4th Women in Machine Learning Un-Workshop, ICML 2023
The 4th WiML Un-Workshop is co-located with ICML on Friday, July 28th, 2023.
Machine learning is one of the fastest growing areas of computer science research. Search engines, text mining, social media analytics, face recognition, DNA sequence analysis, speech and handwriting recognition, healthcare analytics are just some of the applications in which machine learning is routinely used.
In spite of the wide reach of machine learning and the variety of theory and applications, it covers, the percentage of female researchers is lower than in many other areas of computer science. Most women working in machine learning rarely get the chance to interact with other female researchers, making it easy to feel isolated and hard to find role models.
The annual Women in Machine Learning Un-Workshop is the flagship event in un-conference style of Women in Machine Learning, primarily intended to foster active participant engagement in the program. This technical workshop gives female faculty, research scientists, and graduate students in the machine learning community an opportunity to meet, network and exchange ideas, participate in career-focused panel discussions with senior women in industry and academia and learn from each other. Underrepresented minorities and undergraduates interested in machine learning research are encouraged to attend. We welcome all genders; however, any formal presentations, i.e. talks and posters, are given by women. We strive to create an atmosphere in which participants feel comfortable to engage in technical and career-related conversations.
Now in its 4th year, the 2023 un-workshop is co-located with ICML.
Besides this annual un-workshop, Women in Machine Learning also organizes annual workshop at NeurIPS, events such as lunch or social at the AISTATS or AAAI conferences, maintains a public directory of women active in ML, profiles the research of women in ML, and maintains a list of resources for women working in ML.
All participants are required to abide by the WiML Code of Conduct.
I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Invited Speakers
Location
This workshop will be in-person only, co-located with ICML at the Hawaii Convention Centre , Honolulu.
Type of registration required to attend
Any type of in-person registration (tutorial / workshop / conference / all) grants you in-person access to the un-workshop.
The program follows the following color scheme: talks, breakout sessions, program breaks, sponsor round table, and panel discussion. The schedule is in local time zone (HST). The program book is available at Program Book 2023.
09:15 - 09.30 [Introduction & Opening Remarks - Priyadarshini Kumari (Sony AI) and Giulia Luise (Microsoft) - Hall 316C ]
09:30 - 10.00 [Invited Talk - Joelle Pineau (Meta AI and McGill University, Canada)] A culture of open and reproducible research in the era of large AI generative models - Hall 316C]
We have seen in the last year an incredible pace of progress in large AI models, with increasing abilities to generate high-quality images, videos, text, sound, and more. The best of these models display signs of creativity, reasoning, generalization, and plasticity beyond what we could imagine just a few years ago. Yet many challenges and open questions remain, both on the technological aspects and the societal impact of these models. Further progress, especially in mitigating the social risks of these models, is hampered by a lack of transparency and reproducibility. In this talk, Joelle will describe ongoing efforts to increase best practices towards the responsible training and deployment of AI research systems, drawing on her experience with the ML reproducibility program and the recent release of several state-of-the-art large models.
10.00 - 10.30 [Coffee Break and Networking]
10:30 - 11.00 [Invited Talk - Jennifer Doudna (UC Berkeley, USA)] Science and Snorkeling: My Journey with CRISPR - Hall - 316C]
In this talk, Jennifer will discuss her professional and personal journey working on CRISPR technology, from its genesis to its applications today, and focus on ethical challenges that mirror challenges with AI/ML.
11:00 - 12:00 [Breakout session #2 (Three parallel sessions)]
1. 1) Leveraging Large Scale Models for Identifying and Fixing Deep Neural Networks Biases. [Hall 316C]
Leader: Polina Kirichenko, Co-leads: Reyhane Askari Hemmat, Megan Richards.
