Catalyzing Computing Podcast

The mission of Computing Research Association’s Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is to catalyze the computing research community and enable the pursuit of innovative, high-impact research.

The CCC’s official podcast, “Catalyzing Computing,” features interviews with researchers and policy makers about their background and experiences in the computing community. The podcast also offers recaps of visioning workshops and other events hosted by the CCC. If you want to learn about some of the computing community’s most influential members or keep tabs on the latest areas of interest then this is the podcast for you.

Disclaimer: Comments made on the Catalyzing Computing podcast reflect the feelings and opinions of the host and guest(s) and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the CCC or the National Science Foundation.

Episode 39: Medical Applications for AI and Robotics with Gregory D. Hager (Part 2)

Khari Douglas interviews Gregory D. Hager, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. In this episode, Hager discusses the use of robots in surgery and the future of telemedicine.

Gregory D. Hager

Episode 38: Medical Applications for AI and Robotics with Gregory D. Hager (Part 1)

Khari Douglas interviews Gregory D. Hager, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare. In this episode, Hager discusses tactile perception, the founding of the Malone Center, and data privacy.

Gregory D. Hager

Episode 37: Evaluating the Research Pipeline with CERP

In this episode, Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Burçin Tamer and Heather Wright, respectively the Director and Associate Director of CRA’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline (CERP). We discuss CERPs ongoing projects and the benefits of diversity in computing.

Burçin Tamer

Heather Wright

Episode 36: Computer Architecture with Mark D. Hill (Part 2)

Part two of Khari Douglas’ (CCC Senior Program Associate) interview with Dr. Mark D. Hill, the Gene M. Amdahl and John P. Morgridge Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Chair Emeritus of the CCC Council. This episode was recorded prior to Dr. Hill joining Microsoft as a Partner Hardware Architect with Azure. His research interests include parallel computer system design, memory system design, computer simulation, deterministic replay and transactional memory. In this episode Hill discusses the importance of computer architecture, the 3C model of cache behavior, and overcoming the end of Moore’s law.

Download the episode transcript here.

Mark Hill

Episode 35: Computer Architecture with Mark D. Hill (Part 1)

In this episode, Khari Douglas (CCC Senior Program Associate) interviews Dr. Mark D. Hill, the Gene M. Amdahl and John P. Morgridge Professor Emeritus of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Chair Emeritus of the CCC Council. This episode was recorded prior to Dr. Hill joining Microsoft as a Partner Hardware Architect with Azure. His research interests include parallel computer system design, memory system design, computer simulation, deterministic replay and transactional memory. In this episode Hill discusses the importance of computer architecture, the 3C model of cache behavior, and overcoming the end of Moore’s law.

Download the episode transcript here.

Mark Hill

Episode 34: Health Informatics with Katie Siek (Part 2)

Part two of Khari Douglas‘ (CCC Senior Program Associate) interview with Dr. Katie Siek, a professor in Informatics and the Chair of Informatics at Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Siek is interested in integrating pervasive technologies in health and wellness environments to study how technology affects interventions. Her research interests include human computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and health informatics. In this episode Katie discusses health disparities and how computing technologies can play a role in their reduction, as well as the challenges to doing health informatics research in the field.

Download the episode transcript here.

Katie Siek

Episode 33: Health Informatics with Katie Siek (Part 1)

Khari Douglas (CCC Senior Program Associate) interviews Dr. Katie Siek, a professor in Informatics and the Chair of Informatics at Indiana University – Bloomington. Dr. Siek is interested in integrating pervasive technologies in health and wellness environments to study how technology affects interventions. Her research interests include human computer interaction, ubiquitous computing, and health informatics. In this episode, Katie discusses health informatics, fitness trackers, data ownership, and aging in place.

Download the episode transcript here.

