Eva Ascarza is a Professor of Business Administration in the Marketing Unit at Harvard Business School (HBS) . She co-founded the Customer Intelligence Lab at HBS's D 3 Institute, focusing on responsible and effective customer data utilization. Research Interests include: Customer retention and churn analysis Algorithmic bias in marketing AI Field experimentation (A/B testing) for targeting optimization Customer lifetime value (CLV) modeling Dynamic personalization strategies Scientific Awards and Recognitions: 2023 Weitz-Winer-O'Dell Award (winner) 2022 Paul E. Green Award (PNAS publication) 2020 Marketing Science Institute (MSI) Scholar 2019 Erin Anderson Award for Emerging Female Scholar 2018 Paul E. Green Award (JMR publication) 2014 Frank M. Bass Outstanding Dissertation Award Her articles demonstrate cutting-edge applications of statistical modeling , Bayesian methods , and fair AI frameworks in modern marketing challenges.
Dr. Alyas Widita is an Assistant Professor in the Urban Design program at Monash University, Indonesia. He is actively involved in research and teaching, focusing on urban planning, transportation, and smart city technologies. He serves as the Program Coordinator for Urban Design and teaches courses such as Urban Design Studio: Smart City and Smart City Technologies. Education: Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning, Georgia Institute of Technology, United States Dr. Widita's research centers on the built environment, transportation systems, and urban analytics, with a strong emphasis on developing Asian cities. His work explores congestion impacts of mass transit, ride-hailing effects on vehicle ownership, rural-urban migration, walking behavior, and spatial patterns of MSMEs. He employs advanced data analytics and causal evaluation methods to inform urban policy. His recent publications span high-impact journals such as Transport Reviews , Journal of Planning Education and Research , and Travel Behaviour and Society . The research trend shows a consistent focus on data-driven urban policy, sustainable mobility, and equity in urban development across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Scientific Awards and Recognition: No specific awards listed, but research widely cited and featured in media outlets. Dr. Widita has secured and contributed to multiple research projects funded by international and national agencies, including the World Bank, Korea Transport Institute (KOTI), Central Bank of Indonesia, and Georgia Department of Transportation. He is currently leading or co-leading projects on Jakarta’s subsidence, flood risk management using remote sensing, and the Citarum River revitalization. He collaborates extensively with researchers across disciplines and institutions. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those related to sustainable cities and communities. He is accepting PhD students interested in the built environment, transportation, and urban analytics in developing Asia. He is involved in key labs and research teams including the Citarum Action Research Program (CARP), Intelligent and Dynamic Remote Sensing for Flood Risk, and interdisciplinary urban analytics initiatives at Monash Indonesia.
Christopher S. Tang is a UCLA Distinguished Professor and Edward W. Carter Chair in Business Administration at the Anderson School of Management , where he researches global supply chain management with a focus on social innovation in developing countries . He also serves as Senior Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Faculty Director of the Center for Global Management . Education: Ph.D. in Management Science (1985, Yale University) M.Phil. in Administrative Science (1983, Yale University) M.A. in Statistics (1983, Yale University) B.Sc. in Mathematics (First Class Honors, 1981, King’s College, University of London) His research explores the intersection of corporate responsibility and supply chain innovation , addressing topics like microfinancing , mobile platforms for developing economies , direct agricultural procurement , and disaster response logistics . He emphasizes visibility, integrity, and agility in uncertain environments. Recent work highlights AI adoption benefits for supply chains , strategies to reduce forced labor risks , and policy impacts on ride-sharing platforms . His research bridges operations management and social justice , advocating for environmental stewardship alongside business growth. Scientific Awards: Salzberg Medallion (2017) Lifetime Fellow, INFORMS (2011) Responsible Research in Management Award (2017) Teaching Excellence Award (multiple years, UCLA-NUS) Dean’s Excellent Service Award (2014) As an influential adviser and consultant , Tang has worked with Amazon, HP, IBM, Nestlé, GKN , and Accenture . He has taught at Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology , and served as visiting professor at Cambridge University and the Institute of Advanced Study at HKUST .
