About 100 University of
Michigan students, faculty
and staff gathered Wednesday
afternoon on the Diag to
protest a speech to be given
on campus later that night
by Charles Murray, author
of “The Bell Curve,” a book
widely
criticized
for
its
attribution of intelligence and
other genetic traits with race.
Big data, data science and
analytics were among the main
topics discussed at the third
annual Michigan Institute for
Data Science daylong research
symposium
Wednesday
at
Rackham Auditorium and the
Michigan League.
MIDAS is a product of the
University of Michigan’s Data
Science
Initiative,
an
effort
launched in 2015 to invest $100
million in data science research
and education across campus.
Three years later, the symposium
offered a chance for MIDAS to
welcome leaders in data science
research
and
showcase
the
work of University students and
faculty.
The daylong event featured
a lineup of speakers whose
research
in
data
science
represented fields ranging from
psychology to biostatistics.
Alfred
Hero,
co-director
of MIDAS and professor of
electrical
engineering
and
computer science, spoke about
how this diverse set of speakers
aligns with the theme of the
symposium,
“A
Data-Driven
World: Potentials and Pitfalls.”
“This is the first time we have
a theme that is really focused on
a very broad basis of the future
impact of data enabled scientific
inquiry, data enabled commercial
and lending practices and data in
society in general,” Hero said.
Hero
explained
how
the
application of big data –– from
transportation to the health
sciences –– presents a similar
challenge.
“Data is being collected about
you and other people that is
being used for purposes that
nobody can predict,” he said.
These challenges were the
focal point of the event as the
five speakers, including the
keynote speaker, data scientist
Cathy O’Neil, grappled with the
outlook for big data research
applications and the potential
difficulties that may arise.
Among the speakers was
James Pennebaker, a University
of Texas at Austin psychology
professor, who discussed the
integration of data analysis into
his social psychology research
of words. Pennebaker’s research
applies data analysis of pronouns,
articles and prepositions to
environments such as trauma
writing
therapy,
AOL
chat
rooms, college admissions essays
and email correspondences.
Pennebaker’s
experience
blending data science with social
science research allowed him to
gain insight into the dynamic
between the two fields and how
the future of data science is being
shaped by collaboration.
“I think the best social
psychology
is
now
frankly
Two University of Michigan
professors
are
included
in
this year’s class of MacArthur
Fellows, which in total comprises
24 artists, writers, researchers
and community leaders. The
MacArthur
Fellowships,
also
known as “genius grants,” are
awarded to “talented individuals
who have shown extraordinary
originality and dedication in their
creative pursuits and a marked
capacity
for
self-direction,”
according
to
the
MacArthur
Foundation website.
The $625,000 grants come
with no strings attached, and are
given simply “as an investment”
in the potential of their recipients.
Potential recipients are nominated
by a pool of experts in various
fields, and then a committee of a
dozen chooses awardees.
In a statement, University
President Mark Schlissel said the
two researchers did important
work to illuminate commonly
overlooked areas of scholarship.
michigandaily.com
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Thursday, October 12, 2017
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ARTS..............B-SECTION
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CROS SWO R D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Rackham student Bryan Remson takes the microphone from Charles Murray during his speech at the Palmer Commons on Wednesday.
Event capacity limited to 200 attendees
ANDREW HIYAMA
Daily Staff Reporter
Palmer
Commons
was
rocked Wednesday night by
the presence and subsequent
protests of Charles Murray, a
controversial
social
scientist
known for a correlation of race
and IQ, a theory debunked
widely over the years.
His co-authorship of the 1994
book “The Bell Curve” draws
connections
between
race,
intelligence and socioeconomic
status.
Murray
was
invited
to speak by the University of
Michigan’s chapter of College
Republicans and the American
Enterprise Institute University
of Michigan Executive Council.
A
week
ago,
posters
with
statistics inspired by Murray’s
book were hung near Stockwell
Residence Hall. Despite this,
College Republicans still held
the event as planned.
Prior to the speech, Palmer
Commons
was
placed
on
lockdown by the Division of
Public Safety and Security and
the Ann Arbor police to ensure
any
protests
that
occurred
would stay under control.
Only the first 200 students
and faculty of the University
with
valid
Mcards
were
permitted into the event. People
MORGAN SHOWEN
Daily Staff Reporter
CAMPUS LIFE
ANDREW HIYAMA
Daily Staff Reporter
JOHN YAEGER/Daily
Carol Flannagan participates in the MIDAS Research Initiatives Panel at the 2017 MIDAS Symposium at Rackham on
Wednesday.
SHANNON ORS
For the Daily
The B-Side: Roots
An exploration of
organizations and
individuals who connect
to their cultural heritage
through art.
» Page 1B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See DATA, Page 2A
See MURRAY, Page 2A
AOL founder Steve Case took his
nationwide tour “Rise of the Rest”
to Ann Arbor Wednesday to bring
new attention to startup businesses
originating in non-coastal areas of
the United States.
Rise of the Rest, an initiative
made possible by Case’s company
Revolution,
is
a
nationwide
tour seeking to work alongside
entrepreneurs
championing
businesses in “startup ecosystems.”
During its time in a city, the
tour visits innovative startups,
talks
with
business
leaders
and
celebrates
entrepreneurs
within the community. A pitch
competition is thrown at the end
of the day, where eight companies
compete for a $100,000 investment
from Case.
According
to
Case,
approximately 50 percent of all
U.S. venture capitalist investment
is allocated to California, home of
Silicon Valley, while Michigan only
receives 1 percent of investment.
More than half of this 1 percent
goes directly to Ann Arbor.
“Don’t feel like you need to be in
Silicon Valley, there’s great things
See ENTREPRENEUR, Page 2A
BUSINESS
CORY ZAYANCE
Daily Staff Reporter
PRASHANTH PANICKER/Daily
Troopers Walker and Mahaffie keep watch at the protest against Charles
Murray speech in Palmer Commons on Wednesday.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
Students take over Charles Murray speech in
protest against racism, Palmer put on lockdown
Bell Curve author speaks on invitation from GOP groups calling for ‘free speech’
‘Genius’
profs. win
MacArthur
2017 grants
History and Anthropology
professors awarded the
$625,000 fellowships
Data science symposium showcases
innovation in analytics, management
Michigan Institute for Data Science hosts faculty, students for daylong event
Company
owner talks
success in
businesses
AOL founder Steve Case
highlighted startup culture
growing in Rustbelt states