
WiDS Cambridge
2026 Agenda
8:00am - 2:30pm EST

8:00am
8:45am
​9:00am
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9:45am
11:00am
11:15am
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12:15pm
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12:30pm
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​2:30pm
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3:00pm ​​​​​​​​
REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING BREAKFAST
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OPENING REMARKS
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KEYNOTE
Talk Title: Beyond the Hype: Designing Human-Agent Collaboration for
Decisions That Matter
​Priyanka Kulkarni, Founder and CEO, Casium
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PANEL DISCUSSIONS
Panel 1: Democratic Processes and Public Policy
Moderator
Christine Ortiz, Morris Cohen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and the Director of the Technology and Policy Program (TPP) within IDSS, MIT
​Panelists
Lindsey Batteast, AI Ethics and Safety, Google
Mona Birjandi, Principal Economist and Director of Data Analytics, Outten & Golden
Bailey Flanigan, Assistant Professor of Political Science and Computer Science, MIT​​​
BREAK
Panel 2: Extreme Weather and Pollution: Impact and Equity
Moderator
Abigail Bowering, Doctoral Student, Social and Engineering Systems at the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society; and the Center for Sustainability Science and Strategy, MIT
Panelists
Arlene Fiore, Professor, Department of Earth, Atmospheric + Planetary Sciences, MIT
Sucharita Gopal, Professor, Department of Earth and Environment & Center for Remote Sensing Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University
Desirée Plata, Distinguished Professor of Climate and Energy, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MIT
LIGHTNING TALKS (15 lightning talks of 1 minute)
​LUNCH, RECRUITING, POSTER SESSION, SPEED-NETWORKING & MENTORING SESSIONS
Speed Networking Sessions: Sign Up link coming
Session #1 (12:40pm - 1:05pm)
Session #2 (1:15pm - 1:40pm)
Mentoring Office Hours: Drop-In Style, Limited to 5 people at a time
Session #1 - 12:45pm - 1:15pm
Session #2 - 1:25pm - 1:55pm
Technical Presentations, Demos
Session #1 with Sphinx - 1:45m - 2:15pm​​​
CLOSING REMARKS & PRIZES
​END OF PROGRAM