Greetings from Lake Como

Danit Shifman-Abukasis researches the link between machine learning and decision making. She focuses on the resource allocation for classification issues under various constraints that hinder classification and allocation. “I develop methods for integrating machine learning and different approaches of operations research, which offer solutions to different problems,” she explains.

Danit is 34, married, mother of 2.5 year old Suf, and lives in Had Nes in the Golan Heights. She earned her undergraduate degree in industrial engineering and management from Afeka College, where she met her thesis supervisor, Prof. Gonen Singer. She followed him to the Faculty of Engineering at Bar-Ilan University to pursue a graduate degree in electrical engineering in the data science program. This partnership carried over to Danit’s postgraduate studies in data science, where she is now doing her second year. “I want to thank Gonen for his mentorship throughout my journey, which helps me reach new academic peaks,” she says.

In July, Danit attended the ICQSR conference on quality, statistics, and reliability and the challenges posed by this industry. The conference was held in Lake COMO, Italy, and was organized by The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). INFORMS is the largest organization of its kind for operations research, the science of business management and analysis. “I gave a 20-minute talk about a two-phase classification and optimization model with limited human resource allocation,” Danit shares. “People were kind and welcoming throughout the conference, and response to my talk was positive. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Hila Chalutz-Ben Gal from the Faculty of Engineering and Prof. Irad Ben-Gal from Tel Aviv University, for their support and guidance during the conference and for helping me mingle and form new ties.”