Curiosity Ignited: Research that Sparks Change

Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024 at 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Rediscover the excitement of exploring the unknown in a captivating discussion showcasing the latest in interdisciplinary research with real-world impact.

This special event celebrates UC San Diego's academic and research excellence, featuring pioneering discoveries in artificial intelligence. These breakthroughs bridge diverse perspectives and demonstrate the transformative power of intellectual curiosity.

From the ethical, psychological, and policy implications of AI and robotics, to understanding earthquakes and enhancing natural disaster safety, to developing lifesaving medical solutions and improving healthcare models, UC San Diego is advancing how the world uses AI, creating tools that will improve our lives and create an equitable future for all.

Join university leadership to ignite your curiosity and witness firsthand how collaboration and innovation drive UC San Diego’s success as a top-tier academic institution.

The program will be followed by a reception featuring brunch and music, with an opportunity to network with thought leaders, alumni and friends.

Details

Date:

Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024

Time:

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Reception to follow

Cost:

Free with Homecoming registration; complimentary tickets are limited.

Location:

The Jeannie

9615 Scholars Dr N
La Jolla, CA 92093

See Map

Hear From These Experts

Sally Baxter

Ophthalmology and Biomedical Informatics

Sally L. Baxter, MD, MSc is a clinician-scientist working at the intersection of ophthalmology and biomedical informatics. She is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego. She has expertise in artificial intelligence, biomedical and clinical informatics, big-data analytics and data standards, with a particular interest in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in clinical practice, research and training. In 2020, she was the first ophthalmologist to receive the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of the Director’s Early Independence Award. Additionally, she was recognized in Ophthalmology Management’s “40 Under 40” list, and was a recipient of the 2023 National Eye Institute Director's Award. Baxter is the Chief of Ophthalmology Informatics and Data Science at the University of California San Diego, chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Data Standards Workgroup, member of the AAO Committee on Artificial Intelligence, and founder and co-lead of the Observational Health Data Sciences and Informatics Workgroup in Eye Care and Vision Research.

David J. Danks, MA '99, PhD '01

Data Science, Philosophy & Policy

David Danks, PhD, is a Professor of Data Science, Philosophy & Policy at UC San Diego. His research interests range widely across AI/machine learning, philosophy and cognitive science. Danks has examined the ethical, psychological and policy issues around artificial intelligence and robotics across multiple sectors, including transportation, healthcare, privacy and security. He has also done significant research in computational cognitive science and developed multiple novel causal discovery algorithms in AI. Danks is the recipient of a James S. McDonnell Foundation Scholar Award for his cognitive science work, and an Andrew Carnegie Fellowship on trust and AI. He currently serves on multiple advisory boards, including the National AI Advisory Committee.

Alice Gabriel

Seismology and Earthquake Physics

Alice Gabriel, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics (IGPP) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a Guest Professor at the Institute of Geophysics, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, Germany. Her research interests include earthquake physics, fracture mechanics, seismic wave propagation and modeling of earthquake cycles and tsunami generation. Gabriel also uses scalable and flexible large-scale high-performance computing infrastructure to create simulations coupled to experimental observations to increase understanding of the underlying physics of earthquakes in the hope of increasing safety during these natural disasters.

Tara Javidi

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Tara Javidi is a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and is the Jerzy (George) Lewak Chair in the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego. Her work focuses on the theories of active learning, information theory with feedback, and stochastic control as well as their application to the design of wireless networks and multi-agent robotic systems. Javidi is the co-principal investigator at The Institute for Learning-enabled Optimization at Scale (TILOS), a founding co-director of the Center for Machine-Integrated Computing and Security, and faculty director of the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship at UC San Diego. She also is the founder of Soter AI, a startup using active machine learning and sensing to ensure environmental monitoring of energy production and transportation facilities at scale. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Journal on Selected Areas in Information Theory.

Location and Parking

Parking permits are required and can be obtained from pay machines in campus lots and parking structures. See parking info

Unite, Discover, Connect.

Join us on campus for an exciting mix of immersive experiences and traditional favorites. Celebrate the place we call home with a weekend full of fun and wonder.

We hope that you will join us in upholding and promoting our Principles of Community in all UC San Diego events and keeping our community free from any and all forms of discrimination and harassment.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you need further assistance, please contact us at homecoming@ucsd.edu 48 hours prior to the date of the event.