| Today's Guest Tour -- Sunday, October 12, 9:00am-1:00pm $45 |
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Whirlwind Tour of Washington, D.C.
The tour includes views of monuments, famous sites, the Potomac River and White House on its way to Capitol Hill and the majestic U.S. Capitol Building. The tour guide will also point out the Smithsonian Museums, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Washington Monument, and the Jefferson Memorial. The first stop will be the Lincoln Memorial, where you can climb the marble steps. It is then a short walk to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. End the tour with a stop on Pennsylvania Avenue to view the White House.
Note: Go to Registration Desk for additional information and to inquire about availability. |
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President's Welcome to the 2008 INFORMS Annual Meeting!
 It is my great pleasure to welcome you to Washington, D.C. and the 2008 INFORMS Annual Meeting. In a year that will bring us a new U.S. president and promises of changes in the course of U.S. national and international policy, it is indeed fitting that we hold our Annual Meeting in our nation's capital. This year's meeting promises to be the largest INFORMS conference ever held.
General chair Hani S. Mahmassani of Northwestern University and Program co-chairs G. "Anand" Anandalingam and Michael O. Ball of the University of Maryland and their committees have done a wonderful job of putting together a jam-packed, information-rich, four-day conference. With over 3,900 presentations and 68 concurrent tracks, there is indeed something here for everyone. I am particularly proud of the plenaries and panel sessions built around the idea of "Doing Good with Good OR".This series of special sessions on important societal topics such as public health care and drug policy, environment and climate change, and mobility and congestion will showcase how operations research and management science professionals are tackling and helping to solve the toughest societal problems.
Outstanding plenary speakers include Nobel Laureate Roger Myerson, IFORS Distinguished Lecturer Michel Balinski, Omega Rho recipient Karla Hoffman, McCord Morse Lecturer Lawrence Wein, practice speaker David Halverson, plenary presenter Daniel Cook, and the 2008 Edelman Award winning team from Netherlands Railways. Other notable events include a new extended Teaching Effectiveness Colloquium, 18 Tutorial sessions, book signing by Business Week author Stephen Baker, our highly anticipated awards ceremony, and our gala general reception at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
I encourage you to recharge your batteries, connect with old friends, take advantage of the many opportunities for learning and teaching, and of course, enjoy the many exciting benefits that Washington, D.C. has to offer.
Cynthia Barnhart
2008 INFORMS President
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| Welcome from the General Chair |
 Dear Colleagues:
What an exciting yet sobering time to be celebrating the best of what our discipline has to offer in one of the places where it is most needed - Washington, D.C., our Nation's Capital and arguably the world's epicenter of power and public decision making, home to "the good, the bad, and the ugly" in public and not-so-public policy. In a year that has seen disruptive floods and natural disasters necessitating mass evacuations, financial crises requiring massive bail-outs, actively surging wars and a heightened sense of threat, and fossil fuel prices that have finally revealed that the demand for auto travel is not indefinitely inelastic, we are reminded of just how important and essential our arsenal of operations research and management science tools really is.
When (the classic movie's) Mr. Smith went to Washington, armed with the best tools that an elite education could bestow, with a dream and conviction to make a difference in our society, little did he know of the challenges facing him in the proverbial "real world." Just like Mr. Smith, INFORMS returns to Washington, intent on showcasing the vital contribution that our profession is making towards solving the challenging large-scale problems and public policy questions facing our increasingly complex society and interacting global community. But unlike Mr. Smith, our idealism is tempered by a solid grasp of reality, and the requirements it imposes on OR/MS tools and systems.
 In an election year that is increasingly taking on a historic character, our conference's theme and focus on OR/MS in support of public policy could not be more timely. From signature sessions showcasing OR's role in health care, energy, and transportation, to high-profile plenaries and keynotes on collective decision processes and market mechanisms, to special clusters on humanitarian logistics, supply chain disruptions, green production systems, elections and fairness, and health care informatics, to name a few, the contribution of OR/MS to society's big challenges is front and center throughout the program.
On behalf of my colleagues of the Organizing Committee, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to Washington, D.C. In addition to the incredibly rich and stimulating program that has emerged from the collective efforts of so many of you, the meeting offers abundant social networking opportunities, culminating with the general reception at the Air and Space Museum, reserved for our exclusive use on Tuesday evening. Equally important are the small-scale connections formed and renewed over a pleasant meal at one of the city's many fine restaurants, bistros, trattorias, and power steakhouses (sorry, no moose burger joints yet).
