Plenary Session
Thursday, January 16, 2025
8:30 a.m. – 9:20 a.m.
Knowledge-Guided Machine Learning: Accelerating Scientific Discovery and Addressing Global Environ-mental Challenges
Professor and Chair, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Executive Director
University of Minnesota
Vipin Kumar researches the applications of data mining and high-performance computing in climate science and healthcare. He has developed highly efficient parallel algorithms and software, authored over 400 publications, and co-written widely-used textbooks like Introduction to Parallel Computing. His current focus is on knowledge-guided machine learning to understand human-induced environmental changes. Kumar's contributions have earned prestigious honors, including the Association for Computing Machinery Innovation Award.
Finding the Dividend: Musings on Efforts to Better Align Public Health and Resilience Work
Executive Director,Climate Resilience Academy
University of Miami
Michael Berkowitz is the Eric T. Levin Endowed Chair in Climate Resilience. Previously, he served as President of 100 Resilient Cities, leading efforts to develop holistic resilience strategies and mobilize over $25 billion for city projects. Berkowitz also held leadership roles at Resilient Cities Catalyst, Deutsche Bank, and the Office of Emergency Management in New York City, contributing to global risk management and urban resilience initiatives. He serves on FEMA’s National Advisory Council and other boards focused on climate readiness.