Michael Colaresi Joins CRC Leadership

Pitt’s Michael Colaresi was recently named Assistant Director of the CRC. Colaresi, Associate Vice Provost for Data Science and William S. Dietrich II Professor of Political Science, is uniquely suited to contribute to CRC’s mission of making high performance computing available and accessible to researchers across the university.

Colaresi is a driver of Pitt’s Responsible Data Science initiative, which aims to bring data science to every field across Pitt, including those that have not typically used computation but are now generating and influenced by data on an unprecedented scale.

Data science is about people, explains Colaresi.

“We don't simply focus on computation in and of itself. We focus on the decisions that the models and the algorithm help to guide. The aim is decision making that is data driven but human steered.”

“Pitt can be uniquely impactful on the applications of data science,” Colaresi says. “We are where silicon hits the sidewalk. We apply broad expertise in foundational data science and computation, biostatistics and artificial intelligence to solve societal level problems from addiction to sustainability through to equity and access. Even further, we can connect Pitt’s talent to organizations in banking and finance, retail, operations, government, and the nonprofit sector.”

"Since data science influences human judgments and decisions across all industries and domains, Responsible Data Science at Pitt is excited to partner with the CRC to grow student, research group, and faculty skills and experiences across every corner of campus. Together, we have the opportunity to empower not only impressive computation but the necessary critical thinking and effective communication of inferences that propels the sparks of insights and wisdom to leap from our screens and lead to positive actions in our world."

- Brian Connelly