2024 Research Speaker Series

Cecilia Aragon

Professor, HCDE

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

What is Human-Centered Data Science and Why Does It Matter?

There have been extraordinary advances in our ability to collect, analyze, and interpret vast amounts of data which have transformed the fundamental nature of data science and artificial intelligence (AI). The human aspects of data science/AI, including how to support creativity and human insight without violating individual rights, how to address ethical concerns, and the consideration of societal impacts, have received relatively less attention. Yet these human issues are vital to the future of data science and AI. Dr. Aragon will reflect on a 30-year career in data science and AI in industry, government, and academia, discuss what it means for data science to be both rigorous and human-centered, and speculate upon future directions for data science and AI, including her recent tech startup.

Dr. Cecilia Aragon is Professor in HCDE and Director of the Human-Centered Data Science Lab at the University of Washington. Her research focuses on human-centered analysis of vast data sets. Her awards for research, and a stint designing software for NASA, led President Obama to call her "one of the top scientists and engineers in the country” when she received the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. She has worked with Nobel Prize winners, taught astronauts to fly, and created musical simulations of the universe with rock stars. She is one of 3 co-founders of Latinas in Computing. Dr. Aragon's research has been recognized with over $28M in grants from federal agencies, private foundations, and industry, and she has published over 200 articles and 3 books. Her two latest books are Flying Free (2020) and Human-Centered Data Science (2022). She is a Distinguished Member of the ACM and a 2017-18 Fulbright Scholar. She won the Distinguished Alumni Award in Computer Science from UC Berkeley in 2013, the student-nominated Faculty Innovator in Teaching Award from HCDE at UW that same year, and was named one of the Top 25 Women of 2009 by Hispanic Business Magazine. Most recently, she was featured in GeekWire on her latest venture, a tech startup.