The conference, hosted by UNC Charlotte’s School of Data Science and sponsored by Lowe’s, took place just ahead of the full-day Analytics Frontiers Conference and brought together data science professionals, students, and educators from across the Carolinas.
Dr. Thompson co-presented with Dr. Grace Casselberry of UMass Amherst in a session titled “Bridging Trust and Technology: Explainable AI in Action.” The presentation explored how Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) enables greater transparency, collaboration, and trust in machine learning by using “white-box” techniques such as SHAP, PDP, ALE, LIME, and rule-based interpretation. The pair demonstrated their findings using a unique dataset of acoustic telemetry data collected over six years off the coast of Cape Cod, tracking shark movements in nearshore waters—an engaging example of XAI’s real-world applications.
The proprietary big data set originates from the work of leading Great White Shark biologist and author Dr. Greg Skomal. Dr. Thompson discussed the data mining process, while Dr. Casselberry provided insight into the data collection, including Great White Shark tagging. Joseph Merchant, from the Monterey NOAA office, was also in attendance and contributed weather expertise for the predictive models of nearshore shark presence completed by Dr. Thompson.
Joining Dr. Thompson at the conference were fellow Catawba College colleagues Dr. Joanna Trammell, Dr. Jennifer Yurchisin, and Ms. Angelia Bates, along with Catawba College student Jake Albohn, who is actively pursuing opportunities in data-driven research and analytics.
“We’re incredibly proud of Dr. Thompson for representing Catawba College on such an important stage,” said Dr. Imran Chowdhury, Dean of the Ralph W. Ketner School of Business. “Her leadership and innovative work in the field of data science not only strengthen our academic programs but also provide an outstanding model of research-driven impact for our students.”
The Women in Data Science (WiDS) Conference is a global initiative originated at Stanford University and hosted in over 150 locations worldwide. The event promotes education, collaboration, and advancement for women in data science, while remaining inclusive of all genders.
Catawba College’s presence at WiDS reflects the institution’s continued commitment to innovation, experiential learning, and preparing students to lead in today’s data-driven world.
