Salon '26
Salon '26: AI From Insight to Impact That Matters
In 2026, our annual Salon event welcomed students, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and data science professionals to explore the real-world impact of data science across sectors.
This year's theme "AI From Insight to Impact That Matters,” featured hands-on workshops, a poster session, a resource and career expo, and a networking reception designed to connect attendees with peers, mentors, and collaborators. The event included a keynote address titled “Giving People Their Voice: Human-Centered AI in Schools and Health Systems” and concluded with a panel discussion on our theme.
Watch highlights from the day:
Keynote
Charles Elwood
President: Solismatica AI | Microsoft AI MVP
Responsible AI: From Promise to Practice
Panelists
Vice President, Senior Manager at Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago | Data Transformation | Data as a Product Advocate | Chicago Innovation Fellow
AI Ethics | AI in Scholarly Publishing | Research Ethics & Integrity Assistant Professor at Northwestern University
Product Marketing @ Cresta | AI Agents - Human Agents, in one unified Contact Center AI platform
Executive Director & Chief Responsible AI Officer | AI 2030