Valentina Kuskova has been appointed managing director for the University of 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 among Indiana’s leading corporations (founding members Anthem, Cummins, Eli Lilly and Co., 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 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.”
Kuskova’s main role will be connecting the immense data science and analytics talent within the Notre Dame 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.
Kuskova has extensive corporate and academic experience, having worked for corporate clients such as Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Volkswagen, Association of European Businesses 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 doctorate 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, the founding director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society and the Frank M. Freimann 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.”
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.
The Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society is a hub for students, faculty, postdoctoral and visiting scholars, and staff to explore how data can be harnessed for societal benefit. It acts as an incubator for data research as well as a liaison to the government and business communities. Its 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.
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 talent with their industry peers to drive sustained innovation within Indiana. The project is intended to 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.
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership 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. To learn more about CICP, visit www.cicpindiana.com.
16 Tech is a 50-acre community in downtown Indianapolis dedicated to world-changing innovation and economic opportunity. All three participating research universities — Notre Dame, Indiana University and Purdue — have dedicated offices at 16 Tech to catalyze and connect university and industry expertise, capabilities and talent.
Contact: Natalie Meyers, Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, 574-631-1546, natalie.meyers@nd.edu
Originally published by at lucyinstitute.nd.edu on April 13.