Gioele Zardini is the Rudge (1948) and Nancy Allen Assistant Professor at MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), with affiliations to the Laboratory for Information and Decision Systems (LIDS) and the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS). He holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and previously worked as a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University. His research focuses on co-design of complex systems, autonomous systems, and game-theoretic modeling of transportation networks. Education: BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering and Robotics from ETH Zurich (2017–2019), PhD in 2023. He has held visiting roles at nuTonomy Singapore, Stanford, and MIT. Research interests include co-design methodologies, autonomous vehicle systems, compositionality in engineering, and strategic interactions in mobility networks. Recent work emphasizes scalable fleet coordination, safety-critical robotics, and user-centric transportation solutions. Notable awards include the 2024 ETH Doctoral Dissertation Award (Silver Medal), Best Paper at ITSC 2021, and federal grants for enhancing urban transit equity. He leads the Zardini Lab, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in systems engineering and autonomy. Grants and advising: Received federal grants for transit accessibility projects. His work on Autonomy Talks has produced over 180 recorded lectures, promoting knowledge exchange in autonomous systems. Labs/Teams: Principal Investigator at LIDS, affiliate at IDSS, and founder of the Zardini Lab, focusing on systems co-design, mobility innovation, and game-theoretic frameworks.
Matthew Palm is an Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, holding the Cities Pardue Fellowship. His research focuses on transportation equity, shift work commuting challenges, and mobility barriers affecting essential workers in 24-hour economies. He examines how transportation systems impact social participation, healthcare access, and economic opportunities while advocating for equitable planning solutions. Recent work explores post-pandemic transit trends, ride-sharing equity, and the intersection of transportation policy with marginalized communities. Palm collaborates with community organizations to co-create evidence-based solutions for mobility challenges. He currently holds a $1.09 billion grant reflecting North Carolina’s renewed interest in rail infrastructure. His research agenda includes three core areas: 1) analyzing how shift workers’ nighttime commuting affects social exclusion and family care logistics, 2) studying transportation affordability’s role in economic participation, and 3) evaluating transportation infrastructure’s dual potential to improve lives while mitigating negative externalities like pollution. He emphasizes participatory approaches to planning and has published extensively on pandemic-era transit usage shifts, accessibility metrics, and housing-transit linkages.
Viswanath Nagarajan is an Associate Professor of Industrial & Operations Engineering and Computer Science Engineering (courtesy) at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on combinatorial optimization, approximation algorithms, and stochastic models for routing, scheduling, and location problems. He previously served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan (2014–2020) and a Research Staff Member at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center (2009–2014). He holds a Ph.D. in Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization from Carnegie Mellon University (2004–2009) and a B.Tech. in Computer Science from IIT Bombay (1999–2003). His research explores uncertainty management in optimization, including stochastic models and approximation algorithms for decision-making under uncertainty. He has contributed to adaptive algorithms, submodular optimization, and applications in logistics, network design, and scheduling. Education: Ph.D., Algorithms, Combinatorics, and Optimization (Carnegie Mellon University, 2009) B.Tech., Computer Science and Engineering (IIT Bombay, 2003) Prof. Nagarajan has organized major conferences like IPCO 2019 and served on editorial boards for journals including Operations Research , ACM Computing Surveys , and ACM Transactions on Algorithms . His service includes program committees for SODA, APPROX, and IPCO. He advises Ph.D. students focusing on optimization theory and applications, with advisees securing positions at Yahoo! Research, the University of Chicago, Ford Motor Company, and Georgia Tech.
