Northwestern University Transportation Center presents:

"How BNSF Railway Uses Advanced Analytics"

Dr. April Kuo
Director of Data Science, Advanced Analytics and Operations Research BNSF

Abstract:

BNSF Railway is the product of nearly 400 different railroad lines that merged or were acquired over the course of 170 years. It is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies, with a rail network of 32,500 route miles in 28 states and three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of the products and materials that help feed, clothe, supply and power communities throughout America and the world. In this talk, I will walk through how we apply data analytics and advanced analytics including optimization, simulation, and machine learning at BNSF.

Bio:

April Kuo joined BNSF in 2008 and holds a PhD from the University of Maryland – College Park in Civil Engineering, specialized in Transportation Engineering and is a Director Data Science Intermodal Analytics. She is responsible for machine learning, optimization initiatives and data mart in the Intermodal area. Prior to this role, April has supported various initiatives including train blocking, real-time train scheduling, crew scheduling, predictive maintenance, etc., at BNSF.

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For Dario Robleto, the practice of art shares a key aspiration with scientific endeavor: both artists and scientists strive to increase the sensitivity of their observations. In her contribution to The Heart’s Knowledge catalogue, Jennifer Roberts (Professor of the Humanities, Harvard University) writes that “the act of measurement cannot be separated from the search for meaning.” What are the tools that artists and scientists use to observe and measure the unknown? How might we use those tools collaboratively to construct new pathways of human understanding across time and distance? How might shared values of empathy, care, and curiosity guide such pursuits?

In this opening conversation, Robleto and Roberts will be joined by Lucianne Walkowicz, astronomer and co-founder of the JustSpace Alliance, and Michael Metzger, Pick-Laudati Curator of Media Arts and curator of The Heart’s Knowledge, to reflect on these questions. Join us for a discussion that reaches across boundaries to examine the shared pursuit of greater understanding that binds artists and scientists.

Drop by The Block early and join the Block Museum Student Associates in the galleries for a look at the exhibition.

Programs are open to all, on a first-come first-served basis. RSVPs not required, but appreciated.

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41st Annual William A. Patterson Transportation Lecture
Featuring Doug Waggoner, Echo Global Logistics

WHEN: April 26, 2023 @ 7:30PM
WHERE: Walter Atheltics Center Auditorium - 2255 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208

SPEAKER:

Doug Waggoner has served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Echo Global Logistics since 2006 and has contributed to making Echo a leading provider of technology-enabled transportation management. Prior to Echo, he founded SelecTrans, LLC, a freight management software provider. From 2004 to 2005, he served as the CEO of USF Bestway. Prior to this, he was the senior vice president of strategic marketing for USF Corporation. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Supply-Chain Innovation Network of Chicago, a new organization emerging out of World Business Chicago’s Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs. Waggoner holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from San Diego State University.

LECTURE HISTORY:

The Annual William A. Patterson Distinguished Transportation Lecture is named for William A. "Pat" Patterson. In 1980, the NUTC established the Lecture as an integral part of the Patterson Endowment. It has since become an annual highlight at Northwestern University, drawing influential speakers from all facets of the transportation industry.

William A. "Pat" Patterson was a central figure in the United States air transport industry for more than four decades. He served as president and chairman of United Airlines from 1934 until his retirement in 1966. He was a life trustee of Northwestern University and was instrumental in the establishment and strategic leadership of the Transportation Center.

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