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, 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, Keystone Strategy
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:
Robert Boute, Vlerick Business School
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.