June 2025

Welcome to the June edition of the Data Science and AI Hub newsletter!

Innovation and collaboration have always been central to our mission. As we celebrate our new name — the Data Science and AI Hub — we’re reaffirming our commitment to uniting researchers, students, and partners to explore the future of data and AI. We look forward to continuing these timely discussions with new sessions in the fall, beginning with a talk on Tuesday, September 16, from noon to 1 p.m., featuring Scott Lantham from UMass Lowell presenting a discussion of Are You Ready for the AI University? from The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Looking ahead:

• AI Spring Summit - Virtual registration will remain open until June 8th at 10:00 AM.
• Mark you calendar for November 3rd, 2025 for our second WiADS Conference

This is just the start. As the Data Science and AI Hub, we’re excited to keep growing, connecting, and leading. Stay tuned for more ways to engage with our community.

Stay engaged and inspired! Explore the latest updates, events, and news below or visit our website for more information.

Save the Date for WiADS 2025!

Join the Data Science and AI Hub for an empowering day dedicated to amplifying the voices of women, non-binary, and gender-diverse individuals in AI and data science. Engage in insightful talks, compelling storytelling, and meaningful connections with leaders in AI and data science. From the future of AI to pressing issues in data ethics, our speakers will offer perspectives that educate, challenge, and inspire. Join a supportive, community-focused event where connection, collaboration, and celebration take center stage, fostering inspiration and shared growth.

Our 2025 Keynote: Alex Hanna  

Dr. Alex Hanna is Director of Research at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and a sociologist focused on how data used in computational technologies reinforce racial, gender, and class inequalities. 

Talk Submissions: Interested in sharing your work, research, or story at WiADS 2025? We welcome talk proposals from individuals of all backgrounds and experience levels working in AI and data science. Submit a proposal today.

Stay Connected & Get Involved: Want to stay in the loop on WiADS 2025 updates, including registration announcements and speaker news? Complete our interest form to receive updates. You can also use the form to express interest in joining the planning committee or to suggest speakers and topics you’d like to see at this year’s event.

Interested in exploring new strategies for teaching and learning programming outside of computer science disciplines?

If so, and you’re a staff member, faculty, instructor, postdoc, or undergraduate student on the Twin Cities campus, you’re a candidate for our research study.

Research Project Title: NIC - Social Science Computing

IRB: STUDY00024471

Project Purpose:

This research project seeks to build a Networked Improvement Community focused on teaching and learning programming outside of computer science. NICs develop effective interventions by exploring, testing, and refining computing support pathways. There are four stages: identifying specific areas of need (Plan), envisioning new supports and implementing them to address needs (Do), using measures to gauge changes that occur (Study), and refining and sharing learning designs (Act) (American Institutes for Research, 2023; Bryk et al., 2015). Our study would cover the Plan, Do, and Study phases of a NIC to bring together a distributed population of stakeholders to make collective decisions to improve the teaching and learning of programming outside of computer science disciplines.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Have an interest in exploring new strategies for teaching and learning programming outside of computer science disciplines.
• Be a staff member, instructor, postdoc, or undergraduate student at the University of Minnesota on the Twin Cities campus.

Participants will invest about 14 hours of time for the 9 NIC meetings over the course of two semesters, and an additional 2 hours of time to connect with fellow NIC members. Meals will be provided at all meetings. To thank you for your participation in the study, you will receive a $350 Tango gift-card and $30 coffee shop gift card at the end of the study. There are no known risks involved in this research. All information gathered will be kept strictly confidential, and your identity will be anonymized in any resulting publications or reports.

Should you choose to participate, you will be asked to: 

• Attend and participate in 1 introductory meeting in August 2025 and 8 NIC meetings in Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 to brainstorm and develop new strategies for teaching and learning programming outside of computer science. Meetings will be audio-recorded and last about 1.5 hours. They will be held on Monday or Thursday evenings from 4-5:30pm. Meals will be provided at all meetings.
• Complete questionnaires before the project starts, throughout the project, and at the end of the project.

