ICAT Playdate — Future of Work

This playdate will provide an overview of Virginia Tech’s newly formed Center for the Future of Work Places and Practices. The center’s vision is to be an international leader in research and education exploring the complexities of a future of work that is creative (in process), integrated (in discipline), inclusive (of identities and viewpoints), distributed (in space and time), equitable (in its distribution of ownership and income), and symbiotic (with technological, institutional, organizational, and social innovation). We are motivated to bring together the diverse array of faculty who integrate research and education perspectives to enhance the impact of emerging technologies on the future of work. The center will focus on the intersection of targeted work domains, such as healthcare, manufacturing, government, media, and education, and a range of cross-cutting research areas and technologies that will advance the future of work, including machine learning, pervasive computing, human-centered design, policy, law, economics, ethics, training, cyber-security, and decision-making. The goal of the center is to serve as a foundation for becoming a national leader in interdisciplinary research and education related to the design, development, and deployment of future work spaces, processes, and domains, with an emphasis on human-centered approaches, where people are at the focus.  The presentation will also discuss ways for faculty and students to get involved with the center, such as the upcoming ICAT major SEAD grants.