20 24
INNOVATION DAY
INNOVATION SHOWCASE Innovation and Social Good are two of the most important trends facing our society, as we explore new ideas and approaches to solve existing problems. Both trends are important, but their intersection is likely the most powerful dynamic for change. The intersection of these two trends of innovation and social good is where DePaul can play a transformative role. We are a Vincentian university whose faculty, staff, and students can bring new ideas to the world around us. Innovation Day 2024 will bring the DePaul community together to connect, collaborate, and create innovative strategies addressing important issues centered on poverty, environmental sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
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Table of contents
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Message from Innovation Day Organizing Committee
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Projects
MESSAGE FROM INNOVATION DAY ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
The Innovation Showcase is an opportunity to explore innovative products, services, and solutions addressing important issues centered on poverty, sustainability, and artificial intelligence developed by DePaul faculty, staff, and students. This will be done in an open forum in which attendees can visit a variety of innovation booths.
The Innovation Day Organizing Committee
The Innovation Showcase will feature 26 demonstrations of innovative and innovative products, services, and solutions developed by DePaul faculty, staff, and students. The projects will be presented during the Innovation Showcase session of the Innovation Day, on Friday, January 26, 2024, 3:30pm – 4:30pm. Hope you can join us to get inspired, imagine, and initiate new projects with colleagues from DePaul and partnering institutions.
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Amal Almansour, Nandhini Gulasingam, Mirtha Lucas, and Charmi Patel Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
From Pixels to Diagnosis: Artificial Intelligence’s Impact in Medical Imaging Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, particularly in medical imaging, involves the application of AI technologies to process, model, analyze, and interpret medical images. These AI technologies can assist healthcare professionals in the decision-making process for diagnosis and treatment planning by providing automatically extracted and meaningful patterns from complex medical imaging data. Our overall study investigates three important components of a Computer-Aided Diagnostic (CAD) system that uses AI technologies: 1) disentangled representations, for extracting semantically meaningful patterns from image data, 2) uncertainty quantification methods to offer an understanding of the reliability of AI-assisted diagnoses, and 3) visualization of the AI model and outcomes to enhance the explainability capability of the AI model and thus, the medical experts’ trust in the CAD systems. In the long run, these AI-based CAD systems are expected to contribute to their wider adoption in clinical practice and ultimately, reduce radiologists burn out and improve patient outcomes.
FROM PIXELS TO DIAGNOSIS: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE’S IMPACT IN MEDICAL IMAGING
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Lizette Arroyo, Luciano Berardi, Olya Glantsman College of Science and Health
The Impact of Technology and AI on Student Experiences in the US and Argentina In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a global exponential increase in the use of technology in higher education. Studies suggest an increase in the use of learning technologies among faculty and students in both the US and Argentina (Brasca, et al., 2022; Coolican, et al., 2020). As technology becomes a more integral part of academia, it is crucial to better understand the influence of its application on students' college experiences and academic success. This presentation uses data from a large cross-cultural mixed methods study conducted by a team of college students (n=8) and faculty (n=3) from the US and Argentina. Qualitative data were collected in focus groups with 30 college students (US n=14; Argentina n=16) using a protocol of questions developed for English and Spanish speakers at a large private university in Chicago and a large private university in Buenos Aires. The data were analyzed using the Dedoose software program. Presenters will focus on the benefits and drawbacks of using technology in higher education, with a special focus on the use of AI-enabled software.
THE IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY AND AI ON STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN THE US AND ARGENTINA
Lamont Black Driehaus College of Business
Innovative Ways to Improve Migrant Finances Migrants face significant challenges and fees when trying to access traditional financial systems. Our project focuses on innovative ways to overcome these challenges and reduce fees for the migrant community. We have begun research on this topic with a grant from the DePaul Migration Collaborative and have already established what we call "The Trail of a $1000" that tracks migrant funds from payment to remittance. As part of the DMC Solutions Lab, we will be collecting survey data from migrants and proposing innovative ways that migrants can increase access and retain more funds as they navigate new technologies for financial services.
