Rajan Batta

Title

Rajan_Batta_crop_1

SUNY Distinguished Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo

Education

  • Ph.D., Operations Research, MIT
  • B.Tech., Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi, India

Professional Experience

Served in many different administrative capacities: department chair (11 years), interim dean (3 years), associate dean (15 years).

Selected INFORMS and Related Activities (Member since 1995)

Broad engagement with INFORMS: Served on the Chapters/Forums Subcommittee, as president of ACORD (Association of Chairs of O.R. Departments), organizer of TutORials in Operations Research at an INFORMS Annual Meeting, and as an active member of several subdivisions and special interest groups.

  • Industry Consulting Experiences: Extensive consulting experience in supply chain logistics and manufacturing logistics.

Selected Professional Honors and Awards

  • INFORMS Fellow Award (2022)
  • Koopman Prize (2024 and 2018) from INFORMS Military and Security Society
  • Lifetime Achievement Award for Locational Analysis (2023) from INFORMS Section on Location Analysis
  • Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award (2022) from IISE

Selected Publications

My work is in hazmat routing, location modeling, emergency response modeling and security applications. I have published on a regular basis in premier INFORMS journals such as INFORMS Journal on Applied Analytics (formerly Interfaces), Management Science, Transportation Science and Operations Research.

Candidate Statement

As president of INFORMS, I would focus on supporting the professional growth of both academic and industry members at various stages of their development. For academic members, this starts with supporting student chapters, students at the employment stage and training opportunities for early-career faculty. For industry members, this is principally through creation of networking opportunities. Our academic and industry members can benefit from coordination of industry/academic joint opportunities. I would build on the excellent progress that INFORMS has made in the following areas:

  • Networking: The greatest benefit of being a member of INFORMS is expanding your network. INFORMS should continue to develop and fine-tune networking mechanisms for members so they can link with their professional colleagues for mutual support and growth.
  • Support for INFORMS Student Chapters: INFORMS should enhance its support for chapters by connecting chapters with academics or industry professionals willing to hold panels or talks.
  • Communities for New Students: INFORMS conferences should provide sessions for first-year students in which they can meet each other and get assistance on where and how to get started in the community.
  • Resources for Career Search: Expand and enhance the resume review/short interview slots at conferences and improve the quality of INFORMS social media presence to attract younger talent.
  • Training Opportunities for Early-Career Faculty: Support early-career faculty, as they are the backbone of future development. INFORMS should invest and develop programs that will specifically enhance training in research, service and teaching.
  • Joint Industry/Academic Opportunities: INFORMS should provide a platform via virtual and in-person speed-networking sessions to support the synergy between industry and academia, using analytical tools that would benefit both sides.

Relevant Background

  • Position and Training: I am a SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at the University at Buffalo (UB). I have a B.Tech. in mechanical engineering from the IIT, Delhi, and a Ph.D. in operations research from MIT.
  • Research: My work is in hazmat routing, location modeling, emergency response, and military and security applications. I have published on a regular basis in premier INFORMS journals, e.g., Management Science, Transportation Science, and Operations Research, and other premier journals, e.g., European Journal of Operational Research.
  • Professional Recognition: I am a Fellow of INFORMS (2022) and have received the following awards from INFORMS: Military and Security Society’s Koopman Prize (in 2024 and 2018) and Lifetime Achievement Award for Locational Analysis (2023). I have also received many awards from other professional societies, most significantly the Frank and Lillian Gilbreth Industrial Engineering Award from IISE (2022).

Relevant Prior Experiences

  • Leadership Positions: I have served in several leadership roles, including department chair, interim dean and associate dean in many different capacities. I have also served on the board for IISE as Senior VP for Publications.
  • Experience in Faculty Mentoring and Peer Recognition: I currently serve as Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Recognition. A significant part of my job is to provide support for faculty mentoring and promote honors and awards pathways.
  • Graduate Student Mentoring: I have supervised 58 doctoral dissertations and 57 master’s theses. Currently, I have five doctoral and two master’s students in my lab.
  • Broad engagement with INFORMS: I have served on the Chapters/Forums Committee, as president of ACORD, organizer of TutORials in Operations Research at an INFORMS Annual Meeting, and an active member of several subdivisions and special interest groups.
  • Industry Consulting Experiences: I have extensive consulting experience in supply chain and manufacturing logistics. These experiences have taught me to connect with analysts working in industry, and I can leverage this experience to help provide pathways for academics to connect with industry practitioners.

For more information, please visit: LinkedIn or Faculty Profile.