Back to Awards Index

Rotman School Professor Awarded Grant from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

Toronto, June 14, 2021 – A professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management is the recipient of a US $249,100 grant from The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to study causal and other learning in artificial and human intelligence.

With the grant, Michael Ryall, a professor of strategic management, plans to develop a formal theory of conceptual learning by convening and coordinating experts in fields such as AI, game theory, philosophy, economics, and computer science, including hosting two annual conferences. The potential impact is substantial, from improved economic policy analysis to more data-efficient machine learning systems.

As an economist trained in game theory with a PhD from UCLA, Prof. Ryall’s primary research interest is the formal theoretical foundations of business strategy. This is a small but rapidly growing research area that uses mathematical models to analyze issues relating to firm performance under competition, organizational learning, and social networks. More recently, his interests have extended into philosophy, with a focus on social ontology and business ethics. His research has been published in the Academy of Management Review, Management Science and The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, among others. He has been a member of the faculty of the Rotman School since 2009 and previously held positions at the University of Melbourne and the University of Rochester.

The Rotman School of Management is part of the University of Toronto, a global centre of research and teaching excellence at the heart of Canada’s commercial capital. Rotman is a catalyst for transformative learning, insights and public engagement, bringing together diverse views and initiatives around a defining purpose: to create value for business and society. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca

-30

Ken McGuffin
Manager, Media Relations
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 946-3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca