UB School of Management hosts second annual Great Lakes Tech Retreat

By Alexandra Richter

BUFFALO, N.Y. — More than 130 industry leaders and scholars gathered on Nov. 6 and 7 to explore the frontiers of data analytics and artificial intelligence at the second annual Great Lakes Tech Retreat, hosted by the University at Buffalo School of Management.

The two-day conference brought together industry leaders from eBay, M&T Bank, Catholic Charities, Crowley Webb, Kaleida Health, Thermo Fisher Scientific and more to exchange ideas and expertise with faculty from across UB and from other universities including Syracuse University, University of Rochester, Binghamton University and Rutgers University.

The first day of the conference, Industry Day, included panel discussions on diverse perspectives in AI, cybersecurity and innovation in technology, with a keynote from Martin Krebs, chief information officer at National Fuel Gas Co. and senior vice president at National Fuel Gas Distribution Corp.

Day two, Research Day, included presentations from scholars at Carnegie Mellon, University of Rochester, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Pennsylvania State University. Avi Goldfarb, Rotman Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and professor marketing at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management, presented a keynote to attendees on the disruptive economics of artificial intelligence.

“By bringing researchers and practitioners together, this event inspires collaboration and innovation, deepening our understanding of the global, long-term impact of transformative technologies like artificial intelligence,” says Sanjukta Das Smith, chair and associate professor of management science and systems in the UB School of Management, who co-organized the conference.

During the conference, the School of Management recognized alumnus Kenneth E. Kendall, PhD ’75, with a PhD Achievement Award. Kendall is a leader in the field of management and information systems who has made significant contributions to both research and industry.

Smith organized the event with UB School of Management colleagues Arman Falahati, Kevin Cleary and Dominic Sellitto, clinical assistant professors of management science and systems.