Howard University Provost Delivers Opening Plenary Address for SICSS-Howard/Mathematica 2022
This blog is part of the 2022 series “The Future of Computational Social Science is Black ” about SICSS-Howard/Mathematica, the only Summer Institute in Computational Social Science held at a Historically Black College or University. To learn more about SICSS-H/M’s inaugural start, read last year’s blog “The Future of Computational Social Science is Black: Welcome SICSS-Howard/Mathematica 2021.”
Dr. Amy Yeboah Quarkume
We were delighted to have Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh, Provost of Howard University, and Dr. Amy Yeboah Quarkume, Associate Professor of Africana Studies in the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University, with us to officially kick off the 2022 Summer Institute in Computational Social Science sponsored by Howard University and Mathematica (SICSS-Howard/Mathematica) on June 20th. This program continues to be the only Summer Institute held at a Historically Black College or University focused on the theme of anti-Black racism and inequality. Dr. Wutoh and Dr. Quarkume’s fireside chat was introduced by Calvin J. Hadley, the Advisor for Strategic Initiatives in the Office of Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick’s Office. Hadley, a Howard Sociology PhD student is also Howard’s main point of contact to the Mathematica and SICSS-H/M teams. Choosing this date as the opening plenary was particularly meaningful for Hadley. “Juneteenth is a day to recognize freedom, empowerment, and fighting against systematic oppression,” which opens up a very important conversation.
Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh
Dr. Wutoh focused on the importance and uniqueness of computational social science and its development at Howard University. Dr. Wutoh explained the meaning and focus of the newly created Center for Applied Data Science and Data Analytics (CADSA) at Howard University. Data Science is a rapidly growing discipline. Its methods can be applied to almost every discipline and all aspects of life. Thus, CADSA was designed to facilitate the incorporation of data science into Howard’s many unique programs. As Dr. Wutoh discussed, “we want to look at this as a way of creating opportunities for more of our faculty to collaborate across disciplines and not just look at data science as a technical field and have nothing to do with arts and humanities.” Instead, he wants to promote the idea of “how we can use the collective skills of our faculty to address challenges.” The other focus for the Data Science center is equity, and since the center’s inception, it has been an inclusive, diverse, and collective space. “Social justice is a part of the DNA of Howard University and is really embedded into the fabric of everything that we do,” Dr. Wutoh asserted, “Howard has always been a diverse institution providing educational experiences for black and white. Many of those earlier students were also females.”
In response to a participant question about how Howard will facilitate this multidisciplinary corporation at CADSA, Dr. Wutoh introduced the cluster hire project and explained how it incentivized the deans by providing “free” faculty. As Dr. Wutoh explained, the faculty recruited in the cluster hire project will be “funded out of the office of the provost” without using the offices’ budgets. This is not only a collaboration between at least two schools, but also a cross-collaborative opportunity between social scientists and faculty data science expertise. This effect promotes both interdisciplinary and creativity. Faculty at the center will have a joint appointment in addition to their seats in one of the 14 existing schools or colleges. Dr. Wutoh contends that this structure will allow “faculty [to] work in a collaborative way and think about ways that they can promote data science and analytics in an interdisciplinary environment, differing from a more conventional and technical data science perspective in an individual school or college.” As Dr. Quarkume summarized, this is really a top-down approach compared to other schools with similar programs.
Dr. Quarkume talked about her journey in Africana studies during the fireside chat and her investment in data science and interest in algorithmic justice and bias: “I was reading a lot about some of the issues around Covid, AI, reporting, testing centers, just a lot of issues around bias and how people who needed the most resources were kind of left out of receiving these resources because the data wasn’t there or the algorithm told them that they didn’t need it, or they didn’t qualify for it.” This realization made Dr. Quarkame question the underlying reasons for this apparent bias and discrimination in resource allocation. She began to study how algorithms create this unfortunate situation not only for African Americans, but also Native Americans and other communities left out of Covid-19 data science research. Dr. Quarkame explained the significance of this issue as a "new hurdle with data science" in Black Americans' continued fight to "live a free life."
As SICSS-H/M continues to thoughtfully engage more diverse voices in computational social science we will continue to look to long-standing leaders like Howard University and its Provost Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh, and Associate Professor of Africana Studies Amy Yeboah Quarkume, as well as the emerging scholars and alumni from within our institute.
For more information about SICSS-Howard/Mathematica and the application procedure, check out our website. Also follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and join our email list!
About the authors
Naniette H. Coleman is a PhD candidate in the Sociology Department at the University of California, Berkeley. Her work sits at the intersection of the sociology of culture and organizations and focuses on cybersecurity, surveillance, and privacy in the US context. Specifically, Naniette’s research examines how organizations assess risk, make decisions, and respond to data breaches and organizational compliance with state, federal, and international privacy laws. Naniette holds a Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Democracy, Politics, and Institutions from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and both an MA in Economics and a BA in Communication from the University at Buffalo, SUNY. A non-traditional student, Naniette’s prior professional experience includes local, state, and federal service, as well as work for two international organizations, and two universities. Naniette is also passionate about the arts.
Nianyao (Amber) Du received her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from the University of California, Berkeley. She is currently a first-year master student studying Statistics at the National University of Singapore. Amber served as a research assistant and project lead, co-lab manager in the AAC&U award-winning, Berkeley based Interdisciplinary Research Group on Privacy under Ph.D. Candidate Naniette Coleman. Amber also served as an Event Manager for SICSS-Howard/Mathematica 2022. In 2018, she received the Edward Kraft Award. Her professional interest lies at the crossroads of machine learning, environmental justice, energy, and privacy.