If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please complete the NIC Interest Form 

Call for Proposals: UMN's Navigating the GenAI Landscape Forum

We are pleased to announce Navigating the GenAI Landscape: A UMN forum for exploration and discovery. 

This online event, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on October 24, 2025, is sponsored by the Center for Educational Innovation (CEI), the Data Science and AI Hub (DSAI Hub), and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) with the objective of fostering discourse and promoting the responsible adoption of AI tools within the University System. 

The program will feature a keynote address, alongside opportunities to attend presentations, hands-on workshops, and high-energy, “lightning round” 15-minute presentations. The forum will explore four tracks: Teaching and Learning, Research, Administrative and University Operations, and Getting Started with AI.

Call for Proposals

We invite presentation proposals from systemwide faculty, staff, and students. Please submit your proposal(s) by July 15, 2025. The planning committee will conduct a rigorous review process and notify presenters of acceptance by September 1, 2025. If you have questions about your proposal, email [email protected].

The DSAI Hub regularly features interviews with members of our vibrant data science community, delving into their perspectives on the field and its implications for their careers. 

This month we are honored to spotlight Brooke Patterson, Data Analytics Manager at CLHSS. Brooke’s work focuses on the intersection of health systems, data analytics, and equity in care delivery. She’s passionate about using data to close gaps in care, improve outcomes, and inform real-world healthcare interventions through implementation science. Brooke defines data science as the practice of turning raw data into actionable insights that enhance decision-making and patient care. A recent project on pancreatic cancer revealed that even small delays in treatment significantly impacted survival—underscoring systemic challenges in timely care access. She’s excited about tools like dbt and ODBC integrations that improve workflow efficiency, as well as efforts to expand their LHS data dictionary. Looking ahead, Brooke is energized by the potential of data science to advance health equity, build clinician trust through explainable AI, and enable broader collaboration through standardized health data systems.

Read Brooke’s full Community Corner spotlight on the DSAI website.

How to Get Involved? 

Let us know if you’d like to be featured or nominate someone who’s making an impact. This is your chance to shine and help us showcase the amazing talent and innovation that defines the DSAI Hub community.

Submit your interest to Leah Saaristo at [email protected]. Let’s celebrate the diverse voices that make the Data Science Initiative extraordinary!

View Previous Spotlights

Last chance to register for the AI Spring Summit!

A Premier Gathering of Leaders in Healthcare, Technology, and Policy to Shape the Future of AI

Join Industry Leaders in Healthcare, Technology, and Policy for the AI Spring Summit 2025, a dynamic three-day event hosted by the Data Science Initiative (DSI) and the Health AI Institute (HAI). This summit will bring together leaders in technology, healthcare, academia, and policy to explore how artificial intelligence is built, governed, and applied in the real world.

Held at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the event is anchored by two interconnected workshops that highlight both the technical and societal dimensions of AI:

June 10–11: Health AI Summit – Focused on AI in clinical care, public health, operational efficiency, and emerging tech, with speakers from Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, Regions Hospital, and more.

June 11–12: DSI Spring Research Workshop – Centered on AI governance, ethics, and policy, featuring experts from the New York Times, Associated Press, Fredrikson & Byron, and Georgetown Law.

Featured sessions include:

• AI for Clinical Decisions – with Deepti Pandita (UCI Health), John O'Horo (Mayo Clinic), Genevieve Melton-Meaux (Fairview & UMN), Jared Pelo (Microsoft), and Karyn Baum, MD, MSEd, MHA (UMN)
• Emerging AI Technologies in Healthcare – with jaideep srivastava (UMN), Eric Williamson (Mayo Clinic), James Southwick (Greater MSP), Rodolphe Katra, PhD, MBA & Rick Kuntz (Medtronic)
• Bipartisan Health AI Policy – with Gopal Khanna (Health AI Institute), Katie Adams (Bipartisan Policy Center), Jim Nash & Steve Elkins (MN House), and Tarek Tomes (State of MN)
• Talk with Eleni Kyriakides on Understanding Privacy and AI Governance: Challenges and Recent Developments

Keynotes by:

•  ⭐ U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar
• Aimee Rinehart, Associated Press
• Steven Posnack, HHS
• Hannah Poferl, The New York Times
• Bill Gassen, Sanford Health

… and more!

