Plenary Panel
Thursday July 18, 3:00pm
Location: Weasler Auditorium

Convergence and Transformation of Data Digitally via AI, ML, Autonomous Systems

Panel Description:

Invited speakers who represent different and diverse technologies, interests, skills, and backgrounds will speak towards a common, converged theme on how leveraging data through AI, ML, autonomous systems to transform today and the future.

Topics to range from brain machine interface, neuroscience, neuroethics, augmented reality, blockchain, digital twins, digital transformation, and more. Other considerations to include the implications of technology to humans, social, ethics, and legal.

Chair: Kathy L. Grise, IEEE Future Directions, USA

Kathy Grise, Senior Program Director – IEEE Future Directions, supports new technology initiatives, and is the IEEE staff program director for the Digital Reality Initiative, the IEEE Technology Navigator, Future Directions and Industry Advisory Board Committees, and manages the digital presence team for Future Directions. Previous initiatives included big data and cloud computing. Ms. Grise serves as the Technical Program Chair of the IEEE COMPSAC 2019 Symposium – Data Sciences, Analytics, & Technologies (DSAT).

Prior to joining the IEEE staff, Ms. Grise held numerous positions at IBM, and most recently was a Senior Engineering Manager for Process Design Kit Enablement in the IBM Semiconductor Research and Development Center.  Ms. Grise led the overall IT infrastructure implementation, and software development in support of semiconductor device modeling verification, packaging, and delivery; device measurement and characterization data collection and management, and automation for device modeling engineers. Ms. Grise is a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College, and an IEEE Senior member.

Panelists:

Jesse Lowe, University of Missouri Kansas City C.I.B.I.T. Lab
Research and development of emerging technologies with an emphasis on applications of Computational Intelligence and Machine Learning. Investigations of advanced technologies such as Deep Learning and Recurrent Neural Networks for Biomedical Device Technology and Biometric Image and Signal Processing. Special interests in Cognitive Performance Assessment, Human Computer Interface, Augmented Reality, Enhanced Learning, Interface Optimization, Hyper-spectral Imaging, and Image Classification.
Nicholas Napp, Xmark Labs

Nicholas Napp has been working with VR and AR systems since the early 1990s. His team at Rainbow Studios pioneered the use of VR in 3D animation production.

Nicholas has brought over 40 products to market across a wide range of consumer and enterprise markets. He is a systems thinker with broad skills in business development; product development; innovation & technology; and strategic marketing and partnerships. He is particularly focused on the integration of strategy, technology and corporate narrative to accelerate business growth.

His prior roles include leading multiple startups; Lead External Technology Scout, North America for Sony Ericsson; and Vice-President, Animation, Rainbow Studios (sold to THQ, inc.). He is also Chairman of the Board at FabNewport, a non-profit makerspace for middle school and older students.

Roberto Saracco, EIT ICTLABS Italy and EIT Digital

Roberto Saracco, President of EIT ICTLABS Italy and Head of EIT Digital (European Institute of Innovation and Technology for the Digital Transformation) Industrial Doctoral School, IEEE Symbiotic Autonomous Systems Chair

Roberto Saracco is the President of EIT ICTLABS Italy and Head of the Industrial Doctoral School of EIT Digital. His background is in math and computer science. Up to December 2011 he was the Director of the Telecom Italia Future Centre in Venice, looking at the interplay of technology evolution, economics and society. At the turn of the century he led a World Bank-Infodev project to stimulate entrepreneurship in Latin America. He is a senior member of IEEE where he leads the Industry Advisory Board within the Future Directions Committee. He has published over 100 papers in journals and magazines and 16 books

Michael Zimmer, Marquette University
Michael Zimmer, PhD, is a data ethics & privacy scholar, whose work focuses on digital privacy, internet research ethics, and the ethical dimensions of social, mobile & internet technologies. Zimmer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Marquette University. His current projects include “PERVADE: Pervasive Data Ethics” an NSF-funded effort to study how diverse stakeholders – big data researchers, platforms, regulators, and user communities – understand their ethical obligations and choices related to computational research that relies on big, pervasive data sets about people