20 25 INNOVATION SHOWCASE
INNOVATION DAY
Join us for an inspiring event dedicated to reimagining, refreshing, and revitalizing your research and creative activities, teaching, and/or department This gathering is an excellent opportunity to connect with colleagues, share insights, and explore innovative strategies, practices, and solutions Together, we will engage in dynamic discussions and collaborative activities designed to foster creativity and drive meaningful change. Whether you ' re looking to enhanceyourcurrentmethodsorexplorenewapproaches,thisevent will provide valuable resources and networking opportunities to help you succeed Don't miss this chance to energize your professional practiceandcontributetotheadvancementofyourfield.
TABLEOF CONTENTS
MESSAGEFROM INNOVATIONDAY ORGANIZINGCOMMITTEE
INNOVATION SHOWCASE
TheInnovationShowcaseoffersaunique opportunitytoexplorecutting-edge products,services,andsolutions Contributorswillpresenttheircreative innovationsthataddressbothindustry challengesandsocietalneeds.Attendees canengagedirectlywiththeseinnovations inaninteractive,openforumfeaturinga rangeofdedicatedbooths.
TheInnovationDay OrganizingCommittee
The Innovation Showcase will feature over 30 demonstrations of innovative and innovative products,services,andsolutionsdevelopedbyDePaulfaculty,staff,andstudents.Theprojects will be presented during the Innovation Showcase session of the Innovation Day, on Friday, January31,2025,3:20pm–4:30pm.Hopeyoucanjoinustogetinspired,imagine,andinitiate newprojectswithcolleaguesfromDePaulandpartneringinstitutions.
AmbarienAlqadar
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia Representation Matters
Usingexamplesfrommydocumentariesandfictionalfilms,this presentation explores how cinema is a tool to create empathy andsocialchange.
BrianAndrews
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Virtual Production LED Volume at Cinespace
Virtualproductionisafilmmakingtechniquethatcombinesthe physicalanddigitalworldstocreatein-cameravisualeffectsin real time This showcase is an overview of the expanded LED volumeforvirtualproductionatCinespace
Qazi,OlyaGlantsman,LucianoBerardi,& PabloGonzales-Caino
Access&AttainmentResearchLab
The Impact of Technology and AI Use on Students’ Experiences: Wave 1 and 2 of the Longitudinal Study
In recent years, technological advancements have reshaped highereducation,changinghowinstitutionsprovideinstruction, foster student engagement, and assess learning outcomes (Marshalletal.,2024).Thegrowingprevalenceoftechnologyin educationindicatestheneedforabetterunderstandingofhow its use affects students' college experiences, academic performance, and post-graduation readiness. The data for this symposium come from a large cross-cultural mixed methods study conducted by a team of college students (n=12) and faculty (n=4) from the US and Argentina. Qualitative data were collected in focus groups at a large private university in Chicago and a large private university in Buenos Aires. Focus groups were conducted with 25 college students (US n=13; Argentina n=12) in the Spring and Summer of 2024 using a protocol of questions developed for English and Spanish speakers. Here, we present preliminary results for US focus groupsandtheimplicationsforfaculty.
LizetteArroyo,GabrielaCordova,Mustafa
SaraBayatHashemi,MaxHeld,Richard Wetzel,ChristieKlimas,MonicaRamos, HowardRosing
School of Design (CDM), Environmental Science and Studies Department (CSH), Egan Office for Urban Education and Community Partnerships (Steans Center), 100K Strong in theAmericas
Virtual Reality for Conservation and Restauration
The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration across DePaul. It investigates how virtual reality could be used to raise awareness about and interest in conservation and restauration. During a student exchange to the La Primavera forest in Mexico, a 360 degreevideodocumentarywascreatedthatcanbeexperienced in virtual reality. At the same time, a "traditional" interactive VR experience allows users to conduct their own conservation activities.
CaseyBennett
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Conversational Speech System for Robots Interacting with People with Dementia
Project is a collaboration between DePaul with Rush and Indiana Universitythatisdevelopingacustomversionofaconversational speechsystemthatcaneffectivelyinteractwithpeoplelivingwith Dementia (PLwD),and provide useful info about their cognitive health to their caregivers. PLwD have "changed" speech patterns due to the cognitive changes in their brain, which result in conversations with off-the-shelf large language models (LLMs) failingatthetaskandthePLwDoftenrefusingtousethem. Thus, theneedforspecializedsystems.
