Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) Symposium
April 10th, 2026
The University of Colorado Denver is excited to announce the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (DSAI) Symposium, an event dedicated to exploring the latest advancements and applications in the fields of data science and AI. We invite researchers, practitioners, and students to interact around presentations and discussion during the day of the event.
| Start | End | Event in the Jake Jabs Conference Center, CU Denver Business School |
| 7:30 am | 8:30 am | Registration |
| 8:30 am | 8:35 am | Welcome |
| 8:35 am | 8:45 am | Opening Remark by University Administation |
| 8:45 am | 9:45 am | Keynote: Degrees of Disruption - How AI is Reshaping How We Learn, Work, and Lead |
| 9:45 am | 10:00 am | Poster Session and Snack Break |
| 10:00 am | 11:00 am | Presentation Session |
| 11:00 am | 12:00 am | Presentation Session |
| 12:00 am | 1:00 pm | Poster Session and Lunch Break |
| 1:00 pm | 2:00 pm | Panel: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Create Public Good |
| 2:00 pm | 3:00 pm | Presentation Session |
| 3:00 pm | 3:15 pm | Poster Session and Snack Break |
| 3:15 pm | 3:45 pm | Student Competition: LYNX HACK - winner presentaions |
| 3:45 pm | 4:45 pm | Tutorial: A Short Introduction to Cooperative Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning |
| 4:45 pm | 5:00 pm | Closing Remarks |
| 5:00 pm | 5:15 pm | Break |
Important Dates:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: March 20th, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: March 30th, 2026
- Last day to register to attend: April 3rd, 2026
- Presentation Date: April 10th, 2026 at Jake Jabs Event Center, University of Colorado Denver’s Business School
Location:
Jake Jabs Center, CU Denver Business School
1475 Lawrence Street, Denver CO
To submit a proposal please register!!!
2026 DSAI Symposium Registration
The abstracts submitted to present at the symposium will be reviewed and considered for oral presentation and/or poster presentation. The presenters whose abstracts are selected for oral presentation during the main conference will be notified by March 30th, 2026 . Other presenters will be invited to present their abstract as poster during the poster session, assuming relevance and appropriateness of the topic.
In the registration form, presentations can be submitted under three main tracks which are:
- Research on Data Science and AI Core Foundations and Methods
- Application of Data Science and AI
- Data Science and AI Education
Our goal is to foster a diverse and comprehensive dialogue around the transformative power of data science and AI. We encourage submissions across these categories, but we also welcome quantitative works in other disciplines and applications that are not listed here.
Research on Data Science and AI Core Foundations and Methods
- Advanced Machine Learning Techniques
- Deep Learning Applications
- Predictive Analytics in Business and Industry
- Interpretable and Explainable AI
- Causal Inference and Causal AI
- Counterfactual Analysis in AI
- Reinforcement Learning in Autonomous Systems
- Ethical and Responsible AI Development
- Advanced Econometrics
- Statistical Modeling and Inference
- Quantitative Methods for Decision Making
- Agentic AI Systems
- Generative AI
- World Models
- Reasoning with AI Agent
- Natual Language Processing
- Multimodal AI model
- LLM (Large Language Model)
Application of Data Science and AI
- AI in Business
- AI in Education
- AI in Public Affair
- AI-driven Decision Support Systems
- AI and Environmental Sustainability
- AI Policy Governance
- AI and Public Health
- Big Data Analytics for Social Impact
- Computational Finance and Algorithmic Trading
- Natural Language Processing and Sentiment Analysis
- Healthcare Analytics and Decision Making
- Cybersecurity and AI-driven Threat Detection
- Smart Cities and Urban Analytics
- AI for Social Good Initiatives
- Generative AI and Its Applications
- AI-driven Innovation in Public Policy and Governance
- Data-driven Solutions in Supply Chain Management
- Theoretical and Practical Applications of Generative AI in Different Businesses
Data Science and AI Education
- Generative AI in Higher Education and Teaching
- Generative AI in Research
To submit a proposal please register!!!
2026 DSAI Symposium Registration
Important Dates:
- Abstract Submission Deadline: March 20th, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: March 30th, 2026
- Last day to register to attend: April 3rd, 2026
- Event: April 10th, 2026
Location:
Jake Jabs Center, CU Denver Business School
1475 Lawrence Street, Denver CO
Directions and Parking
General Chairs
Dr. Farnoush Banaei-Kashani — [email protected]
Dr. Julien Langou — [email protected]
Dr. Meysam Rabiee — [email protected]
Local Co-Chair
Dr. Meysam Rabiee — [email protected]
Dr. Julien Langou — [email protected]
Treasurer Chair
Dr. Julien Langou — [email protected]
Workshop Chair
Dr. Farnoush Banaei-Kashani — [email protected]
Tutorial Chair
Dr. Tulay Flamand — [email protected]
Panel Chair
Dr. José (Pepe) Sánchez — [email protected]
Dr. Alejandra Medina — [email protected]
Sponsor Chairs
Dr. Meysam Rabiee — [email protected]
Elyas Larfi — [email protected]
Publicity Chairs
Dr. Tulay Flamand — [email protected]
Dr. Meysam Rabiee — [email protected]
Student Competition and Activities Chairs
Elyas Larfi — [email protected]
Registration Chairs
Elyas Larfi — [email protected]
Qijian Ma — [email protected]
Webmasters
Elyas Larfi — [email protected]
Qijian Ma — [email protected]
We are very thankful to our sponsors! The symposium would not have been possible without their generous contributions. Thanks for contributing to supporting the CU Denver data science & AI community!
