Data Science Symposium
Two Center for Business Analytics student workers at a Data Science Symposium track session.
Each fall, the Data Science Symposium brings experts together for a deep dive into the latest tools, trends, and techniques shaping the field. From hands-on tutorials to technical talks and multiple keynote sessions, this event offers practical insight and forward-thinking perspectives for data professionals and academics alike.
Data Science Symposium 2026
From Capability to Impact: Staying Relevant in the Next Era of Data Science
Rethinking systems, skills, and strategy to deliver real-world impact with AI
Today’s data-science environment is filled with both opportunity and uncertainty. As the pace of change accelerates, organizations are challenged not only to build technical capabilities, but to translate them into meaningful, real-world impact.
This symposium explores what it truly takes to stay relevant in the next era of data science — not by retrofitting new technologies into existing processes, but by rethinking how systems, skills, and organizations work together. Across five complementary tracks, we will examine how to design, build, deploy, and scale data science and AI solutions that deliver measurable impact.
Join us on October 12, 2026 at Carl H. Lindner Hall.
Keynote Speakers
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
"Building an AI-Ready Organization: Lesson from Healthcare's Transformation"
- Bhavna Mehta, MBA, Assistant Vice President of Enterprise Data, Analytics & AI, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Brian Connolly, PhD, Director of Data Science and Scientific Computing, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
- Blair Davis, Director Decision Science, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Wake Forest University
"The Next Evolution of Data Science: Modeling Decisions"
- Jeff Camm, PhD, Professor and Inmar Chair in Analytics
| Speaker | Company | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Ankur Bansal | T-Mobile | "From Migration to Impact: Modernizing Data Visualization with AI Essential Tools and Tips for Seamless Adaptation to New Data Visualization Platforms" |
| Wei Chen, PhD | University of Connecticut | "Work in the GenAI Era: From AI Pilots to AI-Native Organizations" |
| Diego F. Cuardros, PhD | University of Cincinnati | “The Hard Part Isn't the Agents — It's Activating the Humans” |
| Kyle Eggerding | "ReliAbility: How Governance and Transparency Drive Value in AI" | |
| Abhisek Gupta & Isa Arvelo | 84.51º | "Building an Agentic Ecosystem for Product Management" |
| Prashant Mediratta | TaskUs | "From Legacy Chaos to AI-Ready: Modernizing a BPO Data Platform at Scale" |
| Arvish Pandey & Mikhail Nikolaenko | University of Cincinnati | "Is This Even Allowed? Building HORIZN: An AI System for Crisis Intelligence and Risk Assessment" |
| Adithya Pattabhiramaiah, PhD | Georgia Tech | "RoAI": A Framework for Evaluating the Return on Artificial Intelligence Investments" |
| Jeffrey Wack | Burke Inc. | "Elevation, Not Automation: Building Trustworthy AI Into the Analyst Workflow" |
| Dr. Russell Whitney | Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio | "What Separates AI Successes from AI Experiments" |
Partner with Us
- Submit a speaker proposal: We are open to submissions from analytics experts and trainers who would like to speak at our events. Speaker proposal form
- Sponsor: We are seeking event sponsors who want to connect with the analytics and data science leaders and professionals who attend our events. Several sponsorship options are available.
- Participate: Are you a startup technology, analytics, machine learning or AI company? Contact us to learn how you can participate in these events.
To inquire about any of the above, contact Georgette Angulo Ramirez.
About Past Data Science Symposiums
Past keynote speakers include:
- John Bossert, Google
- Michael Thompson, P&G
- Kevin Werbach, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
- Andy Kriebel, Facebook
- Joe Blue, MapR
- Kirk Borne, DataPrime, Inc
Companies presenting technical & analytics case studies include Amazon, Disney, Great American Insurance, Macy’s, Elder Research, Kroger, Fifth Third Bank, MadTree Brewing, Cincinnati Reds, FICO, US Bank, P&G, Google, 84.51, Cincinnati Reds, IBM, Humana, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, NetJets and many more.
Technical Talks can range from tutorials on various data and analytics tools to applying data science, data engineering, analytics cloud technology, machine learning, artificial intelligence and more in organizations.
AI & Analytics in Action
October 9th brought a day of insights and innovation at the Data Science Symposium, featuring two dynamic keynote speakers and a lineup of industry leaders driving the future of analytics. This year’s theme, AI & Analytics in Action, highlighted real-world applications transforming industries today.
