AI4OPT Newsletter | May 2026 |
A Message From the Director |
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Research at AI4OPT is not done in an ivory tower. A core part of our mission is to demonstrate the potential of AI in engineering and create opportunities for people to engage with it directly. This is how we identify world-class talent and create impact well beyond academia.
That commitment to engagement was on full display at the AI+ Expo in Washington, D.C., where AI4OPT was featured by the National Science Foundation. We had the opportunity to share our work with Acting NSF Director Brian Stone, U.S. Rep. Don Beyer and many others. It was exciting to see the recognition AI4OPT is receiving for its role in advancing national priorities in energy, supply chains and manufacturing. Building on many rich discussions, we also recorded a podcast on-site to further explore these topics.
Engaging with the outside world is part of AI4OPT’s DNA, and that commitment is reflected at every level of the institute. AI4OPT students Rosemary Barrass and Richard Asiamah recently impressed audiences at the Three Minute Thesis Competition, where Richard Asiamah, a Ph.D. student in Electrical and Computer Engineering, earned Second Runner-Up honors.
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We are also reaching new professional audiences. For example, we recently hosted a session for attorneys interested in better understanding both the inner workings and limitations of AI to support their work. In parallel, AI4OPT is helping shape interdisciplinary AI research at the national level. In collaboration with 25 AI Institutes, our managing director led a joint paper that captures lessons learned and turns experience across the national AI ecosystem into shared best practices.
Looking ahead, AI4OPT continues to expand its network and invest in the next generation of researchers and practitioners. In this issue, you will meet research scientist Wenting Li and incoming Ph.D. student Arnovi Moinuddin, who has already been awarded the prestigious Stamps Fellowship. Education and outreach remain central to this effort. Together with our nonprofit partner HerWILL, AI4OPT just completed the 2026 Datathon, reaching more than 2,200 participants worldwide. This marks the beginning of a full slate of summer programming, including upcoming Seth Bonder high school camps and training programs for high school teachers and university faculty. We are preparing for a busy and exciting summer.
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Meet Wenting Li, a research scientist at AI4OPT and Georgia Tech, where she joined in 2026. Prior to that, she held research positions at the University of Texas at Austin and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
She completed her postdoctoral training at LANL’s Center for Nonlinear Studies and Theoretical Division in 2023.
Li earned her Ph.D. in electrical engineering and her master’s degree in applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 2019, where she was advised by Dr. Meng Wang.
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My research combines optimization, machine learning, and dynamical systems to develop trustworthy AI for power grids and other safety-critical systems.
I focus on building AI models that remain reliable under uncertainty, data shifts, and adversarial conditions by embedding physical constraints, safety requirements, and verification directly into the learning process. This work addresses one of the biggest barriers to AI deployment in critical infrastructure: trust.
By improving robustness and providing guarantees on safety and performance, these methods can help industries deploy AI more confidently while reducing operational risks and failures. Recent work includes scalable neural network verification methods, robust AI for stochastic power grids, and verifiable input-space modeling presented at ICML and other leading venues.
Outside of research, I enjoy cycling, running, hiking, and singing.
Recent Publication | Li, Wenting, Russell Bent, Saif Kazi, Duo Zhou, and Huan Zhang. “E-Globe: Scalable ε-Global Verification of Neural Networks via Tight Upper Bounds and Pattern-Aware Branching.” arXiv, 2026. https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.05068
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Meet Arnovi Moinuddin, a research engineer at AI4OPT and Georgia Tech, where she works on manufacturing scheduling problems using AI and constraint programming.
Born and raised in Atlanta, she earned her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 2021 and her master’s degree in operations research in 2024 from Georgia Institute of Technology.
Before joining AI4OPT, Moinuddin worked as a data analyst in anti-money laundering at Capital One from 2021 to 2022 and later interned with Apple in iPhone Operations in 2023.
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My research focuses on integrating autonomous robots into flexible manufacturing systems to improve efficiency, adaptability, and supply chain resilience. Unlike traditional conveyor-based systems, these environments require AI-driven decisions about machine assignments, robot coordination, and routing in real time.
Our work combines scheduling and routing into a single optimization framework while accounting for real-world constraints such as robot capacities and machine compatibility. We are also developing methods for rapid rescheduling during disruptions like machine breakdowns or labor shortages.
I was recently accepted into Georgia Tech's Ph.D. program in machine learning and selected as a Georgia Tech Stamps Fellow.
Outside of research, I enjoy drawing Atlanta architecture and taking long walks in all kinds of weather.
Recent Publication | Moinuddin, Arnovi, El Mehdi Er Raqabi, and Pascal Van Hentenryck. “Scheduling and Routing in the Flexible Job Shop with Heterogeneous Transbots and Zoning: A Constraint Programming Approach.” arXiv, 2026. https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.24483
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| | | | Thomas Bruys completed the Atlanta Marathon Weekend this year with strong support from AI4OPT members.
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AI4OPT is proud to celebrate Jorge Huertas as he graduates from Georgia Tech.
Jorge advanced AI and optimization for semiconductor manufacturing, working directly with industry partners such as Intel. He also served as the first president of AI4OPT’s Student Leadership Council.
We thank Jorge for his leadership, contributions, and dedication to AI4OPT, and we wish him continued success in what comes next.
Congratulations from us all!
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The AI4OPT Seminar Series brings together leading researchers, industry experts, and innovators to explore the latest advances in AI and optimization across areas including energy systems, machine learning, transportation, supply chains, and more.
Whether you missed a live session or want to revisit past talks, you can now view the full seminar series and watch recordings here.
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