Expect engaging keynotes, interactive sessions, and meaningful networking opportunities with professionals shaping the future of AI in healthcare and beyond. Whether you're a researcher, practitioner, or policymaker, this summit offers space to connect and collaborate across disciplines.

Reminder: Faculty, students and staff of any University get a discounted rate to attend this summit. Virtual registration will remain open until June 8th at 10:00 AM!

More info & registration can be found on our event

Research Spotlight - Seed Grant Awardee

Title: Big VISION Initiative: The First Large-scale Dataset and Industry and Academia Forum for Vision-based Industrial Inspection (VISION)

PI(s): Shancong Mou

DSI Track: Foundational

MnDRIVE Area(s): Robots and Sensors

Summary Paragraph: 

Manufacturing companies often rely on visual inspection—looking for cracks, defects, or flaws—as a critical step to ensure product quality and safety. However, training today’s powerful artificial intelligence (AI) systems requires large collections of high-quality images. The Big VISION Initiative, led by the University of Minnesota, addresses this need by creating one of the first large-scale, publicly available datasets for vision-based industrial inspection. Our goal is to gather a large image dataset, including products from diverse industries (e.g., electronics and steel manufacturing). Each image will be meticulously “annotated,” meaning trained inspectors and automated tools will identify and mark any defects at the pixel level. This will help AI systems recognize defects with greater accuracy. Beyond collecting data, our team is pioneering new techniques to make the annotation process more efficient and cost-effective. By blending human feedback with AI-driven tools, we can accelerate labeling tasks that normally take countless hours. Finally, the Big VISION Initiative will bring together experts from academia and industry through workshops and forums. By sharing knowledge and addressing real-world challenges, we aim to power smarter manufacturing, reduce waste, and improve product quality worldwide.

View Seed Grant Awardees

Events

AI Spring Summit 
When: June 10–12, 2025 
Where: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota

Join Industry Leaders in Healthcare, Technology, and Policy for the AI Spring Summit 2025, a dynamic three-day event hosted by the Data Science Initiative (DSI) and the Health AI Institute (HAI). This summit will bring together leaders in technology, healthcare, academia, and policy to explore how artificial intelligence is built, governed, and applied in the real world. Held at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, the event is anchored by two interconnected workshops that highlight both the technical and societal dimensions of AI:

• June 10–11: Health AI Summit – Focused on AI in clinical care, public health, operational efficiency, and emerging tech, with speakers from Microsoft, Mayo Clinic, Regions Hospital, and more.
• June 11–12: DSI Spring Research Workshop – Centered on AI governance, ethics, and policy, featuring experts from the New York Times, Associated Press, Fredrikson & Byron, and Georgetown Law.

Expect engaging keynotes, interactive sessions, and meaningful networking opportunities with professionals shaping the future of AI in healthcare and beyond. Whether you're a researcher, practitioner, or policymaker, this summit offers space to connect and collaborate across disciplines.

More info & registration for the Summit - Registration is June 2nd at 11:59pm

Data Discovery Across Departments 

Events in other departments/initiatives/institutions - (External (Non-DSAI Hub Events)

North American School of Information Theory (NASIT) 
When: June 16-20 
Where: Minneapolis, MN & Virtual  

This year’s North American School of Information Theory (NASIT) will be held here at the University of Minnesota on June 16-20. There will be 11 tutorials on a wide range of topics from information theory and machine learning to bioinformatics. NASIT offers a valuable opportunity for students and postdocs to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas. The organizers (CSE DSI affiliates Martina Cardone, Mohammad Ali Maddah-Ali, and Soheil Mohajer) hope you’ll encourage your students and postdocs to attend. Registration fees ranging from $120-$200 (depending on IEEE membership). The deadline for early registration is May 10th. Register for NASIT here

Technology Platform with Photoelectrical and Electromagnetic (EM) Stimulator Arrays and Contactless Quantum Spintronic Sensor Array for Understanding Vision

When: June 17th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Where: Walter Library

Join Professor Tinen Iles, from the Department of Surgery at the University of Minnesota Medical School, for an exciting talk included within our upcoming lecture series.

