Valentina Kuskova is in residence as managing director for Notre Dame’s AnalytiXIN program, headquartered at the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis.
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society is pleased to announce that Valentina Kuskova, MBA, Ph.D., has been appointed managing director for Notre Dame’s AnalytiXIN program, headquartered at the 16 Tech Innovation District in Indianapolis.
AnalytiXIN was established by the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and designed to safeguard the economic vitality of the state, especially in the face of the rapid rise and convergence of strategic technologies—artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics—which challenge in disruptive and imminent ways the traditional innovation landscape for advanced industries in Indiana. In addition, the initiative is driving engagement between and among Indiana’s leading corporations (founding members Anthem, Cummins, Eli Lilly and Company, IU Health, and One America) and its major research universities (Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame).
“Notre Dame’s commitment to finding creative and consequential ways to partner with AnalytiXIN has been outstanding, and having a thought leader like Dr. Kuskova spearheading Notre Dame’s Indy-based presence will accelerate our shared interests and efforts to grow the state’s data science capabilities,” said David Johnson, president and CEO of CICP. “It’s also worth noting that Notre Dame’s office at 16 Tech is the first location in Indianapolis for the university. We are thrilled to have them in this new, vibrant community.”
“The University of Notre Dame is grateful for the opportunity that has been enabled by the AnalytiXIN grant to locate Dr. Kuskova at the 16 Tech facility in Indianapolis,” said Robert J. Bernhard, Vice President for Research at the University of Notre Dame. “We believe the local presence will greatly enhance our abilities to identify opportunities for our students and faculty and enable many new interactions between companies in the Indianapolis area and Notre Dame,” he emphasized.
Dr. Kuskova’s main role will be connecting the immense data science and analytics talent within the ND community with CICP companies through a structured set of activities, including strategic initiatives, research projects, student internships, corporate/faculty exchanges, and many educational and networking events.
Dr. Kuskova has extensive corporate and academic experience, having worked for corporate clients such as Coca-Cola, Mcdonald’s, Volkswagen, Association of European Business, and many others, where she has held the roles of PI, co-PI, or advanced analytics methodologist. Her research interests include network modeling, time-series analysis, and nonparametric methods (especially for efficiency and effectiveness analysis). She has her MBA from Boise State University, as well as a master’s in applied statistics and a Ph.D. in business and decision sciences, both from Indiana University, Bloomington.
“We are very fortunate to have retained Dr. Kuskova as the managing director of this important initiative,” said Nitesh Chawla, Founding Director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society and the Frank M. Freiman Professor of Computer Science and Engineering. “Her extensive corporate experience, combined with her remarkable expertise in data-driven research and developing programs, makes her an ideal ambassador to drive forward our mission to connect our capabilities with our corporate and community stakeholders.”
Dr. Kuskova is passionate about using data and science for the benefit of industry and society. In addition to academic responsibilities of research and teaching, she was the founding director of a network-analytic think tank, and founded and supervised two master’s programs in advanced analytics.
About the Lucy Institute
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society is a hub for students, faculty, postdoctoral and visiting scholars, and staff to explore how data can be harnessed for societal benefit. We act as an incubator for data research as well as a liaison to the government and business communities. Our mission is to enable a positive impact on society and individual lives through innovative domain-informed and data-driven methods and applications.
The Lucy Family Institute brings tactical expertise in data science, AI, data engineering, computing, applications, and methods. The Institute also shares core societal expertise in human development, peace accord, ethics, global development, and poverty studies. Combining these core capabilities enables the Lucy Family Institute to compile best-in-class research teams aligned toward specific societal challenges that translate out of research and into practice.
About AnalytiXIN
AnalytiXIN was established to develop a digital community, including a place-focused collaboration hub in Indianapolis that will strengthen connections and encourage engagement of academic data science R&D talent with their industry peers to drive sustained innovation within Indiana. The project is intended to drive sustained innovation within the State and enable Indiana companies to grow their digital capabilities and appropriately skilled workforces at all levels. The emphasis is on life sciences and manufacturing – two of Indiana’s most important and prolific economic drivers.
About the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) was formed in 1999 to bring together the chief executives of the region’s prominent corporations, foundations, and universities in a strategic and collaborative effort dedicated to Indiana’s continued prosperity and growth. To advance this mission, CICP sponsors six key talent and industry sector initiatives, AgriNovus Indiana, Ascend Indiana, BioCrossroads, Conexus Indiana, Energy Systems Network, and TechPoint, each of which addresses challenges and opportunities unique to its respective area: agbiosciences, talent, and workforce development, life sciences, advanced manufacturing and logistics, advanced energy technology and transportation. To learn more about CICP, visit www.cicpindiana.com.
About 16 Tech
16 Tech is a 50-acre community in downtown Indianapolis dedicated to world-changing innovation and economic opportunity. All three participating research universities: The University of Notre Dame, Indiana University, and Purdue, have dedicated offices at 16 Tech to catalyze and connect university and industry expertise, capabilities and talent. as well as through their individual locations all over Indiana and a virtual community have space at the AnalytiXIN offices at Hq0, but there is ample room for participating organizations to work remotely or have meetings, workshops and educational sessions on-site.
Contact:
Natalie Meyers, Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society 574.631.1546 natalie.meyers@nd.edu