October 2020 - change - Mailing Lists

X4D: AI & Social Good (November 11 at 3pm US EST)
by Neha Kumar 10 Nov '20

10 Nov '20

Hi all, We invite you to the next session of the X4D Talks <http://x4d.org> on *November 11th* (use calendar link <https://calendar.google.com/event?action=TEMPLATE&tmeid=NGlxcGRqYWc1aGJodnJ…>). Our speakers include the following: *Dr. Ayanna Howard * Professor, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech, USA *Tackling the Human Bias in AI* People tend to overtrust sophisticated computing devices, including AI systems. As these systems become more fully interactive with humans during the performance of day-to-day activities, the role of bias in these human-AI interaction scenarios must be more carefully investigated. Bias, as a feature of human life, has often been encoded in and can manifest itself through AI algorithms, which humans then take guidance from, resulting in the phenomenon of excessive trust. Bias further impacts this potential risk for trust, or overtrust, in that these systems are learning by mimicking our own thinking processes, inheriting our own implicit gender and racial biases, for example. Consequently, the propensity for trust and the potential of bias may have a direct impact on the overall quality of the interaction between humans and machines, whether the interaction is in the domains of healthcare, job-placement, or other high-impact life scenarios. In this talk, we will discuss this phenomenon of integrated trust and bias through the lens of AI systems that interact with people in scenarios that are realizable in the near-term. *Dr. Milind Tambe * Professor, Harvard University and Director "AI for Social Good" at Google Research India *AI for Public Health and Conservation: Learning and Planning in the Data-to-Deployment Pipeline* With the maturing of AI and multiagent systems research, we have a tremendous opportunity to direct these advances towards addressing complex societal problems. We focus on the problems of public health and wildlife conservation, and present research advances in multiagent systems to address one key cross-cutting challenge: how to effectively deploy our limited intervention resources in these problem domains. We present our deployments from around the world as well as lessons learned that we hope are of use to researchers who are interested in AI for Social Impact. Achieving social impact in these domains often requires methodological advances; we will highlight key research advances in topics such as computational game theory, multi-armed bandits and influence maximization in social networks for addressing challenges in public health and conservation. In pushing this research agenda, we believe AI can indeed play an important role in fighting social injustice and improving society. *Dr. Maria De-Arteaga* Assistant Professor, University of Texas Austin *A Case for Humans in the Loop* The increased use of algorithmic predictions in sensitive domains has been accompanied by both enthusiasm and concern. To understand the opportunities and risks of these technologies, it is key to study how experts alter their decisions when using such tools. In this work, we study the adoption of an algorithmic tool used to assist child maltreatment hotline screening decisions. We show that, while humans do make use of recommendations, they are less likely to adhere to the machine's recommendation when the score displayed is an incorrect estimate of risk. These results highlight the risks of full automation and the importance of designing decision pipelines that provide humans with autonomy. *Mr. Arbel Vigodny* Chief Operating Officer, Zzapp Malaria *AI in the service of malaria elimination in sub-Saharan Africa* Malaria is one of the most persistent public health problems, responsible for over 400,000 deaths per year. However, the basic tools to fight the disease have been around for over a century, and have successfully eliminated malaria from many countries around the world. In this talk I will discuss how Zzapp uses AI to overcome the challenges involved in the implementation of these tools in sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease burden is highest, and how we bring AI to the most remote and inaccessible regions. *When: *November 11 | 3pm-4.30pm US EST (8pm-9.30pm UTC) *Where: *https://ucl.zoom.us/j/98786206186 Warmly, X4D Organizers

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Talk this Thursday: Braving Citational Justice within HCI
by Neha Kumar 27 Oct '20

27 Oct '20

Dear ICTD community (and friends), Naveena Karusala and I invite you to engage with us this Thursday on the topic of braving citational justice in Human-Computer Interaction. We thought that as scholars who do work on/with/for the margins, you would have a lot to add, so an invitation was necessary (albeit late). More info on this talk and the seminar series here: https://exceptional-norms.at/critical-perspectives/. We are grateful to Katta Spiel for creating the space for this conversation. Best, Neha & Naveena

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Talk by Dr. Smitha Radhakrishnan (10/13 12pm EDT): "Making Women Pay: Microfinance in Urban India"
by Neha Kumar 12 Oct '20

