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Schedule

Please check back for updates. Most recent update: 4/1/2021
All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).

Monday, April 12

9-9:50am 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: Alibaba
10am-12noon Early Career Professionals’ Network (ECPN) (invite only)
10am-12:10pm Technology Showcase
10am-10:25am Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics Finalist Presentation: Optimal Schedules for Corn Planting and Storage
10-10:50am 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: UN World Food Programme (WFP)
10:30-10:55am Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics Finalist Presentation: Optimizing Crop Planting Schedule Considering Planting Window and Harvesting Capacity
11am-12:15pm Poster Sessions
11-11:50am 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: OCP
11-11:25am Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics Finalist Presentation: A Multiobjective, Soft Constraint Solution to the 2021 Syngenta Crop Challenge
11:30-11:55am Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics Finalist Presentation: Scheduling Planting Time through Developing an Optimization Model and Analysis of Time Series Growing Degree Units
12:30-1:30pm Welcome: Stephen Graves, INFORMS President
Greeting: Dayana Cope, Virtual 2021 INFORMS Business Analytics Conference General Chair
INFORMS Roundtable Introduction, Kathy Lange
Plenary: The Future of Human-Robot Interaction
Dr. Kate Darling, Leading Expert in Social Robotics and MIT Media Lab Research Specialist
1:45-2:25pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics Process

Secrets of the Supermodelers: How to Build More Effective Models

Max Henrion, Lumina Decision Systems

Data Mining

Big Data: Concerns and New Methods for Distribution Fitting

Steven Harrod, Technical University of Denmark

Decision & Risk Analysis

Cooperative Decision Making with Artificially Intelligent Agents and Humans

Isaac Faber, U.S. Army’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force

Healthcare

Harnessing Deep Reinforcement Learning to Coordinate Automated Guided Vehicles

Johnny Davenport, Pathmind

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

2020 Wagner Prize Reprise: Distribution Estimation & Efficient Optimization for Portfolio Management in Agribusiness

Saurabh Bansal, The Pennsylvania State University; Genaro J. Gutierrez, The University of Texas at Austin; Mahesh Nagarajan, University of British Columbia

Revenue Management & Pricing

Banking on Revenue Management to Optimize Shopper Marketing

Wes Chaar, Catalina

Supply Chain

Creating Value in B2B Supply Chains through Data and Analytics

Shreyas Bhat, WESCO

Technology Tutorials

Combining Machine Learning and Optimization Techniques to Address the Full Lifecycle of Data Science Problems

Ferenc Katai, IBM

2:40-3:20pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics Process

Addressing Algorithmic Bias and Ensuring Fairness in Analytical Projects
Margret Bjarnadottir, University of Maryland

Data Mining

Data Fusion Using Kernel Based Methods

Neta Rabin, Department of Industrial Engineering, Tel-Aviv University

Decision & Risk Analysis

Decision Analytic Principles for Data Science Leaders

Brad Powley, Salesforce

Healthcare

From Dine-in to Takeaways – Surviving the Covid Disruption

Asad Ata, Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Game Theory for Business

Paul Papayoanou, Dragonfly

Revenue Management & Pricing

Prescriptive Analytics in Retailing

Felipe Caro, UCLA Anderson School of Management

Supply Chain

Supply Chain Analytics at Ford Motor Company

Andrew Henry, Ford Motor Company

3:35-4:15pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics Process

Critical Steps in the Process for Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence

Ben Amaba, IBM

Data Mining

Building Statistical Models with Missing Data

Kevin Potcner, SAS Institute, Inc. – JMP Division

Decision & Risk Analysis

Beyond Bigness: Problems and Solutions for Large Portfolios in Large Organizations

Leslie Lippard, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare

A Sentiment Analysis Dashboard of Covid-19 Tweets

Sue Abdinnour, Wichita State University

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Special Women in OR/MS Session: Embracing Worth and Value to Overcome Impostor Syndrome

Jessica Dowches-Wheeler, Bright Space Couching

Revenue Management & Pricing

Integrating Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence into Pricing and Revenue Management

Aang Daniel, Hilton

Supply Chain

Supply Chain Synchronization for Assembly Systems under Long and Highly Variable Supplier Lead Times

Michael Prokle, Fortune Brands GPG

4:30-5:10pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics Process

The Art and Practice of Using Mixed Integer Programming to Optimize Computer Systems

Pawel Lichocki, Google

Data Mining

Customizing Natural Language Processing Models for Domain-specific Entity Recognition for Geoscience

Kyle Jones, Amazon Web Services

Decision & Risk Analysis

From Shamanism to Science — An Introduction to Factor Analysis of Information Risk