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO IMPROVE MIGRANT FINANCES
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
David Cline, Maria Ferrera, Emily Fung, Taylor Harris, Raj Shah, Julianne Urrea, Mariam Zaki College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Promoting Health Equity: Examining the Concept of Belonging as a counter to Syndemics and a Voices for Equity Project The team of students and leadership from The Center for Community of Health Equity, a partnership between DePaul and Rush University, present their health equity research that centers concepts of Syndemics and Belonging, and their work within the Voices for Equity Project and Podcast. Syndemic refers to the aggregation of two or more health conditions in a population that have an interactive effect on the deterioration of well-being that is more than any single issue (Singer, 2009). Often, syndemics are fueled by social conditions that contribute to the formation, clustering and spread of disease. This critical ecological systems perspective considers the social and structural barriers that contribute to severe health inequities. In this project, we assert that a sense of belonging can be a meaningful part of broader solutions to the complex, dynamic problems we currently face, known as syndemics. The Voices for Equity Project seeks to document the biographies of researchers, clinicians, and activists that have devoted their careers to the cause of health equity. In 2023, CCHE launched a podcast as an extension of this project.
PROMOTING HEALTH EQUITY: EXAMINING THE CONCEPT OF BELONGING AS A COUNTER TO SYNDEMICS AND A VOICES FOR EQUITY PROJECT
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Helen Damon-Moore College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Mindful Service Learning The past several decades have witnessed increasing interest in mindfulness practices in higher education, with a growing body of scholarship chronicling the positive impacts of mindfulness to enhance student learning and well-being. Our presentation contributes to this scholarship, with a focus on mindfulness in community-based service learning. We take up questions of how mindfulness practices such as learning the power of the mind, meditation, and emotional intelligence can enhance traditional approaches to service learning, as we work collaboratively toward the development of ethical and compassionate community partnerships addressing poverty. Moreover, we discuss how mindful service learning holds significant promise as an approach to fostering student, faculty, and community constituent health and meaningful progress toward social change.
MINDFUL SERVICE LEARNING
Maria Ferrera, Minal Giri, Chi Jang Yin College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Short Films for The Midwest Human Rights Consortium Through DePaul’s HumanitiesX Collaborative Faculty Fellowship (https://midwestasylum.org/our-work/humanitiesxcollaborative-fellowship/), Maria Ferrera co-taught a course with Pediatrician Dr. Minal Giri and Documentary Filmmaker Dr. Chi Jang Yin titled, Children Seeking Asylum: Creating Digital Media to Support Human Rights to help DePaul students learn about pressing issues in immigration and engage digital media with a socially just lens. Interviewing several mental health practitioners, attorneys, and advocates as part of the project, Maria helped to produce five short films that promote human rights and the work of MHRC. In April 2023, MHRC launched their new website and hosted a film viewing. See the films here and more details on the MHRC website.
SHORT FILMS FOR THE MIDWEST HUMAN RIGHTS CONSORTIUM
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Kyle Grice College of Science and Health
Research Towards Recycling CO₂ Into Useful Chemicals The Grice Group at DePaul performs chemistry research on CO₂ reduction, trying to find new catalysts for this valuable transformation. Research performed by DePaul students towards this goal over the last several years will be highlighted.
RESEARCH TOWARDS RECYCLING CO₂ INTO USEFUL CHEMICALS
Kathia Hernandez Driehaus College of Business
Coleman Entrepreneurship Center The CEC is here to provide resources to faculty/staff, students, alumni, and our Chicago community to think more entrepreneurially.
COLEMAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER
Kim Hopes College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Asset-Based Community Development: Creating Strong Neighborhoods Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) is an approach to working with and in communities that counteracts the prevailing focus on community needs and deficits. The approach begins by recognizing the assets and capacities of the community and the gifts and talents of its individuals. It further recognizes that building strong relationships in communities through the connection and mobilization of assets is key to asserting the power and agency to bring about change. By identifying the inherent strengths found in every community and individual, ABCD revitalizes local initiatives and helps to recast relationships between institutions, associations, and residents so that communities are built from the inside out, rather than the outside in.
ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: CREATING STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Kat Karam, Kelly McCabe, Roselyne Tchoua Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Using Machine Learning to Demonstrate the Benefits of Community Health Workers Community Health Workers (CHWs) are emerging as a significant yet underutilized group of healthcare professionals, who can reduce the negative health impact of social factors such as low income. Machine learning (or Artificial Intelligence) is typically discussed in terms of its ethical risks, but it can also be used to identify best practices for at-risk populations. A team from DePaul (Roselyne Tchoua and Kat Karam) and Sinai Urban Health Institute (Kelly McCabe) analyzed a large set of patient data using advanced computational techniques. The team demonstrated that patients' engagement with CHWs reduced 30-day readmission to the emergency department, which is a recognized marker of healthcare quality.
USING MACHINE LEARNING TO DEMONSTRATE THE BENEFITS OF COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS
Jes Klass Academic Affairs/Center for Teaching and Learning/DIGI Lab
Buddy Abroad & DIGI Lab We'd love to use this space to showcase Buddy Abroad, a game recently published by DIGI in collaboration with the Study Abroad Office, and also to showcase some of the work we're doing along side the VARC Lab (an escape room we're building in VR).
BUDDY ABROAD & DIGI LAB
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Julia Lippert College of Science and Health
Scientific Inquiry to Environmental Justice Action: Educational Outreach Programming Our work with Chicago Public Schools high school students is lead by DePaul undergraduates enrolled in a service-learning course. Our students develop and deliver a curriculum focused on hands on application of science inquiry where students work to address an environmental health issues of importance to their community. We support CPS students in data collection and analysis, taking informed action, and ultimately in minimizing the environmental health disparities within Chicago.
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ACTION: EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMMING
James Moore Driehaus College of Business
Year of AI Over the past year, I've dedicated myself to exploring and integrating Generative AI into all aspects of work. Each month, I've delved into a new dimension of AI, weaving its potential into both my daily professional activities and teaching methodologies. This showcase is an experiential journey into the accessible and practical applications of AI in academia. We can demystify AI for our faculty and staff, illustrating how this cutting-edge technology can be seamlessly and economically incorporated into their work. It's about enhancing our human capabilities, fostering a more innovative, efficient, and engaging learning environment. AI can not only augment our teaching and learning experiences but also guide us on the path to becoming better educators, learners, and humans.
YEAR OF AI
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Mahdi Pedram Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Health-Risk Behavior Monitoring Through Wearable Sensors This project involves the development of innovative wearable sensors designed to passively monitor high-risk behaviors such as eating and smoking, with a strong focus on privacy preservation. By leveraging advanced AI algorithms, these sensors can automatically detect and interpret these behaviors, extracting valuable insights. The use of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) methodologies enhances the user experience, making the technology intuitive and accessible. Concurrently, rigorous clinical studies are conducted in collaboration with healthcare professionals to validate the effectiveness of these methods, ensuring their applicability in real-world health scenarios. Central to this project is the commitment to user privacy, with robust security measures in place to protect sensitive personal health data. This multidisciplinary approach not only bridges technology and healthcare but also emphasizes user-centric design and data confidentiality, making it a pioneering solution in monitoring and managing high-risk behaviors.
HEALTH-RISK BEHAVIOR MONITORING THROUGH WEARABLE SENSORS
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Mark Potosnak College of Science and Health
Metropolitan Chicago Data-science Corps: Engaging Students with Data Science Through Community Partnerships MCDC is a collaboration of non-profit or community organizations and data science students and experts from several Chicago-area universities addressing challenges and opportunities around extracting insights, deemed relevant by the community, from data.
