Published: August 10, 2024
This episode of the podcast was recorded live in Phoenix at the 2023 INFORMS Annual Meeting. Keynote speaker Dr. Les Servi shared special insight on his talk, ‘Operations Research and National Security,’ which provided an informative, and dare I say fun, first-hand look at the role of O.R. in National Security! Les is the Chief Scientist Cyber Operations Research at The MITRE Corporation and the immediate Past President of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS), as well as an INFORMS Fellow.
This video has been created with the approval and consent of The MITRE Corporation. The views and opinions expressed in the video are those of the individual featured and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MITRE.
Machine learning, though advanced in might, is not the answer to very fight. Operations research it’s not a foe, but a valuable tool you should know. The problems that require explainable solutions cannot always be solved by deep learning evolution. O.R. has its place, a potential fit, with methods like linear programming it’s legit. It’s sad to see ML being misused for problems that O.R. should be infused. The result is subpar, not what we aim, the true power of O.R. is not to blame. So let us choose our methods with care and ensure that the right tool is there. For each challenge both have unique demands, and both machine learning and O.R. should be hand in hand.
Interviewed this episode:
Les Servi
The MITRE Corporation
Les Servi is the Chief Scientist for Cyber Operations Research at The MITRE Corporation and the Immediate Past President of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS). In 2020 he led the optimization modeling effort for the Joint Acquisition Task Force established by USD(A&S) for a multi-tier Covid-19 medical supply chain. He previously served on a Defense Science Board task force on Counterinsurgency and another on Constrained Military Operations both briefed out to the USD(I). He received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper in 2017. The projects he leads currently support multiple parts of the government.
Previously he received his PhD from Harvard University, worked at Bell Laboratories and GTE (now Verizon) Laboratories pursuing telecommunication research, served 1 year as a visiting scientist at Harvard University and MIT, and worked at MIT Lincoln Lab.
He is an INFORM Fellow, former chair of the INFORMS Social Media Analysis, Telecommunication, and Applied Probability, and Boston subdivision and Board member of INFORMS for six years and MORS for four years. He is a former assistant editor of Operations Research, Management Science, and INFORMS Journal on Computing. He is currently a member of the WPI Data Science Executive Advisory Board and Board member and mentor for the Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School.
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O.R. & National Security: From Pearl Harbor to European football to slicing salami, YouTube