AI and the Next Era of Innovation

Curry College and Microsoft are partnering to explore the future of Artificial Intelligence. Join us for an in-depth exploration of how AI will transform our world and empower us all.

Learn How AI is Pioneering the Next Era of Innovation
February 5, 2025 - 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Keith Auditorium

Keynote Address  
Generative AI: Evolution, Impact, and Future
Understanding the decades-long journey of AI that has brought us to the forefront of Generative AI is important for leveraging its present capabilities and shaping its future potential. This talk will connect the dots between the past, present, and emerging trends of generative AI by exploring historical milestones, current advancements and applications in various industries, and future possibilities, providing a comprehensive view of its development and direction.

Sadid Hasan, Keynote Speaker            
Sadid Hasan has over two decades of AI R&D experience and currently leads generative AI product development for Office and Azure Copilots as part of Microsoft's advanced AI Development Acceleration Program. Sadid has a PhD. in NLP and Machine Learning, with hundreds of peer-reviewed publications and patents. He was recently recognized as one of the 100 most influential AI leaders in the USA. More details available here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sadidhasan/

Anne Margulies, Moderator                      
Anne Margulies is the former Vice President and University Chief Information Officer of Harvard University where she was responsible for information technology strategy, policies, and services that support the University’s mission of teaching, learning, and research. Anne led Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) organization, which transformed the IT environment and provided services to 40,000 educators, students, and staff. Before returning to Harvard—she had been Assistant Provost and Executive Director for Information Systems in the late 1990s—Anne was Assistant Secretary for Information Technology and CIO for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this capacity she developed and implemented a statewide strategic plan for IT and oversaw the consolidation of a vast patchwork of agency IT organizations, operations, data centers, and networks into a coherent statewide structure. Prior to her service with the Commonwealth, Anne was founding Executive Director of MIT OpenCourseWare, MIT’s internationally acclaimed initiative to publish the teaching materials for their entire curriculum openly and freely over the Internet. Anne currently serves as a director on the boards of: Henry Schein, a Fortune 500 dental and health care solutions company, HarborOne Bank, a community bank in Boston, the National Advanced Cybersecurity Center, and Curry College. In 2019 Anne was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Universitat Politecnca de Valencia and in 2015 was selected as the Boston CIO Leader of the Year and inducted into the CIO Hall of Fame. 

Panelists:

Juan Pablo Garcia Gonzalez                          
Juan Pablo Garcia Gonzalez works as the Principal AI Solution Architect Lead at Microsoft's Global Partner Solutions team based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. One of his primary focuses is working with top global software development companies in the AI space, assisting them in building solutions on Microsoft's cloud. Before assuming this role, he spent over 20 years in software engineering, cloud architecture, and artificial intelligence roles at Microsoft and other leading technology companies like Dell. He holds an Electronics Engineering degree from Mayor University, a Master’s degree in Information Technology from Federico Santa Maria University, and a Design and Building AI Product and Services certificate from MIT.

Chris Seferlis                   
Chris Seferlis is a Director of Technology Strategy at Microsoft where, for the past 5+ years he has helped customers bring their technical strategies to reality with a heavy focus on how they are using their data. A former CIO with over 25 years’ experience in IT and a deep background in Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence, Chris brings a practical and theoretical approach to business technology challenges using a data driven mindset. Chris holds an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, is a Microsoft Certified Trainer, and is a Visiting Professor at Boston University. He’s also a keynote speaker on the topics of Data, Innovation, and AI. Lastly, Chris recently completed the book A Practical Guide to Azure Cognitive Services and OpenAI – Leverage the power of AI to optimize operations, reduce costs, and deliver cutting-edge AI solutions.

Timothy Baggs                 
Timothy Baggs is a Principal Architect in Applied AI at Microsoft’s Innovation Hub in Boston, Massachusetts. He oversees the application of AI technologies across a diverse range of use cases and industries. Timothy's contributions have driven the deployment of hundreds of AI solutions globally in sectors including healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and financial services. With over 30 years of engineering experience, Timothy has successfully brought numerous software and hardware products to market. He is a frequent speaker at technology and business forums, where he discusses the benefits and risks associated with AI technology

Nagendra Mishr              
Nagendra Mishr is a seasoned Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft, specializing in modernizing Azure workloads to meet the demands of today's rapidly evolving digital landscape. With extensive experience in A/B testing, search, and email, Nagendra has worked with many organizations, including several startups and most recently at Microsoft. As a consultant, he has guided numerous organizations through their digital transformation journeys, helping them leverage cutting-edge technologies to stay competitive and innovative. His professional journey includes roles at Microsoft, Fast Search and Transfer, IronPort Systems Inc., and BoldFish.

FUTURE EVENT:

How Will AI Transform MA Industries and Empower the Future
April 2, 2025 - 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Keith Auditorium