Getting Started
Volunteering for a Talk
Want to volunteer for a talk? Fantastic! Just get in touch with the PACE Lab admin. The submission format for your talk details, along with the guidelines, is conveniently available on the website. Heads-up: the format may get an upgrade from time to time to keep things smooth and consistent. Pro tip—volunteer before the system randomly assigns you a talk. (Trust me, it’s less fun when the choice isn’t yours.) Participation isn’t just encouraged—it’s what makes this whole thing work!
If a person has speech disability, alternative arrangements can be made, such as having someone read the transcripts on your behalf. This section uses people-first language as per the guidelines
A quick confession: I might turn into that one pesky manager who relentlessly follows up on your paper presentation. If I forget to do so in the next semester, feel free to remind me in whatever “constructive” way you see fit. Just remember, the success of this initiative rests squarely on the shoulders of MS/PhD students.
Monthly Meets
The PACE Lecture Series hopes to host bi-monthly meets to discuss and present research papers. The objective is to read one research paper per session, present its learnings, and share insights with the group. Please ensure that the paper you choose has been presented at top-tier conferences.
Templates and Guidelines
- Monthly Meet Template: Available on the website.
- Submission Template: Get your Google Docs game on with the format provided.
Suggestions? Complaints? Think you can do better? We’re all ears!
About the Website
- Built with Hugo (link) because why not.
- Deployed on AWS because I didn’t want to compromise the secret key in a public GitHub repo. You’re welcome.
- CI/CD for the win! Check out all the gritty details in the GitHub repository.
Future Plans
This is very much a work in progress, with our first session planned for February 2025. Got ideas? Drop them as GitHub Issues. Please—no private messages. Let’s keep things open for discussion because democracy and all that.
We also plan to host lightning talks soon—short, snappy presentations on tools, tricks, and cool ideas.
Why Not a Google Group or WhatsApp?
It’s alarmingly easy for labs to slip into silos—new students arrive with no clue about the lab’s history, doctrines, or the collective wisdom amassed over time. Meanwhile, seasoned members, those who’ve published at top conferences and navigated the academic trenches, graduate and take their hard-earned insights with them. Without an organized system to document and preserve this knowledge, a significant chunk of valuable information risks disappearing into the void. This isn’t just inconvenient; it’s a disservice to the next generation of students who could benefit immensely from a central, structured repository of the lab’s intellectual contributions.
This platform is designed to solve that problem by creating a repository that doesn’t just cater to the current cohort but also serves as a resource for those who follow. Beyond that, it helps to foster a culture of continuity and accessibility, ensuring the lab’s legacy of discussions, discoveries, and best practices doesn’t get lost with time.
Another vital point: discussions about technical papers and research shouldn’t remain locked behind institutional walls. Public access to these discussions opens the door to a broader academic ecosystem where volunteers and experts from outside the lab can contribute, present their work, and engage in collaborative dialogue. This kind of openness doesn’t just benefit the lab—it enriches the academic community at large.
Homage to Aaron Swartz
That said, I understand that public access can raise concerns about privacy, authentication, or other sensitive issues. If there are specific reservations in this regard, let me know, and we can put appropriate guardrails in place to strike the right balance between openness and security. The goal is to create a robust and inclusive system—not one that compromises the trust or integrity of the community.