March 15 - 16, 2024
About
WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU was held for the first time in 2018 and had
nearly 150 local participants including students, faculty, companies,
non-profits, and campus organizations. WiDS is an international
conference primarily located in Stanford, CA with 150+ satellite
conferences across every continent except Antarctica. In 2019, over
120,000 people attended the conference in person and via the livestream
and Facebook Live. The purpose of WiDS is “to inspire and educate
data scientists worldwide, regardless of gender, and support women
in the field”; the conference features exclusively women speakers
from academia and industry.
We are thrilled to announce the return of WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU in March 2024. This event presents a unique opportunity for participants to immerse themselves in the dynamic realm of data science. Against the backdrop of Pittsburgh, a vibrant hub for the future of data science, attendees will have the chance to explore the synergy between data and its various applications. Gain insights from leaders bridging the realms of industry and academia and discover the latest trends shaping the world of data.
Pittsburgh's data science ecosystem is undergoing dynamic expansion, with Carnegie Mellon University playing a central role in its growth. The city boasts a rich legacy of pushing the boundaries of data science research, and our institution stands at the forefront of these advancements. Within the Department of Statistics and Data Science, our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration distinguishes us. We foster a community of experts in statistics, data analysis, and machine learning who are dedicated to pioneering new methodologies and techniques, spearheading cutting-edge data science research.
Join us at this pivotal Pittsburgh event on March 15-16th at the forefront of data science at WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU.
WiDS Pittsburgh @ CMU is independently organized by Carnegie Mellon Statistics & Data Science to be part of the mission to increase participation of women in data science and to feature outstanding women doing outstanding work.
Learn More.
Schedule
March 15-16, 2024
FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024 - Cohon University Center: McKenna, Peter, and Wright Rooms
2:00 - 4:00pm - Mingle & Munch Networking Event
As excitement builds for the WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU Technical Conference, we extend a special invitation to both our valued students and esteemed industry partners. This tailored afternoon is designed to provide unique opportunities for students to connect with industry professionals and for partners to have unparalleled access to the brightest minds in data science.
Be sure to connect with the following partners:
AMPLE APPETIZER SPREAD PROVIDED
AMPLE APPETIZER SPREAD PROVIDED
SATURDAY, MARCH 16, 2024 - Posner Hall: Posner Auditorium A35
8:30am - Registration Opens/Breakfast
9:30am - Opening Remarks
9:40 - 10:15am - OPENING FIRESIDE CHAT
Audrey Kurth Cronin
Founding Director, Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST)
Rebecca Nugent
Stephen E. & Joyce Fienberg Professor in Statistics & Data Science
Head, Department of Statistics & Data Science | Carnegie Mellon University
10:15am - Coffee Break
10:30 - 12:00pm - DATA SCIENCE IN THE WORLD AROUND US
Destenie Nock
Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Engineering & Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Lindsey Chimel
IT Director, Data Intel & AI | Parsons
Manasvini Singh
Assistant Professor, Social and Decision Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
12:00 - 1:00pm - Lunch/Networking
1:00 - 1:15pm - PARTNER IN DATA SPOTLIGHT - The DataJam
Beth Bauer
The DataJam Board of Directors; Founder and CEO of PosiROI
Judy Cameron
The DataJam Executive Director; Professor of Neuroscience at University of Pittsburgh
1:15 - 2:15pm - ALUMNI PANEL
MODERATOR: Maya Shen
PhD Student in Statistics at Carnegie Mellon Unuiversity
Fatma Uyar Morency
Senior Data Scientist, Highmark Health
Alison Peebles Madigan
Senior Manager of Government Product Analytics, UPMC
Cheyenne Ehman
Data Scientist at LivaNova
2:15 - 2:30pm - Coffee Break
2:30 - 3:00pm - CLOSING KEYNOTE
Cynthia Wood
Head of Retail Product Development, PNC Bank
More way to celebrate Women in Data:
This event aims to celebrate and empower women in finance while fostering meaningful discussions on industry insights, challenges, and opportunities. The panel will take place at the New York location and be broadcast live to TCS 250.
Panelists:
- Amal Moussa, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
- Yumi Oh, Business Management Lead, Global Quantitative Strategies, Citadel
- Kelly Wang, Managing Director, Bank of America
Moderator:
- Anushka Poddar, Vice President, BNP Paribas
Date & Time:
March 13, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Venue:
Carnegie Mellon University
TCS Hall
Room 250
4665 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
This panel discussion promises to be a captivating exchange of insights and experiences from trailblazing women in finance. We believe your presence would enrich the dialogue and contribute to the overall success of the event.
Please RSVP by March 11, 2024, to confirm your attendance. Should you have any inquiries or require further information, feel free to contact us at paljevic@andrew.cmu.edu.
