The Role of Computer Science in Civilian Casualty Recording and Estimation

Workshop on “The Role of Computer Science in Civilian Casualty Recording and Estimation”

Friday, October 15, 2010

Location: 4405 Gates Hillman Center, Carnegie Mellon University

Note: The easiest way to get to the conference room is to come into the Hillman entrance of the building on Forbes Avenue. Room 4405 is the first room on your right as you enter the lobby.

Workshop Schedule:
8:15-8:45 am       Continental Breakfast

8:45-9:15 am       Welcome by Jay Aronson and Tom Mitchell with Participant Introductions

9:15-10:00am      20 minute presentation by Mike Spagat and Peter Dodds with 25 minutes of preliminary discussion
                            Topics of talk:  Rationale for recording civilian war casualties and the technical challenges of doing so; the possibilities and                                   pitfalls of using computer science and applied mathematics to analyze patters of civilian casualties

10:00-10:15am    Break, 15 minutes

10:15-11:00am    20 minute presentation by Jeff Klingner and Megan Price with 25 minutes of preliminary discussion
                             Topic of Talk:  Data and database challenges associated with recording and estimating civilian casualties

11:00-11:15am    Break, 15 minutes

11:15-Noon          20 minute presentation by David Banks with 25 minutes of preliminary discussion
                             Topic of Talk: Models for conflict mortality: Demography and agent based simulation?

Noon-1:00pm        Lunch and Break Time

1:00-2:00pm         5-10 minute commentaries by Computer Science Faculty, including Artur Dubrawski, Tom Mitchell, Daniel Neill, Roni                                         Rosenfeld, potentially someone from ISR, and the graduate students who plan to attend

2:00-2:15pm         Break, 15 minutes

2:15-3:45pm         Open, free-form discussion, either as a group or in smaller breakout sessions

3:45-4:00pm         Break, 15 minutes

4:00-4:30pm         Closing discussion including summaries, action items, and next steps.

4:30pm                  Official adjournment, although people are free to stick around and talk informally. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Current Participants:

Jay Aronson  (Carnegie Mellon University, Department of History)
David Banks  (Duke University, Department of Statistics)
Peter Dodds  (University of Vermont)
Artur Dubrawski  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Faculty)
Khalid El-Arini  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Robert W.H. Fisher  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Baruch Fischhoff  (Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Social and Decision Sciences)
Jon Huang  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Nikki Kittur  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Faculty)
Jeff Klingner  (Stanford Computer Science Graduate Student; Benetech)
Philip Lehman  (Associate Dean, Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science)
Tom Mitchell  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Faculty)
Daniel Neill  (Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz School of Public Policy Faculty)
Brendan O'Connor  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Megan Price  (Benetech)
Roni Rosenfeld  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Faculty)
Robin Sabhnani  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Mauricio Sadinle (Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Statistics)
Taylor Seybolt  (University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs)
Suyash Shringarpure  (Carnegie Mellon University, Computer Science Graduate Student)
Mike Spagat  (Royal Holloway College/University of London)

More information about participants is available here.

A list of pre-event reading is located here.