CollegeofScienceandHealth
Innovating Student Success Through Hands-On Learning, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and CuttingEdge Technology
Our table will showcase the College of Science and Health’s (CSH)innovativeapproachestoenhancingstudentexperience, academicexcellence,andcommunityengagement Visitorswill explore how we integrate active learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity in STEM, and advanced technologies to preparestudentsforfuturesuccess
DriehausCollegeofBusiness
Innovation in Driehaus College of Business
The Driehaus College of Business is featuring Business Education in Technology and Analytics (BETA) Hub, Cybersecurity Clinic, Driehaus Cup, and Institute for Housing Studies in this year’s Innovation Day. The Business Education in Technology and Analytics (BETA) Hub features advanced hardware and software for research and teaching. Key initiatives include the Driehaus Research Speaker Series, industry partnerships, support for business school research, classroom engagement, student-driven projects, and workshops. The Cybersecurity Clinic is an interdisciplinary initiative that will involve students from the College of Computing and Digital Media (CDM), the Driehaus College of Business (COB), and the College of Law (COL) at DePaul, providing cybersecurity services to community-based nonprofits and small businesses in the Chicagoland area. It offers experientiallearningopportunities,allowingstudentstodevelop technicalandsoftskills.TheDriehausCupisapitchcompetition for BUS 101 students, offering scholarship prizes and the chance topresenttoindustryprofessionals.Italsoencouragescreative and innovative thinking among students. The Institute for Housing Studies (IHS) at DePaul specializes in affordable housing and neighborhood investment research It provides technical assistance to community partners, delivering data analysisandweb-basedtoolstosupportdata-drivendecisionmaking IHS collaborates with various stakeholders to address emergingcommunitydevelopmentneeds
GraceFitzgerald
CollegeofLiberalArtsandSocialSciences
Patriotism as a Concept v. a Political Tool
Research depicting how historiography of the term "patriotism" has changed over time, but the general conception of patriotism has not changed. Through analyzing historical accounts of the patriotism and patriots, this research explains the common misconceptions of the word patriotism and how historianshavechangedtheirapproachtodepictingpatriotism. Modern historians have worked to remedy the misconceptions and as a way of advocacy for the misrepresented and underrepresented groups who were excluded from common representations of patriotism After explaining the misconceptionsofthetermpatriotism,thispaperthenanalyzes how nationalistic political rhetoric has led to the persistence of the misremembered national memory of patriotism although theworkofhistorianstochangetheconception
NandhiniGulasingam
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Curriculum Learning to Improve Malignancy
Predictions on the Out-of-Distribution Medical Dataset
To ensure accurate predictions, machine learning models should be trained with Out-of-Distribution (OoD) data to accountfordatavariability.Curriculumlearning,amethodthat incrementally trains models from easier to more challenging cases,canimprovemodelperformanceevenincasesofexpert disagreement.
EuanHague
CollegeofLiberalArtsandSciences
Student Urban Research Corps
Formed in 2021, the Student Urban Research Corps (SURC) is housedinTheCollegeofLiberalArtsandSocialSciencesandis made up of graduate and undergraduate student researchers Corps members work as part of the multidisciplinary Urban Collaborative and participate in data collection, management, and analysis, including the creation of data visualizations, for urban and community-based studies and projects. SURC members contribute to projects brought to the Urban Collaborative by community organizations and municipalities. Such projects might include demographic and neighborhood analyses, program evaluation, mapping, and the like. As a member of the Corps, DePaul students will work on these requests, producing deliverables to share with and present to thosemakingtherequest.
