Episodes

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Franz Edelman Award

Healthcare

Helping businesses up their O.R. and analytics game

Organizations around the world, big and small, in nearly every industry, are implementing operations research and analytics to improve their business operations. But how can an organization tell how well it is using O.R. and analytics? With the INFORMS Analytics Maturity Model! Joining me to help tackle this topic is Norman Reitter, chief analytics officer and senior VP of Analytics Operations at CANA Advisors and chair of the INFORMS Analytics Capability Evaluation Subcommittee. To learn more about the Analytics Capability Evaluation program, contact Norm Reitter at nreitter@canallc.com or Taryn Lewis, INFORMS Director of Education and Industry Programs.

Tags: analytics, analytics capability, Analytics Capability Evaluation Coaching Program, Resoundingly Human

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Online shopping and fast shipping, what happens when things go south?

With online retailers like Amazon delivering nearly everything we could possibly need or want, often within a day or two of ordering it, we’ve become accustomed to and even reliant on the instant gratification that comes from shopping online. But what happens if access to expedited shipping were to suddenly and unexpectedly stop? Well for one online retail platform it did. Alibaba, an international online marketplace with nearly twice as many available products than Amazon, lost access to its shipping service for nearly 48 hours. To provide more insight on what happened, what the fallout was for Alibaba, and what…

Tags: Alibaba, Amazon, FedEx, online retail, online shopping, Ruomeng Cui, SF Express, UPS

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Smart cities and the future of the workforce

Smart cities. At one time, this term would have elicited visions of a Jetsons-type future of flying cars, robot housekeepers and moving sidewalks. And today, while all or our vehicles are still firmly grounded, smart city technology is bringing some once unimaginable concepts to life. It is having an increasing impact our daily lives in ways both big and small, while also helping to tackle some of the biggest issues faced in America’s cities. To take a deeper dive on smart cities, I am joined by Ramayya Krishnan, INFORMS President and the William W. and Ruth F. Cooper professor of Management…

Tags: Carnegie Mellon University, future of the workforce, Ramayya Krishnan, smart cities

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Type II diabetes, why haven’t new treatments resulted in better health?

New research shows that, while there have been significant new advancements in available treatments for type II diabetes, this has not translated to better health for those patients. In fact, the study shows that fewer than one in four Americans with diagnosed type II diabetes have achieved the American Diabetes Association’s recommended care targets … which is no better than 15 years ago. Joining me for this episode is the author of this research, Pooyan Kazemian, instructor in medicine at Harvard University Medical School and a research scientist in the division of general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Tags: Massachusetts General Hospital, Pooyan Kazemian

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Combatting disasters to save lives, save money and solve problem

From hurricanes and earthquakes, to conflict and disease, these disasters, both man-made and natural, can have a devastating impact causing millions, and even billions in damages, while greatly impacting the lives, health and well-being of the affected populations. But how can we prepare for or respond to events that often can’t be predicted, nor their true impact estimated, in order to save lives, save money, and solve the myriad problems that come as a result? The answer: operations research and analytics. Joining me for this episode is Pinar Keskinocak, the 2019 INFORMS President-elect, professor with the Georgia Institute of Technology,…

Tags: diaster preparedness, disaster response, hurricanes, Pinar Keskinocak

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Marijuana’s impact on alcohol and tobacco industries

In this episode, I am joined by Pengyuan Wang, assistant professor in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia, to discuss her new research published in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, which looks at the impact of legalizing marijuana on the alcohol and tobacco industries, with some surprising results, as well as some interesting insight into which demographics are most interested. Spoiler alert, kids keep an eye on your parents!

Tags: alcohol, tobacco

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Celebrating our first year of podcasts!

Exactly one year ago this month, INFORMS launched its very first episode of Resoundingly Human. I invited one of my very first guests to join me for this episode, Jeff Cohen, INFORMS Director of Marketing and Public Affairs, to take a look back over the last year. Jeff, however, had some ideas of his own and turned the tables on me, and the interviewer became the interviewee!

Tags: anniversary podcast

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Predicting seizures, protecting patients

Some of the most impactful applications of O.R. and analytics are those in the medical field, improving patient outcomes and saving lives. Joining me for this episode are Cynthia Rudin, professor of computer science, electrical and computer engineering and statistical science at Duke University’s Prediction Analysis Lab and Dr. Aaron Struck, a neurologist with the Department of Neurology at the University of Wisconsin. They were members of a multi-university research team whose work on predicting damaging seizures in brain injury patients was recognized with the 2019 Innovative Applications in Analytics Award, presented earlier this year at the INFORMS Business Analytics Conference.

Tags: brain injury, Cynthia Rudin, Dr. Aaron Struck, Duke University, machine learning, seizures, University of Wisconsin

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Algorithms, evil or just misunderstood?

While algorithms play an increasingly integral role in our day-to-day lives, there still seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding and even mistrust regarding what algorithms are and what they do. To help dispel some of the mystery, joining me is Gah-Yi Ban, assistant professor of management science and operations at London Business School. Her research interests include big data analytics; in particular, algorithmic decision making involving complex, often highly uncertain data. Her recent TEDx Talk, “The power and perils of algorithms,” delves into the fundamental truths of algorithms to help everyone, even those who are not algorithmic experts,…

Tags: algorithms, analytics, Gah-Yi Ban, London Business School

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The Daily Impact of AI

Artificial Intelligence and Automation. For some, these garner images of a future filled with exciting advances that will impact important industries and services, such as transportation, healthcare, national security and more. For others, it raises concerns across a spectrum that can stretch from a fear of employment opportunities lost to machines to militant robots taking over the world. Joining me is Ramayya Krishnan, INFORMS 2019 President and the William W. and Ruth F. Cooper professor of management science and information systems and dean of the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, to shed some light on…

Tags: artificial intelligence, automation, Carnegie Mellon University, Ramayya Krishnan

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