Recommender Systems Conference Doctoral Consortium, 2007 (October 19-20, 2007)

University Of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minneapolis MN

Investigators

Abstract

This grant provides funding to involve graduate students in the relatively new and innovative annual meeting on recommender systems of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), an area of currently great and rapid development in computer and information science. Recommender systems are information systems, often associated with major commercial websites, that advise customers and other users about products such as books or movies, on the basis of their own past choices and the choices of other users who have similar preferences. Following up on previous successful workshops and conferences on recommender systems, the research community has taken the lead in creating an ACM sponsored conference in the field. To be held October 19-20 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it will feature a peer-reviewed research program (with both a printed proceedings and publication in the ACM Digital Library) and an industry program, to better bring together the experiences and needs of industry practice and academic research. Presentations of full papers, posters, and demonstrations will make up the main body of the conference. The Doctoral Consortium component of the conference will be held on October 18. Between six and eight advanced graduate students will present their research and receive feedback from faculty and fellow students. This doctoral consortium will help expand the participation of young researchers pursuing graduate studies in this field, by providing them an opportunity to gain wider exposure in the community for their innovative work and to obtain feedback and guidance from senior members of the research community. It will further help foster a sense of community among these young researchers, by allowing them to create a social network both among themselves and with senior researchers at a critical stage in their professional development.