Andrew and Erna Viterbi Early Career Chair and Associate Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Computer Science
Education
- 2013, Doctoral Degree, Computing (Operations Research), Imperial College
- 2007, Master's Degree, Electrical Engineering, Imperial College
Biography
I am an Associate Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Southern California, a Co-Director of the CAIS Center for Artificial Intelligence in Society, and a Co-Director of the ORAI interdisciplinary PhD Program in Artificial Intelligence and Operations Research. I hold a Viterbi Early Career Chair in Engineering and before that held a WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professorship. Prior to joining USC, I was a lecturer in the Operations Research and Statistics Group at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a postdoctoral research associate in the Operations Research Center at MIT. I hold a PhD degree in Operations Research and an MEng degree in Electrical & Electronic Engineering, both from Imperial College London.
Research Summary
Through my research, I aim to advance integer, stochastic, and robust optimization, and their interface with machine learning, causal inference, and economics to enable the design of predictive and prescriptive models that are robust, interpretable, and fair, being suitable to deploy in high-stakes settings. I aim to directly apply the methods and tools I create in my work to make a positive impact on society, and in particular to support underserved and marginalized communities.
I am a recipient of the NSF CAREER award, the Imperial College Emerging Alumni Leader Award, and the USC Viterbi Junior Research Award and, jointly with my students, earned the INFORMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador Program Award. I am a TED Speaker and a participant at the Time 100 Impact Dinner for Extraordinary Women Shaping the Future of AI. My students have earned prestigious awards, including the NSF GRFP and the USC Discovery Scholar Prize.
I am an Associate Editor for Operations Research, Management Science, Computational Management Science, and Operations Research Letters. I am a member of the INFORMS AI Roadmap Adhoc Committee. Since 2023, I am serving as Chair of the Committee on Stochastic Programming (COSP), the governing body of the Stochastic Programming Society. In the past, I have served as member of COSP, as member of the ad hoc INFORMS AI Strategy Advisory Committee, and as VP of Communications for the Section on Public Sector OR (PSOR) at INFORMS.
My research is supported by the National Science Foundation, by the National Allience to End Homelessness, by the Hilton Foundation, by the Home for Good Foundation, by the Homeless Policy Research Institute, by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Army Research Office, by Schmidt Futures, by the METRANS Transportation Center, and by the Zumberge Diversity & Inclusion Grant Program at USC, among others.
Awards
- 2022 University of Southern California USC Viterbi Junior Research Award
- 2021 National Science Foundation CAREER award
- 2020 INFORMS, Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences INFORMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador Program Award