Learn more and Register

Global Climate Geodesign Challenge
When: June 30th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Where: Walter Library 

International Institute for Biosensing (IIB) is proud to host Prof. Thomas Fisher, director of the Minnesota Design Center, and Dayton Hudson Chair in Urban Design in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota.

Recognized in 2005 as the fifth most published writer about architecture in the United States, Fisher has written 9 books, over 50 book chapters or introductions, and over 400 articles in professional journals and major publications. Named a top-25 design educator four times by Design Intelligence, he has lectured at 36 universities and over 150 professional and public meetings. He has written extensively about architectural design, practice, and ethics. His latest book, Designing our Way to a Better World (Minnesota) came out in 2016.

Learn more and Register

A Breakthrough in Colorimetric Lateral Flow Diagnostics: An LED-Based Handheld Thermal Contrast Reader

When: July 15th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Where: Walter Library  

Professor John Bischof, a Distinguished McKnight University Professor and a faculty member in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. He serves as Director of both the University of Minnesota Institute for Engineering in Medicine and the NSF Engineering Research Center for Advanced Technologies for Preservation of Biological Systems. In addition, Dr. Bischof currently holds the Medtronic-Bakken Endowed Chair for Engineering in Medicine.

Learn more and Register

Biosensors for point of care applications

When: August 5th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Where: Walter Library  

In its Precision Sensing Lecture Series, International Institute for Biosensing (IIB) is proud to host Prof. T. G. Satheesh Babu. He currently serves as Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore Campus. Prof. Babu leads the Biosensor Research group and Amrita Biomedical Engineering centre at the Coimbatore Campus and Heads the Amrita Biomedical Engineering (AMBE) centre. He also serves as the Research Head for the School of Physical Sciences at the Coimbatore campus.

Learn more and Register

Using Neural Signals to Optimize Neuromodulation Therapies to Treat Neurological Disease

When: September 8th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Where: Walter Library

Professor Tay Netoff, Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering. The Netoff lab is developing novel approaches for optimizing electrical stimulation to maximize outcomes for each patient.

Learn more and Register

Ethics of Robotics in Healthcare with Special Consideration for Women

When: November 10th, 2025 at 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Where: Walter Library  

Professor Catherine McCarty, Associate Dean for Research at the Medical School, Duluth campus, University of Minnesota. Professor McCarty started her research career as the Head of the Epidemiology Research Unit at the University of Melbourne. During her eight years in this position, she led population-based studies of vision impairment in Australia, India, and Hong Kong. Upon returning to the US, Professor McCarty was the Principal Investigator for the Marshfield Clinic Personalized Medicine Research Project and conducted research in the areas of genetic epidemiology, pharmacogenetics, and community engagement related to biobanking. Professor McCarty currently conducts mixed-methods research in bioethics and rural health.

Learn more and Register

2025 Data-Intensive Research Conference

When: August 6-7, 2025

Where: Minneapolis, MN & Virtual  

The IPUMS Big Microdata Network and NDIRA, a collaboration between IPUMS and the University of Minnesota Life Course Center, are currently accepting submissions for the 2025 Data-Intensive Research Conference, to be held in person in Minneapolis, Minnesota; key components of the program will also be available to virtual participants. The conference theme is Understanding Health and Population Dynamics through Big Microdata. 

Learning Resources

Value Proposition Design Workshop

When: In Person, Thursday afternoons, June 12 - July 31, 2-4pm

Where: Bruininks Hall

Cost: Free!

