Team Members
Borzou Rostami, Academic Director
Borzou Rostami is an Associate Professor and CPA Chair in Business Analytics at the Alberta School of Business, where he also serves as Academic Director of the Master of Management Analytics and AI4DA. His work bridges academia and industry, advancing the use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to improve decision-making in research, education, and practice. Through his teaching, leadership, and research, he contributes to thoughtful and practical approaches to AI adoption across sectors. He currently leads several research initiatives in AI for decision optimization, working with a diverse team of collaborators across Canada and internationally. His research is further strengthened by extensive industry partnerships spanning energy, transportation and logistics, healthcare operations, and emergency and public safety, among other domains.
Armann Ingolfsson, Senior Associate Director
Armann Ingolfsson is a professor of Operations management at the Alberta School of Business. His research focuses on operations management in the service and health care sectors and developing methodology to analyze congested systems.
Fatemeh Farnia, Centre Manager
Fatemeh Farnia is a Centre Manager at AI4DA. She brings years of experience in project management, as well as in developing and deploying AI-based solutions across industries such as finance, healthcare, and safety. Her interests lie in optimization, machine learning, and data-driven decision-making.
Saleh Farham, Research Coordinator
Saleh Farham is a Researcher at AI4DA and a part-time instructor at the Alberta School of Business. His expertise lies at the intersection of data analytics and operations research, with a focus on developing innovative solutions to complex challenges in supply chain management, transportation, and city logistics.
Zaynab Adeyemi, Operations Coordinator
Zaynab Adeyemi is an Operations Coordinator at AI4DA and a final-year marketing student. She brings a strong background in marketing, digital engagement, and creative problem-solving, with experience supporting cross-functional projects and initiatives.
Sam Sheplawy, Program Administrator
Sam Sheplawy is the Program Administrator for AI4DA, bringing experience in information and knowledge management, instructional design, program development, research, and project management. Her background spans library and information studies, education, arts and cultural management, and communications. She holds a BA, BEd, and Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Alberta.
Param Chhabra, Director of Outreach
Param Chhabra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Accounting and Business Analytics at the Alberta School of Business. His research interests include managing entrepreneurial operations, innovation, and the adoption and implementation of AI, using empirical analysis and analytical modeling.
Parisa Vaghfi Mohebbi, Postdoctoral Fellow
Parisa Mohebbi is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow specializing in mathematical optimization. Her research develops models and exact and heuristic algorithms for complex problems at large scale. Her interests include combinatorial and data-driven optimization, algorithm design, and machine learning.
Parang Zadtootaghaj, PhD Candidate
Parang Zadtootaghaj is a PhD candidate in operations management and a Researcher at AI4DA. Her research focuses on applying operations research, machine learning, and optimization methods for decision-making, with applications in healthcare and logistics.
Erfan Rafieikia, PhD Student
Erfan Rafieikia is a PhD student at the Alberta School of Business. His research focuses on using operations research, machine learning, and data analytics to improve user accessibility in transit and food delivery services.
Roham Bahri, PhD Student
Roham Bahri is a PhD student in Operations Management at the Alberta School of Business. His research focuses on optimization methods for decision-making under uncertainty, with applications in service operations management. He is interested in developing practical, data-driven models that improve complex system performance.
Juan Tzintzun Ramos, PhD Candidate
Juan Tzintzun is a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta whose research focuses on optimization and machine learning for decision-making under uncertainty, with applications in supply chains and logistics.
Yasser Zeinali, PhD Candidate
Yasser Zeinali is a PhD candidate at the Alberta School of Business. His research focuses on machine learning, time series analysis, optimization, and data-driven decision-making.
Shaho Hosean Panahi, Research Assistant
Shaho Hosean Panahi is a research assistant at AI4DA, bringing years of industry experience supporting cross-functional projects. He has a strong background in machine learning and data analytics, with interests in developing AI-based solutions and data-driven decision-making.
Gurkeerat Kakar, Dashboard Development Intern
Gurkeerat Kakar is a Computing Science undergraduate and Research Assistant at the University of Alberta. He works as a Dashboard Development Intern at AI4DA, applying data analytics, visualization, and business intelligence tools to assess ranking performance gaps and translate complex methodologies into actionable insights.