Secretary

Susan Martonosi headshot

Susan E. Martanosi

Professor of Mathematics, Harvey Mudd College

Biographical Profile

Education

  • Ph.D. ORC, MIT, 2005
  • B.S. ORIE, Cornell University, 1999

Professional Experience

  • Harvey Mudd College 2005-present
    • Director, Global Clinic (2017-2020) and Mathematics Clinic (2010-2014)

INFORMS Activities

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (Chair, 2020-2021)
  • Finance Committee (2021)
  • Ad hoc committee to develop the INFORMS Fellows Revocation Policy (Chair, 2020)
  • Vice President for Membership and Professional Recognition (2016-2019)
  • Forum on Women in OR/MS (Past-President, President, President-Elect 2013-2015)
  • Forum on Education (VP of Meetings 2011-2015)
  • Academic Programs Database Committee (Chair, 2014-2015)
  • Professional Recognition Committee (2015)
  • Doing Good with Good O.R. Prize Committee (2011-2013, Chair 2012)
  • Undergraduate Research Prize Committee (2010-2011, Chair 2010)

Publications

M&SOM, Interfaces, INFORMS Transactions on Education, Omega, IIE Transactions, and Annals of Operations Research, among others.

Professional Honors and Awards

  • INFORMS Award for the Teaching of OR/MS Practice (2020)
  • Alder Award for Distinguished Teaching by a Beginning College or University Mathematics Faculty Member (Mathematical Association of America, 2012)
  • INFORMS Case Study Competition winner (with A. Farahat, 2009)

Vision Statement

First, I thank the nominating committee for the opportunity to stand for election to secretary of INFORMS, and for the excellent slate of candidates the committee has identified. All of the candidates are superbly equipped to move INFORMS forward, and I am honored and humbled to be included among them.

The past year has been atypically tragic and traumatic, from the COVID-19 pandemic, to the protests for racial equality, to the turbulence of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. However, through this adversity, INFORMS has provided a beacon of hope to me: our members have been using their expertise to influence public policy; conduct their research through the lens of equity; and orient their service to INFORMS around policies and practices that make the profession more inclusive for all. In particular, the new INFORMS strategic plan places justice at the center of its vision (“Better decision making for a just, prosperous, and sustainable world”), identifies “inclusion” as one of its core values, and lists as one of its four goals to “[a]dvance diversity, equity, and inclusion in all we do.” Amidst the seemingly insurmountable and hopeless challenges the year has brought us, INFORMS members never stopped “showing up” to solve the problems of the moment.

However, there is more that should be done. We must attain broader representation by STEM-underrepresented minorities in leadership positions throughout the organization to mitigate the “blind spots” in decision-making that arise from a lack of diversity. We must reexamine our policies and practices on editorial boards, prize committees, and conference organizing committees to better engage our membership and obtain the varied perspectives required to ensure the integrity and excellence in our profession. We must inspire INFORMS members to use their talents to explicitly interrogate matters of equity through the problems they study, the methodology they employ, and the recommendations they offer.

It is for these reasons that I would be honored to serve as INFORMS’ secretary. The role of secretary does not engage primarily with a single department, as do many of the VP roles. Instead, as a member of the Executive Committee, the secretary has the opportunity to examine policies and initiatives through a macroscopic lens and speak on behalf of all members of INFORMS. 

I had the great privilege of serving on the INFORMS Board as VP for Membership and Professional Recognition from 2016 to 2019. In this role, I gained a much deeper appreciation and understanding of the organization as a whole. During my term, I worked collaboratively to make INFORMS’ award processes consistent, sustainable, and inclusive. These efforts culminated in improvements to the selection processes of INFORMS Fellows and the Edelman Award, among others. I worked with the Member Services department to enhance member benefits, by revitalizing the Student Affairs Committee and the INFORMS Speakers Program, and co-shepherding (with Jill Wilson) the creation of a scholarship program. As chair of the INFORMS Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, I have used my understanding of INFORMS governance to help operationalize aspirations articulated by the committee and other groups such as the Minority Issues Forum (MIF) and the Women in OR/MS Forum (WORMS).  The committee has launched the DEI Ambassadors Program (an initiative envisioned by INFORMS past president, Pinar Keskinocak), worked collaboratively with organizing committees to invite DEI plenary speakers to the Annual Meeting, and liaised with several departments of INFORMS to discuss and develop inclusive practices. I would welcome the opportunity to continue to serve INFORMS and its members.