KellyHallisy
Library
DePaul Scholars, DePaul’s New Research Information Management System
DePaul Scholars is the University's new research profile database. Faculty and staff can compile and promote a completeviewoftheirscholarship,grants,awardsandactivities in publicly-accessible profiles, which opens up DePaul’s expertise to the outside world. They can also easily create customizedCVsandNIHBiosketches. DePaulScholarsfeatures: Publication outputs and metrics, Awarded sponsored grants and contracts, Information about academic appointments, Research expertise; Press and media mentions, Additional scholarlyaccomplishmentsandaffiliations
RobynHoecker
CollegeofCommunication
DePaul Student Photo Agency
DSPA allows DePaul clients to hire student photographers to cover events Our student photographers are responsible, skilled and have access to professional gear Hiring students gives budding photographers opportunities to practice their skills while also earning some additional income Providing high quality images helps our DePaul clients tell their story to thewidercommunity
JyrellKeys
OfficeofResearchServices
Illinois Intellectual Property Alliance (ILIPA)
ThemissionoftheIllinoisIntellectualPropertyAlliance(Alliance) is to serve as a connecting hub for local and regional organizations, fostering an effective ecosystem and marketplace to facilitate the creation, protection, and enablement of intellectual property. This connecting hub will encourage innovation for the economic and social well-being ofIllinoiscitizens.
DonnaKiel
CollegeofEducation
BRIDGE: Building Resilient, Inclusive Development through Guided Engagement - A micro-credential to support Newcomer Migrant K-12 students
The BRIDGE Initiative represents an innovative, multi-tiered approach to supporting newcomer migrant students while simultaneously enriching the professional development pathway for emerging educators and school leaders thus creating an innovative pathway toward education enrollment This comprehensive program creates a sustainable ecosystem of support that benefits all stakeholders: migrant students, teacher candidates, aspiring principals, and current K-12 students and operationalizes the DePaul Vincentian mission and positions DePaul as a leader in education and social justice
DonnaKiel
CollegeofEducation
Future-Ready Education: Meeting Individual and Societal Needs Through Transdisciplinary MicroCredentials
The Office of Innovative Professional Learning (OIPL) within the College of Education pioneers a revolutionary approach to higher education through strategically designed microcredentials By working with individuals and organizations to identify needs and critical societal challenges, OIPL creates customized and targeted learning experiences that transcend traditional academic boundaries and are transdiciplinary linking several disciplines within and outside of the field of education The "Skills for Navigating Uncertainty and Creating Belonging" micro-credential exemplifies this approach, addressing urgent needs while building essential competencies This innovative framework allows learners to customize their educational journey, acquire immediately applicable skills, and contribute meaningfully to their communitiesandprofessions OIPL'smicro-credentialpathways represent a forward-thinking model that adapts to evolving societal needs while operationalizing DePaul's Vincentian mission and commitment to academic excellence and social impact
JesKlass
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
DePaul Instructional Game & Innovation (DIGI) Lab
TheDePaulInstructionalGame&Innovation(DIGI)Labisaninhouse educational game studio at DePaul DIGI collaborates with instructors, university partners, and external collaborators to create learning games and materials to be used in the classroom, around campus, and beyond DIGI creates games/experiencesofalltypes,includingXR(ExtendedReality), Analog (board/tapletop games), Puzzle Hunts, Digital Games, and more Students who work with DIGI learn how to operate andworkinasmallgamestudioandgetpreparedtoenterthe gamesindustrythroughtheirexperience
CollegeofLiberalArtsandSocial Sciences
Interdisciplinary Innovation: College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Transforming Research & Teaching
The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LAS) at DePaul University, supported by over $2.2 million in external grant funding, promotes initiatives aligned with the Vincentian mission by integrating faculty expertise, student experiences, and community partnerships. This showcase will highlight a variety of LAS initiatives, including a poster presentation of the "Hidden Narratives at Graceland Cemetery" project, which uncovers omitted stories about Chicago's history. This project represents the first of its kind with a collaboration between a universityandacemetery Inaddition,participantswillhavethe opportunitytolearnabouttwoinitiatives-CivicsandtheSocial TransformationResearchCollaborative Anotherhighlightofthe showcase will offer an opportunity to engage with how our LAS Centers and Institutes explore pedagogy and scholarship As partofits2024-25theme,“Crossroads:AttheIntersectionofthe Humanities and Technology,” the DePaul Humanities Center, in collaboration with the Jarvis Center for Innovation and Collaboration and the Center for Teaching and Learning’s DIGI Lab will provide a demonstration of VR examples used to facilitate best practices in teaching Together, these initiatives highlight a few of our LAS projects advancing interdisciplinary research, experiential learning, community engagement, and technologytoaddresssocietalissues