METROPOLITAN CHICAGO DATASCIENCE CORPS: ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH DATA SCIENCE THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Kimberly Quinn College of Science and Health
A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Healthy and Equitable Public Spaces This NSF-funded project leverages a mixed-methods approach to identify features of public spaces that are associated with psychological restoration and wellbeing. Quantitative assessments using physiological reactivity data, behavioral eye-tracking and motion-tracking data, self-report survey data, and archival neighborhood-level data will be supplemented with qualitative data obtained through community resident interviews. The goal of the project is to document similarities and differences in the experiences of marginalized and nonmarginalized individuals in urban public spaces, and ultimately to create protocols to improve and provide equitable access to social infrastructure.
A MIXEDMETHODS APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING HEALTHY AND EQUITABLE PUBLIC SPACES
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Thiru Ramaraj Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Machine Learning Discovery of Novel Brainstem Nuclei Controlling Orofacial Behaviors Neurons in the brainstem medullary reticular formation govern vital motor behaviors, such as breathing, vocalization, swallowing, and chewing. Disruption of these circuits in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders lead to central apneas, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, dysphagia, and speech disorders. Critical for understanding these neural circuits is identification and localization of reticular subpopulations controlling these myriad functions. A major obstacle to identifying these nuclei is the lack of clear cytoarchitectonic boundaries and molecular markers within the reticular formation delineating functional nuclei. Our central hypothesis is that functional subpopulations within the reticular formation that play distinct roles in orofacial motor behaviors can be identified using machine learning clustering of neurons based on three‐dimensional proximity and similarities in their gene expression profile. The expected outcome of the project is determination and functional validation of precise boundaries for previously identified and novel subpopulations underlying control of behaviors critical for survival. The overall impact of this proposal will be the elucidation of fundamental principles governing the organization of the brainstem and a highly innovative application of machine learning to neuroscience discovery, akin to an unbiased neuroanatomical “screen,” that may be applied to tissues throughout the body.
MACHINE LEARNING DISCOVERY OF NOVEL BRAINSTEM NUCLEI CONTROLLING OROFACIAL BEHAVIORS
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Anuradha Rana Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Films for Social Change As part of DOC 380/480: Filming with Change Agents (with the Steans Center) students collaborated with local non-profits to produce short non-fiction content that raises awareness about pressing social issues. In Fall 2023, the class worked with Openlands and the Illinois Coalition for Displaced Immigrants to make four short non-fiction films. The films take different approaches to address of sustainability.
FILMS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Christina Rivers College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Vincentian and Restorative Approaches to Parole Reform in Illinois This poster presentation features draft materials for a graphic/illustrated novel style pamphlet arguing the need to restore a standard parole system in Illinois, and discussing the ways in which lengthy sentencing can undermine public safety. The pamphlet is intended to inform lawmakers, scholars, and the general public about these issues in a way that is factual, accessible, and engaging. It also offers perspectives that are often dismissed. Authors are incarcerated participants in DePaul's college programming at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet.
VINCENTIAN AND RESTORATIVE APPROACHES TO PAROLE REFORM IN ILLINOIS
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Jill Nyhof Rodriguez College of Law
DePaul Migration Collaborative The DePaul Migration Collaborative leverages the power of interdisciplinary scholarly collaboration to pursue dynamic, community-engaged projects, advocacy and research. The DMC recognizes the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on forced migration and strives to find impactful solutions for those who have been displaced.
DEPAUL MIGRATION COLLABORATIVE
Joshua Tsui Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
Democratizing Virtual Productions and Motion Capture The Jarvis Innovation Center collaborated with PUSH Studio on two projects for the Jarvis XR Production Studio focusing on democratizing technology for virtual production and motion capture utilizing off the shelf hardware, software, and AI. The first project creates a new workflow for content creators. The virtual production process expands the creative opportunities for content producers by removing the physical limitations of shooting a scene onsite. Scenes can be digitally produced, with foreground and background elements being separated or combined all with tracking data that can be used later in post. This method promotes sustainability by enabling teams to more easily produce content digitally and remotely, eliminating the need for travel and onset environmental waste. Training DePaul students on these systems is preparing the next generation of content producers to utilize emerging technologies to enhance their creative work and be mindful stewards of the environment. The motion capture project combines a standard webcam with AI to capture human motions. All visualizations are seen in real time with actual avatars in place.
