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Help wanted: The reasons behind the current labor shortage

During the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 9.6 million U.S. workers between the ages of 16 and 64 lost their jobs. But in the past several months as the majority of the country has opened back up, we’ve seen more and more darkened windows and closed signs replaced by help wanted notices. What’s been surprising however is the number of these help wanted signs we see remain in place, followed by reports of a labor shortage here in the U.S. So what happened? Have individuals taken the opportunity to transition to new positions or different fields? Are employees able to leverage the…

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From second waves to new variants: The progression of the COVID-19 pandemic

Just over a year ago, I was joined by Julie Swann with North Carolina State University to discuss what, at that time, were fears of a second wave of the coronavirus, and to reflect on how the virus had changed nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives, seemingly overnight. Now nearly a year later, I am so pleased to welcome Julie back to review what has occurred since we last spoke and to discuss, almost incredulously, growing concern over not just another wave of the virus, but a new variant of the virus, the delta variant, and its impact on…

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Loyalty programs reward customers and businesses alike

If you are anything like me, customer loyalty programs can heavily influence your purchasing habits. I may not even be planning to shop until I realize I have reward points to burn, or special members-only savings, and suddenly my virtual shopping cart is full (while my wallet is a little lighter). Joining me to share some very intriguing insight into how these kinds of programs work and what the actual benefit is to the businesses that utilize them is Arun Gopalakrishnan with Rice University. His study, “Can Non-tiered Customer Loyalty Programs Be Profitable,” was recently published in the INFORMS journal Marketing…

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Leveraging analytics to support voter turnout in Black communities

As we discussed in last week’s episode, “Using data to address risks in election security,” featuring Josh Dehlinger with Towson University, while the 2020 elections are months behind us, the topic of election security is still making national headlines with new legislation being introduced by a number of states that could impact future elections and raises concern about voter suppression. In fact, at the time of this recording, at least 30 laws have been enacted in 18 states that could potentially impact voter access.  In this episode we’ll highlight some additional ways that INFORMS members are leveraging O.R. and analytics…

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Using data to address risks in election security

Even with the 2020 presidential election now months behind us, the topic of election security is still making headlines with numerous states introducing new legislation. While some are aimed at increasing accessibility, others would enact more restrictions, but overall these are all again raising questions about voter security and ballot integrity. And as we look back at the 2020 elections, and ahead to the upcoming municipal and midterm elections, how can voter security be better ensured in a way that doesn’t lead to voter suppression?

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Making workplaces more inclusive for all

More than 61 million adults in the United States are living with a disability. To put that into perspective, that translates to 1 in 4 adults are pursuing their personal and professional goals and dreams, all while managing the unique challenges a disability. And while legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), prohibits discrimination to ensure they have the same employment opportunities as everyone else, the unemployment rate for Americans with disabilities is still nearly 18%. As we strive to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in all settings and situations, there remain opportunities to identify and improve policies…

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Who’s flying the plane? The future of air travel and transportation

Picture it, you look up to the sky at an airspace populated by both manned and unmanned aircraft of all shapes and sizes, delivering goods and people across the country, from the largest cities to the most rural locations. Sounds like the backdrop to a great sci fi movie set far in the future right? Well, not exactly. Earlier this year, NASA outlined an Advanced Air Mobility or (AAM) mission to support the safe development of air transportation systems within emerging aviation markets (such as automated aircraft) to navigate existing airspace as well as provide extended reach and service to…

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From analytics to the Eagles: A journey to the NFL

While analytics has played a role in professional sports for years, one area seeing increasing adoption and expanding application is within the NFL and its professional football teams. Joining me for this episode to provide a play-by-play on the growing role of analytics in football, as well as his own journey (with some interesting twists and turns) to working with the NFL is Zachary Steever, a recent graduate of the University of Buffalo. We’ll be discussing his exciting journey through earning his Ph.D. in operations research to a new adventure with the Philadelphia Eagles which will officially kick off with…

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Addressing challenges and embracing new opportunities

At the start of the year, I held my first interview with the 2021 INFORMS president Stephen Graves where we discussed his goals and objectives for the year ahead, as well as got to know our new president a little better! Now almost six months into the year and his role as president, I am once again pleased to welcome Stephen Graves to join me on this episode, to discuss progress and milestones so far and what the rest of the year holds for INFORMS and its members!

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Providing new insight on rideshares and sexual assault rates

On-demand ridesha­res like Uber and Lyft are now as commonplace an option for getting where we need to go as cabs, buses and trains, and arguably more accessible. However, as rideshares have increased in popularity, so to have concerns over passenger safety, as we’ve seen extensive media coverage over the past several years of driver sexual misconduct and assault, as well as criticism of these top rideshare companies for failing to conduct adequate background checks and other safety protocols. And while recently, Uber and Lyft have taken steps to better ensure rider safety, to include partnering to create a shared…

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