Minority Issues Forum Student Poster Competition

2025 First Place

Winning material: Dynamic Transmission Line Switching Amidst Wildfire-Prone Weather Under Decision-Dependent Uncertainty

Purpose of the Award

The purpose of the MIF student poster competition is to highlight and promote the research of underrepresented students, student advisors and members of MIF.  While the MIF poster session has been in place since 2004, the poster competition began in 2012. 

The competition takes place during the MIF reception at INFORMS.  Final judging takes place live by a panel of distinguished “celebrity judges”.  The first place winner and finalists are announced at the end of the reception.  The first place winner receives a monetary award. 

Furthermore, since 2004 MIF has sponsored the travel of underrepresented minority doctoral students close to finishing who participate in the poster session.

Application Process


Past Awardees

2025
First Place
Juan-Alberto Estrada-García, University of Michigan
Honorable Mention
Pedro Chumpitaz-Flores, University of South Florida
2024
Winner(s)
Himadri Pandey, Georgia Institute of Technology
Honorable Mention
Amaya McNealey, Georgia Institute of Technology
2023
Winner(s)
Maryam Kheirandish, University of Arkansas
Honorable Mention
Chenghuai Li, Duke University
2022
Winner(s)
Meghan Meredith, Georgia Institute of Technology
Honorable Mention
Qinyi Chen, MIT
2021
Winner(s)
Sayed Rezwanul Islam, Texas State University
Honorable Mention
Coralys M. Colón-Morales, University of Florida
2020
Winner(s)
Wesley J. Marrero, Harvard Medical School
Honorable Mention
Nigel Pugh, North Carolina A&T State University
2019
Winner(s)
Benjamin F. Morrow Jr., North Carolina A&T State University
2018
Winner(s)
Destenie Nock, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
Donald Richardson, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
2017
First Place
Gian-Gabriel P. Garcia, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Honorable Mention
Toyya Pujol, Georgia Institute of Technology
Donald Richardson, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Lauren Steimle, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
2016
First Place
2015
Winner(s)
Maya Bam, University of Michigan
Honorable Mention
Shadi Hassani-Goodarzi, North Carolina State University
Wesley J. Marrero, Harvard Medical School
2014
Winner(s)
Weihong Guo, University of Michigan
Honorable Mention
Nisha Nataraj, North Carolina State University
2013
Winner(s)
Selin Merdan, University of Michigan
2012
Winner(s)
Gabriel Zayas-Caban, Cornell University