J. Cole Smith
Dean
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Syracuse University
Biographical Profile
Education
- PhD, Virginia Tech (Industrial and Systems Engineering)
- BS, Clemson University (Mathematical Sciences)
Professional Experience
- Syracuse University, Dean (2019-Present)
- Clemson University, Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives (2018-2019); Department Chair, Industrial Engineering (2014-2018)
- University of Florida, Associate Professor (2005-2010) and Professor (2010-2014)
- University of Arizona, Assistant Professor (2000-2005)
Selected INFORMS and Related Activities (Member since 1999)
- 2019-2022: INFORMS Vice President for Publications
- 2018-2019: Chair, INFORMS Computing Society
- 2017: Co-chair, Nicholson Prize Committee
- 2016: Chair, Association of Chairs of Operations Research Departments
- 2014: Chair, JFIG Best Paper Competition
- 2012-2017: Series Editor-in-Chief, TutORials in Operations Research
- 2012, 2014: Panelist, Doctoral Dissertation Award for R. in Telecommunications Award
- 2008-2010: Member-of-council, INFORMS Telecommunications Section
- 2005: Tutorials Chair, INFORMS Annual Meeting; Inaugural Volume Editor of TutORials in Operations Research
- 2004: INFORMS Future Academician Colloquium Chair
Selected Professional Honors and Awards
- Fellow, INFORMS (2023)
- Fellow, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers – IISE (2018)
- Glover-Klingman Prize for Best Paper in Networks (Sullivan and Smith, 2014)
- Hamed K. Eldin Outstanding Young Industrial Engineer in Education Award (2010)
- IIE Operations Research Division Teaching Award (2009)
- IIE Transactions Best Paper Award (Lim and Smith, 2007)
- Young Investigator Award by the Office of Naval Research (2002)
Selected National Service Activities
- 2018-2021: IISE Senior Vice President for Continuing Education
- 2017-2018: Council of Industrial Engineering Department Heads (CIEADH) Chair
- 2009: Program Co-chair, Industrial Engineering Research Conference
- 2003: Distinguished Visiting Professor, National Security Agency
Selected Publications
https://colesmit.expressions.syr.edu/publications/
- Bochkarev, A.A. and Smith, J.C., “On Aligning Non-order-associated Binary Decision Diagrams,” INFORMS Journal on Computing, 35(5), 910-928, 2023.
- Lozano, L. and Smith, J.C., “A Binary Decision Diagram Based Algorithm for Solving a Class of Integer Two-Stage Stochastic Programs,” Mathematical Programming, 191(1), 381-404, 2022.
- Holzmann, T. and Smith, J.C., “The Shortest Path Interdiction Problem with Randomized Interdiction Strategies: Complexity and Algorithms,” Operations Research, 69(1), 82-99, 2021.
Statement
I am elated to have the opportunity to run for president of INFORMS. I still have vivid memories of my first meeting (Philadelphia in 1999), where these amazing luminaries in our field were so personable and welcoming to me as a student. Being nominated for this role is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give back to a community that has given so much to me.
I envision the INFORMS President as a person who advances, in creative, collaborative, and thoughtful ways, the Strategic Plan set forth by the larger community. I know the INFORMS Strategic Plan well from my time on the Board of Directors as Vice President of Publications. If elected, I would be coming into this role with a balanced perspective of prior leadership through INFORMS and through the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers. Furthermore, I am starting my sixth year as Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Syracuse University. These experiences have collectively allowed me to understand the organizational structure and culture of INFORMS, while engaging with a breadth of industry, government, and educational partners. I am experienced in leading change and seizing opportunities while remaining responsible for a large and diverse array of constituents.
As president, I would focus primarily on broadening our membership base and maximizing the impact our field makes in addressing contemporary and future real-world challenges.
Toward the first goal, I want to lead a deep and sustained dive into examining what we can do to provide more value to members, and how we can greatly diversify the INFORMS membership. Let data be our guide; let social sciences inform our strategies; let our members tell us how we’re doing. INFORMS tends to have some of the same demographic underrepresentation problems that our constituent institutions face. Moreover, I am acutely aware that many industry professionals whose expertise lies squarely within OR/MS/analytics do not fully engage with INFORMS. Yet, in many other respects, INFORMS is a vibrant and diverse community with researchers from all over the world, in a wide variety of fields of study. We are simultaneously incredibly diverse, and not nearly diverse enough. Why do I, a 25-year member of INFORMS, feel at home within this organization while some of my colleagues do not? Can we glean lessons from the social sciences on these matters, using our analytics to advance our goals of increased membership numbers, inclusion, and belonging?
The second theme is producing more opportunities for our members to highlight high-impact work and amplifying our field’s many successes. This is a multifaceted problem that starts with bolstering the reputation of INFORMS among industry, government, and academic organizations: There is simply no substitute for very-high quality science and innovation. Next, for long-term sustainability and relevance, INFORMS certainly needs to continue its long-standing goal of marketing and communicating to the outside world about what we do. More than that, though, it is critical that our members are seen as the eminent thought leaders that they are. My mission would be to prioritize action that promotes high-quality research and practice, and enhances our ability to recognize, award, and disseminate those successes.
These goals are especially vital now, with complementary fields like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) garnering so much attention. As the world learns what AI/ML can (and cannot yet) do well, the INFORMS community is primed to tell the world what OR/MS/analytics does beautifully, the successes we have already claimed and are continuing to observe, and how the future of making better decisions for a just, prosperous, and sustainable world will be led by this preeminent organization.
For more information, please visit https://ecs.syracuse.edu/faculty-staff/j-cole-smith