Agenda
Friday, October 2, 2026
8:00 AM – 6:40 PM PST
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8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Registration and Check-in
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8:45 AM - 9:08 AM
Conference Kickoff
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9:08 AM - 9:45 AM
Distinguished Featured Talk
Parimal Kopardekar, Acting Director, NASA Airspace Operations and Safety Program
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9:45 AM - 10:10 AM
Opening Keynote
Risto Miikkulainen, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin and a VP of AI Research at the Cognizant AI Lab
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10:10 AM - 11:25 AM
Distinguished Featured Talk
Michael Witherell, Executive Advisor and Former Laboratory Director, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
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11:25 AM - 11:35 AM
Break
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11:35 AM - 12:15 PM
Technical Panel Discussion
From Models to Decisions — Bridging AI, Optimization, and Practice
Moderators: Vinod Cheriyan and Dhanashree Lele
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12:15 PM - 1:25 PM
Lunch Break
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1:25 PM - 2:10 PM
Panel Discussion
Preparing for the AI + OR Convergence: Research, Education, and Careers
Moderator: Vivek Pandit
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2:10 PM - 2:45 PM
Lightning Talks
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2:45 PM - 2:55 PM
Break
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2:55 PM - 3:55 PM
Lightning Talks (contd)
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3:55 PM - 4:35 PM
Fireside Chat
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4:35 PM - 4:40 PM
Final Remarks
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4:40 PM - 6:40 PM
Networking Happy Hour
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6:40 PM
Conference Close