This semester, the Kogod School of Business is excited to welcome Yitong Wang as a new faculty member in the Information Technology and Analytics department. Wang brings years of experience in data analytics and expertise in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and joins a roster of Kogod faculty at the forefront of AI research. At a time where Kogod is making strides in developing an AI-infused curriculum, it’s experts like Wang that set it up for success.
Wang’s background includes time in both academia and the private sector with an overarching focus on consumer behavior. He began his career as a professor at universities in China and Australia, teaching industrial engineering and consumer decision-making courses. In 2019, he moved to Hangzhou, China, to join online retailer and tech giant Alibaba, where he worked in data analytics, business intelligence, and customer satisfaction. While there, he discovered new ways to utilize generative AI in customer service. He was responsible for combining AI with existing service agents for a more efficient and higher-quality call center experience. With this experience supplementing his time teaching, Wang then decided to return to university work—and found that Kogod was the perfect place to combine his understanding of AI with his own goals.
“I decided to return to academia to combine my practical experience with research and to have more freedom to make a broader impact in teaching and scholarship,” Wang said. “With the implementation of its AI strategy, Kogod offers me a great platform and ample opportunities, which is why I moved here.”
As he settles in after moving across continents to join Kogod, Wang is looking forward to getting to know his new workplace better. From the teaching environment to the goals of his students to the research interests of faculty members both within and beyond Kogod, there’s a lot to learn from American University, and he’s excited to get started.
It’s an exciting time for Wang to join Kogod’s faculty. The school has been nationally recognized for its efforts to promote education on AI, and its offerings continue to expand. Through his time at Alibaba, Wang has seen the way that AI can be utilized alongside experts across fields to allow people to work more effectively and use these new tools to the best of their ability. As a professor, he says his goal is to create AI architects—students who can set themselves apart in their fields through a firm understanding of how to use AI as a resource in their work.