Gabriela Gongora-Svartzman

Title

  • Associate Teaching Professor and Director of Computing Programs, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University – Miami Campus

Education

  • Ph.D. in Engineering Management, Stevens Institute of Technology
  • M.S. in Computer Science, Mexican Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM)
  • B.S. in Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering, Universidad Iberoamericana

Professional Experience

  • Director of Computing Programs and Associate Teaching Professor, Khoury College of Computer Sciences, Northeastern University – Miami Campus (2025-present)
  • Assistant Teaching Professor, Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University (2020-2024)
  • Previous: Adjunct positions at Columbia University and Stevens Institute of Technology

Selected INFORMS and Related Activities – Member since 2015

  • INFORMS Education Strategy Committee (2026-present)
  • INFORMS Committee on Teaching and Learning
    • Chair of the INFORMS Committee on Teaching and Learning (2023-Present)
    • INFORMS Committee on Teaching and Learning – Teaching Excellence Networking (CTL-TEN) Workshop Committee (2025)
    • Co-Chair of the Early Career Teacher’s Network Workshop and Mentorship Workshop (2021-2023)
    • Cluster Chair (2023-Present)
  • VP of Meetings for INFORMS Section on Public and Societal Operations Research (PSOR) – (2024-2025)
  • VP of Communications for WORMS (2022-2023)
  • Secretary for Women in WORMS (2020)

Selected Professional Honors and Awards

  • Provost Inclusive Teaching Fellowship, Carnegie Mellon University (2023-2024)
  • Generative AI Teaching as Research Fellows Program, Carnegie Mellon University (2024-2025)

Selected National Service Activities

  • Associate Editor, INFORMS Transactions on Education (2023 – Present)
  • Tapia Conference Scholarship Reviewer and Doctoral Symposium Reviewer (2021-2023)
  • National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT), Aspirations in Computing Scholarship Reviewer (2021-Present)
  • Paper Reviewer, ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) – (2022-Present)

Selected Publications

  • Rethinking Learning with GenAI: Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Educators. ACM Tapia Conference, Dallas, Texas. September 2025.
  • Exploring and Maintaining Teaching Stream Careers in Academia. INFORMS Annual Meeting 2025, Atlanta, GA. October 2025.
  • Evaluating GenAI's Effectiveness for Students with Varied Programming Backgrounds in a Software Development Course. Proceedings of the 56th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education V. 2. 2025.

Candidate Statement

I am deeply honored to be nominated for the position of Vice President of Education on the INFORMS Board of Directors. Education is where INFORMS has some of its most lasting impact, and this role aligns with both my professional experience and personal mission. As a teaching-track faculty member, I am invested in educating and mentoring the next generation of professionals across OR, MS, analytics, and AI.

I bring over a decade of higher education experience and a proven track record in faculty development, experiential learning, and educational leadership. Through my current leadership role, I have gained extensive experience developing educational strategy, supporting faculty growth, building experiential learning opportunities, and leading initiatives at scale. Within INFORMS, I have spent the last four years as Chair of the Committee on Teaching and Learning and the CTL Cluster Chair. One initiative I am especially proud of is the evolution of the ECTN workshop into CTL-TEN. CTL-TEN now welcomes educators across early-, mid-, and senior-level career stages, creating opportunities for mentorship and professional growth. While many professional development initiatives naturally focus on either early-career or senior-level members, mid-career educators are often overlooked. CTL-TEN has helped create a stronger sense of community and support throughout the teaching career lifecycle.

We are currently navigating interesting times that are impacting education. One of those challenges in higher education lies in how advances in AI reshape the way we teach, learn, and practice across our disciplines. These changes are forcing us to rethink what truly matters in the classroom and how we prepare students and professionals for an evolving future. INFORMS is uniquely positioned to lead these conversations responsibly and collaboratively through the analytical and decision-making perspective that defines our community. 

As Vice President of Education, I will focus on strengthening education across five groups: K-12 outreach, undergraduate programs, graduate education, early-career professionals, and mid- and senior-level professionals. My priorities include:

  1. Year-round engagement and committee collaboration. INFORMS already has incredible committees, chapters, workshops, and volunteers doing meaningful work across different educational populations. I will work closely with INFORMS educational committees, chapters, and related initiatives to strengthen collaboration and communication across groups. By improving coordination and visibility, we can better support one another, reduce duplication of efforts, and amplify the impact of successful initiatives across INFORMS. 
  2. Early career training and mentorship. This means ideating how early-career professionals confidently transition from graduate study into academia, government, or industry. Offering mentorship for different stages of their careers is essential. In non-traditional job market years, it is critical to rethink how we support job-seekers (e.g., alternative-pathways conversations) and equip K-12, undergraduate, graduate, and early-career groups with the skills needed to adapt successfully.
  3. Lifelong learning. Fostering continuous engagement through shared teaching resources, curated programming, and practical tools that help members integrate new educational practices into their careers.
  4. Celebrating and elevating educational excellence. Education should be recognized as a premier achievement, and INFORMS already has powerful mechanisms to honor excellence in education. I will ensure these awards are highly visible and widely celebrated across the entire broader membership, not only within educational sub-groups.
  5. Broadening participation. Innovation in education requires diverse perspectives. I am passionate about removing barriers by expanding access to new members (and populations), fostering mentorship networks, and supporting underrepresented students and professionals.  

It would be an honor to serve the INFORMS community as Vice President of Education. I believe education should remain one of the defining pillars of our society, connecting research, practice, mentorship, and lifelong learning. I would be honored to help strengthen that foundation and earn your vote.

For more information, please visit: https://www.khoury.northeastern.edu/people/gabriela-gongora-svartzman/