DEMOCRATIZING VIRTUAL PRODUCTIONS AND MOTION CAPTURE
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Nur Uysal College of Communication
Media Engagement Lab: Pioneering Innovation in Research Technology The Media Engagement Research Laboratory at the College of Communication exemplifies a transformative model for academic research and real-world application. The lab boasts cutting-edge technologies such as eye tracking and social media analytics, currently expanding its capabilities to include Artificial Intelligence (AI).Through innovation, collaboration, and a commitment to staying on the cutting edge of research technology, ME Lab advances the landscape of media engagement research. This unique blend of academic rigor and practical application empowers students with hands-on experience and equips them with valuable skills that extend beyond the classroom.
MEDIA ENGAGEMENT LAB: PIONEERING INNOVATION IN RESEARCH TECHNOLOGY
LeAnne Wagner Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
ARCS Project The ARCS (Augmented Reality Campus Security) Project is a research initiative led by DePaul's PUSH Studio to evaluate the potential affordances of AR technology to enhance personal navigation and security on campus. The project explores the use of Google’s Geospatial Creator and Photorealistic 3D Tiles, which provide access to the AI generated 3D map source used by Google Earth. These tools allow designers to create mobile immersive experiences customized to a user's location. Ultimately, the project seeks to explore the use of these technologies to foster better orientation and location of security resources, like DePaul Emergency Blue Boxes and safety escorts, to create a safer campus experience for students.
ARCS PROJECT
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
LeAnne Wagner Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
VRSES The VRSES (Virtual Reality Student Essential Skills) Project is a research initiative led by DePaul's PUSH Studio to explore the effectiveness of VR and AI to develop essential skills (aka soft skills) training. VR training experiences have proven effective in improving decision-making skills, eliciting empathy, and creating an emotional connection between the trainee and the materials in many domains, but most employ a scripted, branching narrative to mimic conversation in their training. The VRSES experience utilizes generative AI to create a real-time, natural VR conversation between the trainee and an avatar, allowing the trainee to express themselves in their own words. The platform allows trainees to practice their communication skills in a safe, repeatable environment that gives feedback and recommendations for improvement after each attempt. VRSES has been built on the learnings from A Just Reality, a collaborative project with DePaul’s Matters at Play, that explored the use of scripted VR training to reduce bias in law enforcement responses to domestic violence and sexual assault. The VRSES platform is currently being tested with student scenarios to help address communication barriers that inhibit academic success, but intends to be open to an array of domains after further development and testing.
VRSES
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
Jess Westbrook Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media
LIFENOTLIVED.AI LIFENOTLIVED.AI is a Queer time machine. Like all Queer time machines, this time machine provides agency by enabling travelers to locate, intervene, (re)create episodic memories, imagine, and activate alternate realities. These experiences can lead to closure, relief, and/or reset. LIFENOTLIVED.AI currently offers two opt-in modification services.The "Portrait Mod" service utilizes induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) engineering and genetic therapies to transform an individual's DNA, influence the behavior of an individual’s germline cells (offspring), and enable controlled “blood bonding” or the infusion of genetic material associated with a chosen family. Heritage and ancestry are changed. The "Landscape Mod" service utilizes digital forensics and deep learning to identify and transform an individual's data trail. An individuals's data trail is recuperated and reborn. LIFENOTLIVED.AI is produced by the Queering Futures Research Studio in partnership with Life Not Lived Services Corp (NASDAQ: LNLS), "where dreams come true."
LIFENOTLIVED.AI
INNOVATION DAY SHOWCASE
https://blogs.depaul.edu/innovation-day2024/innovation-showcase/
Friday, January 26, 2024