
Academic research award: smart ideas with real-world impact
Winners not only throw fresh light on social problems — they also push hard to solve them
BALTIMORE, MD, May 24, 2025 – Most anti-human trafficking efforts focus on breaking up sex sales; however, new research in the INFORMS journal Manufacturing & Service Operations Management is turning its attention to where trafficking truly begins – recruitment. Using machine learning to analyze millions of online ads, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have uncovered patterns that link deceptive job offers to sex trafficking networks. By mapping the connections between recruitment and sales locations, the study reveals a hidden supply chain – one that can now be exposed and interrupted earlier in the trafficking process.
Drugs being explicitly developed to treat rare diseases are getting more expensive.
Old technology is behind the recent ongoing delays and cancellations at Newark Liberty International Airport, but newer technology will be an important part of the solution.
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Winners not only throw fresh light on social problems — they also push hard to solve them
RALEIGH, N.C. — Let’s start with some good news - in many stores around the Triangle, you'll be able to find staples such as milk, eggs and bread.
The Voting Rights Act is a key piece of legislation meant to ensure that underrepresented groups gain representation in Congress. In 2015, there were 122 majority-minority congressional districts, ensuring that minorities have a voice in our political process. However, partisan redistricting commissions can use the creation of majority-minority districts to facilitate gerrymandering. As such, what is gained by the act in minority representation may also lead to a weakening of democracy for all. Moreover, both parties are guilty of such exploitation for seats in the House of Representatives.
When disaster strikes, sometimes, innovation follows. At Titcomb’s Bookshop in East Sandwich, it all started with the PPP loan. The store, attached to the Titcomb family’s 17th-century home, had been operating on the Cape for five decades when the pandemic swept in.
Anyone who's had a COVID-19 scare over the last few weeks has likely experienced how challenging it can be to find an at-home test.
OR/MS Today is the INFORMS member magazine that shares the latest research and best practices in operations research, analytics and the management sciences.
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