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IT Matters

IT Matters is a speaker series hosted by Kevin Boyd, Chief Information Officer. During these sessions, Kevin welcomes guests to the IT Matters stage to discuss the important work of the University and the key role information technology plays in enabling and advancing the efforts of faculty, students, staff, and community partners.

IT Matters Archive

  • May 2023: Generative AI

    Focusing on generative AI uses, opportunities, challenges, and ethics, Kevin Boyd talked to faculty about how tools like ChatGPT and Bard for text, DALL-E and Nightcafe for graphics, and similar medical AI tools are rapidly evolving and improving.

  • December 2022: Pritzker School for Molecular Engineering (PME)

    The discussion featured a group of faculty and staff from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME), which integrates science and engineering to address global challenges from the molecular level up. We spoke with PME faculty and staff: Craig Hamill, Liang Jiang, and Nancy Kawalek.

  • March 2022: Data Science Institute

    This event featured a group of faculty leading the UChicago Data Science Institute, which facilitates research collaboration, outreach and educational programs, and community around data science at the University of Chicago. Kevin Boyd spoke with Nick Feamster, Dan Nicolae, David Uminsky, and Rebecca Willett about what they do and how the discipline is growing.

  • October 2021: The Sociome Project

    UChicago scientists from the Data Science Institute are studying the Sociome, or the social, environmental, behavioral, and psychological factors that play a critical role in human health outside the biological structures of disease. In this collaboration across disciplines, researchers are focused on answering the question, “How can we use the social factors that influence health and disease in data-driven medicine?”

  • January 2021: Quantum Computing

    Quantum physics is creating the potential to create quantum computers and networks that may one day greatly outperform current computers. Our panel of four researchers talked about their work in quantum computing and how it could change the work we do in IT. During this event, we talked with researchers Diana Franklin, Liang Jiang, Robert Rand, and David Shuster.

  • June 2020: Innovative Approaches to Remote Teaching and Learning

    This event featured a panel of five instructors, who shared and discussed the tools and techniques they’ve used during the Spring Quarter transition to a remote environment. Instructors include Heidi Coleman, Allyson Nadia Field, Patrick Jagoda, James Osbourne, and Jennifer Spriull.

  • January 2020: Urban Labs

    During this event, we welcomed four guests from Urban Labs. Urban Labs is comprised of five labs working to address challenges across five key dimensions of urban life: crime, education, health, poverty, and energy and environment. The guests will share their perspectives on the importance and role of institutions like the University of Chicago in research and how information technology helps Urban Labs with their research.