About the Talk:

Join us for a live virtual event in the Forum community featuring Dr. Richard Paul Waterman, Professor of Statistics and Data Science at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This session includes a fireside chat with Dr. Waterman and is followed by a live Q&A chat where he will discuss trends in AI adoption, data strategies, and the future of trust and scalability in AI.

Siya Raj Purohit, Education GTM Leader at OpenAI, will deliver an introduction on how to become an AI-native university, followed by insights from Wharton Executive MBA students and Developers supporting trust and scaling in AI systems. Attendees can join a live Q&A, engaging directly with these experts.

This event targets education and AI/ML professionals, faculty, developers, and community members aiming to scale AI solutions with trust and integrity. Don’t miss this chance to learn from the best in the field and gain practical insights to accelerate your AI initiatives.

About the Speakers:

Siya Raj Purohit is an education leader at OpenAI, where she helps manage the growth of ChatGPT Edu across Higher Education. Join us in the Forum community to delve into Siya's impactful work and explore her vision for harnessing AI to create a more equitable future.

Dr. Richard Waterman is a Practice Professor of Statistics and Data Science at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he focuses on the application of data science techniques and AI technologies in an educational setting. With a PhD in Statistics, Dr. Waterman has dedicated over three decades to pioneering integrative methods that enhance teaching, learning, and decision-making in higher education. He teaches in the undergraduate, MBA and Executive MBA programs.

He works on applications and projects that aim to transform educational strategies through predictive analytics, machine learning and AI. Dr. Waterman has authored numerous papers and books in the statistics and data science areas.

As the Deputy Vice Dean in the Executive MBA program, he seeks to identify and implement AI-driven solutions that drive engagement, enhance student learning outcomes, and streamline administrative processes.

Brandon Lafving grew up in Dallas, TX, studied Comparative Literature (mostly poetry) at Princeton, and somehow fell in love with technology. He can't explain it, but he blames it on Sci-Fi and the very real, exciting progress his generation has experienced—from IBM’s Deep Blue to AlphaGo and now an exploding assortment of ML solutions.

He works for The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania as an IT Project Leader, identifying, planning, and operationalizing valuable change across technology, people, resources, and processes.

Over the last year, his projects have increasingly focused on LLM-based chatbots and applications. He has led product development for two course chatbot prototypes, experimenting with a variety of approaches and platforms.

He is passionate about automation, Machine Learning solutions, and new challenges.

Ceren Okar is currently pursuing an MBA at Wharton. She holds a graduate degree in Mathematical Statistics and an undergraduate degree in Business Economics. As a financial controller, she has gained valuable experience across industries such as housing, education, and healthcare, bringing a unique blend of analytical and financial expertise to her roles.

Nupur Jain is a product manager and Executive MBA candidate at The Wharton School (Class of 2026), with a background in mathematics, economics, and computer science from the University of San Francisco and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She has held strategic roles at companies like Gap Inc.,and Google, where she led initiatives in business operations, security, and product development. Known for her data-driven approach, Nupur has driven key projects that improved operational efficiency, mitigated risks, and generated significant revenue growth, all while fostering innovation at the intersection of technology and business.