12 Oct '20

Dr. Radhakrishnan was one of the keynote speakers for ICTD 2019. This should be a great talk. Is open to all. *** *Smitha Radhakrishnan "Making Women Pay: Microfinance in Urban India"* Online | Zoom Commercial microfinance in India, a subprime credit industry that lends to over 35 million working-class women at interest rates of 20 to 26 percent, has experienced unprecedented growth in the last decade. These profit-oriented microfinance institutions (MFIs), supported by financial inclusion policies, have funneled billions of dollars in loans to women borrowers previously constructed as uncreditworthy. Profit-oriented microfinance is best understood as an extractive industry reliant on the unpaid and underpaid labor of working-class women. As this labor is connected to relationships with frontline MFI workers, and eventually, financial capital, working class women become bearers of credit, even as the debt curbs their social and physical mobility. The widespread saturation of microfinance helps construct a new gendered reality in which millions of working-class women provide for their families through debt, while some working-class and upwardly mobile men can find secure livelihoods through MFI employment. Year after year, women MFI clients take ever-larger loans, while MFI workers and leaders, mostly men, enjoy social and economic mobility. The microfinance industry’s policies and practices thus sustain interlocking class and gender inequalities. This presentation will lay out the gendered structure of microfinance and then delve more specifically into the relational work between clients and loan officers that makes women creditworthy in India’s gendered financial ecosystem. Smitha Radhakrishnan is Professor of Sociology and Luella LaMer Professor of Women’s Studies at Wellesley College. Her research examines the cultural, financial, and political dimensions of gender and globalization, with particular focus on India, the United States, and South Africa. https://event.newschool.edu/smitharadhakrishnanmakingwomen?fbclid=IwAR2twnZ…

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CMU - Africa is Hiring!
by Richard Anderson 06 Oct '20

06 Oct '20

Please see the attached ad for a faculty position at CMU-Africa. I want to be sure that everyone who might be a prospect for this, gets an opportunity to see it. We are looking to hire people from Africa or anywhere in the world with an interest in graduate-level teaching and research in Africa related to AI/ML, cybersecurity and privacy, software engineering, edtech, and tech entrepreneurship. Both junior and senior appointments are possible. Do you have any suggestions of how we can get the word out? It is definitely a unique opportunity for the right person. Regards, Tim -- Timothy X Brown Carnegie Mellon University Hammerschlag Hall | Pittsburgh, PA 15213 | +1 720 318 5189 CMU Africa campus | Kigali, Rwanda | +250 787 674 062 Prof. Engineering and Public Policy (www.epp.cmu.edu<http://www.epp.cmu.edu>) Prof. Electrical and Computer Engineering (www.ece.cmu.edu<http://www.ece.cmu.edu>) Director of Academics, CMU Africa (www.cmu.edu/africa<http://www.cmu.edu/africa>) Director, Kigali Collaborative Research Centre (www.kcrc.rw<http://www.kcrc.rw>) Website: www.cmu.edu/epp/people/faculty/tim-brown.html<http://www.cmu.edu/epp/people/faculty/tim-brown.html>

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X4D#3: Technology-Mediated Mental Health Support
by Neha Kumar 04 Oct '20

04 Oct '20

Hi all, See you this Wednesday for our session on Technology-Mediated Mental Health Support. Speaker/event details below. You can join our X4D-friends Google group to stay informed about future sessions. And stay tuned for details on our next session on AI and Social Good! *** Dr. Munmun De Choudhury, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Tech, USA Title: Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Approaches to Digital Mental Health: A Tale of Engaging with Three Stakeholders Digital traces, such as social media data, supported with advances in the computer science field, are increasingly being used to understand the mental health of individuals and populations. With these approaches offering promise to change the status quo in mental health for the first time since mid-20th century, interdisciplinary collaborations have been greatly emphasized. But what are some models of engagement for computer scientists that augment existing capabilities while minimizing the risk of harm? This talk will describe the experiences from working with three different stakeholders in projects relating to digital mental health–first with a governmental organization, second with healthcare providers, and third with a non-profit, all in the United States. The talk hopes to present some lessons learned by way of these engagements, and to reflect on approaches we need to realize a dream of many computer scientists: how to have their research contribute to positive societal impacts. Dr. Becky Inkster, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge University; Finance & Economics Programme, The Alan Turing Institute; Self-Employed Neuroscientist & Digital Mental Health Advisor, UK Title: Rhymes Equal Actual Life in the Youth*: Connecting Mental Health Support with Hip-Hop Culture It is essential that we build digital mental health tools that are engaging and sensitive to both culture and context. In this talk, I will explore how hip-hop music and culture can be combined in a powerful way with human-centred algorithmic solutions, computational creativity and music therapy in order to support mental health and wellbeing. I am a Co-Founder of LYRICAL KOMBAT and Hip Hop Psych, and will illustrate examples based on these initiatives. *lyrics by KRS-ONE Dr. John Naslund, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Title: Design, Development, and Evaluation of a Digital Training Program for Building Capacity of Frontline Health Workers and Scaling Up Depression Care in Rural India Mental disorders are a leading cause of disability worldwide; yet, in most countries, individuals living with mental disorders are more likely to have access to a mobile phone than basic mental health care. The increasing reach and availability of digital technologies in low-income and middle-income countries, such as smartphones and mobile Internet, present new opportunities to support task sharing through training and supporting community health workers in treating mental disorders. In this presentation, my objective is to describe the development and design of a digital program for training community health workers as part of a broader effort to scale up task sharing of a brief psychological treatment for depression in primary care settings in rural India. Specifically, I will describe efforts to involve community health workers throughout the iterative development and user testing of a digital training program accessible from a smartphone app, as well as the initial findings from a randomized controlled pilot study conducted in one district of Madhya Pradesh. I will discuss next steps and implications of leveraging emerging digital technologies for task sharing and bridging the global care gap for mental disorder. Dr. Maryam Mustafa, School of Science and Engineering, LUMS, Pakistan Title: Designing Digital Safe Spaces For Peer Support and Connectivity in Patriarchal Contexts There is a deep stigma and taboo attached to mental health disorders and care in countries like Pakistan. Most people have little to no access to mental health support and women are particularly susceptible in patriarchal contexts like Pakistan. In this talk , I will explore the opportunities and challenges in designing peer-support and mental health mechanisms for low-income, low-literate women in Pakistan, a patriarchal and religious context where women’s movements, social relations and access to digital technologies are restricted. This is a context where shame and fear of defamation restrict the seeking of support for personal narratives around taboo subjects like abortion, sexual harassment, rape and domestic abuse. I will also discuss our findings from our participatory workshops in exploring the design of peer-support technologies for support seeking with low-income, low-literate women. When: October 7 | 9.30am-11am US EDT (1.30pm-3pm UTC) Where: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/95338644599 Link to calendar invite Warmly, X4D Organizers