Giancarlo Ferrari Trecate is an Adjunct Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) , affiliated with the School of Engineering and the SCI-STI-GFT department. He is also involved in teaching and research through the STI-SGM and EDRS-ENS programs. Research Interests : Automatic control, state estimation, system identification, machine learning, distributed control, hybrid systems, microgrids, biochemical networks, voltage and frequency stabilization in AC/DC microgrids. Publications Trends : His recent work focuses on integrating Neural ODEs and Hamiltonian structures for stable control systems, regret minimization in distributed control, and robust state estimation under uncertainty. Applications include autonomous mobility-on-demand , power grid optimization , and secure microgrid control against cyber-attacks. Scientific Awards : No specific awards mentioned in the provided data. Teaching & Advising : He supervises PhD students in mechanical engineering and teaches courses on Multivariable control and Networked control systems . His lab, DECODE , specializes in Dependable Control and Decision systems.
Kartik Hosanagar is the John C. Hower Professor of Technology and Digital Business and a Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also the Co-Director of the Wharton Human-AI Initiative. His work spans the Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, focusing on the intersection of technology, business, and society. Education: PhD in Management Science and Information Systems, Carnegie Mellon University MPhil in Management Science, Carnegie Mellon University Masters in Information Systems, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS, Pilani), India Bachelors in Electronics Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS, Pilani), India Research Interests: Kartik’s research focuses on the digital economy, particularly the impact of AI, algorithms, and analytics on consumers, businesses, and society. His work explores internet marketing, e-commerce, digital media, information diffusion, platform economics, and the ethical implications of AI. He investigates how technology transforms business models and consumer behavior in online environments. Publication Trends: His recent research combines machine learning, causal inference, and behavioral modeling to study digital platforms, user behavior, and AI applications in marketing and operations. The articles reflect a strong focus on empirical analysis of social media, search engines, and platform design, with applications in advertising, content sharing, and product adoption. Scientific Awards: Best Information Systems paper published in Management Science, 2013-2016 Finalist for Best Information Systems paper in Management Science (2012-2015) Recognized as one of the world’s top 40 business professors under 40 Eleven-time recipient of teaching excellence awards at Wharton MBA Excellence in Teaching Award, 2007 “Goes above and beyond the call of duty” award (multiple years) Advising and Grants: While no formal PhD students are listed, Kartik has supervised independent studies and mentored numerous students through research projects. His entrepreneurial ventures, such as Yodle and Jumpcut Media, reflect real-world applications of his research. He has also secured significant industry engagement through consulting and executive education with major firms like Google, American Express, and Citi. His work is supported by academic recognition, editorial roles, and media outreach. Labs and Teams: Kartik co-directs the Wharton Human-AI Initiative, a research hub exploring the integration of human and artificial intelligence in business. He also leads research groups focused on digital platforms and AI ethics, collaborating with scholars across disciplines to advance understanding of algorithmic decision-making and its societal impact.
Ke Xu is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Tsinghua University's School of Information Science and Technology. With extensive research contributions in network security, privacy-preserving technologies, and machine learning applications for networking, Professor Xu has established himself as a leading researcher in computer science. Professor Xu's research interests span network security, privacy-preserving technologies, machine learning for networking, federated learning, internet protocols, encrypted traffic analysis, blockchain applications, and AI in networking. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical implementations, focusing on real-world security challenges and network optimization problems. He has developed novel frameworks for secure network operations, privacy-preserving data sharing, and efficient AI deployment in distributed environments. Professor Xu's publication record shows a clear trend toward integrating artificial intelligence with traditional networking challenges. His recent work explores federated learning security, encrypted traffic analysis using deep learning, and novel approaches to network security that leverage machine learning techniques. The interdisciplinary nature of his research spans computer networking, security, privacy, and artificial intelligence. Professor Xu has received recognition for his contributions to network security and privacy-preserving technologies through publications in top-tier venues including IEEE journals, ACM conferences, and security symposia. His work has appeared in IEEE Transactions on Dependable and Secure Computing, IEEE/ACM Transactions on Networking, and security conferences like CCS and NDSS. Professor Xu actively collaborates with researchers across institutions, supervising students and junior researchers in exploring cutting-edge problems in network security and AI. His research has been supported by significant grants focusing on network security, privacy, and intelligent networking infrastructure. He leads projects that address fundamental challenges in secure communication, privacy-preserving data analysis, and intelligent network management. Professor Xu is involved with research laboratories focusing on network security and intelligent systems at Tsinghua University. His team works on developing practical security solutions, privacy frameworks, and AI-enhanced networking protocols that address real-world challenges in today's increasingly connected world.