Facilitators: Vitória Barin Pacela, Mohammad Pezeshki
1. 2) The Role of Mentorship and Building Long-term Professional Relationships. [Hall 326A]
Leader: Arushi Jain. Co-leads: Sangnie Bhardwaj
Facilitators: Motahareh Sohrabi, Padideh Nouri
1. 3) Robustness in Machine Learning. [Hall 326B]
Leader: Yao Qin. Co-lead: Qi Lei
Facilitators: Christina Baek
12:00 - 13:30 [Lunch and Sponsor Round Table Hall 316C]
Round Table A: Apple -- Finding Mentors and Being a Mentor
Rishika Agarwal (Engineer)
Ivy Zhang (Engineer)
Round Table B: D. E. Shaw Research -- Machine Learning at D. E. Shaw Research
Jocelyn Sunseri (Machine Learning Research Engineer)
Round Table C: Google DeepMind -- Keeping Up With the Pace of Change in Industry
Kate Baumli (Research Engineer)
Kavya Kopparupu (Research Engineer)
Round Table D: Google Research -- Life and Work at Google
Alicia Parrish (Research Scientist, Responsible AI)
Round Table E: Microsoft -- Exploring Pathways: Career Opportunities, Growth, and Work-Life Balance at Microsoft Research
Lili Wu (Data and Applied Scientist, Microsoft Research)
Cyril Zhang (Senior Researcher, Microsoft Research)
Round Table F: Two Sigma -- Your Next Big ML Move: Innovation in Finance
Brittany Clarke (Diversity Recruiting Program Manager)
Alyssa Lees (Engineering Manager, News Engineering: a NLP Technology Team)
13:30 - 14:00 [Invited Talk - Rihab Gorsane (Instadeep, Tunisia)] My journey at an African AI startup - Hall 316C]
In the talk, Rihab will share her personal journey as a mid-career woman coming from Africa in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and highlight the remarkable experiences she has gained working at an African AI startup. With a focus on both technical accomplishments and driving forces that have propelled her forward, I aim to inspire the audience while providing valuable insights into her professional growth - particularly to women who aspire to build their careers in AI.
14:00 - 15:00 [Breakout session #3 (Three parallel sessions)]
2. 1) Key Challenges for Applicable Reinforcement Learning. [Hall 316C]
Leader: Fengdi Che. Co-leads: Arushi Jain
Facilitators: Yueying Tian
2. 2) Data Diversity and Downstream Impact. [Hall 326B]
Leader: Judy Shen. Co-lead: Paula Gradu
Facilitators: Kristina Ulicna
2. 3) Deploying Research and Making Real-world Impact [Hall 326A]
Leader: Fei Fang. Co-leads: Diyi Yang
Facilitators: Bingbin Liu
15.00 - 15.30 [Coffee Break and Networking]
15:30 - 16:30 [Panel Discussion: Fostering Women's Leadership in the Realm of Emerging Trends and Technologies - Hall 316C]
Panelists: Joelle Pineau (Meta, McGill University), Pascale Fung (HKUST), Yao Qin (UC Santa Barbara, Google Research), Rihab Gorsane (Instadeep)
Moderator: Natasa Tagasovska (Prescient Design, Genentech)
The panel session will comprise 45 minutes of moderated discussion and a 15-minute Q&A with the audience. The session aims to bring together two significant themes: advancing women's leadership in AI and the future of machine learning with its emerging trends and technologies. The discussion will focus on empowering women in AI leadership positions to navigate these emerging trends effectively and reshape the landscape of AI.
16:30 - 16:45 [President Remarks: Sarah Tan (Cambia Health, Cornell University) - Hall 316C]
Call for Participation
WiML 4th Un-Workshop @ ICML 2023
[submissions are now closed]
The Women in Machine Learning will be organizing the fourth un-workshop at ICML 2023. The un-workshop is based on the concept of an un-conference, a form of discussion on a pre-selected topic that is primarily driven by participants. Different from the traditional workshop format, the un-workshop’s main focus is topical breakout sessions with short invited talks and casual, informal discussions. This is an event format to encourage more participant interaction and we are excited to be able to explore this format fully in-person this year!
This year’s goal: the purpose of the un-workshop is to bring together researchers who identify as a woman, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming, fostering an environment for constructive discussions on research and career advancement. This year we particularly encourage mid-career researchers that identify as a woman, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming participate and contribute in the un-workshop! However, everyone, regardless of their career stage or gender, is warmly welcomed to participate and join in the discussions! We'd love for you to submit a one-page proposal to lead one of the breakout sessions. This is just one of the many ways you can contribute to the conversation - check out the other options below! While the presentations will be led by woman, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming individuals, all genders are invited to attend!
IMPORTANT DATES
June 3rd, 2023 -- Application Form opens!
