The Halle Institute has established four Emory Fulbright Distinguished Chair programs in collaboration with Fulbright offices and commissions in Brazil, South Africa, Korea, and India. Distinguished Chairs are innovative and dynamic scholars who spend a semester at Emory to conduct research, teach courses or workshops, and engage with Emory’s academic community. Hosted by appropriate departments in any discipline, Distinguished Chairs offer rich engagement with faculty and students. Their contributions strengthen international cooperation between their home institution and Emory, and they support Emory as a global academic community of choice for researchers across a wide array of disciplines.
For the Fall 2023 semester, Emory University was delighted to host Dr. Dustin van der Haar, a Computer Scientist focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) from the University of Johannesburg (South Africa).
Different perspectives always enrich us in different ways
Dustin van der Haar
Dustin van der Haar is an Associate Professor in the Academy of Computer Science and Software Engineering at the University of Johannesburg. His primary field of interest is in applied artificial intelligence for perceiving human beings. He focuses on developing algorithms that analyze text, signal, and vision data to understand and interpret structural or behavioral aspects displayed by humans – ultimately helping to solve problems that matter.
Halle Director Dr. Julia Bullock met with Dustin van der Haar and academic host Dr. Christopher Riehm, from Emory’s Sports Performance and Research Center (SPARC) to talk about their research collaboration.
The two researchers are currently working on a journal article about two interventions to prevent injuries based on a clinical trial conducted at a children’s hospital. They investigate new ways of benchmarking the efficacy of a particular intervention and develop a framework to assess risk and understand what reduces the probability of getting injured.
Julia Bullock, Dustin van der Haar, and Christopher Riehm also talked about a couple of other questions, summarized and paraphrased below.
Julia Bullock: How has working together enriched you either professionally or personally?
Dustin van der Haar: For me it was fulfilling to see how different people tackle different problems.
Christopher Riehm: It was really interesting to see the way Dustin worked with data, the approach he is bringing from his field. Also, hearing about his lab in South Africa, and how they work with their team and their research objectives has been very illuminating. The biggest barrier to collaboration is knowing if someone exists! I’m glad we made this connection through the Halle Fulbright program and that we can continue working together in the future.
Julia Bullock: Do you recall having an “aha-moment” when working together unlocked some new insights?
Dustin van der Haar: Learning domain-specific terminology was an adjustment for me as a computer scientist. But once you master the language-level access, some doors open up to you—I discovered new articles, research reports, and projects that I previously wasn’t aware of and wouldn’t have even known how to look for.
Christopher Riehm: Being able to discuss the state of the art of machine learning and AI with Dustin was eye-opening. Until you see that it can be done, you think it’s impossible. But Dustin’s answer was often “oh no, this can be done. It might not be easy, but it can be done.” He really has a “can-do” attitude!
Julia Bullock: Do you have any tips for other applicants?
Dustin van der Haar: Do as much research about the place you are going to as possible. I felt like I had prepared a lot, but when I landed in Atlanta, there was still so much that was new and unexpected.
Christopher Riehm: Dustin was very proactive during the application and set-up process, which was great! Being communicative – maybe even over-communicative – is essential, as every researcher is busy. Having a conversation with potential partners beforehand is also helpful to understand how the collaboration could work and where the current research is focused. Publications from labs or centers might sometimes reflect past projects rather than current work, so it’s worth checking in and discussing current research agendas.