Suining He is an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut (UConn)'s School of Computing, leading the Ubiquitous and Urban Computing Lab since 2019. Previously, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan's Real-Time Computing Lab (2016–2019). He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2016) and a B.Eng. in Mechanical Design from Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2012). His research focuses on Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), Smart & Connected Communities, Human-Centered Computing, and Urban Computing Cyberinfrastructure, with emphasis on mobility, equity, and AI-driven solutions. He has received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2023), Google Research Scholar Program Award (2021), and recognition as a Stanford Top 2% Scientist (2020–2024). His work spans interdisciplinary grants from NSF, USDA, Google, NVIDIA, and industry partners. Recent publications explore autonomous driving simulation, equity-aware mobility prediction, and urban crowd activity modeling. Teaching excellence is reflected in his 2020 UConn Provost Award. He advises on reinforcement learning, CPS, and mobile computing, with openings for 2025/2026 PhD students. His lab collaborates on socially-conscious AI, privacy-preserving learning, and location-based services with industrial impact.
Philipp Afeche is a Professor of Operations Management and Statistics at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. His research bridges operations and marketing/economics, focusing on revenue management, pricing strategies, and service design in congestion-prone systems like healthcare and transportation. He holds a BA from the University of St. Gallen and MS/PhD degrees from Stanford University. Afeche has been recognized with the 2014 Best Paper Award (MSOM) and the 2018 Roger Martin Teaching Award. Education: BA, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland MS, Stanford University, USA PhD, Stanford University, USA Research Interests: Afeche explores optimization challenges in dynamic service systems, including pricing under uncertainty, strategic customer behavior in queues, and platform design for shared mobility systems. His work integrates queueing theory, game theory, and empirical analysis to address real-world operational inefficiencies in healthcare delivery and transportation networks. Recent studies focus on ride-hailing market mechanisms and bipartite matching systems. Awards: 2014 Best Paper Award, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management 2018 Roger Martin Award for Excellence in Teaching Grants & Editorial Roles: Editor for Management Science and Operations Research, with funding reviews for agencies in Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, and the US. Past chair of the Service Management SIG for MSOM Society. Labs/Teams: Active in Rotman's Operations Management group and collaborates with industry partners on supply chain optimization and revenue management projects.
Theo Hofman is an Associate Professor and Program Director in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). He specializes in integrated design methods for complex engineering systems, focusing on powertrain systems for automotive, maritime, and aerospace applications. His work emphasizes computational design synthesis, machine learning, and model-based optimization. Education: Hofman holds an MSc (1999) and PhD (2007) in Mechanical Engineering from TU/e. He has held roles at Thales Cryogenics and Drivetrain Innovations before joining TU/e. He also served as an Invited Professor at ETH Zurich and Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France. Research Interests: His research spans hybrid electric vehicles, powertrain design, energy management systems, and sustainable transportation. Key areas include automated design tools, thermal management, and co-design of plant and control systems. Applications include electric trucks, ships, and aircraft. Articles Trends: His recent publications (2021–2025) emphasize electric vehicle infrastructure optimization, battery systems, and control strategies. Key themes include energy efficiency, thermal management, and co-design methodologies for automotive and mobility systems. Scientific Awards: IEEE VPPC 2024 Best Paper Award. Advising & Grants: He has supervised over 104 MSc, 14 PDEng, and 10 PhD students. Active projects include the 'Green Transport Delta' initiative (2021–2024) and Bosch Transmission collaborations. His courses include 'Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Powertrain Design' and 'Automotive Systems Engineering Project.' Labs/Teams: He leads the Group Hofman and collaborates with the MEGEVH (France) and TU/e’s EAISI Mobility initiative. His work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to affordable and clean energy, industry innovation, and climate action.