June 19th, 2023 June 24th, 2023 -- Deadline (Anywhere on Earth) to apply for a breakout session, registration fee funding, or volunteering
June 24th, 2023 June 30th 2023 -- Notification of acceptance for all of the above (midnight Anywhere on Earth)
July 28th, 2023 -- WiML Un-Workshop Day
Participate in the WiML Unworkshop
Lead or engage in a breakout session: submit a proposal to lead a breakout session on a certain topic, either research oriented or about career development.
Volunteer: seize this opportunity to contribute to the success of this WiML event! Help is needed with the technical setup and to fulfill the diverse needs that pop up during the event!
Attend: participate in breakout session discussions, attend talks and/or panel discussions, come around for a chat with coffee!
1. Breakout session proposals: A breakout session is a 1-hour free-form discussion overseen by 1-3 leaders, with contributions from named participants, and with assistance from 1-2 facilitators to take notes and encourage participant interactions. We strongly encourage women, nonbinary and/or gender non-conforming individuals in all areas of machine learning to submit a proposal to lead or be a named participant in a topical breakout session. Compared to breakout sessions in previous years, we are making the following exciting changes for this year!
First, we are expanding beyond technical and research topics. This year, we also encourage proposals related to growth, career development, and other non-technical topics that would be of interest to women, non-binary and/or gender non-confirming individuals in ML (particularly those who are mid-career).
Second, we are introducing a new way of participating in breakout sessions: named participants. If you have an interesting idea or project that you think can spark productive discussion, or there is a topic that really interest you and you would be up for discussing it, we encourage you to submit a summary/position paper/poster. This can include both technical and non-technical topics. If there is a good match between your submission and the breakout session proposals, you will be matched with a breakout session leader and asked to contribute to the breakout session as a named participant. The exact nature of your contribution will be determined by your assigned session leader.
You may apply to be a breakout session leader and/or apply to be a named participant.
Guidance for applying to be a breakout session leader: your one-page proposal PDF should include a description of your proposed topic, why it is important/relevant, potential discussion questions, and how you would incorporate named participants (as described above).
Guidance for applying to be a named participant: identify a topic, idea, or project that would be a good starting point for a discussion. This can be anything ranging from a summary of the topic and why you think it is relevant for WiML community, an unpolished idea, or a completed research project. Focus on explaining how your idea/project is relevant to a broader audience and what questions it sparks. Submissions must be one-page PDFs. Try to explain in simple language with minimal technical jargon.
More information for leaders:
A complete proposal consists of a 1 page PDF, along with the names and bios of leaders and facilitators submitted separately in the application form. Proposals need not be anonymized. We strongly recommend having at least 2 leaders, with a diverse set of leaders preferred (see selection criteria below). The names of facilitators should also be provided. WiML registration fee funding is prioritized for accepted breakout session leaders who fulfill certain eligibility criteria (see details below). Only one proposal submission per leader is allowed. If there are multiple leaders, only one leader needs to submit the proposal. There are no proceedings.
Guidelines for and roles of leaders:
Breakout session leaders must identify as a woman, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming
Point-out key characteristics of your topic and make connections with other topics
Describe the key challenges and approaches in this research area or career topic on a high-level
Highlight possible points of discussion/goals to achieve during the session
Use graphics/imagery and materials, e.g. slides, as needed
Encourage inclusive (rather than unilateral) discussions
Leaders should anticipate a small additional time commitment before the un-workshop to receive briefing/training and a possible dry run
Submission instructions for breakout sessions:
Proposals must be no more than 1 page (including any references, tables, and figures) submitted as a PDF.
Main body text must be minimum 11 point font size and page margins must be minimum 0.75 inches (all sides).
Your proposal should stand alone, without linking to a longer paper or supplement.
You should provide a brief description of the topics you’d like to discuss, any relevant references, a plan for how you would organize the time (1 hour) allocated for a session, as well as some ideas on how you would encourage discussion and participant interaction during the session.
Selection criteria for breakout sessions:
The degree to which it is expected that participants will find the topic interesting and valuable.
Diversity of leaders and facilitators, including diversity of experience/seniority, affiliation, race, viewpoint and thinking regarding the topic, etc.
Plans for encouraging discussion and participant interaction during the session.
More information for named participants:
Guidelines for and roles of named participants:
Breakout session named participants must be women, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming
Point out key characteristics of your topic and make connections with other topics.
Describe how your work or knowledge contributes to this area.