Katie Siek

Episode 32: Autonomous Flight and Landing on Mars with Behçet Açikmeşe (Part 2)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Behçet Açikmeşe. Behçet was a technologist and a senior member of the Guidance and Control (G&C) Analysis Group at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from 2003 to 2012 where he developed guidance, control, and estimation algorithms for formation-flying spacecraft and distributed networked systems, proximity operations around asteroids and comets, and planetary landing. He is currently a Professor in Aeronautics & Astronautics, as well as Electrical & Computer Engineering, at the University of Washington and a member of their Autonomous Controls Lab. In this episode, Dr. Açikmeşe discuss his time at JPL and what it takes to land a rover on Mars.

Download the episode transcript here.

Behçet Açikmeşe

Episode 31: Autonomous Flight and Landing on Mars with Behçet Açikmeşe (Part 1)

Download the episode transcript here. View the photo of the Mars Curiosity landing discussed in the episode here.

Behçet Açikmeşe

Episode 30: Open-Source Exhibitions with Andreas Matt

This episode of the podcast is taken from a video interview with Andreas Matt, co-founder and CEO of IMAGINARY, a non-profit organization for the communication of modern mathematics. this interview was recorded as part of traversing separation with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, a non-profit which was established in 2013 to foster mathematics and computer science. The foundation organizes the annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), a networking conference where 200 outstanding young researchers in mathematics and computer science interact with the recipients of the most renowned prizes in the field. In this episode, Andreas Matt discusses IMAGINARY and managing open source exhibitions, as well as the impact of the pandemic with CCC Senior Program Associate Khari Douglas. The video version of the interview can be found on the Heidelberg Laureate Forum’s Youtube channel here.

Download the episode transcript here.

Andreas Matt

Episode 29: Digital Learning with Peter Mirski

This episode of the podcast is taken from a video interview with Peter Mirski, the chair in Management and IT at the Management Center Innsbruck or MCI. This interview was recorded as part of traversing separation with the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation, a non-profit which was established in 2013 to foster mathematics and computer science. The foundation organizes the annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum (HLF), a networking conference where 200 outstanding young researchers in mathematics and computer science interact with the recipients of the most renowned prizes in the fields. In this episode, Peter Mirski discusses digital learning — particularly with regards to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic — with CCC Senior Program Associate Khari Douglas. The video version of the interview can be found on the Heidelberg Laureate Forum’s Youtube channel here.

Download the episode transcript here.

Peter Mirski

Episode 28: Global Security and Graph Analytics with Nadya Bliss (Part 2)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Nadya Bliss, the Executive Director of Arizona State’s Global Security Initiative and a CCC Council Member. Before joining ASU in 2012, Bliss spent 10 years at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, most recently as a founding group leader of the Computing and Analytics Group. In this episode, she discusses the work of Arizona State University’s Global Security Initiative, how to combat the spread of misinformation and the impact of sustainability on security.

Download the episode transcript here.

Nadya Bliss

Episode 27: Global Security and Graph Analytics with Nadya Bliss (Part 1)

In this episode, Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Nadya Bliss, the Executive Director of Arizona State’s Global Security Initiative and a CCC Council Member. Before joining ASU in 2012, Bliss spent 10 years at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, most recently as a founding group leader of the Computing and Analytics Group. In this episode, she discusses her time at Lincoln Lab, what a federally funded research and development center does, and the history of graph analytics.

Download the episode transcript here.

Nadya Bliss

Episode 26: Science and Technology for National Intelligence with John Beieler (Live from AAAS 2020)

This episode of the podcast was recorded live at the “This Study Shows” Sci-Mic stage at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington. Khari Douglas interviews Dr. John Beieler, a former program manager at IARPA and currently the Director of Science and Technology in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In this episode they discuss working in national security and the technical challenges the intelligence community is facing.

Download the episode transcript here.

John Beieler

Episode 25: Game-Based Learning and Integrated Photonics with Erik Verlage (Part 3)

This is part 3 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode we discuss integrated photonics and how optical fibers work. If you’re interested in playing one of the games mentioned on the podcast, you can reach Erik Verlage at everlage@mit.edu.

