OneUK Partner Valvoline Hosts AI Seminar at Global Headquarters Featuring University of Kentucky Faculty
Valvoline Global hosted an Artificial Intelligence (AI) seminar at its headquarters on October 10, bringing together faculty from the University of Kentucky (UK) to showcase the diverse applications of AI across various fields. The event, facilitated by UK Innovate, included a series of TED-style presentations highlighting the integration of AI in research, technology, law, engineering, and medicine.
The seminar aimed to deepen ties between Valvoline and UK while also demonstrating the university’s expertise in the rapidly evolving field of AI. It provided an opportunity for attendees to hear directly from UK faculty on how AI is transforming industries and academic disciplines.
The event featured 15-minute presentations from four UK faculty members, each of whom discussed the role of AI in their respective fields:
-V.K. Cody Bumgardner, Associate Professor and Chief of Pathology Informatics at the University of Kentucky, with a joint appointment in the Department of Computer Science. He serves as the Assistant Dean for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science in the College of Medicine, Director of the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence, and is a Senior Fellow for Innovation with the Kentucky Council On Postsecondary Education. Dr. Bumgardner's primary focus is on advancing science through artificial intelligence and scientific computing. He has previously held numerous technology positions, including Director of Enterprise Systems and Development, Chief Technology Architect, and Director of Research Computing.
-Jesse Hoagg, Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. His research interests include: human learning; cooperative control of aerospace vehicles; orientation control of microrobots and small satellites; and control of highly uncertain systems. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky, Dr. Hoagg was a worked for the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He received a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan.
-Michael D. Murray, the Spears Gilbert Associate Professor of Law at the University of Kentucky's J. David Rosenberg College of Law. He leads the Artificial Intelligence and the Law Project at Kentucky. Murray teaches various law courses and has authored 28 books and numerous articles on diverse legal topics. He graduated summa cum laude from Loyola University in Maryland, studied at Fudan University in China, and earned his law degree from Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. After clerking for a U.S. District Judge, he practiced law for seven years at Bryan Cave in St. Louis.
-Hunter N. B. Moseley, Professor in the Department of Molecular & Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky. He leads a Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, & Systems Biochemistry Lab, focusing on developing computational methods for analyzing biological and biophysical data. Moseley holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has authored 89 publications, developed over 30 open-source codebases, and holds two U.S. patents. Moseley serves as Associate Director of the Institute for Biomedical Informatics and Co-Director of the Biomedical Informatics Core at the University of Kentucky. His research interests include metabolomics data analysis, multi-omics integration, and developing tools for interpreting various types of biological data.
The seminar concluded with a networking session, providing attendees an opportunity to discuss the presentations and explore potential collaborations.
“The AI TED-style talks at Valvoline Global Operations were an excellent opportunity to showcase the university's expertise in the field of AI from an innovation perspective. The event allowed the university to demonstrate its research and thought leadership in AI to a receptive industry audience. This exposure can lead to valuable collaboration opportunities to leverage the university's AI capabilities in addressing real-world challenges and opportunities faced by Valvoline Global Operations,” Kim Sayre, UK Innovation Connect Manager, said.
Sayre continued, “From an industry partnership perspective, the event facilitated direct engagement between the university's AI experts and key decision-makers at Valvoline Global Operations.”
The seminar provided a glimpse into the future of AI, demonstrating its broad reach and potential to transform industries, improve healthcare, and solve complex global challenges.