The National Science Foundation first had the idea for a Computing Community Consortium (CCC) in 2006, seeing it as a way to bring together some of the best and brightest minds in computing to advance the field and help overcome challenges as they arise.
Since then, the Computing Research Association (CRA) has built the CCC to a total of 20 members who rotate through staggered, three-year terms to help maintain stability and ongoing products, yet also introduce new researchers and their unique skills to the team.
One of those team members will be familiar for the next three years, as Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Dongarra Professor Michela Taufer has been selected to serve on the CCC.
“I am excited to join a group of visionary colleagues to provide directions on research and development strategies, including activities at the domestic level, but even beyond that,” Taufer said. “I look forward to providing the consortium with my insights and vision in two important directions that are important for me, artificial intelligence (AI) for scientific discovery and data democratization.”
In AI, Taufer said strategies are particularly needed to ensure trustworthiness in computing and that the scientific community deserved a clear path to trustworthiness when using AI-based workflows for scientific discovery.
She also noted that data is everywhere and is involved in everything in the modern world but that accessing data is still prohibitive for many researchers at too many institutions, especially those serving disadvantaged communities, adding that she wants to engage the consortium and the community in discussions defining a data democratization roadmap.
CRA is an association of nearly 250 North American computing research organizations, both academic and industrial, as well as partners from professional societies. The mission of the CCC is to bring together the computing research community to enable the pursuit of innovative, high-impact computing research that aligns with pressing national and global challenges.
“I think that CCC plays a critical role in providing directions for federal investments, including strategic priorities for federally funded infrastructure and research,” Taufer said. “Being part of the consortium will allow me to present the vision and the needs of communities such as those in the Appalachia region and others, often disadvantaged, that universities like UT serve.”
In doing so, Taufer will help ensure that data is no longer only available everywhere but, in keeping with the Volunteer Spirit, that it is available to everyone equally.
Contact
David Goddard (865-974-0683, david.goddard@utk.edu)