9th International Conference on Applied Informatics
13 to 17 October 2026
University of Central Florida
Orlando,
United States 
Keynote Speakers
Raphael Gomes
Raphael de Aquino Gomes holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Federal University of Goiás (UFG), Brazil, including a research period at the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria), France. He also holds a B.Sc. (2006) and an M.Sc. (2009) in Computer Science from UFG. He is currently a visiting scholar at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) and a tenured professor at the Federal Institute of Goiás (IFG) in Brazil, where he is a permanent faculty member in the Professional Master's Program in Technology, Management, and Sustainability. His research interests include distributed systems, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), adaptive systems, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy.
Keynote: Harnessing Intelligent Systems for Resilient Distributed Energy Integration: Observability for Renewable Curtailment
Abstract: The energy transition is shifting power generation from a few large, controllable plants to many variable and distributed resources. Grids were not designed for this shift. When solar and wind output exceeds what the network can carry or consume, operators curtail it, and clean energy goes to waste. In countries such as Brazil and the United States, curtailment is growing every year and has become a system-wide resilience challenge. Addressing it is as much an informatics problem as an engineering one: operators must decide under uncertainty, with partial, delayed, and imperfect data about a system that never stops changing. This talk discusses how observability, artificial intelligence and digital twins can help grids anticipate surplus, test decisions before acting, and integrate renewables more resiliently.
Edgar Gutierrez
Edgar Gutiérrez-Franco, PhD, is a scholar and practitioner working at the intersection of Operations Research, Artificial Intelligence, and Supply Chain Management. He is an Associate Lecturer in Operations Research at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Previously, he directed the Center for Applied Analytics and Technology at Universidad Externado de Colombia, where he led applied research initiatives and graduate programs in digital transformation, business analytics, and information technology.Edgar holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Management Systems from UCF (Fulbright Scholar), an M.S. in Industrial Engineering with an emphasis in Operations Research and Statistics from Universidad de Los Andes, and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering.
Keynote: From Data to Decisions: Interoperability, AI, and Operations Research in Digital Supply Chains
Abstract: Digital supply chains generate more data than ever, but data alone does not improve performance; decisions do. This talk explains what a digital supply chain is, what it is for, and why it is best understood not as a technology but as an architecture of decisions built on three pillars. Interoperability is the foundation: ERPs, warehouse and transportation platforms, and supply chain partners must share reliable information through common standards and integrated architectures. On top of it, AI and Operations Research act as the decision engine: machine learning to sense and predict, optimization to decide under real constraints, and generative AI to make these models usable for planners, while simulation and digital twins test decisions before they reach operations. Value emerges only when this engine is embedded in planning processes such as S&OP and control towers, with clear human ownership of decisions. Drawing on real cases from multinational companies and on applied research, the talk presents practical integration patterns, common pitfalls, and where this convergence is heading.
Ahmed Mohamed
Ahmed Mohamed, Ph.D., is currently the Director of Solutions Engineering at Orlando Health, USA, with 25-plus years of technical and management experience in Information Technology and Healthcare. Additionally, he has been involved in teaching graduate courses at Webster University at the Orlando Campus as an adjunct instructor. He received his Ph.D. and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems (IEMS). He also earned an MS degree from City College of New York in 1994 and his BS degree from Alexandria University, Egypt, in 1990, all in Electrical Engineering. Dr. Mohamed holds several certifications, including PMP, CLSSBB, CSM, ITIL V3, and a Graduate Certificate for Quality Assurance. His focus in research is on emerging technologies and data analytics.
Keynote: Toward Intelligent Information Systems in the AI Era: Propel, Process, and Technology
Abstract: IT management has traditionally relied on established frameworks and methodologies such as COBIT, ITIL, Lean Management, and Six Sigma to drive governance, operational excellence, and continuous improvement. Today, the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the role of Information Technology (IT) from a service-oriented function into a strategic catalyst for organizational innovation, transformation, and value creation. This presentation explores how IT organizations can successfully adopt and scale AI initiatives using a balanced People, Process, and Technology framework. While AI offers significant opportunities to improve efficiency, decision-making, and business outcomes, successful adoption requires far more than implementing new technologies. Organizations must also address changes in governance, operating models, processes, leadership approaches, workforce capabilities, and organizational culture. Attendees will gain practical insights into building a sustainable AI strategy that aligns people, processes, and technology to maximize business value while minimizing risk, ensuring AI becomes an integrated and transformative component of the modern IT organization.
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