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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Operations Research Graduate Program
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251103T173000
DTSTAMP:20260505T153016
CREATED:20250826T205512Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T203626Z
UID:10000008-1762187400-1762191000@or.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:OR Seminar: ORGSA Panel
DESCRIPTION:Join the Operations Research Graduate Student Association (ORGSA) as they discuss current topics of interest to new and current students\, including how to prepare for your upcoming qualifying exam. All OR alumni and friends are welcome. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nhttps://ncsu.zoom.us/j/99989048564?pwd=p24TVn1pdVDUBJCvPfWKOCsDcyRblQ.1 \nMeeting ID: 999 8904 8564\nPasscode: 638150 \nPanelist Biographies\nWill Kirschenman\nWill Kirschenman has served 15 years in the U.S. Army\, first as an Engineer and now as an Operations Research / Systems Analyst (FA49). He is in his final year of the Operations Research (OR) Ph.D. program and will subsequently join the OR department faculty at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey\, California. His research focuses on multi-level prioritized packing for both general and military applications\, developing efficient metaheuristic and matheuristic algorithms to solve these problems. He and his wife have three children and enjoy fitness\, the outdoors\, and spending time together as a family. \nCameron Lisy\nCameron is a 6th year PhD student in Operations Research whose research and career interests include fossil fuel market dynamics and how they impact the cost and reliability of the power grid. \nAndrew Shaeffer\nAndrew Shaeffer is 23 years old from Cleveland\, Ohio. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy with a Bachelors of Science in Operations Research at US Air Force Academy in 2024. Additionally\, he graduated with a Masters of Science in Operations Research at NC State in December 2025. He was then assigned at JB Langley-Eustis in Hampton\, VA where he worked as an Operations Research Analyst providing support to Air Combat Command. His thesis involves using Simulation to Optimize Batting Lineups in Major League Baseball. His hobbies include running\, playing sports\, watching sports\, lifting\, movies\, trivia\, and painting. \nElizabeth Harris\nElizabeth Harris is a third year Ph.D. student in Operations Research. She has a bachelors of science in Mathematics and Chemistry from Furman University. Elizabeth is working with Dr. Rachunok and her research interests are developing\, however she’s currently looking into the interactions between power and cell outages after natural disasters. Outside of school Elizabeth enjoys singing and is even in an a capella group at NC State!
URL:https://or.ncsu.edu/event/or-seminar-informs-11-03-2025/
LOCATION:4290 Fitts-Woolard Hall\, 915 Partners Way\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27606\, United States
CATEGORIES:OR Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://or.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/354/2025/08/or-seminar-series-orgsa-panel-11-03-2025-featured-image-08-2025-01.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="OR Program":MAILTO:operationsresearch@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251110T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251110T173000
DTSTAMP:20260505T153017
CREATED:20250827T125151Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T202729Z
UID:10000009-1762792200-1762795800@or.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:OR Seminar: Nasser Salmasi
DESCRIPTION:Join us in welcoming Nasser Salmasi\, Principal Operations Research Scientist at Simple Rose\, as he discusses current operations research topics. Alums and friends of the program are always welcome. \nJoin Zoom Meeting\nCan’t make it in-person?Watch it Here\nMeeting ID: 999 8904 8564\nPasscode: 638150 \nTitle and Abstract\nOptimal Scheduling Solutions through Constraint Enhancement for Minimizing Breaks in Round Robin Sports Competitions \nIn this study\, we examine the compact single round-robin sports scheduling problem to minimize the number of breaks. Because this goal differs from reducing travel distances or costs\, it introduces unique scheduling challenges. Furthermore\, we focus on break reduction because consecutive home or away games can create unfair advantages and reduce excitement. By limiting breaks\, we aim to ensure fairness\, boost fan engagement\, and simplify team logistics. \nAlthough the problem is not NP-hard\, we use the classical Circle Method to find an optimal break solution. However\, this method often yields schedules with poor practical quality due to a high carry-over effect. Moreover\, it becomes ineffective when real-world constraints arise. Until now\, only one mathematical model has addressed break minimization in general form. Unfortunately\, that model struggles with problems involving more than 14 teams. \nIn contrast\, we develop a highly efficient mathematical model that optimally solves instances with up to 30 teams. Additionally\, our model addresses common practical constraints commonly found in real-world scheduling scenarios. To demonstrate its effectiveness\, we apply it to the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League preliminary round. Remarkably\, our model produces a schedule with only four breaks\, which improves upon the official schedule’s 62 breaks. Finally\, its performance is confirmed by solving several benchmark single-round-robin problems that were previously unsolved in the literature. \nBiographies\nNasser Salmasi serves as a principal operations research scientist at SimpleRose\, a software development company in the United States. Due to his strong background in operations research\, he contributes to solving complex optimization problems across various industries. Previously\, he spent eight years as a senior operations research scientist at Corning Incorporated\, a company specializing in the manufacture of optical fiber and cable. During that period\, he developed advanced models that improved production efficiency and resource allocation. \nBefore joining Corning\, Salmasi worked as an associate professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran\, Iran. Moreover\, he supervised over 50 graduate students and published more than 40 papers in international\, peer-reviewed journals. His academic work demonstrated consistent innovation in applied research and quantitative analysis. \nSalmasi earned his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Oregon State University. Additionally\, he holds both an MSc and a BSc degree in Industrial Engineering from Sharif University of Technology. His main research areas include applied operations research\, scheduling\, and simulation. Through this expertise\, he continues to bridge academic theory with industrial application.
