Keynote: Open Source, Open Mind: Sound Solutions for Humanity

Keynote: Open Source, Open Mind: Sound Solutions for Humanity - Kyla A. McMullen, PhD, Assistant Professor, University of Florida

Undoubtedly, there is a strong connection between open source contribution and academia: collaboration across multiple groups, open access to information, and quality over quantity. Dr. McMullen will discuss how the SoundPadLab at the University of Florida uses open source to create novel solutions to many societal challenges. Come hear about how open source projects are being implemented in academic and human contexts.

Kyla A. McMullen, PhD
University of Florida
Assistant Professor
Dr. Kyla McMullen earned her Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), where she was also a Meyerhoff Scholar. She earned her Masters and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan (2007-2012). While earning her Ph.D. she was also a faculty member at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. At Wayne State University she taught computer literacy courses to over 2,000 students. Professor McMullen is the first underrepresented woman to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan. She is currently a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Florida’s Computer & Information Sciences & Engineering Department. Dr. McMullen has a personal commitment to encouraging women and minorities to pursue careers in computing and other STEM fields. She is the creator of "Beautiful, Black, and Brainy" and "Brilliant is the New Black", which showcase hundreds of exceptional young African Americans who excel in STEM fields and don't fit the typical "scientist" stereotype.

Dr. McMullen is the leader of the SoundPAD Laboratory at the University of Florida, which focuses on the Perception, Application, and Development of 3D audio in various contexts. Current projects include (1) psychoacoustic analysis of the quality of customized head-related transfer functions, (2) using 3D audio to sonify positional data for situational awareness, (3) using virtual spatial audio to augment assistive technology for persons with visual impairments, (4) discovering critical interface design techniques for developing virtual auditory environments, and (5) using 3D audio to increase immersion and realness in virtual and augmented reality.