Second Washington Operations Workshop: AI in Supply Chains
Second Washington Operations Workshop: AI in Supply Chains
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School invites you to join us in Washington, D.C., for a one-day workshop on AI in Supply Chains. The program is built around four foundational layers: Intelligence, Execution, Strategy, and Infrastructure. This event is also the second in our Washington Operations Workshop, or WOW, series.
The event features contributors to the forthcoming book AI in Supply Chains: Perspectives from Global Thought Leaders (Springer), co-edited by Professors Maxime Cohen and Tinglong Dai. Joined by leading scholars, practitioners, and policymakers from the DC area, they will connect research insights to real-world practice, covering topics such as LLM-based decision agents, decision-focused AI, reinforcement learning for inventory optimization, AI governance and organizational readiness, and the supply chain infrastructure powering AI.
The day includes four expert-led panel discussions, vibe researching breakout sessions, networking breaks, a boxed lunch, and a closing wine-and-cheese reception.
Conference Co-chairs:
Tinglong Dai, Johns Hopkins University
Maxime Cohen, McGill University
Fast Facts
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Agenda
8:30–9 a.m.
Check-in and Breakfast
9–9:10 a.m.
Welcome
Speaker:
Goker Aydin and Ozge Sahin, Johns Hopkins University
9:10–10:10 a.m.
Panel I: The Intelligence Layer of AI and Supply Chains
Panelists:
Pavithra Harsha, IBM
Ming Hu, University of Toronto
Georgia Perakis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sridhar Tayur, Carnegie Mellon University
Dennis Zhang, Washington University
Moderator:
Maxime Cohen, McGill University
10:10–10:30 a.m.
Break
10:30–11:30 a.m.
Panel II: The Execution Layer of AI and Supply Chains
Panelists:
Morris Cohen, University of Pennsylvania
Timothy DeStefano, Georgetown University
Pinar Keskinocak, Georgia Institute of Technology
Jan Van Mieghem, Northwestern University
Moderator:
Leann Thayaparan, Johns Hopkins University
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Panel III: The Strategy Layer of AI and Supply Chains
Panelists:
Keler Marku, Charles River Associates
Lisa Pinheiro, Analysis Group
Anne Robinson, Masters of Supply Chain
Jay Swaminathan, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Moderator:
Tinglong Dai, Johns Hopkins University
12:30–1:30 p.m.
Lunch
1:30–2:30 p.m.
Panel IV: The Infrastructure Layer of AI and Supply Chains
Panelists:
Naren Agrawal, Santa Clara University
Gad Allon, University of Pennsylvania
Wedad Elmaghraby, University of Maryland
Jan Fransoo, Tilburg University
Moderator:
Safak Yucel, Georgetown University
2:30–2:45 p.m.
Break
2:45–3:45 p.m.
Hackatho-style Breakouts:
Developing and Executing Impactful Research Ideas**
Session Leaders:
Caleb Kwon, University of Texas at Austin
Sheng Liu, University of Toronto
Maxi Udenio Castro, KU Leuven
Yuqian Xu, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
3:45-5 p.m.
Closing remarks & Reception
Speakers:
Maxime Cohen, McGill University
Tinglong Dai, Johns Hopkins University
**Hands-on “hackathon” sessions are where participants will not only brainstorm but also code, prototype, and draft write-ups onsite. The goal is to generate tangible research artifacts—ideas, models, and early papers—that can shape the future of the field.