Event Presentation Report

As a student specializing in data science and analytics, I often turn to Ted Talks to gain diverse perspectives on my field. Two talks by Dr. Christina Orfanidou and Dr. Talithia Williams offered both informative and contrasting viewpoints on the importance of data in our daily decisions. When I see a Ted Talk is often from about a subtopic or a different viewpoint from a typical presentation about a given topic.

I found a presentation by Dr. Christina Orfanidou and another one by Dr. Talithia Williams. They discuss both discuss data and using it in our daily lives but really had two different key points. Dr. Orfanidou talks about how we are in a world full of machine learning tools helping use make decisions or humans have survived for thousands of years by going with their instincts and impulses. While Dr. Williams uses data to override a doctor’s decision during two different situations while visiting a hospital. It is a bit of a contrast especially coming someone with Dr. Orfanidou’s background.

While Dr. Orfanidou’s background is in data science and analytics. She got her PhD from the University of Oxford in Oxfordshire, UK and is the current director of Data and Artificial Intelligence and Risk Advisory at Deloitte. She also got her master’s at Oxford in machine learning and information engineering. While working on her master’s she was a research analyst at Oxford. Working in and studying in the field for nearly 20 years, Dr Orfanidou is a highly accomplished person to speak on the topic of machine learning and it’s influences on society.

Dr. Talithia Williams has a PhD in statistics from Rice University while also have a master’s degree in mathematics and a master’s in statistics. She is an Associate Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Clinic Director as Harvey Mudd College. Though her background is in traditional studies such as math and statistics it is the core foundation for data science. She has assisted the World Health Organization to develop models in assisting in predict cataract surgical rate for countries in Africa. This background allows Dr. Williams to speak intelligently about her findings as well as being bold enough to override a doctor during her pregnancy based on the data she was aware of.

Presentations

Both Dr. Williams and Dr. Orfanidou had very entertaining presentations. Dr. Orfanidou and Dr. Williams both talk about decision making using data. They both used humor while talking about their topics. I generally find talks about these topics can be rather boring. Dr. Orfanidou quickly into the presentation makes a point about how we were already making decisions within two minutes of her presentation (Dr. Christina Orfanidou, 2020). While maybe not judging her, you may have an itch you are considering scratching, or if something in the environment has made a positive or negative impression on you at that moment. When she said this, it drew me in and I knew she would have something interesting to say about data science. I did reflect on this at the moment and realized, yes, I was making decisions at this time.

While one of the big key take aways I got from Dr. Orfanidou’s presentation “Decision-making in a future of Big Data and AI” was her comment about humans making decisions without consulting data for thousands of years, She did emphasize how big data and analytics is making our lives easier. I know that these topics has also influence many things in the medical field but there are times that has helped people live healthier and longer. Dr. Williams expressed that she had a little bit of an abnormal pregnancy when her child refused to come out after the date that the doctors had estimated. Being the type of person that she is and one with a background in statistics she had looked up the statistics of possible scenarios that resembled her and her pregnancy. She then decided to go against what a doctor had suggested based on the data she was aware of. She decided to go a different route and everything was fine but she only made that decision based on data she had been collecting of herself in comparison to scenarios that she researched. She does say she does not advocate for second guessing your doctor but because doctors are trained to make a quick decision, particularly in emergency room situations, they may not always make the most accurate.

I enjoyed both presentations and it has reinvigorated my desire to look at things and try to research data to make a hypothesis and then test my hypothesis with the data I gather. Lately I have been thinking I want to move in a different direction with my career but the skills I am acquiring would work greatly together. Especially once researching these two speakers and seeing the type of work they do and projects they are associated with.

Conclusion

Both Dr. Williams and Dr. Orfanidou are great speakers. I enjoyed their presentations very much. The topics they talked about were interesting to me and related to my major. After watching each of their presentations I wanted to work on a project I have been considering for a while related to some analysis of some data I had been gathering. It has gotten in the way of me finishing this paper in a timely manner. Both presentations were insightful and I will probably go and watch more videos in my free time.