A new event at Queen’s University is challenging graduate students to think outside the box when it comes to presenting their research. The Big Data PechaKucha Research Showcase invites them to present their research in a compressed, fast-paced environment.

Big Data is a term for data sets so complex that traditional data processing applications are inadequate to deal with them.

“The Big Data PechaKucha Research Showcase is an event that highlights a growing area of specialization at Queen’s” says Benda Brouwer (Vice Provost and Dean, School of Graduate Studies). “This an important area of research that spans several discipline areas as evidenced by our graduate student presenters. The style of presentation is out of the ordinary and is very engaging as well as informative. “

PechaKucha is a presentation style where researchers show 20 slides, each for 20 seconds. It was devised by Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham of Klein-Dytham Architecture in 2003 as a means of constraining the presentations given by architects, which would otherwise go on far too long. The presentation style keeps the presentations concise and fast-paced while disseminating the key points. It challenges the presenters to be selective about what they include and creative with the slides they present.

Included in this year’s Research Showcase are: Shadi Khalifa (School of Computing), Frederick Langshaw (Sociology), Debra Mackinnon, (Sociology), Steven Richardson (Sociology), Dan Gale (Centre for Neuroscience Studies) and Victoria Tolls (School of Computing). Some of the topics covered are using neuroimaging to understand how the human brain solves real-world tasks, using big data to enhance patient care in the ICU, and the privacy implications of wearable devices that collect data in the workplace, such as fitness trackers, smart watches, GPS or a heart rate monitor.

The PechaKucha Research Showcase is part of the year-long Big Data 175 celebration event being coordinated by the Surveillance Studies Centre. The series explores the 3Ds of Big Data: Define, Describe, Debate and examines the benefits and risks associated with Big Data in fields including health care, marketing, national security and beyond.

The Research Showcase is being held on Wednesday, March 1 at 6:30 pm at the University Club. For more information and to RSVP, visit the website.