Download the episode transcript here.

Erik Verlage

Episode 24: Game-Based Learning and Integrated Photonics with Erik Verlage (Part 2)

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode, Erik continues to discuss building educational games and using games, virtual reality, and augmented reality for job training. If you’re interested in playing one of the games mentioned on the podcast, you can reach Erik Verlage at everlage@mit.edu.

Download the episode transcript here.

Erik Verlage

Episode 23: Game-Based Learning and Integrated Photonics with Erik Verlage (Part 1)

Khari Douglas interviews Erik Verlage, a research scientist at MIT who creates digital learning tools for photonics education. He is developing 3-D virtual lab environments that allow users to interact with micron-scale photonic circuit components, enabling self-directed learning for the emerging photonics workforce. His research areas include integrated photonics, photovoltaic materials, and photoelectrochemistry. In this episode we discuss building educational games and using games, virtual reality, and augmented reality for job training.

Download the episode transcript here.

Erik Verlage

Episode 22: Ice Cores and Chaos Theory with Liz Bradley (Part 2)

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Liz Bradley, the current Vice-chair of the CCC Council. Bradley has been with the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder since January of 1993, and her current research focuses on nonlinear dynamics and chaos, as well as scientific computation and AI. In this episode we discuss nonlinear dynamics, chaos theory in pop culture, and the future of artificial intelligence.

Liz Bradley

Episode 21: Ice Cores and Chaos Theory with Liz Bradley (Part 1)

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Liz Bradley, the current Vice-chair of the CCC Council. Bradley has been with the Department of Computer Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder since January of 1993, and her current research focuses on nonlinear dynamics and chaos, as well as scientific computation and AI. In this episode we discuss teaching computational thinking, participating in the olympics, and using math and computing to analyze ice cores.

Liz Bradley

Episode 20: The Ethics of Artificial Consciousness with Natesh Ganesh

This is part two of Khari Douglas’ interview with Natesh Ganesh, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Massachussetts at Amherst and a current Research Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder through the NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). Natesh’s research interest lie in the fields of AI, neuromorphic hardware, thermodynamics (Natesh was an organizer of the CCC’s 2019 Thermodynamic Computing workshop, read the Thermodynamic Computing workshop report here), and the emergence of consciousness. In this episode we talk about some of the key contributors to the space of artificial consciousness and discuss the ethics of artificial consciousness.

Natesh Ganesh

Episode 19: Intro to Artificial Consciousness with Natesh Ganesh

Khari Douglas interviews Natesh Ganesh, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Massachussetts at Amherst and a current Research Fellow at the University of Colorado, Boulder through the NIST Professional Research Experience Program (PREP), whose research interest lie in the fields of AI, neuromorphic hardware, thermodynamics, and the emergence of consciousness. In this episode we discuss some, though certainly not all, of the leading theoretical frameworks for studying artificial consciousness.

Natesh Ganesh

Episode 18: Interview with Vint Cerf

Khari Douglas interviews Vint Cerf, known as one of the “fathers of the internet” and a recipient of the 2004 ACM A.M. Turing Award at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum. In this episode, Cerf discusses net neutrality, how to combat spoofing, the future of Internet connected devices, and the challenges of developing interplanetary Internet.

Vint Cerf

Episode 17: Interview with Shwetak Patel

Khari Douglas interviews Shwetak Patel, 2018 ACM Prize in Computing winner and Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, at the Heidelberg Laureate Forum. In this episode we discuss how he got started in computer science, entrepreneurship, building a team, and the future of smart health systems.

Shwetak Patel

Episode 16: Interview with Melanie Mitchell Part 2

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Melanie Mitchell, a Professor of Computer Science at Portland State University, and External Professor and Member of the Science Board at the Santa Fe Institute. In this episode, Dr. Mitchell discusses genetic algorithms, complexity science, and the art of writing a book.

Download the episode transcript here.