AlexandruOrhean Alexandru Orhean
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Neurobazaar: Efficient
Interactive Visualization and Exploration of Large Datasets
Neurobazaar is an open-source and scalable platform that aims to bridge the gap in terms of visualization between HighPerformance Computing, Data Science and Domain Specific Sciences(suchasMedicalScience).Neurobazaarusesmodern Web, Cloud and High-Performance Computing techniques to providetousersauser-friendlyinterfaceandanautomaticand scalable data management and visualization management system, through which they can efficiently upload, access and interactively visualize large datasets. The users can deploy Neurobazaar in a cluster and can access the interfaces using any consumer-grade computer, since Neurobazaar uses VTK for high-performance remote rendering. The Neurobazaar platformiscurrentlyusedtoimplementavisualizerapplication for exploring Out-of-Distribution data, which is test data that is different from training data, and where both are being generated from a larger dataset, that is used to train Machine Learningmodels
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Artificial Intelligence as a Catalyst for Improved Computer-Aided Diagnosis in Healthcare
Modern technologies are revolutionizing healthcare by transforming computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems into moreefficientandaccuratetoolsformedicalprofessionals This study focuses on a critical aspect of AI-driven CAD systems: augmenting medical data Acquiring high-quality medical images is often expensive and challenging in real-world scenarios.Ourresearchaddressesthislimitationbygenerating synthetic data that resembles the real data and enhances AI model’s performance and fairness. We show that by using a Variational Auto Encoder (VAE) approach, we improve the classification of spiculated lung nodules in Computed Tomography images. These findings are significant because spiculation is an important semantic characteristic used in the diagnostic decision making. In the long term, AI-driven CAD systems have the potential to transform clinical practice by improving diagnostic accuracy, reducing the workload for healthcare professionals, and facilitating early disease detection and treatment. These advancements will empower healthcare professionals with precise diagnostic tools and informed treatment options, paving the way for clinically meaningful,AI-drivensupportsystems
CharmiPatel
MarkPotosnak CollegeofScienceandHealth
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 thecommunity,fromdata.
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Bringing the World to Life
The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum's 7-foot digital globe, a highlight of its sustainability center, initially fell short of its potential due to underutilization and lack of interactivity Recognizing its value, the museum partnered with PUSH Studio to transform the globe into an engaging educational platform that combined interactivity with real-time data visualization, AI imagegeneration,andgamifiedlearning Theredesignaligned withthemuseum'smissiontopromoteaccessiblesustainability education and inspire visitors of all ages to contribute to resilientandsustainablecommunities
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Campus Safety Virtual Training (CSVT)
Campus safety is a complex task, and PUSH Studio, in collaboration with DePaul Campus Safety, developed CSVT to enhance officer preparation through immersive virtual reality essential (soft) skill training CSVT simulates realistic campus incidents,suchastheftorbattery,enablingofficerstorole-play and practice decision-making, de-escalation, emotional response management, and information gathering in the moment. This hands-on approach complements existing training methods, building confidence through repetition and recommendationsformanagingreal-lifesituationseffectively.
PUSHStudio
PUSHStudio
PUSHStudio
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Augmented Reality Campus Explorer (ARC)
PUSH Studio originally developed the Augmented Reality Campus Explorer to help students locate safety resources on the Lincoln Park campus Over time, the app has expanded to include a wider range of resources, offering an interactive way to explore campus buildings and services by integrating digital informationwiththephysicalenvironment Incollaborationwith DePaul tour guides, the app highlights key locations and resources, enhancing campus orientation and providing a comprehensiveunderstandingofthesurroundings Tourguides will test the app ' s ability to improve tours, offering visitors a more engaging experience while building confidence in campussafetyandotherresources.
