Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies will host the university’s first “Un-Conference” Friday and Saturday in Hinds Hall.

The iSchool’s Center for Computational and Data Sciences is organizing the event. Alexandra Sargent, a project manager for the CCDS who is handling logistics, said in an email that an un-conference is a collaborative session that creates a brainstorming and networking space in a less formal environment than a typical conference.

Sargent said participants benefit most from the un-conference due to its interactive nature. Attending faculty will have an opportunity to discuss their research ideas with colleagues from different departments, research and teaching interests, specialities and distinct experiences at SU, she added.

“Diversity is important for any event,” Sargent said. “We attempted to invite and include faculty members from every school within Syracuse University — from Arts and Sciences to Whitman — and every school in between.”

Jennifer Stromer-Galley, an iSchool professor and director of CCDS, who’s also helping to plan the event, attended an un-conference nine months ago that was held at Facebook’s headquarters. In an email, Stromer-Galley said she was disappointed to see “basically no academics of color as attendees.”

“I think our discussions were limited as a result, and important perspectives were left out,” Stromer-Galley said. “I want to make sure we do better with our Un-Conference here at SU.”

The themes chosen for the un-conference breakout sessions are democracy, digital media, decision-making and data analytics, Sargent said. She added that these themes were selected due to their broad sense.

Attendees are invited to lead discussions on the theme provided or on any questions they would like to address during sessions. If interests vary, they can switch to another breakout session, Sargent said.

Stromer-Galley found the format to be conducive to productive conversations at her first un-conference, she said.

“I found the format really stimulating,” she said. “Unlike a regular conference, there was a lot more spontaneous interaction and real intellectual conversation, which isn’t as easy at the typical conference format where people give 15 or 20 minute presentations.”

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Sargent said 37 faculty members from different departments have registered to attend the un-conference. Brian McKernan, a professor at the iSchool with a research interest in the social significance of digital games, will be one of them. This will be the first un-conference he’s attended, he said in an email.

All four themes are topics that, McKernan said, have not only interested scholars for years, but are also currently part of a broader public discussion of the issues, challenges and opportunities faced in the 21st century. He added that new technologies have provided tools for scholars to more fully investigate some of the major research questions related to all four of the un-conference themes.

“However, these new technologies also present some serious ethical concerns,” he said. “I’m looking forward to learning from and exploring these questions and issues with other participants at the Un-Conference.”

Kevin Crowston, associate dean for research at the iSchool, will also be attending. His areas of interest include citizen science projects and research data management. Crowston said in an email that he looks forward to meeting people with related interests but different backgrounds.

“If you’re exposed to people just like you, you’re not likely to learn something new or to have to think in a different way,” Crowston said.

Published on September 11, 2018 at 11:08 pm

Contact Sajida: skkunjum@syr.edu