In Memoriam: Sriram Somanchi

Satya VenKata Ravi Sriram Somanchi, associate professor of IT, Analytics, and Operations (ITAO) at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business, passed away unexpectedly on May 31 at the age of 39.

Somanchi was a widely respected teacher and scholar whose research focused on large-scale data and machine learning, primarily in health care. His research broke new ground in the academic landscape by drawing on social science and statistical machine learning to develop and deploy methods that bridge these related but distinct disciplines. “Sriram was a wonderful person and adored by all who knew him,” said Ken Kelley, senior associate dean of faculty and research at Mendoza College of Business. “He was a skilled teacher and brilliant scholar who helped put the IT, Analytics, and Operations Department on the map as a methodology-rigorous and forward-looking department. His loss leaves a void to the College and the field.” Somanchi’s research was published in top academic journals, including the Journal of Machine Learning Research, Management Information Systems Quarterly, Production and Operations Management and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open, as well as leading conferences. He earned his doctoral degree in information systems and management from Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He is a graduate of the Machine Learning Department at CMU and earned a master’s degree in computer science from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. His many research and teaching awards include the Health IT and Analytics in Action award for the most impactful case study, the Academy of Management’s “Best Accepted Paper,” the Conference on Health IT and Analytics’ Young Researcher Award, and the Zac Plantz Memorial Award for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence. “Sriram was an amazing person and respected scholar. He always had a smile on his face and kind words to say,” said Katie Wowak, Robert and Sara Lumpkins Associate Professor of Business Analytics at Mendoza College of Business. “He will be deeply missed by the ITAO family.” A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. to noon EDT, June 6, at the Palmer Funeral Home - Welsheimer North, 17033 Cleveland Road, South Bend, Indiana.