GE Aerospace, a Cincinnati-based leader in aviation and aerospace innovation, shared how advanced analytics and AI are enabling smarter design, predictive maintenance, and operational efficiency across engineering and product support.
E.W. Scripps, a national broadcasting company headquartered in Cincinnati, explored their data evolution—from spreadsheets to AI-driven systems—and how they are using analytics and AI to navigate today’s fast-changing media landscape with thoughtful, human-centered solutions.
Keynote Speakers
- Ryan Fitzpatric, GE Aerospace, Senior Director, Data Science and Analytics, "The Evolution of Analytics and AI at GE Aerospace"
- Matt Booher, E.W. Scripps Company, Vice President, Data Solutions, "Data Goes Live: How Scripps is Evolving Analytics and AI"
| Speaker | Company | Talk Title |
|---|---|---|
| Shanna Anderson Katie Long |
Fifth Third Bank | "Feature Feast" Building a Data Buffet for Models" |
| Dave Cherry | Cherry Advisory, LLC | "Turning Data into Value: The Analytics-Informed Path to Impactful Transformation" |
| Nelly Elsayed | University of Cincinnati | "AI for Data and Business System Security: Challenges and Future Trends" |
| Summer Crenshaw | Enterprise Technology Association | "Attacking the Gaps in Emerging Technology" |
| Michael Jones | University of Cincinnati | "Bot or Not? How to Tell Who's Really There" |
| Matt Ritchey | Great American Insurance Group | "Forecasting Catastrophe Insurance Losses with AI: Integrating Weather Models, Computer Vision, and LLMs" |
| Dave Ramsey | Syrv.ai | "Implementing ReACT Agents from Scratch" |
| Aedhan Scott | Viridity Technologies & Orchard Digital Marketing | "Less Hype, More Launch: Building Useful AI for Marketing Teams" |
| Sahil Sampat | 84.51 | "Beyond A/B Testing: How Causal Inference Powers Real-World Marketing Decisions" |
| Jeff Shaffer | University of Cincinnati | "The Future of AI: From the Wild West to the Gold Rush" |
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The Data Science Symposium was held on October 11, 2024. This sold-out event comprised of two transformative keynote addresses and 10 breakout sessions helped attendees reshape their understanding of data science and AI.
Keynote Speakers
- Rehgan Bleile, Align AI, Co-founder & CEO, "From Models to Agents: The Evolution of Data Science and AI"
- Jeffrey Shaffer, University of Cincinnati, the Kirk and Jacki Perry Professor of Analytics and Assistant Professor-Educator, "The Future of AI: The Wild West of Modern Technology"
| Speaker | Company | Talk Title |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Eldredge | Paycor, Inc. | “A Framework to Build, Manage, and Exchange Harmonized Data" |
| Michael Fry, PhD Don Fleshcut Ryan Fitzpatric Steve Honkomp |
University of Cincinnati Ryerson GE Aerospace Procter & Gamble |
Panel Discussion: “The Current State of Analytics and AI in Manufacturing” |
| Brandon Greenwell | 84.51˚ | “DAG Nammit: The Challenges and Dangers of Causally Interpreting ML Models” |
| Michelle Grimm | Fifth Third Bank | "Story of Jeanie: Use of AI in our Chatbot with Customers" |
| Jeff Mills, PhD |
University of Cincinnati |
Bayesian Data Analysis without Tears: Tools for Practical Application |
| Nasser Mooman Max Gruber Victor Adewopo, PhD |
Great American Insurance Group | “Integrating Machine Learning Models in Insurance Analytics: A Hybrid GLM-NLP Approach" |
| Sachin Modi, PhD John Higgins Sandy Steiger Dan Willman |
University of Cincinnati Cintas TQL The Shepherd Material Science Company |
“GPT Reads Supply Chain News: Using Large Language Models to Predict Price Indices" |
| Jonathan Paul |
Fifth Third Bank | "AI Solving the new Rubik's cube (Better ask ChatGPT)" |
| Dhanashree Pokale | Domino's Pizza | “Forecasting Options and Developments Within a Large Multi-National” |
| Kunal Sonalkar | Nordstrom | “Personalizing User Experiences: The Role of Session and Sequence-Based Recommendations" |