Founding Director, Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST)
Rebecca Nugent
Stephen E. & Joyce Fienberg Professor in Statistics & Data Science
Head, Department of Statistics & Data Science | Carnegie Mellon University
Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Engineering & Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Lindsey Chimel
IT Director, Data Intel & AI | Parsons
Assistant Professor, Social and Decision Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
12:00 - 1:00pm - Lunch/Networking
1:00 - 1:15pm - PARTNER IN DATA SPOTLIGHT - The DataJam
Beth Bauer
The DataJam Board of Directors; Founder and CEO of PosiROI
Judy Cameron
The DataJam Executive Director; Professor of Neuroscience at University of Pittsburgh
The DataJam Board of Directors; Founder and CEO of PosiROI
Judy Cameron
The DataJam Executive Director; Professor of Neuroscience at University of Pittsburgh
1:15 - 2:15pm - ALUMNI PANEL
MODERATOR: Maya Shen
PhD Student in Statistics at Carnegie Mellon Unuiversity
Fatma Uyar Morency
Senior Data Scientist, Highmark Health
Alison Peebles Madigan
Senior Manager of Government Product Analytics, UPMC
Cheyenne Ehman
Data Scientist at LivaNova
2:15 - 2:30pm - Coffee Break
2:30 - 3:00pm - CLOSING KEYNOTE
Cynthia Wood
Head of Retail Product Development, PNC Bank
Head of Retail Product Development, PNC Bank
More way to celebrate Women in Data:
This event aims to celebrate and empower women in finance while fostering meaningful discussions on industry insights, challenges, and opportunities. The panel will take place at the New York location and be broadcast live to TCS 250.
Panelists:
- Amal Moussa, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs
- Yumi Oh, Business Management Lead, Global Quantitative Strategies, Citadel
- Kelly Wang, Managing Director, Bank of America
Moderator:
- Anushka Poddar, Vice President, BNP Paribas
Date & Time:
March 13, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Venue:
Carnegie Mellon University
TCS Hall
Room 250
4665 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
This panel discussion promises to be a captivating exchange of insights and experiences from trailblazing women in finance. We believe your presence would enrich the dialogue and contribute to the overall success of the event.
Please RSVP by March 11, 2024, to confirm your attendance. Should you have any inquiries or require further information, feel free to contact us at paljevic@andrew.cmu.edu.
Speakers
Audrey Kurth Cronin
Founding Director, Trustees Professor of Security and Technology
Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST)
Audrey Kurth Cronin is a leading authority in security and technology acclaimed for her groundbreaking work in understanding and analyzing terrorism. Renowned author of 'How Terrorism Ends' and 'Power to the People,' Cronin explores the intersection of emerging technologies and global security. With a rich academic background, she founded the Center for Security, Innovation, and New Technology in DC and directed the International Security program at George Mason University. Cronin, a former Distinguished Professor at American University, has advised at senior levels, served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and chaired the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Terrorism. Join us for a unique perspective on security and technology from one of today's foremost experts.
Rebecca NugentStephen E. & Joyce Fienberg Professor in Statistics & Data Science
Head, Department of Statistics & Data Science
Rebecca Nugent, the Stephen E. and Joyce Fienberg Professor of Statistics & Data Science at Carnegie Mellon, leads the Statistics & Data Science Department and is affiliated with the Block Center for Technology and Society. With a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, Rebecca has earned acclaim for her teaching, including the American Statistical Association Waller Award. A co-editor of the Springer Texts in Statistics, she actively contributes to national studies on Data Science Discipline. As the Founding Director of the Statistics & Data Science Corporate Capstone program, Rebecca fosters experiential learning by connecting faculty and students with real-world data challenges in industry, non-profits, and government organizations. Her expertise lies in clustering and classification methodology, focusing on high-dimensional, big data problems and record linkage applications. Currently, she is dedicated to developing low-barrier data analysis platforms for adaptive instruction and advancing the study of data science as a science.
Cynthia Wood
Head of Retail Product Development
PNC Bank
Cynthia Wood serves as the Head of Retail Product Development at PNC Bank, bringing with her nearly two decades of expertise in the financial services sector. Recognized for her client-focused leadership, Cynthia has earned a reputation for translating challenging goals into tangible accomplishments. Her commitment to driving cultural shifts, solving intricate problems, and overseeing end-to-end solutions is complemented by her strategic use of data to inform decision-making. Over the course of her career, Cynthia has consistently led teams with a primary objective of delivering impactful business outcomes, relying on data-driven insights to guide their efforts. In her role as an Executive Leader of Key Initiatives at PNC, she has played a pivotal role in transformative projects within consumer banking. This includes spearheading the modernization of technology and introducing innovative solutions that underline the organization's dedication to client satisfaction.
Destenie Nock
Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering; Engineering & Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Destenie Nock, Assistant Professor in Civil & Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP), is a leading expert in energy justice and systems modeling. Utilizing multi-criteria decision analysis and optimization, she aids policymakers in understanding energy planning options. Her research focuses on developing novel metrics for identifying energy poverty and insecurity, alongside optimization models for equitable power systems. Dr. Nock's team explores electricity and transportation optimization models, investigating the impact of decarbonization on marginalized communities. Employing regression and decision analysis, she assesses trade-offs in future electricity scenarios, examining sustainability and community impact. Her work extends globally, including Sub-Saharan Africa, where she designed an electricity planning tool considering stakeholder preferences for equality.
