Coursera recently named Christopher Brooks, assistant professor at the School of Information, a winner of its Outstanding Educator Award for Innovation for his teaching strategies in the online Applied Data Science with Python Specialization. His approach allows students are to use actual data in a low-stakes environment to solve problems that are relevant to their own communities,… Read More »
Advanced Research Computing – Technology Services (ARC-TS) is pleased to announce that the Yottabyte Research Cloud (YBRC) computing platform is now certified to accept data designated as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). This includes certification for YBRC and its associated services, enabling secure data analysis on Windows and Linux virtual desktops as well as secure hosting of databases and… Read More »
ITS Teaching & Learning data concierge Jeff Ziegler recently completed a project for the School of Nursing’s Undergraduate Nursing program that has greatly improved their student evaluation process. Working with clinical instructor Diane Accurso and student advisors Rachel Patterson and Chad Gorski, Ziegler designed and implemented a custom solution for their Professional Nursing Education (PNE) clinical course that uses… Read More »
Four U-M research teams will receive support for projects that apply data science tools to the study of music theory, performance, social media-based music making, and the connection between words and music. The funding is provided under the Data Science for Music Challenge Initiative through the Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS). The projects include digital analysis of… Read More »
The 14th Precision Medicine World Conference (PMWC) will take place at U-M’s Ross School of Business, June 6-7, 2018. The conference coincides with U-M’s launch of a Precision Health research initiative, which combines biomedical expertise, big data, and the social sciences enabling a comprehensive approach to providing patients with tailored health solutions. The conference program, which will focus… Read More »
Florian Schaub, an assistant professor at U-M and a privacy expert, notes in a recent article that the patchwork of U. S. laws and regulations that govern data collection and privacy leave loopholes for companies to exploit. For example, Federal laws strictly protect medical, financial, and education-related records. However, online services, apps, and data collection by emerging technologies… Read More »
Concern about Facebook’s power in society – and in politics – has skyrocketed in the wake of revelations that users’ data was used in targeted political ads in advance of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Other tech giants have also sparked concern: Google, Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft have all faced objections from users, the public, and even government agencies. But in a recent article, Amanda Lotz,… Read More »
The Office of Academic Innovation has several events scheduled so far for spring and summer. Also, there’s still time to enroll for the Teach-Out starting on March 26: Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Mixed Reality: Opportunities and Issues. AIM Analytics: Using Big Data to Understand Factors that Affect Student Success in STEM Join us on Monday, March 19 from… Read More »
Research labs and teams sometimes spend a large amount of sponsored grant funding on data storage and computing resources. Researchers often have to choose between data safety and saving money, resulting in decreased productivity, and time wasted on data recovery. Beginning March 5, 2018, Health Information Technology & Services (HITS), in partnership with Advanced Research Computing – Technology Services (ARC-TS),… Read More »
Based on the many requests for more info on BusinessObjects and specific data sets, ITS’s IT4U series of webinars has just booked the following sessions for March and April: IT4U81: Using BusinessObjects with Financial Data–Q&A. Thursday, March 29, 9-9:45 am. Bill LaCroix (ITS) offers tips on creating and modifying Financial reports in BusinessObjects in this informal Q&A session.… Read More »
U-M’s new, interdisciplinary Data Science Master’s Program is taking applications for its first group of students. The program is aimed at teaching participants how to extract useful knowledge from massive datasets using computational and statistical techniques. The program is a collaboration between the College of Engineering (EECS), the College of Literature Science and the Arts (Statistics), the School of Public… Read More »
Pennsylvania’s congressional map was among the most gerrymandered in history. Experts like LSA political science professor Jowei Chen used data analyis and computer modeling to help change that situation. Chen’s computer programs create alternative maps based on a series of geographic constraints: maps that are compact in shape, preserve county and municipal boundaries, and have equal populations. They’re drawn,… Read More »
U-M has one of the largest alumni networks that spans the state and the globe. Until recently, accessing this robust network often relied upon Excel spread sheets, paper lists, making LinkedIn connections, or through serendipitous meetings—not exactly a convenient or reliable system. Frequently, students asked staff at the University Career Center (UCC): “Is there an easy way to… Read More »
Jenna Wiens, a computer scientist and assistant professor of engineering at U-M, helped create an algorithm to predict a patient’s risk of developing a C-diff infection (CDI), one of the deadliest killers in American hospitals. The algorithm uses a form of artificial intelligence called machine learning to extract warning signs of disease from patients’ vital signs and other health records—constellations of symptoms, circumstances,… Read More »
Among the 25 leading research institutions that make up the Unizin consortium, the University of Michigan is recognized as a leader in the field of learning analytics research and development. This distinction contributed to U-M being asked by Unizin to lead the design and development of the Unizin Data Platform (UDP), a cloud-based infrastructure for delivering learning analytics… Read More »
The Office of Academic Innovation is hosting three events in January: AIM Analytics: Making Online Learning Work for Everyone Join us on Monday, January 22 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at North Quad Space 2435 (105 South State Street.) for AIM Analytics. Digital Tools & Youth Outreach Community: Privacy, Ethical Considerations and Pre-College Data Join us on… Read More »
Michigan Medicine will receive approximately $2.5 million for completing a statewide incentive program to improve patient safety, enhance data integrity, and reduce workflow. The program, Common Key Service (CKS), provides a consistent and reliable way to match patients with their electronic health data across multiple healthcare settings by assigning a unique identifier for every patient in the state… Read More »
Computing platform Yottabyte Research Cloud (YBRC), offered through Advanced Research Computing – Technology Services (ARC-TS), is now HIPAA-compliant. YBRC and its associated services can accept restricted data, enabling secure data analysis on Windows and Linux virtual desktops as well as secure hosting of databases and data ingestion. The new capability ensures the security of restricted data through the… Read More »
Research using machine learning and artificial intelligence—tools that allow computers to learn about and predict outcomes from massive datasets—has been booming at U-M. The potential societal benefits being explored on campus are numerous, from on-demand transportation systems to self-driving vehicles to individualized medical treatments to improved battery capabilities. The ability of computers and machines generally to learn from… Read More »
It’s like “Iron Chef,” but with data instead of ingredients. The first-ever U-M Iron Viz Championship was held on November 30, 2017, in the Arbor Lakes Dome. Using Tableau Software’s visual analytics capabilities, data analysts were tasked with building a data visualization—or viz—in front of a live audience in just 20 minutes using 45,000+ rows of data about… Read More »