The ATLAS Speaker Series, which is made possible by a generous donation by Idit Harel Caperton and Anat Harel, hosts distinguished visitors from academia, industry and the arts as part of the ATLAS Institute’s mission to explore information and communication technologies and their effect on society.
The series is an educational and experiential resource for students, faculty and the larger community to discuss the challenges, opportunities and innovative applications of technology. Talks usually run from 4-5 p.m. in the Cofrin Auditorium, ground floor, ATLAS 100 (enter from lobby), unless otherwise noted.
The following speakers have been scheduled for the spring 2013 semester:

Digital Media and Music as an Instrument for Social Change

Paul Miller (aka DJ Spooky) will discuss his recent work exploring digital media, music and the ways that art can open minds and help people gain new perspectives on issues like climate change. He will perform his multimedia electronic compositions (using his own DJ app and wall to wall graphics) accompanied by CU College of Music cellist Megan Knapp and violinist Emily Lenck. Miller is a multimedia digital artist, musician, composer, remixer, author of “The Book of Ice” and the first artist-in-residence at NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. His visit is a collaboration between ATLAS Institute, the Program for Writing and Rhetoric and the President's Fund for the Humanities. 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6, downstairs Black Box theater,
lowest basement level, B2

How Open Source Software is Changing Technology

Stormy Peters will look at how we can predict the future of technology by observing the use and development of such software. As examples, she’ll show how nonprofits and open source software projects set technology directions and make bold statements about how to make the world a better place. She will also discuss her work at Mozilla and share insights about the future of information technology (IT).

Stormy Peters is director of websites & developer engagement at Mozilla. She is an advocate and supporter of open source software and its potential to change the software industry. She is also the founder and vice president of Kids on Computers, a nonprofit organization that sets up computer labs in developing countries. 4-5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 18, Cofrin Auditorium, ATLAS 100

Women and the Web: Bridging the Gender Internet Gap in Developing Countries

Renee Wittemyer will discuss the data on the large Internet gender gap in developing countries and the social and economic benefits of securing Internet access for women. Recent studies find that on average – across the developing world – nearly 25 percent fewer women than men have access to the Internet and the gap soars to nearly 45 percent in sub-Saharan African regions. Wittemyer will discuss this research and a call-to-action to double the number of women and girls online in developing countries from 600 million today to 1.2 billion in 3 years.

Wittemyer, director of social impact in Intel Corporation’s Corporate Responsibility Office, develops strategies for Intel’s girls and women’s campaign and manages relationships with strategic alliances, such as USAID, NGOs, and U.N. Women.
4-5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, Cofrin Auditorium, ATLAS 100

Education at the Intersection of Computer Science and Music

Ge Wang will discuss the transformative possibilities of music and computing to make art, strange new instruments and connections to people around the world. His talk will explore laptop and mobile phone orchestras, computer music languages, social music apps like Ocarina and Magic Piano – all examples of an emerging, growing space where computers, music and people interact. Wang is a Stanford University assistant professor in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) and researches programming languages and interactive software systems for computer-generated music. 4-5 p.m. Monday, March 18, downstairs Black Box theater, lowest basement level, B2

Learning to Love Technology by Making Arts and Crafts

Leah Buechley will discuss her work developing accessible technologies that allow people of all ages – including those who might not otherwise be attracted to computing – to sketch, design, paint and sew while incorporating electronic technology. As examples, she will show student projects that blend computing with traditional arts, crafts, textiles, paper and wood. A developer of the LilyPad Arduino toolkit, Buechley received her master’s and Ph.D. degrees in computer science from CU. She is an associate professor at MIT and directs the High-Low Tech Media Lab. 4:15-5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, Cofrin Auditorium, ATLAS 100

Mystery, Music and Digital Innovation

Nicolas Jaar, an international multi-media performing artist, will talk about his digital music work and creative process. Record label colleagues plus emerging Colorado-based music producers will join him in a Q&A discussion. Jaar is founder of the record label Clown & Sunset and released his debut album “Space Is Only Noise” in 2011. He has performed around the world including an acclaimed five-hour improvisation at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. The talk is a collaboration between ATLAS Institute and the Communikey Festival of Electronic Arts, http://communikey.us. 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, Cofrin Auditorium, ATLAS 100