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Fwd: [CEE-Faculty] [CEE-Faculty-Plus] [Reminder] Edward Wenk, Jr. Endowed Lectureship | Lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Hausler | Tuesday, October 6
by Kurtis Heimerl 02 Oct '20

02 Oct '20

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jessica Kaminsky <jkaminsk(a)uw.edu> Date: Fri, Oct 2, 2020 at 12:52 PM Subject: Fwd: [CEE-Faculty] [CEE-Faculty-Plus] [Reminder] Edward Wenk, Jr. Endowed Lectureship | Lecture by Dr. Elizabeth Hausler | Tuesday, October 6 To: Kurtis Heimerl <kheimerl(a)cs.washington.edu> Hey Kurtis, I hope you're holding up OK with all the craziness. I thought the below might be a fit for the Change listserv, but wanted to check it with you first. Also I'm not certain I can post there; if this talk looks of interest please share it there! Cheers, Jessica [image: https://explore.uw.edu/rs/131-AQO-225/images/cee_hdr_bndls_gw2.jpg] *2020 Wenk Endowed Lecture* *Resilient housing At the Nexus of Climate Justice, Technology and Finance* [image: Dr. Elizabeth Hausler] Featuring Dr. Elizabeth Hausler, Founder & CEO, Build Change *Tuesday, October 6, 3:30pm Zoom meeting <https://washington.zoom.us/j/96791493517?pwd=YmRhZ2twdU5QeXJQd0Y4N2JoQk9VUT…> Passcode: 772087 Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.* Please join the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering for the 2020 Edward Wenk, Jr. Endowed Lectureship. A global expert on resilient building and post-disaster reconstruction, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler will present a talk titled “Resilient Housing: At the Nexus of Climate Justice, Technology, and Finance.” Hausler is the founder and CEO of Build Change, an organization that helps prevent the loss of life in earthquakes and typhoons by designing disaster-resistant houses and schools in emerging nations and training local builders and engineers to construct them. Under Hausler’s leadership and strategic direction, Build Change has grown to become a global team spread across five continents. Hausler’s emphasis on rebuilding to withstand future disasters has profoundly influenced global development policy by making resilience a major consideration for reconstruction efforts. The lectureship is made possible by a generous donation from Dr. Edward Wenk, Jr., professor emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering and science policy adviser to the U.S. Congress and three presidents. Inquiries, contact Karen Heath at karenh3(a)uw.edu. *THIS EMAIL WAS SENT BY: UW Civil & Environmental Engineering, 201 More Hall, Box 352700, Seattle, WA 98195-2700 © 2020* *University of Washington* <http://engage.washington.edu/site/R?i=83s3pT_-nH7Nv2jKNPOV0g>* | **Contact Us* <http://engage.washington.edu/site/R?i=SFjyDh8pM28p5UIiS0h8fg>* | **Privacy Policy* <http://engage.washington.edu/site/R?i=fTeQSmKp4SO0qPCy2ttD8A> -- Jessica Kaminsky Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Global Health University of Washington jkaminsk(a)uw.edu +1.206.221.3058 http://www.heterogeneous-engineering.org/ https://www.ce.washington.edu/facultyfinder/jessica-kaminsky -- Public Key: https://flowcrypt.com/pub/kheimerl@cs.washington.edu

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