NWrWIC

8:30 Morning Keynote: Alesha Adamson, “On The Way…”
Alesha Adamson will discuss her extraordinary path to becoming an internationally recognized thinker and strategist. From the adversity in her youth to her ongoing role as a change agent, Alesha will give her insights on the crossroads that made her successful as a woman and professional. Today, she has the privilege of leading Fortune 500 companies and government agencies in the use of technology to improve the lives of people all over the world. And as a work in progress, is learning how to be a grown woman and embracing being the sum of her experiences.

11:15 Breakout Sessions:
Session A: Bruce Schafer, Executive Director, Engineering and Technology Industry Council. “Computational Thinking meets Biology, Chemistry and Physics: How 3D simulations makes high school science more engaging and deepen understanding of science and engineering.”
Abstract: The presenter is collaborating with university faculty, the Computer Science Teachers and leaders from the National Science Teachers Association to connect computer science to the Next Generation Science Standards. They have identified ways of making learning science more engaging at the same time as students begin to learn a little computer science. This session will include 3D simulations of chemical reactions, aquatic ecosystems, pool tables and blizzards hitting buildings. Computational Thinking principles enable both teachers and students to see how algorithms enhance the simulations and deepen understanding of natural phenomena and engineered solutions. Participants will be engaged in discussions of the opportunities and challenges and have the opportunity to help improve the simulations.

Session B: Dr. William Hersh and Dr. Shannon McWeeney , Department of Informatics at OHSU Title: “Career Opportunities in Biomedical Informatics: At the Intersection of Biomedicine and Computer Science” Medicine and the related health sciences are among the last fields to fully take advantage of the revolution in information technology. Recent federal investments, from incentives for adoption of electronic health records by physicians and hospitals to funding of the infrastructure to facilitate clinical and translational research, have fueled substantial growth for harnessing computer power to solve health and biomedical problems. This talk will provide a big- picture overview of the field of biomedical informatics, describing career opportunities as well as the educational programs that enable them to be achieved.

Title: “Big Data and the “Blind trust” – Data Intensive Discovery and Access”
Abstract: Rapid scientific technological advances in spatial sciences, imaging and genomics have led to a tremendous increase in data at a much finer resolution. This in turn has led to more advanced algorithms and sophisticated methods for analysis and integration, resulting in more complicated data structures. We now face exciting, new challenges in data exploration, visualization and interpretation in order to reach the full promise of personalized medicine and responsive therapeutic development.

Session A: Dr. Rubin Landau, Department of Physics, Emeritus, Oregon State University
Title: “The Need for Computational Scientific Thinking in Education”
Abstract:This last decade has seen a historical growth in the power of computers and the pervasiveness of networked communications throughout all sectors of society. This has changed the way science is done as well as the type of science being done. While the education community has adopted computers to assist in their teaching, they have not changed the subject matters of the courses being taught to reflect the new found importance of computation. The talk will present some data on the status of science and computational education, and how they reveal the need for change. A new model for education will be described in which science, mathematics and computer science are combined into “computational science”. This model leads to a new way of thinking about solving the problems now facing society, in which computation enters into the thought process to a greater extent and in different ways than in the past. Examples will be given of this “computational scientific thinking” and of how it is being used to attack and solve problems in a number of sciences. Also discussed will be the approach different schools have taken to incorporate computational scientific thinking into their educational programs at various levels.

Session B: Dr. Tania Vu, Dept. of Bioengineering at OHSU
Talk title: “The role of engineering and computer programing in biomedical imaging”
Abstract: I will provide an overview of the field of biomedical engineering with a special focus in the area of biomedical imaging. Biomedical imaging is a field that is undergoing a rapid expansion due to current technological breakthroughs. This exciting field offers great opportunity for women with interested in applying quantiative engineering and programing skills to make direct contributions to understanding human health and treating disease.