The list of acknowledgments for a meeting of this magnitude is indeed quite long. First and foremost, my deep gratitude goes to Anand Anandalingam and Mike Ball, our indefatigable and most resourceful program co-chairs; it has been a true pleasure and honor to work with them on this project. Everyone on the Organizing Committee has gone above and beyond, and contributed selflessly to the success of the meeting - Alper Atamturk, Chung-Hung Chen, Zhi-Long Chen, Pablo Durango-Cohen, Arnold Greenland, Ben Hobbs, Elise Miller-Hooks, S. Raghu Ragavan, Karen Smilowitz, Larry Stone, Gilvan Souza, Frank Trippi, and Ed Wasil. Very special thanks go to Rebecca Weaver-Gill for the many roles she has juggled throughout the process, including local coordination, and to the superb team at INFORMS - Paulette Bronis, Cheryl Clark, Sandy Owens and Jessica Bennett, under the most able guidance of Terry Cryan. Special appreciation goes to our sponsors - SmartOps, ILOG, AIMMS, GAMS, Fair Isaac, IBM, Innovative Scheduling, Oracle-Crystal Ball, University of Texas at Dallas, Northwestern University and the University of Maryland - you make an excellent meeting even better.
Welcome to Washington, D.C. - enjoy the meeting, the city's history, beautiful monuments, rich museums, and policy intensity, and by the time you return home you will undoubtedly be all charged up and better INFORMed.
Hani S. Mahmassani
General Chair
2008 INFORMS Annual Meeting |
| President Barnhart Welcomes Attendees at the Membership Meeting Saturday Night |
 The Membership Meeting brings together old and new members, friends and colleagues, over a light wine and cheese reception. Several board members and staff were present and introduced themselves to the room.
Cynthia Barnhart, the 2008 INFORMS President, opened this year's Membership Meeting with a warm welcome to staff and members. Her enthusiasm was felt throughout the room as she announced that attendance at this year's annual meeting is at an all-time high of nearly 4,200 members.
Don Kleinmuntz (President Elect), Brenda Dietrich (Past President), Susan Albin (2009 President Elect), and Mark Doherty (Executive Director), each introduced themselves and spoke of their enthusiasm for the events taking place during this year's meeting.
Gary Bennett, Director of Marketing, handed out feedback forms to meeting attendees regarding the Strategic Planning Committee's goals, which focus on four major topics: products and services; member and community relations; promotion, marketing, and governance; and financial and administrative management. If you would like to provide feedback to the Strategic Planning Committee, click here.
 Bennett also reminded attendees to check their email for the daily eNews, featuring highlights from the previous day's sessions and events. INFORMS member, Theresa Barker, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Washington, had received the first INFORMS eNews Daily and expressed her enthusiasm. "I'm really excited about the eNews Daily. This is such a large conference [that] it's really easy to lose track - not so much the presented talks but events and things like the Member Reception. Having an alert that ties you together with everybody and having the highlights every day is going to be really fun."
Patricia Shaffer, Director of Publications, reminded attendees to pick up their complimentary CD of the 2008 TutORials in Operations Research.
Randy Kiefer, Director of Membership, announced that members can renew their membership for 2009 online during annual meeting.
The Membership Meeting ended on a light note as attendees and staff bid each other farewell, making plans to meet up for coffee and anticipating the next day's events.
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| Don't Forget to Pick Up Your Free 2008 TutORials in Operations Research CD! Bonus - Meet an Author! |
 Pick up your complimentary copy of the 2008 TutORials in Operations Research CD at two locations: the Registration Desk and INFORMS Booth #701 in the exhibit hall. Find the special tear-out in your printed program and bring it with you to receive your complimentary CD.
The 2008 CD - the most comprehensive yet - includes 15 of the 18 tutorials presented at the meeting. Books and additional CDs will be available for sale at the INFORMS Booth. As an added bonus, several Tutorials in OR authors will be available for meet-and-greets Sunday-Tuesday at the INFORMS Booth during session coffee breaks. A schedule for the author appearances will be available in the Sunday morning eNews Daily and at the INFORMS Booth.
Attendees must present the special 2008 Tutorials in OR tear-out from the program book to receive a free CD.
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| Book Signing by Author of The Numerati, Stephen Baker |
 BusinessWeek reporter Stephen Baker, the author of this week's BusinessWeek cover story about math and business, has written The Numerati, which describes the superpowered contributions that mathematicians - and operations researchers - are making to businesses and organizations today. The Wall Street Journal has given praise, calling the book "a highly readable and fascinating account of the number-driven world we now live in." Houghton Mifflin published it this month.
Mr. Baker will be signing his book during the Welcome Reception at the INFORMS Booth #702 during the INFORMS Annual Meeting on Sunday night, October 12. |
2008 TutORials in Operations Research
Author Meet and Greet! |
 The Marketing staff at INFORMS is pleased to announce the first Author Meet and Greet to be held at the INFORMS Booth during the 2008 Annual Meeting. Several 2008 TutORials in Operations Research authors will be available for a Meet and Greet at the INFORMS Booth #701 located in the Exhibit Hall. The staff has arranged meet and greets with several authors of the latest edition of the TutORials in Operations Research series, which includes tutorials to be presented at this year's annual meeting.
Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to speak directly with the authors about the 2008 TutORials in OR publication, view a demo of the new CD, and pick up their complimentary copy! Please see the date and time of author appearances listed below:
October 12th - Sunday afternoon: 4 pm - 4:30 pm
October 13th - Monday: 9:30 am - 10 am & 4 pm - 4:30 pm
October 14th - Tuesday: 9:30 am - 10 am & 4 pm - 4:30 pm
Staff members from the Marketing and Publications departments will be available at the INFORMS booth and bookstore throughout the annual meeting.
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| INFORMS Bookstore Inventory Sale! |
Stop by the INFORMS Bookstore for savings on print and electronic products. The bookstore is located at the INFORMS booth #702. Attendees will receive a 50% discount off select book titles available while supplies last. Plus, pick up your complimentary TutORials in OR CD and Edelman DVD, purchase recently published books, and the INFORMS PubsOnLine Suite (all 12 journals online) for just $99. Staff members will be available to assist you with your purchase. Save on shipping and handling when you purchase a book or CD on site. We accept cash, checks, and the following major credit cards: Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. |
| Community/Subdivision Awards to be presented on Sunday |
Aviation Applications Section
Dissertation Award This prize is awarded for the best dissertation in any area related to aviation OR (air traffic management OR and airline OR). The award includes a plaque and a $500 cash prize. Winner: Mustafa Akan Presented: Sunday, October 12th, 6:15PM, Aviation Applications Business Meeting, Omni, Capitol
Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment Section
Student Paper Award
This award is given annually to the best paper dealing with energy, environmental or natural resource issues by a student author who is presenting at the INFORMS Annual Meeting, as judged by a panel of the Energy, Natural Resources, and the Environment Section. The award is accompanied by a $300 cash prize.
Winner: Ekundayo Shittu
Best Publication Award
This award recognizes the contributions of ENRE members to the research areas of Forestry & Energy. The award is given to the best referred journal article published two calendar years prior to the year in which the award is given.
Best Publication in Forestry Winners: Hayri Önal and Robert A. Briers
Best Publication in Energy Winners: Enzo E. Sauma and Shmuel S. Oren
Best Paper in Forestry Sponsored Sessions Award (2007) This prize recognizes the best paper presented in the Forestry Cluster Sessions at the Fall Meeting. The award is accompanied by a $100 cash prize.
Winners: Sophie D'Amours and Mustapha Ouhimmou
Best Paper in Energy Sponsored Sessions Award (2007) This prize recognizes the best paper presented in the Energy Cluster Sessions at the Fall Meeting. The award is accompanied by a $100 cash prize.
Winners: Vishnu Nanduri and Tapas K. Das
Presented: Sunday, October 12th, 6:15PM, ENRE Business Meeting, Marriott, Maryland A
Section on Location Analysis (SOLA)
Chuck ReVelle Rising Star Award
This award, sponsored by SOLA, is a biannual honor awarded to a person within eight years of receiving his or her Ph.D. who has made a significant contribution to location analysis research and displays the potential to continue to do so. The award will be given every other year at the SOLA business meeting at the national INFORMS conference. The award will not carry a monetary prize but will be regarded as an extremely high honor within the locational analysis community. In addition, the winner will be given a complimentary registration to the INFORMS conference in the year following the award.
Winner: Zuo-Jun Max Shen
Presented: Sunday, October 12th, 6:15PM, Location Analysis Section Business Meeting, Omni, Forum
Railway Applications Section
Management Science in Railway Applications Student Competition Award
Sponsored by RAS (Railway Applications Section) and Railway Age. Cash Awards include $500 for First Place and $250 for Second Place. RAS will cover the conference registration fees for all primary authors who are asked to present their papers, including honorable mention. Railway Age will publish summaries of the First Place and Second Place entries.
Winner: Lars Kjær Nielsen Second Place: Daniel Potthoff
Presented: Sunday, October 12th, 6:15PM, Railroad Applications Business Meeting, Omni, Hampton Ballroom |
| Sunday Night Awards |
Don't miss the INFORMS Awards Ceremony and Desert Reception on Sunday, October 12, 8:30pm - 9:45pm in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel's Marriott Ballroom 2, Lobby Level. Congratulate your colleagues who represent the best of the best in 2008. Stay for the special desert reception to follow shortly after the last award is presented.