Dr. Yanchao Liu is an Associate Professor at Wayne State University's College of Engineering, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He has received research funding from the National Science Foundation and the State of Michigan, including the NSF Career Award. His academic career spans prior industry roles as a Data Scientist and Manager of Advanced Analytics at Sears Holdings Corporation (2016-2017) and Director of Brand Marketing Analytics at Catalina Marketing Corporation (2017). He teaches courses in data science, IoT, and stochastic processes. B.S. Industrial Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2006) M.S. Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas (2008) Ph.D. Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison (2014) Dr. Liu's research focuses on mathematical modeling for transportation systems, industrial AI, and data analytics. His work addresses drone traffic management, battery-constrained delivery routing, and optimization algorithms for urban mobility. He has developed novel methods for UAV safety diagnostics, random forest implementations, and fairness-aware path planning in urban air mobility. His publications span journals like Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics , Transportation Research Part C , and IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems , with conference contributions at IISE and FAIM. His research combines theoretical advancements with practical applications in smart cities and logistics. NSF Career Award (2020) Faculty Research Excellence Award (2021) IEEE PES Best Conference Paper (2015) IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid Best Reviewer (2015) Hubei Province Distinguished Bachelor’s Thesis Award (2006) Dr. Liu advises PhD students like Zhenyu Zhou and J. Chen. He has contributed to energy market modeling (with M.C. Ferris) and published extensively on drone operations, machine learning algorithms, and stochastic processes. His work includes U.S. patent pending applications for UAV safety systems.
Konstantinos Pelechrinis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Computing and Information. He holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Riverside. His research focuses on network science, urban informatics, and sports analytics. He has been recognized with the Army Research Office Young Investigator Award for his contributions. Education: Ph.D. in Computer Science, University of California, Riverside Research Interests: Urban mobility patterns and infrastructure analysis Sports performance quantification and strategy Data-driven decision-making in transportation systems Network science applications in social and urban systems His recent work explores topics such as implicit biases in sports refereeing, anomaly detection in NFT markets, and optimizing bike-sharing systems using predictive models. He also investigates urban infrastructure resilience through projects like the Epui platform for experimental urban informatics. Awards: Army Research Office Young Investigator Award He contributes to academic outreach through courses like TELCOM2125 (Network Science and Analysis) and collaborates on initiatives like the Healthy Ride Pittsburgh bike-sharing study. His lab focuses on bridging theoretical models with real-world urban and sports datasets.
Gregory D. Erhardt is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Kentucky and serves as Associate Director of the T-SCORE Center, a multi-university consortium advancing public transit strategies. He holds a PhD from University College London’s Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, with prior experience in transportation planning across public and private sectors. His research focuses on transportation forecasting, big data applications, and evidence-based policy decisions, particularly addressing the impacts of emerging mobility technologies like ride-hailing on urban systems. Erhardt’s work emphasizes improving forecast accuracy and advocating for gender equity in engineering. He has been recognized with awards such as the Transportation Research Board’s Certificate of Appreciation and the Chan Wui & Yunyin Rising Star Fellowship. Education: PhD (University College London), M.S. (Northwestern University), B.S. (Cornell University). His research integrates activity-based travel models with big data to evaluate infrastructure investments and mobility trends. Key projects include analyzing public transit ridership decline, ride-hailing effects on congestion, and TNC impacts on urban transportation systems. Current initiatives include developing multi-agent simulation frameworks for on-demand transit systems. As a Hans Fischer Senior Fellow at the TUM Institute for Advanced Study, he collaborates on travel behavior modeling. His advocacy for diversity includes leading 'Advocates and Allies' training to promote gender equity in engineering. Erhardt’s publications span journals like Transportation Research Part A and Science Advances , with a focus on policy-relevant transportation analytics.
