2020 Franz Edelman Award finalist Carnival Corporation & plc.

This podcast is part of a series highlighting the finalist teams of the 2020 INFORMS Franz Edelman Award. We will be releasing these episodes in the countdown to the Franz Edelman Award competition on September 29. Joining me for this episode are John Harvey Director of Revenue Science for Holland America Line, and Kristina Kaylen, Director of Group Revenue Performance at Carnival Corporation to discuss the finalist entry from Carnival Corporation & PLC for the 2020 Franz Edelman Award.

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TSA is intercepting thousands more firearms, but that’s good news!

According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in 2019, 4,432 firearms were found in carry-on luggage at airport security checkpoints. Dating back to 2014, that number jumps to more than 20,000 firearms and new research strongly suggests that number could actually have been even higher, as even more firearms may not have been detected.  For this episode I am joined by Sheldon Jacobson from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, whose research in the INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics, “Using Risk-based Security to Quantify the Number of Firearms Missed at Airport Security Checkpoints,” looks not only at the increased number of firearms…

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How much do your peers’ diets impact your weight loss? More than you think!

After months of living, working, teaching, learning, and perhaps most importantly for the purposes of this podcast, eating from home, many of us might admit we’ve seen what has become known as the “Quarantine 15” sneak up on us, to some extent. As the summer and “bikini season” stretch on, for those who may be looking to shed a couple of pounds, you are not alone. Each year in the U.S., the weight loss industry generates more than $20 billion from 100 million dieters, with countless options available relating to diet and exercise.    In fact, we are inundated with…

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Hate the middle seat? Flying in the pandemic might mean only windows and aisles

In recent episodes of the podcast we have covered a number of ways that O.R. and analytics have helped address the myriad challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they are helping us map out a return to normal, or in most cases a new normal. With social distancing remaining a key priority, there are so many aspects of our day-to-day lives that will be different for the foreseeable future. And in order to find a way to return to many of these activities, like going to school, getting back to a traditional office environment, and in the…

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Navigating the COVID-19 landscape with the 2020 INFORMS President

When I last spoke with 2020 INFORMS President Pinar Keskinocak, it was the beginning of the year, and the worldwide impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had not yet been realized. It has only been a few months since then, but it feels like a lifetime. And we are only halfway through the year! Needless to say, 2020 has thrown some unexpected challenges to all of us, in how we live and work. I am once again joined by Pinar to discuss the year so far and the role that O.R. and analytics has played in helping the world address many…

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Bias and social media: What’s the impact on your screen time?

I think many of us will admit that, in our current environment of social distancing, we are spending even more time online, in particular on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and more. These sites, and the content we see, whether a shared article, comment, ad, or post from a friend or relative, are often controlled by an algorithm which, though based on our preferences and past behavior, can also be subject to bias. This takes on a more significant importance when you consider the impact this content, and how we interact with it, can have on our thoughts,…

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Mapping a return to live sports and concert attendance

In previous episodes of the podcast we’ve explored how O.R. can help create that bridge between our current COVID-19-reality of social distancing and sheltering at home and  being able to return to normal activities, such as reporting back to work, going to school, and in the case of this episode, attending large public gatherings like concerts and sporting events. Joining me is Irv Lustig with Princeton Consultants, who has created an advanced analytics approach to reopening stadiums and arenas that would allow us to attend our favorite events while maintaining safe social distancing.

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Irv Lustig

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Should your university reopen in the fall? Let mathematical modeling guide the way

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring saw universities across the country close their campuses and teachers rapidly transition their curriculums to a virtual classroom setting. Now, after months of social distancing and online learning, these same institutions are looking ahead to the fall semester. Simultaneously however, as states are beginning the process of reopening, many at different rates, we are also seeing a spike in infection rates. So in the face of this, can universities safely reopen their campuses? The answer may truly surprise you. Joining me to discuss how his university is approaching the upcoming fall…

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Special Edition of Resoundingly Human Featuring Congressman Jerry McNerney, PhD, Co-Chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus

In this episode, a first for the Resoundingly Human podcast, I am joined by Congressman Jerry McNerney, a Member of Congress representing California’s 9th congressional district and co-chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus. Congressman McNerney, who holds the distinction as the only member of Congress with a PhD degree, is a member of two congressional committees that impact the technology, science, and analytics policy space – the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee.

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Approaching COVID-19 reopening as an O.R. problem

As the country begins to reopen, we are seeing restrictions put in place to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to loosen. I think many of us are battling conflicting emotions: excitement at the idea of a return to something closer to normal as well as uncertainty and anxiety, with each state reopening at a different rates and even inconsistencies in requirements regarding the use of face masks. And with some states seeing new spikes in infection rates, it begs the question, in a desire to return to normal are we moving too quickly, or perhaps simply going…

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