Resoundingly Human

Few topics generate more debate than elections. But long before voters head to the polls, important decisions have already been made about how communities are grouped into districts and how representation is structured. While redistricting is often discussed as a political issue, it's also a fascinating operations research problem – one involving competing objectives and complex constraints such a...

Today, we're talking about a topic that sits at the heart of the INFORMS mission: public engagement. While many people think of analytics and operations research as tools used in businesses, universities, or research labs, these disciplines also play an important role in informing public policy, improving government decision-making, and helping communities tackle difficult problems. Joining me tod...

Earlier this year, we kicked off 2026 with INFORMS President Mark Lewis, talking about his vision for the year ahead. Now, just after the INFORMS Analytics+ Conference – his first major event as president – we're checking back in to reflect on what we've seen so far, what stood out, and what's still ahead for the INFORMS community.

In this episode, we're diving into something every one of us experiences - but may not always think about strategically: customer relationships. Why do we stay loyal to some brands and leave others after one frustrating interaction? How are analytics and AI helping companies predict churn, personalize experiences, and build trust in a world where customers have more power than ever before? Helping...

In the final epiosde of our special series highlighting the finalists of the 2026 Franz Edelman Award, members of the team from  Microsoft share special insight on their project, which is transforming how global cloud infrastructure is supplied and delivered. As demand for cloud services continues to grow, the logistics behind delivering the hardware that powers data centers have become increasing...

This latest episode in the mini-series highlighting the 2026 Franz Edelman Award finalist featues members of the team from Google , whose project is advancing a new approach to managing energy and computing resources across the company's global data center network. Data centers power the digital services we rely on every day, but they also require enormous amounts of energy. To address this challe...

Each year, organizations from around the world demonstrate how advanced analytics and operations research are solving real problems at massive scale – and are recognized and celebrated by the INFORMS community with the Franz Edelman Award competition. Joining me today are members of the team from NVIDIA , a global leader in accelerated computing and artificial intelligence. As companies grow and t...

Each year, organizations from around the world demonstrate how advanced analytics and operations research are solving real problems at massive scale – from retail and logistics to healthcare systems, public services, and the complex networks that keep our world moving . Joining me today are members of the team from India's Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD), working in partnership w...

Each year, organizations from around the world compete in the INFORMS Franz Edelman Award competition, demonstrating how advanced analytics and O.R. are solving real problems at massive scale. In this episode, members of the team from Chewy , the largest online pet retailer and pharmacy in the United States, share how they tackled a challenge that sounds simple on the surface but becomes incredibl...

Each year, finalists in the Franz Edelman Award Competition demonstrate how advanced analytics and operations research are solving real problems at massive scale – from the products we buy and the packages we receive to the healthcare we rely on and the policies that shape our communities. Joining me today are members of the team from ECCO , the globally recognized footwear brand known for its ver...

Our latest guest brings a voice – and I do mean  a voice – that you don't often hear in the data world. He's bold, he's sharp, and he's not afraid to call out the fluff that can cloud today's analytics conversations.  Scott Taylor , also known as The Data Whisperer , is a global advocate for strategic data management, the author of  Telling Your Data Story , and one of the most honest, and most li...

Even though we are are still navigating the AI boom and its growing impact, it's still important to also keepo looking ahead to what's next. In this episode, we're diving into a topic that sparks imagination, confusion, and maybe even a little fear: quantum computing. Joining me in this episode is Tam á s Terlaky, a longtime INFORMS member and a global leader in optimization, interior point method...

The 2026 INFORMS President Mark Lewis brings not just technical brilliance to his role as president, but a deep care for the people who make this field so impactful. His vision reminds us that analytics isn't just about solving problems – it's about building communities, growing opportunity, and creating a better world through smarter decisions.

I'm so excited to be joined by someone whose name is deeply woven into the fabric of the INFORMS community   – Dr. Jim Cochran, Professor of Applied Statistics and the Mike & Kathy Morone Research Chair at the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Business. Jim is a longtime INFORMS member, past recipient of the INFORMS Prize for the Teaching of OR/MS Practice and INFORMS Presidents Award...

We close out another terrific year of Resoundingly Human podcasts with our 2025 INFORMS President Dave Hunt, for a look back over his time as president, milestones, and what activities he's looking forward to getting back to in 2026.

In this episode, we're continuing our special relaunch series by welcoming one of this year's INFORMS Annual Meeting plenary speakers – a pioneer in the fusion of machine learning and optimization, and a leader in advancing AI for real-world engineering challenges. Pascal Van Hentenryck is a Fellow of INFORMS and AAAI, and has made groundbreaking contributions to constraint programming and optimiz...

In our latest episode in the Resoundingly Human podcast refresh, Ramayya Krishnan, Carnegie Mellon University, and plenary speaker at the 2025 INFORMS Annual Meeting, shares how today's rapid advances in AI technology create new opportunities for synergy with OR/MS, with broad implications for workforce development, public policy and education. 

Welcome back to Resoundingly Human , the INFORMS podcast! After a short break this summer, we are back with more great content and interviews featuring INFORMS members whose work is helping make Smarter Decisions for a Better World. In this episode, Margaret Brandeau, professor at Stanford University, and the opening plenary speaker at the 2025 INFORMS Annual Meeting, gives valuable insight into h...

Retailers are gearing up for their annual "Christmas in July" sales, but this year, the early holiday cheer comes with a warning: escalating tariff whiplash may lead to higher prices, fewer options, and major delays for shoppers come December. Behind the scenes, businesses are scrambling to forecast demand and lock in orders for the back-to-school and winter holiday seasons — but unpredictability...

As we are well into the first half of the year – and here at INFORMS we have packed a lot into these first few months – now is a terrific time to circle back and check in with the 2025 INFORMS President Dave Hunt. We kicked off a brand-new year of Resoundingly Human podcasts back in January with a special double header featuring Dave where we discussed both his goals and objectives relating to INF...

Welcome to the final episode in our special series of Resoundingly Human podcasts highlighting the finalist teams for the 2025 Franz Edelman Award, the Nobel Prize of Analytics. These finalist projects represent teams from around the world who have leveraged advanced analytics to transform their organizations, address their most significant challenges, and better serve their customers and communit...

Looking back, when you were younger, do you wish you had some guidance when it came to making the really important decisions for your future? What college should I attend? Should I buy the reliable hatchback or the fire engine red mustang? Is this job offer right for me and my future? My guest today has created a tool that can do just that, by leveraging decision science technology to support and...

Welcome to the latest in our special series of Resoundingly Human podcasts highlighting the finalist teams for the 2025 Franz Edelman Award, the Nobel Prize of Analytics, which will be awarded at the upcoming 2025 INFORMS Analytics+ Conference in Indianapolis this April. These finalist projects represent teams from around the world who have leveraged advanced analytics to transform their organizat...

Welcome to the latest in our special series of Resoundingly Human podcasts highlighting the finalist teams for the 2025 Franz Edelman Award, the Nobel Prize of Analytics, which will be awarded at the upcoming 2025 INFORMS Analytics+ Conference in Indianapolis this April. These finalist projects represent teams from around the world who have leveraged advanced analytics to transform their organizat...

Welcome to the latest in our special series of Resoundingly Human podcasts highlighting the finalist teams for the 2025 Franz Edelman Award, the Nobel Prize of Analytics, which will be awarded at the upcoming 2025 INFORMS Analytics+ Conference in Indianapolis this April. These finalist projects represent teams from around the world who have leveraged advanced analytics to transform their organizat...