DSCE lecture by Radhika Kulkarni

Title
Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Optimization: Opportunities for Inter-Disciplinary Innovation

Abstract
Machine learning tools and AI platforms have become prolific in many industries. Applications range from health care to financial applications to manufacturing industries. In the world of big data and ML / AI tools, there are numerous opportunities for application of optimization techniques. Large scale implementation of machine learning tools in artificial intelligence platforms require automation at several levels – increasing productivity along the entire analytics lifecycle as well as automated model selection to improve predictive models. In many of these problems, optimization techniques play an important role in finding solutions as well as improving performance. This presentation will provide several examples that describe some of these innovations in various industries as well as discuss trends and upcoming challenges for future research.

Biography
Dr. Radhika Kulkarni is an Advanced Analytics professional, active in the area of Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. She recently retired after 35 years of leading various areas of analytics R&D at SAS Institute, Inc. For the last 10 years of her career, Kulkarni was the Vice President of Advanced Analytics R&D, overseeing software development in many analytical areas including Statistics, Operations Research, Econometrics, Forecasting and Data Mining. Kulkarni is an active member in the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and serves on the Advisory Council of the School of ORIE at Cornell University, the Advisory Board of the Institute for Advanced Analytics at North Carolina State University and the Master of Science in Analytics Advisory Board at Georgia Tech. Dr. Kulkarni is a recipient of the Women in Operations Research and the Management Sciences (WORMS) Award and was recognized as an INFORMS Fellow in 2014.

Radhika Kulkarni has a Master’s in Mathematics from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and a Master’s (1979) and Ph.D. (1981) in Operations Research from Cornell University.