Supply Chain Management Conference

Pascal Van Hentenryck

Pascal Van Hentenryck is the director of the NSF AI Institute for Advances in Optimization (AI4OPT), the director of Tech AI (the AI Hub at Georgia Tech), and the A. Russell Chandler III Chair and Professor in ISyE at Georgia Tech. He was a professor of Computer Science at Brown University for over 20 years, led the optimization research group at the National ICT Research in Australia, and was a professor in IOE at the University of Michigan.  Van Hentenryck is a pioneer of constraint programming, and he designed several innovative optimization systems that have been in commercial use for over 20 years. He has published six books and over 400 articles in areas such as artificial intelligence, optimization, privacy, power systems, and supply chains. He is a fellow of AAAI and INFORMS, and the recipients of two honorary degrees and numerous awards. His current research focuses on AI for engineering with applications in energy systems, supply chains and manufacturing, health care, corporate systems, and mobility.

Karen Zheng

Yanchong (Karen) Zheng is the George M. Bunker Associate Professor of Operations Management at the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is the management faculty co-director of the MIT Leaders for Global Operations Program, faculty director for research of the MIT Sloan ASEAN Office, and a faculty co-director for the MIT Initiative for New Manufacturing. Zheng’s research addresses the design and implementation of incentive mechanisms, data-driven solutions, and behavioral interventions to advance efficient and sustainable operations in resource-constrained environments, with a current focus on smallholder value chains in emerging economies. Her work develops theory-driven, field-based research frameworks that are generalizable to diverse local contexts. She collaborates with both public and private partners on the ground to create positive impacts to society. Her research has been recognized by several prestigious awards, including the NSF CAREER Award, Management Science Best Paper Award in OM, MSOM Society Award for Responsible Research in OM, and Winner of the M&SOM Practice-Based Research Competition.