U.S. Air Force Academy awarded the 2017 UPS George D. Smith Prize

LAS VEGAS, NV, April 3, 2017 – INFORMS, the leading international association for operations research and analytics professionals, has awarded the U.S. Air Force Academy its 2017 UPS George D. Smith Prize for its operations research (O.R.) program, which prepares its graduates to become frontline O.R. practitioners as analysts in the Air Force.

The Air Force Academy’s O.R. program exposes more than 50 percent of cadets to at least one O.R. course and provides cadets the opportunity to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in O.R. A year-long applied senior capstone serves as the apex of the program, during which teams of cadets consult for military, corporate, local government, and nonprofit organizations to address real-world problems. Organizations that have teamed with the program in the past include DARPA, the Missile Defense Agency, Lockheed Martin, Walmart, and the Healing Warriors Program.

Named in honor of the late UPS Chief Executive Officer – a champion of operations researchers at a leading Fortune 500 corporation – the UPS George D. Smith Prize is created in the spirit of strengthening ties between industry and the schools of higher education that graduate young practitioners of operations research. The prize is awarded to an academic department or program for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research or analytics.

“By teaming with a variety of organizations to provide its students access to real-world data and problem solving opportunities, the Air Force Academy stands out among other academic institutions in its dedication to preparing graduates for success,” said Melissa Moore, executive director of INFORMS. “As the demand for O.R. and analytics professionals continues to rise, it is more important than ever for young professionals to stand out as the top talent. The Air Force Academy’s program makes sure they do.” 

The award was presented this evening at Analytics 2017 (the 2017 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics & Operations Research), an annual event that draws over 1,000 leading international professionals in analytics and operations research in the world.

Past recipients of the award include H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University; Centre for Operations Excellence - Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia; MIT Leaders for Global Operations (LGO); Naval Postgraduate School; and Tauber Institute for Global Operations at University of Michigan.

For more information about the UPS George D. Smith Prize, visit here.

About INFORMS

With more than 12,500 members from around the globe, INFORMS is the leading international association for professionals in operations research and analytics. 

INFORMS promotes best practices and advances in operations research, management science, and analytics to improve operational processes, decision making, and outcomes through an array of highly-cited publications, conferences, competitions, networking communities, and professional development services. Visit www.informs.org or @informs.