I2S Student Organization Announces Silicon Valley Engineer, Former KU Professor as Keynote for Annual Research Symposium


Tue, 11/26/2024

author

Andrew M Perkins

The Institute for Information Sciences (I2S) student organization has announced Andy Gill as its keynote speaker for their annual research symposium. Gill is a Principal Engineer at Rain AI, a Silicon Valley startup specializing in the development of low-power AI accelerators. With extensive experience in designing and optimizing AI accelerator compilers, Gill has previously held roles at Cerebras Systems and Google, contributing to compiler technologies for AI hardware. Before transitioning to the private sector, Gill served as an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Kansas, where his research centered on domain-specific languages for FPGAs and GPUs. He earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Edinburgh and a Ph.D. in Computing Science from the University of Glasgow.

Keynote Topic: Haverscript

Haverscript is a lightweight Python library crafted to simplify and enhance interactions with large language models (LLMs). Built on top of Ollama, a popular platform for running LLMs locally, Haverscript introduces a structured and pragmatic approach to managing LLM workflows. The library leverages immutability, automates retry logic in a principled way, and employs a simple caching mechanism to boost efficiency. Haverscript empowers developers and researchers to focus on prompt creation rather than the intricacies of workflow management. This keynote will explore the core principles of Haverscript, its practical applications, and how it can streamline the integration of LLMs into diverse projects.

The I2S Student Research Symposium (ISRS) is an opportunity for graduate students to share their research and ideas with other graduate students and faculty members. The event will be held Jan. 23-24, 2025, at the Kansas Memorial Union.

As in past programs, the ISRS will feature both oral and poster presentations as well as a keynote speaker. Graduate students from all academic backgrounds are invited to submit abstracts of work they have recently published, are in the process of publishing, or are works-in-progress. Chosen researchers will present their work to fellow participants and I2S faculty with an opportunity to win prizes.

Registration for ISRS 2025, including the invitation for abstract submissions, is now open. Details, including links to the registration and abstract submission forms, can be found on the I2S website. The deadline for submission is Dec. 15, 2024.

While ISRS will be hosted in-person, an option to stream the event via Zoom will also be available for participants who cannot attend. Updates to the schedule and keynote information will be added to the event website soon, but participants – particularly those interested in presenting – are encouraged to register now.

Tue, 11/26/2024

author

Andrew M Perkins