Data Ethics in Practice

About the talk

Dr. Yusuf Abara, data ethics researcher and former industry practitioner, spoke at UW–Porter Falls in April 2026 as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, nominated by the College of Computing & Information Sciences.

What the talk covered

Abara walked through real (anonymized) cases where a data-science team's technically correct model produced an ethically indefensible outcome, and argued that ethics training works better as a set of practiced habits than a one-time course requirement.

A line worth remembering

“Nobody sets out to build the biased model. It shows up because nobody in the room asked the uncomfortable question at the right moment.”

— Dr. Yusuf Abara

If you missed it

Distinguished Lecture Series talks are recorded and streamed live from the Halvorsen Library auditorium, and a recording is typically posted afterward through the sponsoring college's page. Reach the College of Computing & Information Sciences directly if you are looking for a specific talk that is not yet posted.

How it connected to coursework

The College of Computing & Information Sciences typically builds a short discussion or reflection assignment around its nominated speaker into at least one course that term, so students who could not attend live still engage with the ideas secondhand. Faculty who teach in areas adjacent to “Data Ethics in Practice” say the Q&A after the formal talk is usually where the most specific, applicable answers come out — worth staying for if you do attend in person.

Common questions

Can students propose a speaker? Each college nominates its own speaker; a student with a suggestion should raise it with a faculty member or the department office in the relevant college, since faculty typically make the actual nomination.

Is attendance required for any course? Some instructors offer extra credit or a short reflection assignment tied to a relevant talk, but attendance is never a blanket requirement across the university.