Sandra D. Ekşioğlu

Title

  • Hefley Professor in Logistics and Entrepreneurship, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Arkansas

Education

  • Ph.D., Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Florida
  • M.S., Economics and Management Sciences, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Greece
  • B.S., Business Administration, University of Tirana, Albania

Professional Experience

  • Associate Dean for Research, College of Engineering, University of Arkansas, 2023–2025
  • Hefley Professor in Logistics and Entrepreneurship, 2019–present
  • Professor, 2019–present, Assoc. (2012–2019), Asst. (2006–2012)

Selected INFORMS and Related Activities - Member 1997–2024; Senior Member 2024–present

Leadership Roles:

Chair/Vice-Chair, Railway Applications Section (RAS), 2013–2015

President/President-Elect/Secretary-Treasurer, Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment (ENRE) Section, 2018–2024

SIG Chair/Vice Chair, Freight Transportation and Logistics, Transportation Science and Logistics (TSL) Society, 2017–2021

Senior VP/VP of Communications, Women in OR/MS (WORMS), 2010–2011

VP of Mississippi Region/Secretary, Deep South Regional Chapter, 2009–2014

Meetings and Conferences Organized:

Chair, TSL Conference, 2023

Chair, Combined Colloquia, INFORMS Annual Meeting, 2019, 2020

Chair, Doctoral Student Colloquium, INFORMS Annual Meeting, 2017, 2018

Co-Chair, MAS/INFORMS Southern Regional Conference, 2010

Organizer of clusters/sessions/panels across INFORMS Annual Meetings

Service to INFORMS Community:

Committee Member, George Nicholson Student Paper Competition, 2017–2018

Chair, Problem Competition Committee, RAS, 2013

Chair/Member, TSL Dissertation Price Committee, 2017–2019

Related Professional Leadership:

President/Past President/President-Elect, Operations Research Division, IISE, 2015–2018

President/Past President/President-Elect, Energy Systems Division, IISE, 2020–2023

Chair/Past Chair, Women in Engineering Division (WIED), ASEE, 2018–2022

Program Chair, ASEE WIED, 2014–2018

Editorial Service:

Associate Editor: IISE Transactions, 2025–present; Journal of Energy Systems, 2013-present; Omega, 2014 - 2018; Optimization Letters, 2018–present

Executive Editor, Journal of Cleaner Production, 2024–present

Selected Professional Honors and Awards

  • IISE Fellow, 2022
  • Best Application Paper Awards, IISE Transactions, 2018, 2019
  • ASEE-SE Mid-Career Teaching Award, 2015
  • INFORMS Moving Spirit Award for Chapters, 2010

Selected Publications

Candidate Statement

INFORMS meetings have played an important role in my professional life. I have always benefited from the breadth and quality of their programs. INFORMS meetings provide opportunities to disseminate and learn about emerging research areas. They support mentoring, professional development, and community building, which are very important for graduate students and early-career researchers. These experiences have shaped both my research and service activities. I am excited about the opportunity to represent our community in the role of Vice President of Meetings and to contribute to advancing the INFORMS’s strategic goals of excellence, inclusivity, impact, and member engagement.

My vision for this position is to maintain the high intellectual quality of INFORMS conferences while enhancing interdisciplinary collaboration across sections through shared sessions and integrated programs, including more intentional cross-cluster initiatives around emerging research areas. As the field continues to evolve, meetings should also help strengthen connections between academia, industry, and government. I will support structured professional development activities, such as tutorials, workshops, mentoring programs, and practitioner-focused sessions, that strengthen the value proposition for members across diverse career paths, with particular attention to early-career practitioners. I would also like to strengthen practitioner engagement through applied workshops, practitioner panels, mentoring activities, and opportunities for interaction between academia and industry.

I will support the development of regional conferences to broaden participation and create more accessible opportunities for engagement, networking, and professional development. Because these meetings are smaller in size, they can foster stronger interactions among participants and create valuable opportunities for building professional networks and research collaborations.

A key priority for me is ensuring that INFORMS meetings remain inclusive, accessible, and globally engaged. This includes thoughtful scheduling and balanced representation across career stages, disciplines, sectors, and geographic regions. I will work closely with volunteers and INFORMS staff to ensure effective planning and execution while continuously enhancing the meeting experience through feedback and best practices.

At a time when our profession is navigating changes in research funding, global collaboration, and workforce needs, INFORMS meetings play an especially important role in strengthening our professional community. Through these efforts, I aim to help INFORMS meetings remain vibrant, forward-looking, and responsive to the evolving needs of our members.

For additional information, please visit my University of Arkansas faculty webpage.