Our sponsors are:
- CU Denver Business School
CU Denver College of Engineering, Computing and Design
CU Denver College of Liberal Arts Sciences
CU Denver Research Development Office
Degrees of Disruption: How AI is Reshaping How We Learn, Work, and Lead
When: Friday, April 10th 2026
Where: Jake Jabs Center, CU Denver Business School
From Subtle Shifts to Transformative Change: AI’s Impact on How We Learn, Live, Work, and Lead
Keynote Speaker
Suma Nallapati
Chief AI and Information Officer (CAIO)
City and County of Denver
Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Create Public Good
When: Friday, April 10th 2026
Where: Jake Jabs Center, CU Denver Business School
Abstract
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly advance the public good by improving services, promoting equity, and supporting sustainable communities. This panel brings together leaders from city government, nonprofits, and the private sector to examine how AI is being applied to enhance planning, resource allocation, service delivery, and support for vulnerable populations.
Panelists will discuss real-world applications, ethical considerations such as transparency and accountability, and the importance of community engagement. Through cross-sector perspectives, the discussion will highlight practical strategies and partnerships that can harness AI as a driver of inclusive innovation and positive social impact.
Panelist:
Robert Bruns — Applications Development & AI Director,
City and County of Denver
Cristina Sloan — Chief Development Officer,
Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance
Session Chair:
Dr. José Sánchez — Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs
Dr. Alejandra Medina — Assistant Professor, University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs
A Short Introduction to Cooperative Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning
When: Friday, April 10th 2026
Where: Jake Jabs Center, CU Denver Business School
Abstract
Multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) has grown rapidly in recent years. While numerous approaches have been developed, they can be broadly categorized into three main types: Centralized Training and Execution (CTE), Centralized Training with Decentralized Execution (CTDE), and Decentralized Training and Execution (DTE).
CTE methods assume centralization during both training and execution (e.g., fast, free, and perfect communication), giving agents access to the most information at runtime. CTDE methods are the most common approach, leveraging centralized information during training while allowing agents to execute using only locally available information. DTE methods make the fewest assumptions and are often simpler to implement.
This talk provides an overview of these MARL approaches, highlights state-of-the-art methods, clarifies common misconceptions, and explores relationships between techniques. The focus is on cooperative settings, though many concepts extend to competitive and mixed environments.
Speaker
Dr. Christopher Amato
Associate Professor, Computer Science
Northeastern University
Dr. Christopher Amato is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University where he leads the Lab for Learning and Planning in Robotics. He has published many papers in leading artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics conferences, including winning a Best Paper Prize at AAMAS 2014 and receiving Best Paper nominations at RSS 2015, AAAI 2019, AAMAS 2021, and MRS 2021.
He has also co-organized several tutorials on multi-agent coordination and co-authored a popular book and several surveys on the subject. His work has received multiple recognitions including Amazon Research Awards and an NSF CAREER Award. His research focuses on reinforcement learning in partially observable environments and multi-agent or multi-robot systems.
LYNX HACK
When: Monday, April 3rd, 2026
Session Chair: Elyas Larfi
Official Site: https://hackathon.cudenver-ai.com/
Hackathon challenges participants to design and build agentic AI systems, AI that goes beyond chat and actively operates within real workflows. Teams will create AI-powered systems that can reason, use tools, make decisions, and take real-world actions such as sending messages, updating documents, triggering APIs, or managing tasks.
Unlike traditional AI competitions focused solely on models, this hackathon emphasizes systems thinking: reliability, safety, automation depth, and real usability. Projects must include clear inputs, meaningful external actions, and at least one reliability or safety feature such as human-in-the-loop approval, validation, or error handling.
The event is designed to be accessible to both technical and non-technical participants. Tools like n8n are recommended for workflow orchestration due to their visual, low-code interface, but teams are free to integrate any modern AI stack including LLM APIs, agent frameworks, backend services, frontends, and vector databases.
Submissions are evaluated using a hybrid judging framework that combines human review with objective benchmarks, rewarding not just flashy demos but robust, reproducible, and well-designed agentic systems. Workshops, starter templates, and example workflows will be provided to help teams get started quickly.
If you believe AI should operate, not just respond, this hackathon is for you.
Presentations
Session: TBD
Session Chair: TBD
| TBD |
Posters
| TBD |