Ozgur Yilmazel

Prof. Dr. Özgür Yılmazel is Co-Director of Data Core and a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Data Science (CDS) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he leads research and industry collaborations in machine learning, natural language processing, information retrieval, and generative AI.

Yilmazel has over twenty-five years of experience spanning academia and industry. Before joining UMass Amherst, he was a professor at Anadolu University, where he taught courses in big data analytics, information management, and cybersecurity, advised graduate students, and led AI and data science research initiatives. He also served as Director of the Computer Applications and Research Center, overseeing large-scale digital transformation projects.

In addition to his academic roles, Yilmazel co-founded Dilisim Ltd., a pioneering big data and AI company in Turkey. As CEO, he established strategic partnerships, led the development of large-scale AI and analytics solutions, and grew the company into a leading provider of big data technologies. He was also a founding contributor to Apache Mahout, an open-source machine learning framework.

Yilmazel holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University, where he conducted research in natural language processing and information extraction. His current work focuses on retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), enterprise AI, scalable AI systems, and AI-driven decision support. As Co-Director of Data Core, he leads efforts to bridge academic research with real-world AI applications, working closely with industry partners to develop innovative, high-impact AI solutions. He also consults for technology and financial firms on AI deployment in regulated environments.