and Learning

During this event, Chief Information Officer, Kevin Boyd, talked with a panel of five instructors, who shared and discussed the tools and techniques they’ve used during the Spring Quarter transition to a remote environment. Instructors include Heidi Coleman, Allyson Nadia Field, Patrick Jagoda, James Osbourne, and Jennifer Spriull.

Learn about the speakers and view the online recording.

May 2019 | Driving Research and Discovery

Kevin Boyd, associate vice president and CIO, welcomed Rob Gardner and Robert Grossman for an engaging conversation on research and high performance computing. The guests shared their perspectives on the importance and role of institutions like UChicago in supporting and driving research and discovery.

Learn more about the speakers and view the online recording.

January 2021 | Quantum Computing

Quantum physics is creating the potential to create quantum computers and networks that may one day greatly outperform current computers. Our panel of four researchers talked about their work in quantum computing and how it could change the work we do in IT. During this event, we talked with researchers Diana Franklin, Liang Jiang, Robert Rand, and David Shuster.

Learn about the speakers and view the online recording.

January 2020 | Urban Labs

During this event, Kevin Boyd talked with four guests from Urban Labs. Urban Labs is comprised of five labs working to address challenges across five key dimensions of urban life: crime, education, health, poverty, and energy and environment. The guests will share their perspectives on the importance and role of institutions like the University of Chicago in research and how information technology helps Urban Labs with their research.

Learn about Urban Labs and view the online recording.

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