INFORMS News: Annual meeting highlights

Charlotte, the “Queen City of the South,” will host the 2011 INFORMS Annual Meeting Nov. 13-16. — Photo courtesy of Visit Charlotte.

By Cem Saydam

Join us in Charlotte, the Queen City of the South, for the 2011 INFORMS Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-16. Sessions will be held in the downtown Charlotte Convention Center and nearby Westin and Hilton hotels. Enjoy the numerous restaurants, museums and attractions within walking distance.

Tours and excursions include:

• Duke Energy Building, boasting a green roof and efficient energy usage;
• Siemens Charlotte Turbine-Generator Center, with state-of-the-art new-unit generator manufacturing;
• Carolina Raptor Center and Latta Plantation Nature Preserve for nature and history buffs; and
• Charlotte city and museums tour.

Take advantage of numerous networking opportunities, including the INFORMS Membership Meeting on Saturday, the Welcome Reception on Sunday and the General Reception on Tuesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, where you will have a chance to test your racing and pit crew skills.
Plenary and keynote speakers will be:

• Salah Elmaghraby, professor of operations research and industrial engineering, NCSU;
• James Rogers, president and CEO, Duke Energy;
• Keith Collins, senior vice president and chief technology officer, SAS;
• OMEGA RHO Distinguished Lecture – Barry Nelson, professor and chair, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, Northwestern University;
• Susan DeVore, president and CEO, Premier Healthcare Alliance;
• Edelman Award Winner 2011 – Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator;
• IFORS Distinguished Lecture – Yves Crama, professor of operations research and production management, University of Liège, HEC Management School; and
• 2011 Daniel H. Wagner Prize Winner.

Our great thanks goes to our sponsors: GAMS Development Corp.; IBM: ILOG Optimization; AIMMS (Paragon Decision Technology); Belk College of Business, UNC Charlotte; McGraw-Hill Professional; Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, North Carolina State University; and The University of Texas at Dallas.

For the most up-to-date meeting information, go to http://meetings2.informs.org/charlotte2011/.

On behalf of the organizing committee, we all look forward to seeing you in November.

Cem Saydam (saydam@uncc.edu) is the general chair of the 2011 INFORMS Annual Meeting.