Bell-Rhodes Professor of the Practice of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Stacy Tantum received the B.S.E.E. degree in Electrical Engineering and Economics from Tufts University in 1994, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Electrical Engineering, both from Duke University in 1996 and 1998, respectively. During the summer of 1996 she was a Summer Research Assistant at SACLANT Undersea Research Center in La Spezia, Italy, where she collaborated on her PhD research on passive sonar with an international team of research scientists. Dr. Tantum is currently an Associate Professor of the Practice in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University, where she is also the Faculty Director of the 360 Coaching Program for first-year advising in the Pratt School of Engineering.
Her current research interests are in the areas of domain-informed data science and context-aware machine learning, in which notions of privacy, bias, and making data science and machine learning decisions understandable and interpretable are at the forefront. She translates these interests to her efforts to improve student educational experiences by incorporating mindset-aware learning and neuroscience-informed teaching practices, such as metacognition and cognitive load, into the learning experiences she designs.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Bell-Rhodes Professor of the Practice of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Professor of the Practice in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Contact Information
- Office Location: 3579 Fitzpatrick CIEMAS, Durham, NC 27708
- Email Address: stacy.tantum@duke.edu
Education
- B.S.E.E. Tufts University, 1994
- M.S. Duke University, 1996
- Ph.D. Duke University, 1998
Research Interests
Physics-based statistical signal processing • Context-aware machine learning • Domain-informed data science
Explainable/interpretable machine learning • Privacy-aware machine learning • Bias in machine learning
Neuroscience-informed teaching • Metacognition • Cognitive load theory • Mindset-aware learning
Courses Taught
- EGR 101L: Engineering Design and Communication
- ECE 580: Introduction to Machine Learning
- ECE 487: System Design for Machine Learning and Signal Processing
- ECE 480: Applied Probability for Statistical Learning
- ECE 391: Projects in Electrical and Computer Engineering
In the News
Representative Publications
- Wang, Yuqi, Aarzu Gupta, Fakrul Islam Tushar, Breylon Riley, Avivah Wang, Tina D. Tailor, Stacy Tantum, et al. “Concordance-based Predictive Uncertainty (CPU)-Index: Proof-of-concept with application towards improved specificity of lung cancers on low dose screening CT.” Artif Intell Med 160 (February 2025): 103055. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artmed.2024.103055.
- Oca, S., S. Tantum, C. Kim, and F. Suleiman. “ETHICS-2025 Session B3 – Workshop: Engineering Education for an Ethical Future: Equipping Engineers for Emerging Technologies.” In Ethics 2025 2025 IEEE International Symposium on Ethics in Engineering Science and Technology Emerging Technologies Ethics and Social Justice, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1109/ETHICS65148.2025.11098327.
- Santillan, S. T., L. P. Franzoni, and S. L. Tantum. “Work in Progress: Evaluation of 360 Coaching to Support Whole-Student Advising in the First-Year.” In ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Conference Proceedings, 2023.
- Tantum, S., S. T. Santillan, L. Temiquel-McMillian, and J. Ganley. “WIP - 360 Coaching to Support Whole-Student Advising in the First-Year.” In ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Conference Proceedings, 2022.
- Cunningham, P., H. M. Matusovich, C. Carrico, R. M. C. Ellestad, S. Tantum, S. T. Santillan, and R. Simmons. “Supporting Students' Skillful Learning: Lessons Learned from a Faculty Development Workshop.” In ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Conference Proceedings, 2021.