Join us every Friday at Boston University Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences (CDS) for cutting-edge research presentations by CDS PhD students across data science, AI, and beyond.
We are a student-run initiative within the PhD department of Boston University Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences, dedicated to fostering knowledge sharing and academic growth across our community.
Create a space where students can explore, present, and discuss the research topics they're passionate about in a supportive, collaborative environment.
Every Friday from 12:00 to 1:00 PM in CDS 1646, CDS researchers present on work that excites them—whether it's their current research, an inspiring paper they've discovered, or a hands-on workshop in their area of expertise. From artificial intelligence to biological sciences, our seminars cover the full breadth of computer and data science.
The students who run the series week to week.
Freddy is a third-year PhD student in the Computing and Data Science department at Boston University, and advised by the fantastic Allison McDonald. His work explores how power dynamics are shifted by technology with a focus on applying human-driven methods to complex issues. Currently, his projects are on 2nd order dynamics in digital spaces within labor unions and the motivations used by cryptographers for their research.
Lingyi Xu is a Ph.D. student in the Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences at Boston University. She works with Professor Vijaya B. Kolachalama to seek solutions to data missingness in multimodal learning. Her work investigates how different data modalities can be represented and aligned to make learning more adaptable and their relationships more interpretable.
Stella is a PhD student at Boston University Computing and Data Sciences, where she works at the intersection of cognitive science and AI.
Her research centers on modeling human decision making, combining neural networks with traditional cognitive models to uncover the psychological principles behind how we choose. She is also building large-scale, high-quality datasets to drive this work forward.
Outside the lab, she is working on startup building. Check out her work on GitHub: github.com/sbel2
by Freddy Reiber
The contemporary American labor force is highly dispersed, necessitating the use of digital communication tools to bridge spatial and temporal gaps in union organizing. This study provides an in-depth analysis of how workers within various labor unions utilize digital, text-based communication platforms -- including Discord, WhatsApp, and Slack -- for labor organizing. Through 17 qualitative interviews, we examine the challenges and opportunities presented by digital organizing, identifying both technical and social obstacles. Our findings reveal that although digital tools are integral to contemporary labor successes, they also introduce new complexities, such as navigating technical security, managing information overload, and building trust and consensus. Based on these insights, we draw connections to broader understandings of digital organizing and the role of digital tools in unions.
Ready to join our community of learners, researchers, and innovators?