Institute Hosts Roundtables on Regional Interests in Big Data and the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub
On May 24th, the Hariri Institute hosted Rene Baston, Executive Director of the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub, for a day of discussion on big data trends, BU’s role as a national leader in data science research, and opportunities for innovative collaborations and regional initiatives. Two roundtables brought together individuals from a variety of disciplines, BU departments, and organizations to discuss ways in which the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub can best serve BU and the region.
The first roundtable, titled “Regional Interest in Big Data,” included John Goodhue, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center (MGHPCC); Mary Rose Greenough, Director of Program Development at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; Katherine Lusk, Executive Director of BU’s Initiative on Cities, and Paul Trunfio, Senior Research Scientist and Director of the Center for Data and Network Science in K-20 Education at BU. From K-20 STEM initiatives to the infrastructure needs of smart cities and connected communities, the group discussed how to build and strengthen public, academic, and corporate collaborations to confront societal challenges such as privacy, ethics, and addressing the needs of underserved populations.
At the second roundtable, Baston and Hariri leadership were joined by John Byers (Computer Science), Ayse Coskun (Electrical & Computer Engineering), Jacob Groshek (Emerging Media Studies), and Orran Krieger (Electrical & Computer Engineering and Cloud Computing Initiative) in a discussion of how BU can continue to work with the Northeast Big Data Innovation Hub to identify resources and support research initiatives. Titled “Northeast Big Data Hub,” the roundtable focused on how to leverage the networks of individual participants and the Hub to develop large-scale research opportunities.
The day offered a critical discussion of how current BU researchers and research partners can tap into networks of external contacts, regional government agencies, NGOs, and private companies who deliver big data tools and services or who have big data problems or other interests in connecting to the Hub’s community of experts.