Lindsey Chimel
IT Director, Data Intel & AI
Parsons
With roots in an internship nearly a decade ago, Lindsey Chimel has fostered a positive and genuinely exciting journey at Parsons, transforming an initial passion for math and data into a leadership role as the IT Director of Data Intel & AI on a Business Intelligence and Analytics team. She leads projects and oversees the development of reports, dashboards, models, and tools to contribute to insightful decision-making. Lindsey's career highlights include guiding a diverse team as the lead of the Metrics Subcommittee on Parsons Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council, leading the development of enterprise-wide reports for Cash Collection, HR and Recruiting, Procurement, Contracts, and PC Analytics, and functioning as a subject matter expert and data architect for data systems across the enterprise. She operates, supports, and manages two ETL tools and a Data Lake with over 2,000 users, maintaining an impressive above 99.9% availability. In her leadership role, Lindsey is excited to continue empowering and growing data-focused analysts while promoting the positive use of data science and analytics.
Fatma Uyar Morency
Senior Data Scientist
Highmark Health
Fatma Uyar Morency is a dedicated Data Scientist at Highmark Health, leveraging her technical background, academic research experience, and a profound understanding of business and clinical fundamentals to drive improved healthcare outcomes. In her role as a Senior Data Scientist at Highmark Health, Fatma is actively contributing to the development of enhanced healthcare experiences. Beyond her professional endeavors, Fatma is deeply committed to community and mentorship. As the founder of the Pittsburgh chapter of Women in Data, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in data careers, she champions the mission of closing the gender gap in this field. Her goal is to promote inclusivity and diversity in data careers through community engagement and mentorship initiatives.
Manasvini (Vini) Singh
Assistant Professor
Department of Social and Decision Sciences
Carnegie Mellon University
Vini Singh, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon University, is a distinguished health and behavioral economist. Dr. Singh earned her PhD in Health Economics and Policy from Emory University and received comprehensive training at prestigious institutions including Johns Hopkins and Rice University. Her research is centered at the intersection of decision theory and health policy, with a specific focus on understanding the decision-making processes of physicians. Driven by a keen interest in the effects of organizational and policy environments on these decisions, she seeks to unravel the implications for patient welfare. Through her work, Vini aims to contribute valuable insights that enhance our understanding of the intricate interplay between decision theory and health policy, ultimately shaping more informed and effective healthcare strategies.
Judy Cameron
The DataJam Executive Director
Professor of Neuroscience at University of Pittsburgh
Judy Cameron is the Director of Pittsburgh The DataJam, an educational nonprofit that developed and has run the DataJam since 2013. She is also a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Cameron has a long history of translating science to the public. She served as Director of Pitt Science Outreach from 2009-2019, which provided science education to more than 20,000 school age children and members of the public each year. She made a series of short films for PBS about the myths about mental illness, which first aired in 1995 and are still being aired today. She also teaches a college course entitled “Using Big Data for Community Good” that trains college students how to be effective mentors for the DataJam.
Industry Sponsors
Academic Partners
Contact
WIDS Pittsburgh @CMU is proudly hosted by the Department of Statistics & Data Science and Women in Statistics
Questions can be directed to wids@stat.cmu.edu.
Code of Conduct
(modeled on the ASA Activities Conduct Policy approved November 30, 2018 by American Statistical Association Board of Directors)
Your registration or attendance at the 2024 WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU conference
indicates your agreement to abide by this policy and its terms.
Expected Behavior
- - Model and support the norms of professional respect necessary to promote the conditions for healthy exchange of scientific ideas.
- - Speak and conduct yourself professionally; do not insult or disparage other participants.
- - Be conscious of hierarchical structures in broader statistics/data science community, specifically the existence of stark power differentials among students, junior analysts/statisticians, and senior analysts/statisticians—noting that fear of retaliation from those in senior-level positions can make it difficult for students or those in junior level positions to express discomfort, rebuff unwelcome advances, and report violations of the conduct policy.
- - Be sensitive to body language and other non-verbal signals and respond respectfully.
Unacceptable Behavior
- - Violent threats or language directed against another person
- - Discriminatory jokes and language
- - Inclusion of unnecessary sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise sensitive materials in presentations
- - Posting (or threatening to post), without permission, other people’s personally identifying information online, including on social networking sites
- - Personal insults including, but not limited to, those using racist, sexist, homophobic, or xenophobic terms
- - Unwelcome solicitation of emotional or physical intimacy such as sexual advances; propositions; sexual flirtations; sexually-related touching; and graphic gestures or comments about sex or another person’s dress, body, or sexual activities
- - Advocating for, encouraging, or dismissing the severity of any of the above behaviors
Consequences of Unacceptable Behavior
What to Do if You Witness or Are Subject to Unacceptable Behavior
Process for Adjudicating Reports of Misconduct
Note: This Code of Conduct may be revised at any time by the WiDS Pittsburgh @CMU Conference. Questions, concerns, or comments should be directed to wids@stat.cmu.edu.