This 5-week in-person course will explore the commercial viability of your research innovation idea. Successful completion can lead to nomination to the NSF National I-Corps Teams program, including a $50,000 grant.

REU: AI, Data Analytics, and Mixed Reality for Smart and Connected Health

Texas State University and Texas A&M San Antonio are accepting applications from undergraduate students to attend their 9-week summer program: REU: AI, Data Analytics, and Mixed Reality for Smart and Connected Health

This Texas State University (TXST) REU site engages undergraduate students in innovative Smart and Connected Health and Communities research in collaboration with Texas A&M-San Antonio. Students explore areas like AI-driven emotion recognition for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), enhanced firefighting systems, and tech-assisted sports assessments for spinal cord injuries. Projects apply machine learning, AI, and IoT to real-world challenges, such as developing AI-powered smart homes for individuals with ASD and improving chronic ankle instability diagnosis. Students also study advanced computer vision for object tracking in engineering. This interdisciplinary experience prepares participants for advanced STEM studies and careers.

The program runs from June 2 to August 1, 2025

• A stipend of $6,300 ($700/week)
• A travel stipend of $700
• Housing and meals are included
• The site will support nine student positions for the summer

Eligibility:

• Undergraduate students – sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior
• US Citizen or permanent resident
• GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)

Requirements for the application:

• Your current Resume/CV (PDF file)
• Purpose Statement (PDF file)
• Unofficial University transcript (PDF file)
• Two recommendation letters (PDF files)
• You can express interest in a specific project(s) in your statement. - see projects

Starting to review application: March 1st, 2025

Decision notifications: Ongoing until positions are filled

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Damian Valles, [email protected]

Funding Opportunities and Deadline

If you're interested in exploring these or other data science opportunities, whether it's finding the right team, preparing your submission, or partnering with industry on federal and state funding initiatives, please reach out—we’re here to help!

• DARPA Methodological Advancements for Generalizable Insights into Complex Systems (MAGICS) This ARC opportunity is soliciting ideas to explore the question: Are there new methods and paradigms for modeling collective human behavior capable of overcoming limits of statistical approaches to accurately predict complex social phenomena and capture the dynamics of evolving, open, time varying, recursive, reactive, non-ergodic systems? Deadline: July 10, 2025.
• NSF Incorporating Human Behavior in Epidemiological Models (IHBEM) The IHBEM program is motivated by the urgent need to provide more useful modeling tools to inform decision making and to evaluate public health policies during pandemics and other public health crises, with the premise that improvement may be made by incorporating human behavioral and social processes. Full Proposal Deadline: July 14, 2025.
• DARPA expMath (Solicitation posted!): Exponentiating Mathematics The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative proposals in the technical area of artificial intelligence (AI) to dramatically increase the rate of progress in mathematics. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. Proposal abstract due May 15, 2025 (strongly encouraged); proposals due July 8, 2025.

For students:

• The NSF PACK fellowship: The PACK fellowship is a graduate student opportunity to conduct research at the University of Kiel, Germany for 3 weeks. Applicants from any science or engineering discipline are encouraged to apply now! 

Open Positions, Assistantships, and Internships

• EPM Scientific is seeking a AI Research Scientist: As a core member of their ML group, you will design, implement, and deploy novel models that unlock insights from large‑scale biological data-directly accelerating the development of tomorrow's medicines.
• Southwest is seeking a Data Scientist This role supports integrated operations projects on the Data Science and Automation Team and collaborates with various business units to implement data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence solutions. This role primarily partners with various Operational groups in the company such as Network Operations, Ground Operations, and Crew. The Data Scientist is a strong communicator who is comfortable synthesizing and presenting datato support impactful initiatives that drive the future of Southwest.
• Middle Tennessee State University invites applications for a 12-month, full-time postdoctoral research fellow (#K87010) in STEM education research. This position offers a unique opportunity to engage in impactful, collaborative studies at the intersection of education and the sciences. The initial appointment is for one year with the possibility of extension for one additional year, depending on continued interest, performance, and available funding.

Social Media/Website Links

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