Among the awards to be presented Sunday evening:
- INFORMS Prize for the Teaching of OR/MS Practice
James J. Cochran
- INFORMS Expository Writing Prize
Henk Tijms
- INFORMS Impact Prize
Thomas L. Saaty
- John von Neumann Theory Prize
Frank Kelly
- George E. Kimball Medal
Kathryn E. Stecke
John Birge
- Frederick W. Lanchester Prize
Warren P. Adams
Hanif D. Sherali
Lawrence M. Wein
- INFORMS President's Award
Margaret Brandeau Be sure to attend the Sunday night Welcome Reception (7:30pm - 9:00pm in the Exhibit Hall) before the Awards Ceremony in the Marriott Ballroom 2 on the Lobby Level. |
| Renew Your 2009 Membership at Annual Meeting |
The Annual Meeting is the perfect time for you to renew your 2009 membership with INFORMS. Stop by the INFORMS Booth #700 in the exhibit hall where you can renew online or fill out a renewal form. We'll make your membership transaction as fast and easy as possible.
You know how important participating in the Annual Meeting is to your career. The Annual Meeting is just one of the many benefits that your membership dues help support. Others include:
- Discounts of up to 60% on individual publications
- Suite of all 12 INFORMS journals at the reduced rate of $99 for regular members and $50 for students
- An online Membership Directory that provides real-time contact information for all your fellow members
- Access to over 100 INFORMS Communities including Societies, Subdivisions, and geographic and student Chapters
- Educational material that you can use to enrich the OR classroom
- A Job Placement Service that provides first word of opportunities in OR
We are looking forward to 2009 with great enthusiasm. We have three exciting and attractive meeting locations: Phoenix (Practice Meeting), Toronto (International Meeting with CORS), and San Diego (Annual Meeting.) Our journals will continue to publish the very best in OR scholarship. New initiatives include a student competition in Doing Good with Good OR, the introduction of a completely revamped and user-friendly member website, and a new continuing education database to help identify opportunities and enhance your professional skills.
We want you to come along on the journey with us. Stop by the INFORMS Booth Sunday - Tuesday during the Annual Meeting to reserve your place.
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2008 Edelman DVDs Available Now -
Take our Quick Poll |
 The 2008 Edelman Presentation DVDs are available now at the 2008 INFORMS Annual Meeting. Stop by INFORMS booth #702 in the Exhibit Hall to claim your DVD while supplies last. One copy of the DVD is a benefit of membership. You may purchase additional copies for $45. The latest 2-DVD set contains presentations made at the 2008 INFORMS Practice Meeting by Edelman finalists including the 2008 winner - Netherlands Railways. All finalists describe their projects, including the problem, approach, methodology, results and impact on their organization. The presentations represent some of the finest examples of the practice of operations research and analytical decision making.
How do you plan to use your free Edelman DVD? Take our quick poll and tell us:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=bMMCmU5Vt6dF14d96x1hNA_3d_3d.
Members have reported that the DVDs are quite useful for showing students up to date case studies of OR in practice, learning about real-world examples of modeling business problems, and to see what may be possible in their own organizations.
Historical DVDs are also available for purchase spanning Edelman presentations from 1983 through 2007. Stop by to review the research! |
| Increase the Value of Your Membership - Join a Community/Subdivision |
One of the most important benefits of an INFORMS membership is the ability to network with and learn from a community of your peers. There is no better way to do that than to join an INFORMS Subdivision (or to add additional ones!) We've made joining (or adding) Subdivisions very easy at the Annual Meeting. Just stop by the Subdivisions section of the Registration Desk Saturday - Wednesday or the INFORMS booth in the exhibition hall Sunday - Tuesday where representatives will help you decide on the Subdivision that best matches your interests. Indeed, INFORMS has Subdivisions that span the breadth of the OR/MS profession. Most are very inexpensive and feature newsletters, list serves, discussion boards, and intimate meetings.
Today's Community/Subdivision Business Meetings
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12
| Information Systems |
M - Virginia C, Lobby Level 5:30pm-6:30pm |
| Service Science |
M - Room 8219, Lobby Level 6:00pm-8:00pm |
| Aviation Applications |
O - Capitol 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Data Mining & Artificial Intelligence |
M - Maryland C, Lobby Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| eBusiness |
M - Coolidge,Mezzanine Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Energy, Natural Resources & the Envrmnt |
M - Maryland A, Lobby Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Forum on Education (INFORM-ED) |
M - Jackson,Mezzanine Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Location Analysis |
O - Forum 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Military Applications Society Council |
M - Room 8205, Lobby Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Minority Issues Forum |
M - Maryland B, Lobby Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Optimization |
M - Marshall West,Mezzanine Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Railway Applications |
O - Hampton Ballroom 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Revenue Management & Pricing |
O - Governor's Ballroom 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Simulation |
M - Harding,Mezzanine Level 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Telecommunications |
M - Embassy,Wardman Twr, Lobby Lev. 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Transportation Science & Logistics Board |
O - Chairman's Room 6:15pm-7:15pm |
| Decision Analysis Society Council |
M - T.Paine,Wardman Twr, Lobby Lev. 6:15pm-7:30pm |
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| M = Marriott Wardman Park O=Omni Shoreham |
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