Melanie Mitchell

Episode 15: Interview with Melanie Mitchell Part 1

In this episode, Khari Douglas interviews Melanie Mitchell, a Professor of Computer Science at Portland State University, and External Professor and Member of the Science Board at the Santa Fe Institute. Dr. Mitchell discusses moving from physics to computer science, the development of Copycat, a computer program that makes analogies, and common AI fallacies.

Download the episode transcript here.

Melanie Mitchell

Episode 14: Interview with Dan Lopresti Part 2

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Daniel Lopresti, the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of the Data X strategic initiative at Lehigh University. In this episode Dr. Lopresti discusses a few of the courses he is currently teaching, the Code 8.7 conference on using AI and computational science to end modern slavery, and the work of the CCC’s Intelligent Infrastructure task force.

Download the episode transcript here.

Dan Lopresti

Episode 13: Interview with Dan Lopresti Part 1

In this episode, Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Daniel Lopresti who serves as the Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and the Director of the Data X strategic initiative at Lehigh University. In this episode Dr. Lopresti discusses his work applying computer science to molecular biology, pattern recognition, and voting machine security.

Download the episode transcript here.

Dan Lopresti

Episode 12: CS Research and Government Affairs with Peter Harsha

In this episode, Khari Douglas continues his interview with Peter Harsha, the Director of Government Affairs for the Computing Research Association (CRA), to discuss the impact of the 2013 budget sequestration on federal funding for science, the recent push for regulations on foreign research collaborations, and the history of CRA. Have question for Peter about federal funding for computing and science research? Send your questions to cccpodcastletters@cra.org and we’ll answer them on a future episode!

Download the transcript here.

Peter Harsha

Episode 11: Federal Funding for Science with Peter Harsha

In this episode Khari Douglas sits down with Peter Harsha, the Director of Government Affairs for the Computing Research Association (CRA), to discuss the federal funding landscape and it’s impact on science. He also highlights the CCC’s Leadership in Science Policy Institute (LiSPI) and walks through the National Research Council’s (part of the National Academies) Tire Tracks Chart of the IT ecosystem. Have question for Peter about federal funding for computing and science research? Send your questions to cccpodcastletters@cra.org and we’ll answer them on a future episode!

Download the transcript here.

Peter Harsha

Episode 10: Interview with Beth Mynatt Part 2

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview Dr. Beth Mynatt, the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT). In this episode Dr. Mynatt discusses the concept of digital self-harm, Shoshana Zuboff’s “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism,” and the history of the CCC.

Download the episode transcript here.

Beth Mynatt

Episode 9: Interview with Beth Mynatt Part 1

In this episode Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Beth Mynatt, the Executive Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for People and Technology (IPaT), a College of Computing Distinguished Professor, and the Director of the Everyday Computing Lab. Dr. Mynatt discusses her research into human computer interaction and her work at IPaT and the GVU center.

Download the episode transcript here.

Beth Mynatt

Episode 8: Content Generation for Workforce Training

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) held a visioning workshop in Atlanta, GA in March 2019 to discuss and articulate research visions for authoring rich graphical content for new workforce training. The workshop’s goal was to articulate research challenges and needs and to summarize the current state of the practice in this area. This workshop is in response to growing needs in the field and new research programs such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier: Advancing Cognitive and Physical Capabilities (FW-HTF). In this episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast, Khari Douglas sits down with workshop organizers Holly Rushmeier (Yale) and Beth Mynatt (Georgia Tech) to discuss the goals and outcomes of the event. Learn more about the Content Generation for Workforce Training workshop on the workshop webpage.

Click here to download the episode transcript and read the full workshop report here.

Holly Rushmeier

Beth Mynatt

Episode 7: Interview with Keith Marzullo Part 2

This is part 2 of Khari Douglas’ interview with Dr. Keith Marzullo, the Dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and formerly the director of the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program. In this episode, Dr. Marzullo discusses joining an iSchool as a computer scientist, the latest projects at the Maryland iSchool, and the future of cybersecurity.