URL:https://or.ncsu.edu/event/or-seminar-nasser-salmasi-11-10-2025/
LOCATION:4290 Fitts-Woolard Hall\, 915 Partners Way\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27606\, United States
CATEGORIES:OR Seminar Series
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://or.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/354/2025/08/or-seminar-series-nasser-salmasi-11-10-2025-featured-image-08-2025-01.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="OR Program":MAILTO:operationsresearch@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251117T173000
DTSTAMP:20260505T153017
CREATED:20251103T140811Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T202627Z
UID:10000014-1763397000-1763400600@or.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:OR Seminar: Umut Dur
DESCRIPTION:Join us in welcoming Umut Dur\, Truist Distinguished Professor of Economics\, as he discusses improving access to quality Chinese education. Alums and friends of the program are always welcome. \nDid you Miss It?\nDon’t worry\, Watch it Now!\nPasscode: p@*ZEr4U  \nTitle and Abstract\nWho Gets the Bonus?  High School Admission Reforms in China \nChina implements reforms to improve access to quality high school education for students from underperforming middle schools by awarding bonus points to a select group of students. Our study reveals significant flaws in practice due to challenges in determining how bonuses should be distributed. We propose a choice rule that “endogenously’’ identifies bonus-recipients and show that it is the unique acceptant and fair choice rule that efficiently assigns the bonus. Embedded in the deferred acceptance (DA) mechanism\, it ensures stability\, strategy-proofness\, and constrained optimality among the mechanisms assigning bonuses efficiently and fairly. Empirical analysis shows that our proposal significantly improves representation for underperforming schools and effectively assigns the bonus to the “right’’ students. \nBiographies\nUmut Dur is a Truist Distinguished Professor of Economics and an Operations Research Graduate Program faculty member at NC State University. He is a University Faculty Scholar and an Academy of Outstanding Teachers member.  His research is on market design\, focusing on school choice\, college admissions\, and affirmative action policies. He has been involved in the design of public school admission procedures in Wake County\, and his research played key roles in the redesign of public school admission procedures in Boston and Chicago. He is an academic advisor for the Measuring\, Selection\, and Placement Center (OSYM) in Turkey\, the organization that runs the centralized college placement procedure for more than 2 million students annually.
URL:https://or.ncsu.edu/event/or-seminar-umut-dur-11-17-20205/
LOCATION:4290 Fitts-Woolard Hall\, 915 Partners Way\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27606\, United States
CATEGORIES:OR Seminar Series
ORGANIZER;CN="OR Program":MAILTO:operationsresearch@ncsu.edu
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20251124T173000
DTSTAMP:20260505T153017
CREATED:20250827T130200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250827T130200Z
UID:10000010-1764001800-1764005400@or.ncsu.edu
SUMMARY:OR Seminar: Thanksgiving Celebration
DESCRIPTION:Join us in welcoming all OR students\, faculty\, staff and alumni to a warm Thanksgiving celebration of community\, gratitude and Wolfpack spirit. All alumni and friends of the OR Program are invited. \nThe Importance of Thanksgiving Celebration\nThanksgiving is more than a holiday. It is a time when you reflect\, show gratitude\, and build connections. You pause from busy routines and appreciate the people and opportunities around you. As a result\, you see how even small blessings can shape your life. \nFor students\, faculty\, staff\, and alumni\, Thanksgiving also strengthens community. When you gather\, you feel part of something larger. Therefore\, you remember that you share experiences\, values\, and purpose with others. Through a shared meal\, you connect across generations and backgrounds. \nIn addition\, Thanksgiving highlights generosity. You practice kindness\, offer support\, and give back in meaningful ways. For example\, you might volunteer\, share your time\, or encourage a friend. These actions extend the holiday’s spirit beyond one day. \nMost importantly\, Thanksgiving reminds you of togetherness. When you celebrate\, you grow stronger as a community. Moreover\, you recognize that gratitude can guide your actions all year. In this way\, Thanksgiving becomes more than a tradition. \nUltimately\, the holiday encourages you to reflect\, give thanks\, and act with kindness. By doing so\, you carry its meaning forward.
URL:https://or.ncsu.edu/event/or-2025-thanksgiving/
LOCATION:4290 Fitts-Woolard Hall\, 915 Partners Way\, Raleigh\, NC\, 27606\, United States
CATEGORIES:OR Program Events
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ORGANIZER;CN="OR Program":MAILTO:operationsresearch@ncsu.edu
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