Highlight possible points of discussion/goals to achieve during the session.
Use graphics/imagery and materials e.g. slides as needed
Encourage inclusive (rather than unilateral) discussions
Submission instructions:
Proposals must be no more than 1 page (including any references, tables, and figures) submitted as a PDF.
Main body text must be minimum 11 point font size and page margins must be minimum 0.75 inches (all sides).
Your proposal should stand alone, without linking to a longer paper or supplement.
You should provide a brief description of the topics you’d like to discuss, any relevant references, and specifics around how you could contribute to the conversation.
2. Volunteering: We are seeking volunteers to help with technical setup and help during the event. You can indicate if you can help in any way in the corresponding section of the application form. Note: We also encourage you to apply for ICML volunteer and funding opportunities, which are separate and independent of WiML funding. Check the ICML website directly for details.
3. Participation instructions: To participate in ANY of the above roles and/or apply for registration fee funding, please fill in the application form by June 19, 2023. Selected breakout session leaders, breakout session participants, volunteers, and funding recipients will be notified individually by the dates mentioned above. If you only wish to attend, we still recommend you fill in this form to provide your topic preferences. All participants are required to abide by the WiML Code of Conduct.
4. Registration fee funding: To apply for funding, you should identify as a woman, non-binary and/or gender non-conforming and commit to participating in at least one breakout session as a leader, named participant, facilitator, or attendee. Due to limited funding, we may not be able to support everyone eligible; however, we hope to support as many eligible applicants as possible. Accepted breakout session leaders or named participants who do not have other sources of registration fee funding will be prioritized for WiML funding. Other participants are also encouraged to apply. In your application, please indicate any funding sources you may have and how WiML's support is needed. Please note that WiML is able to fund registration fees only (not travel and accommodation) for selected participants.
Further questions? Check out the FAQs (https://wimlworkshop.org/faq/) or reach us at workshop@wimlworkshop.org
5. A sneak peak of other activities that the workshop will host: We will give more details closer to the event but the workshop will include a sponsor roundtable, where you will have the opportunity to interact and network with our sponsors. Furthermore, we will facilitate networking, mentoring, and impromptu discussions during the event. Stay tuned!
PLATINUM SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
PLATINUM SPONSORS
FAQs
How do I participate to the un-workshop?
Start with filling the application form, especially if you are interested in presenting! The workshop will take place on July 28th 2023, co-located with ICML at the Hawaii Convention Centre in Honolulu. We will give more details nearer to the event.
Does registering for the WiML un-workshop also mean I'm registered for ICML?
Unfortunately not. You would still need to register separately for ICML – their registration process can be found here. You should only register to ICML if you are interested in attending ICML activities beyond WiML un-workshop.
What does un-workshop mean?
The un-workshop is based on the concept of an un-conference, a form of discussion on a pre-selected topic that is primarily driven by participants. Please check our Call for Participation for more details!
How much travel funding is available?
We will be able to sponsor the ICML registration fee for selected participants. Please fill the application form to apply for funding!
How do I reach the WiML network?
Use our mailing list.
How can I sponsor WiML?
Thank you for your interest in sponsoring WiML! See this page for more information.
I am a man. Can I attend WiML un-workshop?
Yes. Allies are welcome to attend! Note, however, that all speakers and poster presenters will primarily identify as women, nonbinary, or gender-nonconforming, as our goal is to promote them and their work within the machine learning community.
What are the mentorship roundtables?
We will update the format of this year's Sponsor Roundtable closer to the event!
Is WiML an archival venue?
No, WiML is a non-archival venue. Moreover, the un-workshop format does not include paper submissions. Check the Call for Participation to learn how to contribute to the un-workshop!
Is there a Code of Conduct?
Yes, you can find it here .
I have a question that isn't answered here. How do I reach you?
We receive a lot of email. Help us help you by reaching out through the appropriate channels.
Job posting, announcement, CFP, etc: Post directly to WiML mailing list.
Have event pictures to share: post on Twitter and tag @wimlworkshop
Workshop enquiries: workshop@wimlworkshop.org
If you are a company interested in sponsoring WiML: sponsorship@wimlworkshop.org
Any other enquiries: info@wimlworkshop.org
If you email us, don’t cc multiple email addresses — this saves us time routing your email to one mailbox, and reduces the chances of your email getting lost. Thank you in advance!