The Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS) annual symposium event, which seeks to bring together University students, faculty and researchers with industry professionals “to explore the transformative power of data science and high-performance computing,” will be held on Monday, Oct. 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in HUB-Robeson Center at University Park. 

“At ICDS, one of our main pillars is enhancing the visibility of and aiding in interdisciplinary computational and data sciences research,” said Guido Cervone, ICDS director. “Through the symposium, Penn State faculty and students who apply computational and data science methodologies to research can come together to learn from one another, engage in meaningful conversations and start collaborations that have the potential to create impact.” 

This year’s event is focused on fostering multi- and interdisciplinary research collaborations with a computational edge. 

The symposium will cover topics such as harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) in different domains for broader impacts, the future of digital twins, machine learning tools and more.

Event highlights include: 

• 9:15 a.m.: “Keynote: AI Ethics and Governance in the Age of Generative AI and AI Agents”
  Speaker: Francesca Rossi, IBM Global Leader for Responsible AI and AI Governance, and IBM Fellow
• 10:45 a.m.: “Transformative Research: Harnessing AI for Impact”  
  This panel discussion will focus on using AI to tackle complex research questions and societal issues
• 3:30 p.m.: A student poster session and networking event showcasing current computational and data sciences research at Penn State. 

The symposium will also feature concurrent workshops hosted by ICDS co-hires John Harlim, professor of mathematics; Eric Ford, distinguished professor in astronomy and astrophysics, both in the Eberly College of Science; and Mahmut Kandemir, professor of computer science and engineering in the College of Engineering, and other Penn State faculty members.

Call for posters: 

The student poster session is accepting poster submissions until the deadline on Sunday, Sept. 21, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Any graduate or undergraduate student may submit a poster for consideration. Research posters should have a significant computational or data science element to be eligible. At least one author per poster must be available to present their work in person at the symposium on Oct. 6. 

Student posters will be judged by a panel of Penn State researchers. Three posters will receive a prize. First place will receive $500, second place will receive $250 and third place will receive $100. Prizes will be deposited into the student’s bursar account. 

To register, submit a student poster and view a full list of events, visit the ICDS website.