News Room

A collection of press releases, audio content and media clips featuring INFORMS members and their research.

Unmasking Human Trafficking: New AI Research Reveals Hidden Recruitment Networks
News Release

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.

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Why Congress May Push Back on State AI Regulations
Media Coverage

House Republicans proposed a 10-year pause on state rules for artificial intelligence. What that could mean for consumer protections.

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Has flying become more dangerous? We speak to a Professor of statistics and a Director of aerospace engineering
Media Coverage

From the Jeju Airline tragedy to the Washington DC plane and helicopter collision, it makes you wonder whether flight safety standards have dropped.

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Resoundingly Human Podcast

An audio journey of how data and analytics save lives, save money and solve problems.

Media Contact

Jeff Cohen
Chief Strategy Officer
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3565

INFORMS in the News

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INFORMS Koopman Prize presented to Penn State graduate students

Penn State News, November 30, 2016

Three Penn State industrial engineering graduate students, along with a recent industrial engineering alumnus, were named awardees of the prestigious Koopman Prize by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The prize, named after Bernard Koopman, a founding father of military operations research, is awarded annually to recognize outstanding publications in military operations research.

Do Facebook's privacy controls impact user behavior?

UT Dallas News Center, November 30, 2016

Despite the widespread popularity of online social network platforms, privacy remains a troublesome issue. A new study from the Naveen Jindal School of Management. The researchers used data obtained from Facebook to test the relationship between privacy controls and disclosure patterns of Facebook users based on two popular content-sharing activities: wall posts and private messages. assesses the impact of Facebook’s granular privacy controls and its effects on user disclosure behavior.

3 things you need to know before you start your holiday shopping this year

Footwear News, November 16, 2016

Following a lackluster 2015 holiday shopping season, a recent study in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science provides three tips for holiday shoppers this year: there should be limited instances when they will have to pay for shipping; savings will be spread out throughout the season, not just on Black Friday and Cyber Monday; and outlets are an increasingly viable option to find quality merchandise.

How the Chicago Marathon will keep track of 1.7 million people

Newsweek, October 14, 2016

Northwestern University engineering professor and INFORMS member Karen Smilowitz and her team of students will utilize a race-simulation program to produce a real-time model of the race by combining data from previous Chicago marathons with periodic updates from the checkpoints. The system analyzes the information and can predict, for example, where runners will be if the temperature rises dramatically. With this information, personnel can foresee how many runners might seek help at certain aid tents along the course and then transfer volunteers to be where they are needed. 

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INFORMS Magazines

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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Analytics magazine showcases articles and research reports based on big data, AI, machine learning, data analytics and other new-age technologies.

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