Berkeley IEOR Advisory Board convenes for annual meeting, followed by alumni mixer

Advisory Board Chair, Carolyn Yee opens the meeting with an overview of board member expectations and outcomes
Advisory Board Chair, Carolyn Yee opens the meeting with an overview of board member expectations and outcomes. (Photo by Swaleha Masude)

Members of the UC Berkeley Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research Advisory Board gathered on April 29 at the Grimes Engineering Center for a full-day meeting focused on departmental priorities, artificial intelligence, industry engagement and goals for the year ahead. The meeting brought together faculty, board members, students and campus leaders for presentations and discussions on the department’s direction.

A central theme was IEOR’s role in the evolving field of AI. During an advisory board lightning round, Coleman Fung, CEO and co-founder of Blue Goji; Tim Jacobs, vice president of applied AI and machine learning at Walmart; and Peter Wei, chief operating officer of Rocket Software, shared perspectives on AI applications within their organizations. Faculty and board members later joined a roundtable discussion on IEOR’s role in AI, building on earlier conversations about department and college priorities.

The afternoon program included an update from Mark Asta, dean of the College of Engineering, followed by student and research perspectives on AI. Kenny Wongchamcharoen, an IEOR undergraduate student in the class of 2027, presented “The Temporal Blind Spots of AI Implications on IEOR Applications.” Grace He, an IEOR doctoral student, discussed AI in security.

Following the meeting, alumni gathered for an evening mixer at the Study Hall Rooftop Lounge in downtown Berkeley. Alumni from the classes of 1963 through 2026 returned to reconnect with the department and one another, with some traveling from out of state to attend. The event offered multiple generations of the IEOR community a chance to share experiences, form new connections and celebrate the department’s enduring network.

UC Berkeley IEOR alumni mingle and reconnect during the spring alumni mixer.
UC Berkeley IEOR alumni reconnect at the spring mixer. (Photo by Adam Lau)

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