Joel Sokol

Biographical Profile

Associate Professor, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

Education

Ph.D. Operations Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1999; B.S. Applied Sciences in Engineering, and B.A. Computer Science and Mathematics, Rutgers University, 1994

Professional Experience

Georgia Institute of Technology, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Associate Professor 2007-present; Assistant Professor, 1999-2007); Consultant in areas from logistics and transportation to professional sports;

Advisory Board member for Competitive Sports Analysis

Professional Honors and Awards

Research: EURO Management Science Strategic Innovation Prize (2007)

Teaching: IIE/CIEADH Innovation in Curriculum Award (2012), NAE FOEE Symposium (2011), IIE Excellence in the Teaching of Operations Research Award (2010); average of more than one institution-wide teaching award per year, including Georgia Tech’s highest awards for innovative use of technology in education (2010), for teaching (2008), and for impact on students (2005).

INFORMS/ORSA/TIMS Activities

Vice President of Education (2011-present); Chair, Student Affairs Committee (2005-2010; member 2003-2010); Subdivision Council (2008-2009); Chair, SpORts Subdivision (2008-2010; also Vice-Chair for Programs, 2004-2008); Public Information Committee (2009); Student Chapter Subcommittee (1999-2002); Invited Sessions Chair, INFORMS General Meeting (2003); INFORMS member since 1998.

Publications

Over 20 peer-reviewed publications in applied operations research and the teaching of operations research (published inOperations Research,Transportation Science,Naval Research Logistics, etc.); invited research-related columns/partial columns inNew York TimesandWashington Post; research-related personal appearances on CNN and ESPN; research cited in numerous other major popular outlets.

Other Professional Activities

Associate Editor,INFORMS Transactions on Education(2007-present); Editor,OR/MS TodayIssues in Education (2003-2007); Associate Editor for special issue ofINFORMS Journal on Computing; Editorial Board for special issue ofINFORMS Transactions on Education.

Position Statement

Education is not just standing up in front of a classroom; it is a strategic opportunity and challenge for any professional society, even more so for one whose degree programs are primarily at the graduate level.  Today’s OR/MS education will determine the health of tomorrows INFORMS.  Our pipeline is critical to our future membership; the more students we attract to our discipline now, the more active, and enthusiastic INFORMS members there will be in the future.  This is also a financial issue; each student who becomes a career INFORMS member helps ensure the long-term financial stability of our society.

In my current service as INFORMS Vice President of Education, I have focused on pipeline development, from the K-12 level on up.  Collectively, we as INFORMS members have the opportunity to make the next generation of OR/MS professionals more numerous than our own, and INFORMS’ push in Analytics gives us another avenue to expand our pipeline.  If re-elected, I will continue to make it a priority to bring OR/MS education to as broad a base as we can.