October 31, 2019

Gathering of data scientists to discuss ‘What IF Partnerships Led the Data Revolution?’

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — How can we capture the full potential of data science? What actions can be taken to make use of data science in sector-based domains?

These questions and more will be addressed at the Data Science Partnership Summit, which will take place Nov. 12 at Ross-Ade Pavilion’s Shively Club. The summit is free and open to the public, but registration is required by Nov. 4 and can be completed online.

ed-simcox Ed Simcox. (Courtesy photo).

The event is part of Purdue’s Ideas Festival, the centerpiece of the university’s Giant Leaps Sesquicentennial Campaign, which is a series of events held this past year to connect world-renowned speakers and Purdue expertise in a conversation on the most critical problems facing the world. "Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Automation: Balancing Humanity and Technology" is one of the Ideas Festival themes.

The summit will kick off at 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 12 with a welcome address by Purdue President Mitch Daniels. The summit will include a discussion featuring Sherry Aaholm, vice president and chief information officer of Cummins Inc., and Ed Simcox, chief technology officer of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Aaholm will discuss data science from a private-sector perspective, and Simcox will discuss data science from a public-sector perspective.

sherry-aaholm Sherry Aaholm. (Courtesy photo).

Aaholm joined Cummins in 2013 and is responsible for the information technology transformation strategy, digital innovation, connected products and daily operations of the global infrastructure footprint. Prior to Cummins, she was the executive vice president of IT at FedEx Services. Aaholm received a bachelor’s degree in marketing and economics and a Master of Science degree in sustainability from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. She also attended the University of Chicago Graduate School and studied finance for executives and strategic business leadership.

Simcox has been working within the intersection of health care and technology for 18 years. At the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he provides leadership and direction to ensure that HHS effectively leverages data, technology and innovation to improve the lives of the American people and the performance of the operating divisions across the department. Simcox has previously worked as the health care practice leader at Logicalis; director of U.S. health care strategy, partnership and product development at AT&T Inc.; and asynchronously served as chief technology officer and director of business innovations at Indiana University Health.

Other confirmed speakers are Joseph Simkins, senior economist at TEConomy; Jeffrey A. Collins, U.S. Air Force colonel and chief technology innovation officer at the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Eric Acton, head of innovation ecosystems and R2 data labs at Rolls-Royce; and Phani Chavali, head of analytics, plant breeding at Bayer Crop Science. The lunch discussion is open for industry attendees and by invitation only.

The Data Science Partnership Initiative is hosted by the Purdue Integrative Data Science Initiative and the Center for Science of Information.

The Integrative Data Science Initiative is a presidential-level Purdue Moves initiative that is focused on establishing Purdue at the forefront of advancing data science enabled research and education by tightly coupling theory, discovery and applications while providing students with an integrated, data science-fluent campus ecosystem. Purdue’s “Data Science for All” vision is to ensure pervasive infusion of data science across all disciplines in research and education.

Writer: Madison Sanneman, msannema@purdue.edu

Source: Pankaj Sharma, sharma@purdue.edu

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