In January 2025, Aseel Basheer, a PhD candidate in the School of Computer Science and a Graduate Research Assistant at the Data Institute for Societal Challenges (DISC) at the University of Oklahoma, attended the 58th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). The conference, held from January 7–10 in Hawaii, is recognized as the longest-standing scientific conference in Information Technology Management.
At HICSS, Aseel presented her paper titled "Leveraging Visual Analytics and Diverse Datasets for Proactive Pandemic Surveillance: A One Health Approach." The paper showcased the development of the Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention (PIPP) dashboard, a cutting-edge tool designed to enable early detection of potential pandemics. The PIPP dashboard integrates "One Health" datasets—including human health, animal health, and environmental data—to create interactive visualizations and predictive models that support proactive public health decision-making. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, Aseel’s work demonstrated how diverse datasets can be leveraged to reveal critical interconnections, develop user-friendly forecasting tools, and advocate for timely interventions.
HICSS provided Aseel with an invaluable opportunity to engage with a global community of researchers, attend insightful presentations, and share innovative ideas. The conference facilitated meaningful connections with experts from various fields, offering her a broader perspective on how interdisciplinary collaboration can drive impactful solutions to complex societal challenges.
Presenting at such a prestigious conference not only allowed Aseel to highlight her research but also provided her with constructive feedback and inspiration for future work. Her participation underscored her dedication to leveraging data science and visual analytics to address critical public health issues. Aseel credits the support of DISC and the University of Oklahoma for enabling her to contribute to such an influential platform.
