Spark 2025 Agenda - Expand Each Item Below for More Details
Bring Your Own Lunch and participate in a facilitated group discussion on Data Ethics, followed by guided networking.
If you aren't able to join the pre-conference program, plan to arrive at 1:00pm to grab some iced coffee and a chair. The official program starts at 1:15pm sharp!
⚡️ Spark, 🥨 snacks and ☕️ coffee are all free! …but if you feel moved to donate to help us cover the costs of today’s event, we would really appreciate it.
Sarah Serpas
ARDA Steering Committee Co-Chair
Senior Research & Data Analyst, Every Texan
Lecturer & PhD Student in Applied Demography, UTSA
Ryan Orsinger
ARDA Steering Committee Co-Chair
Director of Data Science and Research, Haven for Hope
Data-Driven Solutions for AI Responsibility | Opening Keynote
Dr. Ke Yang, Ph.D Assistant Professor, University of Texas at San Antonio
This year's conference opens with a keynote covering several traditional ethical issues in AI, such as fairness and diversity in ranking tasks, as well as a recently emerging topic, the hallucination of large language models. Some technical solutions of these issues will be discussed in different scenarios inspired by real-world examples.
Dr. Ke Yang is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Texas San Antonio. She is the founder and lead faculty of the Cohort for AI REsponsibility (CAREAI) at UTSA, also a core faculty in School of Data Science and faculty in AI Consortium for Human Well-being (MATRIX) at UTSA. Her research is broadly in the areas of AI trustworthiness, responsibility and safety, data management, machine learning, and human-centered data science. She focuses on topics such as hallucination of language models, algorithmic fairness, and education in AI trustworthiness.
Above All, Do No Harm (With Your Data) | Room 1
Taylor Ridge, Assistant Director of Public Health Informatics, University Health Institute for Public Health
Public health informatics is more than just analyzing data, it’s about building trust and positively impacting the wellbeing of the community. From responsibly handling personal health information, avoiding bias in analysis and anticipating how our data influences important decisions, our team maintains an ethical framework by keeping patients at the center of our work.
From Insights to Impact: Ethics, Storytelling, and Accountability in a Data-Driven World | Part 1 | Room 2
Join us for a powerful two-part interactive session that explores the ethical frontiers of data, AI, and digital innovation. This session, Part 1, features four emerging doctoral student researchers presenting bold, solution-focused work on algorithmic bias, AI privacy harms, linguistic inclusion, and automated data visualization. Through lightning talks and a collaborative challenge, they invite attendees to examine real-world dilemmas and co-create ethical responses.
Participants that wish to continue the conversation may choose to remain in Room 2 for Part 2 of this topic, led by Beth Hernandez, Director of Digital/Technical Product Management at USAA. More details on her session can be found in the next session drop-down.
Psychological Safety and Data Ethics: Creating a Culture of Transparency and Trust | Room 3
Lauron Fischer, Project Manager, PorchLight Insights
This session explores the connection between data ethics and psychological safety, the belief that individuals can take interpersonal risks without fear of judgment or retaliation. Using data ethically depends on people feeling safe to question assumptions, share concerns, admit mistakes, and be open to where the data and evidence lead. Attendees will learn practical strategies to support psychological safety within their teams and maintain their own personal openness to change and continuous improvement.
Unconference: Community-Guided Open Discussion | Foyer/Atrium
You! & ARDA Steering Committee Members
In this interactive breakout session, participants will shape the conversation by writing their own data-related questions or topics on a shared board. Guided by a moderator to ensure inclusive and engaging dialogue, the group will move through an open, collaborative discussion in the spirit of a “World Café” or "Unconference." Come ready to share, listen, and explore ideas that matter most to you and your peers.
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: Critically Evaluating Research | Room 1
David E. Johnson, Ed.D, Owner-Principal, TransformEd Consulting
Statistics can be crafted to misrepresent data to bolster weak arguments or intentionally promulgate falsehoods. This workshop advances statistical literacy—a systematic process to assess the quality, relevance, and credibility of research findings to ensure conclusions are valid, meaningful, and applicable.
From Insights to Impact: Ethics, Storytelling, and Accountability in a Data-Driven World | Part 2 | Room 2
Beth Hernandez, Director, Digital/Technical Product Management, USAA
Mikaela Rodriguez, Digital Product Manager, USAA
This breakout is a continuation, or follow-on, of the "From Insights to Impact" breakout held in the first breakout block at 3:00pm. Though not mandatory, participants interested in this session are highly encouraged to attend that breakout session prior to this one.
In the second half of the conversation, Beth and Mikaela offer an industry perspective on how data is used to tell stories, shape products, and drive decisions - while balancing trust, compliance, and human-centered design. Together with its Part 1, this session bridges academic insight and real-world application, ending with a joint reflection between students and industry on leading ethically in a data-driven world.
Ethics by Design: Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Workforce Decisions | Room 3
Tiffany Phillips-Rhodes, BSBA, M.Ed, PG AIML, Professor of Mathematics, Austin Community College
Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Employment: Balancing Efficiency, Fairness, and Trust in the Hiring and Firing Process.
This session explores how ethical AI frameworks can be embedded in the design and deployment of algorithms used in employment decision-making. Attendees will examine real-world applications where AI has improved efficiency and objectivity and analyze cautionary examples where lack of oversight led to data breaches or unfair dismissals. Through the lens of data ethics, the session emphasizes transparency, fairness, and accountability in algorithmic decision-making.
Unconference: Community-Guided Open Discussion | Foyer/Atrium
You! & ARDA Steering Committee Members
In this interactive breakout session, participants will shape the conversation by writing their own data-related questions or topics on a shared board. Guided by a moderator to ensure inclusive and engaging dialogue, the group will move through an open, collaborative discussion in the spirit of a “World Café” or "Unconference." Come ready to share, listen, and explore ideas that matter most to you and your peers.
La Tuna: 100 Probandt St, San Antonio, TX 78204
Meet us at La Tuna Icehouse & Grill after the conference for networking and community!
Order ARDA T-Shirts!
Order ARDA T-shirts directly from Cordelia Special Tees, a project of the Burleson School. If you can’t go out to pick up your t-shirts yourself, email alamodata@gmail.com and we will coordinate a time to pick up folks t-shirts and get them to you!