Jack Jones, RiskLens

Healthcare

Accommodating Social Distancing in Classes through Day-of-attendance Assignment during Covid-19 at Clemson University

Mary Beth Kurz, Clemson University

Revenue Management & Pricing

Panel: Driving Revenue and Pricing Performance in a COVID-19– driven Hospitality and Travel World

Laura Calin, Oracle Hospitality; David Lopez Mateos, Pace Revenue Management; Dev Koushik, Amtrak

Supply Chain

Panel Discussion: Supply Chain Continuity

Aaron Burciaga, ECS; Michael Prokle, Fortune Brands GPG; Andrew Henry, Ford Motor Company; Shreyas Bhat, WESCO

5:15-6:15pm Birds of a Feather/Organized Networking
6-6:50pm 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: Lenovo Logistics
7-7:50pm 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
8-8:50pm 2021 Franz Edelman Competition: jd.com

Tuesday, April 13

10am-12:10pm Technology Showcase
11am-12noon Birds of a Feather/Organized Networking
11am-4pm 2021 Virtual Career Fair
12:30-1:30pm Welcome to Day 2: Dayana Cope, Virtual 2021 INFORMS Business Analytics Conference General Chair
Plenary: Data Science at The New York Times
Chris Wiggins, Chief Data Officer, The New York Times and Professor, Columbia University
1:45-2:25pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics in the Public Sector

The PRECISE Uncertainty Project

Sam Savage, ProbabilityManagement.org

Analytics Leadership

Culture Eats Analytics for Breakfast

Jeremy TerBush

Decision Analysis

The Optimizer’s and Winner’s Curses: How Uncertainty Fools Decision-makers, Illustrated and Explained with Examples from Project Selection and Portfolio Optimization

Gary Summers, Pipeline Physics LLC

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Innovative Applications in Analytics Award Finalists (IAAA)

1:45-2:15pm
Operations Research Improves Biomanufacturing Efficiency at MSD Animal Health
2:25-2:55pm
Personalized Recommender System Design for an Online B2B Platform

Machine Learning

Optimizing Product Offers with Machine Learning and the Mixed Logit Model

John Colias, Decision Analyst

Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Demand Data Collection and Benchmarking at Parks and Rec

Kevin Roth, NRPA

Supply Chain Analytics

Leveraging Data to Better Facility Investment Decisions

Jim Eselgroth, Definitive Logic

Technology Tutorials

End-to-End FICO® Xpress Insight Tutorial: From Data to Decisions for Non-Technical Business Users

Majid Bazrafshan, FICO

2:40-3:20pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics in the Public Sector

How to Measure Risk with Limited and Messy Data

Douglas Hubbard, Hubbard Decision Research

Analytics Leadership

This Project Can’t Fail! …or, at Least, Probably Not

Steven Escaravage, Booz Allen Hamilton

Decision Analysis

Telehealth Facility Location Optimization Model

Deon Burchett, MITRE Corporation

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Innovative Applications in Analytics Award Finalists (IAAA)

3:05-3:35pm
Using Machine Learning to Improve Public Reporting on U.S. Government Contracts

Machine Learning

Deep Transfer Learning & Beyond: Applications of Transformer Language Models in Business Analytics

Richard Gruetzemacher, University of Memphis

Supply Chain Analytics

Deep Transformation with Smart Supply Chain Digitization

David Simchi-Levi, MIT Data Science Lab

Technology Tutorials

Building and Solving Optimization Models with SAS

Rob Pratt & Ed Hughes, SAS

3:35-4:15pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics in the Public Sector

Advances in Process Mining

John Bicknell, More Cowbell Unlimited

Analytics Leadership

Influencing Through Data Driven Decision Making

Pooja Dewan, Otis Elevator Company

Decision Analysis

Quantifying the Impact of Acquisitions and Partnerships in the Computing and Communications Industries Using Network Analysis

Dieter Armbruster, Arizona State University

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Innovative Applications in Analytics Award Finalists (IAAA)

3:45-4:15pm
Data-driven COVID-19 Vaccine Development for Janssen

Machine Learning

Deep Reinforcement Training and Machine Learning Applications for Industry 4.0: Optimization of Field Service Management and Manufacturing Operations

Luigi Manca, Engineering Ingegneria Informatica Spa

Parks, Recreation & Tourism

Assessing “Benefit”: The Creation of Vocabulary for Green Investment

Jon Bruno, The International Ecotourism Society

Supply Chain Analytics

Digital Twins: The Conduit for Successful Applied-OR Tools

Richard Schrade, Automation Intelligence

4:30-5:10pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Analytics in the Public Sector

Estimating Future Electric Vehicle Charging Demand Using Bayesian Networks

Stefan Conrady, Bayesia USA and Bayesia Singapore

Decision Analysis

Combating Prejudice and Discrimination: Regression Modeling and Analysis for Hate Crimes