PUSHStudio
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
Exploring
Creative Interactions with BCI Technology
This project explores the creative potential of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) technology, specifically using the Emotiv headset, to develop novel interactive systems for games and artistic applications The project aims to bridge digital and tangible interfaces by designing and testing a series of lowresolution prototypes that incorporate BCI and physical computing elements The goal is to better understand the affordancesforBCIsincreativecontexts
DavidRamsey
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
The Forge: An Immersive Freshman System-Building Community
The Forge is a new kind of introductory class for computer science freshmen, which empowers them to get their hands dirty and use/develop technical skills to express themselves creatively This class mirrors a famous class called 'How To Make Almost Anything' from the MIT Media Lab, and has just launched this year Students undertake a new skill/challenge each week, and dedicate 8 credit hours to master it and use it to deliver a completed project, documented fully on a website of their making (their week #1 project) We will show the inspiration/pedagogybehindthisapproachanddemonstratea fewoftheprojectsourfirstbatchofstudentshavecreated
SvetaStoytchevaPrice&GraceSpiewak
UniversityLIbrary
Facilitating Open Science at the University Library
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 waysinwhichlengthysentencingcanunderminepublicsafety. 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 nearJoliet.
TheTheatreSchool
Interdisciplinary Work at TTS
The Theatre School is collaborating with departments across the University to highlight the applicable skills of their students Acting students are serving as standardized patients for the occupational therapy program, comedy students are collaborating with game design students on ideation, and the studio for creative practice promises to help scientists visualize theirworkthroughcreativestorytelling
AllenTurner
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
DePaul Orignals Game Studio
DePaul Originals Game Studio is a Lab in the School of Design that focuses on creating game related interactive experiences. We will be showcasing our current projects which are Haunted Jarvis which is a VR experience set in a virtual recreation of the Jarvis Collaboration Center and Sankofa Seasons which is a virtualmeditativeexplorationofBlackPeople'ssurvivalstories
NurUysal
CollegeofCommunication
Bridging Communication and AI: Insights from the Center for Communication Engagement
The Center for Communication Engagement, housed in the College of Communication, continues to demonstrate its leadershipandinnovationthroughagroundbreakingAI-human communication research project in collaboration with the Communication Leaders of Chicago (CLC). Through a mixedmethods study including a survey, focus groups with senior industryleaders researchersexaminedhowAIisbeingapplied across strategic communication domains like research, creative processes, strategy development, and campaign execution.InFebruary2024,theCenterhostedtheflagshipCLC AI event, drawing over 60 senior PR executives from across Chicagoland. The event showcased findings from a comprehensivesurveyofmorethan80CLCleaders,positioning DePaul University as a frontrunner in AI communication research. The initiative actively involves students in cuttingedgestudiesandisbeingfeaturedinvariousoutlets
LeAnneWagner
JarvisCollegeofComputingandDigitalMedia
The SPARK Center
The SPARK Center at DePaul University is a state-of-the-art innovation space for pioneering data-related research that tackles critical socioeconomic challenges affecting Chicago communities Byconveningnonprofit,government,industryand academia, The SPARK Center is where the community will have the opportunity to connect with faculty across all disciplines and collaborate to solve the pressing needs of our day The centerusesdatascience,design,andAItomodelandvisualize the history of a challenge, as well as multiple predicted scenarios for the future SPARK uses storytelling and data visualization to turn research into digestible, comprehensive materials that invite non-experts into informed conversations Capability like this has the potential to have far-reaching impact on the community and the creation of solutions that benefitourlocal,national,andglobalcommunities
The American Sign Language Avatar Project
Deafnessisnotjustabarrierofsound;itisabarrieroflanguage. Our project is working to improve deaf / hearing communication through the automated, non-invasive technology of signing avatars. Our avatar “Paula” can portray allaspectsofASLascomputeranimation. Shehasearnedhigh marks for clarity and naturalness from people fluent in ASL. Paula is currently at work in several related projects, from Deaf education and interpreter training, to tutoring caregivers for Illinoiscitizenswhoarebothdeafandmentallychallenged.
Paulaisnowbroadeningherhorizons–sheislearningGerman, French and Greek sign languages! Stop by our booth to watch herinaction!
RosaleeWolfe
Friday,January31,2025
