ICICLE: Food Supply Networks and AI – A Four Part Webinar Series * WEBINAR IV *
Direct Link: https://cias.wisc.edu/news/food-supply-networks-and-ai-a-four-webinar-series/
Webinar 4: “AI tools for democratizing food networks – national, regional and local”, with Dr. Song Gao, UW-Geography and Geospatial Science Lab; Dr. Alfonso Morales, UW-Planning and Landscape Architecture, and Michelle Miller, UW-CALS Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
- Thursday, May 21 2026
- 10AM-11:30AM Central Time
- Zoom link: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/meeting/register/jeGQtkFZRke5c1mCD5zZdA
Abstract: As the University of Wisconsin team at the National Science Foundation’s ICICLE AI Institute based in The Ohio State University, Gao, Morales and Miller work together to explore AI tools to characterize the food environment at the national, regional and local scales. In this talk, each will give a short introduction to their work at scale and the AI tools developed and used. Gao’s lab has explored food flow modeling with public data sets to uncover patterns in food movements. Miller works on regionalizing food movements with Wisconsin cooperatives and Tribal nations. Morales is building an information environment to better support local food markets. Together, these projects start to create a picture of our food networks at multiple scales and have resulted in the development of opensource AI tools that anyone can use to manage data more effectively. .
Bios: Song Gao, Associate Professor in Geography, uses spatial statistics and machine learning to increase understanding of human mobility patterns and human-place interactions. He develops and applies geospatial data science methods for better sensing of human behavior, socioeconomic characteristics, and urban dynamics. Many domains such as business intelligence, transportation, urban planning, public health, and environmental studies rely on spatial analysis and geographic information systems (GIS). Song is passionate about solving real-world challenges by connecting theoretical data science research to advancements in the GIS industry. Song especially values his collaborations with other scientists, scholars, and students on multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary projects, and learning from each other.
Alfonso Morales, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture. He is interested in applying science to support society and to help produce social goods. For instance, his new software, FEAST (food equity access simulation technology), enables local government and nonprofit organizations to understand the consequences of changes in food access on populations and simulate responses. His six books and 100+ other publications cover social science theory and methods, organizations, various aspects of food systems, public marketplaces, and street vendors. He co-created the farm2facts.org toolkit for farmers market managers, used around the U.S.
Michelle Miller, researcher at CALS Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, is a practicing economic anthropologist engaged in participatory action research on food systems. Michelle has worked for state government and several national and international environmental organizations. She has worked with fruit growers to assist them in their efforts to reduce pesticide risk, build regional markets and establish living infrastructure to reduce soil erosion. Current projects focus on agriculture of the middle and regional food economies, food distribution and supply networks, Smart Foodsheds, resiliency and climate change.