Non-Profit, Government, and Policy

Wharton Researchers Build Algorithm to Help Fight Sex Trafficking

Two people are seated at a table in an office setting, smiling. A banner in the background says "Wharton." Potted plants are visible.

A pair of Wharton researchers are using machine learning to shine a light on sex trafficking, one of the darkest and most difficult crimes that claims millions of victims a year worldwide. Pia Ramchandani, doctoral candidate in the Department of Operations, Information and Decisions, and her professor, Hamsa Bastani, are developing algorithms to help law enforcement crack the code on covert networks that recruit victims through deceptive online ads.…Read More

Penn Students Make Impact with Historic Philadelphia Non-Profit

Kimmel Data Project Team

As part of the spring 2022 Analytics Accelerator, a team of Wharton and Penn Engineering students spent six weeks helping the newly merged Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. to identify opportunities to strengthen audience growth and attendance frequency by exploring their combined data.…Read More

Research Spotlight: Prof. Hamsa Bastani on Using Machine Learning To Combat Human Trafficking

Hamsa Bastani headshot

Hamsa Bastani, assistant professor of operations, information, and decisions at Wharton, discusses key findings from her research on how deep web data and machine learning can help law enforcement agencies investigate and intervene in human trafficking.…Read More