Computer Department Hosts Forum on Analytics

"[Dr. Watson] constructed for us a world that has no boundaries and a world whose architecture is still to be filled out," Rev. Joseph M. McShane S.J., president of the University, said of the former IBM president at the Forum on Analytics. McShane now hopes students continue to explore this world.

Fordham welcomed the alumni of the computer science department as well as employees of IBM to Flom Auditorium for a discussion on the use of computer technologies on Thursday. The forum attracted a full house, with only standing room available for those who entered after the first speaker began.

Dr. Frank Hsu, a professor in the computer and information science department, opened the forum with a welcome address, setting the stage for the importance of the day's lecture. He reminded his audience that computer analytics could have major impacts in many fields, including the environment, health professions, energy consumption and economic growth.

Next, Dr. Lillian Wu, the Worldwide University Programs Executive at IBM, reiterated Hsu's message. Wu praised Fordham's ability to collaborate across disciplines, which she feels is a necessity for analytics and for preparing students for the real world.  

McShane concluded the welcoming remarks with an apology for failing to arrive on time due to his attendance at Geraldine Ferraro's funeral earlier that morning. McShane then used the reason for his tardiness to frame the context of the forum in a non-technological manner.

"Geraldine Ferraro was a pioneer, a trailblazer," McShane said. "But she was more than that. She was a discoverer, and she discovered for us, and opened up for us a new world."

McShane segued from the esteemed Fordham alumnus to the need for computer-minded people to use technology to again help propel society forward into new territories.

Dr. Jane L. Snowdon, the senior manager for Smarter Building Research at IBM, delivered the keynote address, speaking about the need for developing smart cities.

"A smarter city is a city; it could even be larger than a city," Snowdon said. "It could be a metropolitan area, or it could be smaller than a city, like a stadium or an airport."

Snowdon described scenarios such as a totally "wired" city, where citizens are given constant access to information about an urban setting through mediums such as phones and tablets.

She also demonstrated research performed by IBM in areas such as building construction, where analysts study the behavior of occupants before constructing heating and lighting systems. Snowdon also demonstrated how video analytics now play a major role in safety surveillance and weather forecasting. IBM invested time in creating more efficient transportation, altering the ways highways collect tolls to reduce traffic. 

Following the keynote address, the forum transitioned from IBM's research to analyzing Fordham's approach to teaching students. Dr. Damian Lyons, chair of the computer and information science department talked about the collaboration of ideas happening at Fordham.

"I think the best thing about this kind of forum is it raises lots of questions," Lyons said. "It presents interesting applications in lots of different areas and lots of different view points and people are bound to think ‘Wow, I never thought of it from that perspective."

Lyons also presented the research he has conducted at Fordham, including work on urban rescue robots and wireless sensor data mining, through which devices can track a person's movements through wireless sensors.

Next, Dr. Wullianallur Raghupathi, a professor of information systems, discussed the growing need for analytics in the business realm.

"When I came in this morning someone said ‘We need analytics to pronounce your first name,'" Raghupathi joked.

Raghupathi discussed student projects in which students must analyze publicly available data on health statistics and considering public policy decisions based on their findings.

Rosemary Wakeman, the director of the Fordham urban studies program, was the final professor to speak at the forum, challenging the audience to use computer analytics to enact social change. 

The forum shifted to an open discussion with a panel of speakers and questions from the audience.

"Can we get away from this hard/soft designation of where we are?" Wakeman asked from the audience, stating a need for collaboration rather than debate regarding the importance of the two schools of learning.

The forum also allowed Fordham alumni in the computer field to return to campus and observe the progress made in the technology field.

"Just from coming on campus today I can see a big change," Joanne Tuccillo, GSB '82 and a current IBM employee, said of her time at Fordham. "Duane Library had a catalogue box; there was nothing online."