Download the episode transcript here.

Keith Marzullo

Episode 6: Interview with Keith Marzullo Part 1

Khari Douglas interviews Dr. Keith Marzullo, the Dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Marzullo joined the iSchool from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he directed the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program. In this episode, Dr. Marzullo discusses his research background, experience teaching, and his time spent in the federal government.

Download the episode transcript here.

Keith Marzullo

Episode 5: Code 8.7: Using Computation Science and AI to End Modern Slavery

In February 2019, the CCC co-sponsored the Code 8.7: Using Computational Science and AI to End Modern Slavery conference. Code 8.7 brought together computer science researchers and technologists with policy researchers, law enforcement officials, and activists involved in the fight against human trafficking.

In this episode Khari Douglas interviews CCC Council Members Dan Lopresti (Lehigh University), Nadya Bliss (Arizona State), and James Cockayne (Centre for Policy Research at UN University) on the discussions, outcomes, and next steps of Code 8.7.

Download the episode transcript here.

Nadya Bliss

Dan Lopresti

James Cockayne

Episode 4: What is Thermodynamic Computing? Part 2

In January 2019, the CCC hosted a visioning workshop on Thermodynamic Computing in Honolulu, Hawaii. This episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast features an interview with workshop organizer, Natesh Ganesh, a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst who is interested in the physical limits to computing, brain inspired hardware, non-equilibrium thermodynamics, and emergence of intelligence in self-organized systems. He was awarded the best paper award at IEEE ICRC’17 for the paper A Thermodynamic Treatment of Intelligent Systems. I also speak with workshop participant Gavin Crooks, formerly a Senior Scientist at Rigetti Quantum Computing who developed algorithms for near term quantum computers. Gavin is a world expert on non-equilibrium thermodynamics and the physics of information. Stream in the embedded player below or find the podcast on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Blubrry | iHeartRadio | Youtube.

A report summarizing the discussions and conclusions from the workshop is now available here.

Download the episode transcript here.

Natesh Ganesh

Gavin Crooks

Episode 3: What is Thermodynamic Computing? Part 1

In January 2019, the CCC hosted a visioning workshop on Thermodynamic Computing in Honolulu, Hawaii. This episode of the Catalyzing Computing podcast features an interview with workshop organizers Tom Conte (Georgia Tech) and Todd Hylton (UC San Diego) to discuss their reasons for proposing the workshop, what thermodynamic computing is, and the potential impact that thermodynamic computing could have on future technology. Workshop participant Christof Teuscher (Portland State University) also shares his thoughts on the workshop and his work with new models of computation, including computing with DNA. Stream in the embedded player below or find the podcast on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Blubrry | iHeartRadio | Youtube

A report summarizing the discussions and conclusions from the workshop is now available here.

Download the episode transcript here.

Todd Hylton

Tom Conte

Christof Teuscher

Episode 2: Interview with Suresh Venkatasubramanian Part 2

Suresh Venkatasubramanian is a professor at the University of Utah with a background in algorithms and computational geometry, as well as data mining and machine learning. In this episode Suresh talks about joining the CCC, the work of the CCC’s Fairness and Accountability task force, and the impact of the internet and algorithms on the modern world. Stream in the embedded player below or find the podcast on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Blubrry | iHeartRadio | Youtube.

Download the episode transcript here.

Suresh Venkatasubramanian

Episode 1: Interview with Suresh Venkatasubramanian Part 1

Suresh Venkatasubramanian is a professor at the University of Utah with a background in algorithms and computational geometry, as well as data mining and machine learning. In this episode Suresh talks about growing up in India, his grad school trajectory, career choices, and his current research interest in algorithmic fairness. Stream in the embedded player below or find the podcast on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Google Podcasts | Blubrry | iHeartRadio | Youtube.

Download the episode transcript here.

Suresh Venkatasubramanian