Matthew Matlack, Commscope

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Innovative Applications in Analytics Award Finalists (IAAA)

4:25-4:55pm
Predictive Analytics for Detection of Metastatic Cancer
5-5:30pm
Using Analytics to Understand and Improve Provider Accessibility for a State Medicaid Agency

Machine Learning

Improving Survey Design with Data-Driven Stratification: Predicting Fishing Likelihood with Machine Learning Models

Katherine Slater, ECS Federal, LLC

Supply Chain Analytics

Transforming Logistics Networks with Location of Repair Analysis

Robert Coleman, Systecon North America

5:30-7pm Edelman Awards Ceremony
(includes Daniel H. Wagner Prize for Excellence in Operations Research Prize, UPS George D. Smith Prize & INFORMS Prize)

Wednesday, April 14

9-10am Birds of a Feather/Organized Networking
10-10:40am

Concurrent Track Sessions

Emerging Analytics

Data is Dirty: What AI Algorithms Actually Do and Why We Need Explainable Artificial Intelligence

Robert Thomson, United States Military Academy

Life Sciences

Predicting and Preventing COVID-19 Outbreaks in Indoor Environments: An Agent-Based Modeling Study

Mardochee Reveil, Corning Incorporated

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

UPS George D. Smith Prize Reprise, 2021 Winner

Marketing Analytics

Analytics in Personalized Marketing

Seonah Lee, McKinsey & Company

Risk Analysis

Operationalising Resilience Management to Navigate Environments with High Uncertainty

Hugo Herrera, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust

Simulation

Fueling Our Models: Generation of Probabilistic Scenarios

Thomas Willemain, Smart Software, Inc.

Technology Tutorials

Supply Chain Optimization Using an Excel Add-on

Efthalia Anagnostou, XLOPTIM

11-11:40am

Concurrent Track Sessions

Emerging Analytics

Adversarial Machine Learning

Ananthram Swami, U.S. Army Research Laboratory

Life Sciences

Role of Network Analysis and Monte-Carlo Simulation in Target Profile Research in Pharmaceuticals

Anshuman Panigrahi, Johnson and Johnson

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

INFORMS Prize

Marketing Analytics

4 Secrets to a Happy, If Unlikely, Marriage: Wine, Data and Why It Works

Cathy Huyghe, Enolytics

Risk Analysis

Cybersecurity Risk Spectrum

Hilal Pataci, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Simulation

Rapidly Developing Optimizing Simulations and Overcoming Barriers to Implementation

Patricia Randall, Princeton Consultants

1-1:40pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Emerging Analytics

Approaches and Open Questions in Fraud Detection: A Call to Action for the Analytics Community

Arnie Greenland, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland

Life Sciences

Ways to Impact Patients from the Biotech/Pharma Industry Point of View: Adherence

Erick Diaz Outten, Novartis

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

CAP Panel: A Certified Workforce: What Certified Analytics and AI Professionals Mean Towards Better Delivery and Eminent Ethics

Aaron Burciaga, ECS; Kirk Borne, DataPrime; Rami Musa, Johnson & Johnson

Marketing Analytics

An Analysis of Auto-Repair Bundle Packages using Market Basket Tools

Laureano Gomez, Epsilon

Risk Analysis

The Emerging Role of Analytics in Wildfire Management, or, “Moneyball for Fire”

Matthew Thompson, USDA Forest Service

Simulation

Recruiting and Developing Generation Z: An Innovative Mixed-methods Approach

Peter Revay, Group W Inc.

2-2:40pm

Concurrent Track Sessions

Emerging Analytics

Engineering Implementation of AI Principles

Peter Santhanam, IBM Research

Life Sciences

Life Science Panel: Future of Artificial Intelligence in the Life Science Industry

Tatiana Sorokina, Novartis; Fernando Schwartz, Merck; Inder Singh, Takeda; Iya Khalil, Novartis; Faisal Khan, AstraZeneca; Ranjit Kumble, Pfizer

INFORMS Prizes & Special Sessions

Practitioners and the INFORMS Analytics Capability Evaluation (ACE) Program

Norm Reiter & Dave Saranchak, Concurrent Technologies Corporation

Marketing Analytics

Data Cleaning for Text Analytics

Joyce Weiner, Intel Corporation

Simulation

Employment Application Arrival Model for Talent Acquisition Simulation and Management

Thor Osborn, Sandia National Laboratories

3-4:00pm

Plenary: Edelman Reprise with Live Q&A and Closing Remarks
IAAA & Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics winners will be announced.

3-5pm Early Career Professionals’ Network (ECPN) (invite only)