About this Event
Join us in-person for a conversation between two amazing women working in AI. Hear about the career experiences of Dr. Al-Athel, the opportunities and challenges of working in the Middle Eastern market, and insights about success now and in the future in this exciting field.
Please note: this event will not be recorded.
Veronika Rockova, Professor of Econometrics and Statistics
Professor Rockova's research brings together statistics and machine learning to develop tools for learning from large datasets. She specializes in topics at the intersection of Bayesian and frequentist statistics, including: variable selection, uncertainty quantification, Bayesian nonparametrics, factor and dynamic models, and high-dimensional decision theory and inference.
She has published a variety of works in esteemed journals including the Journal of the American Statistical Association, the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society or the Annals of Statistics. Her applied work has contributed to the improvement of patient risk stratification and public reporting in healthcare analytics. Her research was recognized by the prestigious CAREER Award for early-career faculty by the National Science Foundation in 2020. She is currently on the Editorial Board of the Annals of Statistics.
Prior to joining Booth, Rockova held a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at the Department of Statistics of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Rockova holds a PhD in biostatistics from Erasmus University (The Netherlands), an MSc in biostatistics from Universiteit Hasselt (Belgium) and both an MSc in mathematical statistics and a BSc in general mathematics from Charles University (Czech Republic).
Beyond statistics, she is a keen piano and tennis player.
Dr. Deema Al-Althel, Technology Services Delivery Leader (MEA), IBM
Al-Athel joined IBM Saudi Arabia in early 2019 as a strategy leader and was then promoted to a data and AI leadership position within the company in the US, focusing on strategic engagements in the Kingdom. Dr. Al-Athel has been instrumental to data science and AI efforts in Saudi Arabia, serving as part of the National Digital Transformation Unit of her country, as well as implementing top artificial intelligence strategies and plans at IBM.
Al-Athel gained a bachelor’s degree in computer sciences from King Saud University in 2000, and five years later a master’s degree in the same field of study, also from KSU. In 2015, she obtained a Ph.D. in computer science from the George Washington University, in Washington, D.C., specializing in AI.
In 2020, she was featured in Forbes magazine as one of the world’s leading women in AI.
Before joining IBM, she served as a chief information officer on KSU’s women’s campus and was a part-time consultant for several government and nongovernment agencies, such as the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, the National Digital Transformation Unit, and the Bunyan Women’s Charity Association.
She has also participated on numerous occasions with the Saudi delegation for the Human Rights Commission at the UN in Switzerland.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Gleacher Center, 450 Cityfront Plaza Dr., Chicago, United States
USD 0.00