Scott Nestler, CAP®
Associate Teaching Professor; IT, Analytics, & Operations Department; Mendoza College of Business; University of Notre Dame
Vision Statement
Having been a member for 15+ years and involved in volunteer and leadership roles (primarily the Analytics Conference Committee, and the Analytics Certification Board for the CAP® program, but also the SpORts Section and Chicago Chapter) for over a decade, many of you already know me. For those of you who do not, please allow me to provide a bit more.
Kelly Corrigan’s three-part formula for happiness is, “Make yourself useful, doing something hard, with good people.” This quote resonates with me, as it describes my outlook, in both the professional and personal aspects of my life. Tackling and solving challenging problems is motivating for me. In my endeavors, I want to contribute to something meaningful, by educating others and influencing decisions, while surrounding myself with the best family, friends, and colleagues possible.
My role at Notre Dame is one way in which I facilitate my attempts to accomplish this 3-part statement; INFORMS is another. It bothers me when I am asked to choose whether I am an Academic or a Practitioner (e.g. on various INFORMS surveys or registration forms). In my mind, I have one foot firmly planted on each side of the fence. That isn’t quite the right metaphor, as I don’t believe there is such an obstacle. The activities and members of both groups are necessary to ensure the success of each other, INFORMS, and our profession.
When people ask me about INFORMS, I describe it as my “professional home.” To paraphrase a quote by General Colin Powell (who was describing West Point and the military profession):
“[INFORMS is] ... the wellspring of my chosen profession -- the place where the professional standards are set, the place that defines the [analytic] culture, the place that nurtures the values and virtues of ... service and passes them on from generation to generation.”
I imagine that my life would be much more drab and uninteresting without the people I have met and experiences I have had due to INFORMS.
INFORMS is in a strong position, organizationally and financially. With an outstanding professional staff and dedicated volunteers, the budgeting process supports the organization’s strategic plan. Recent years have seen operating surpluses and increases in reserve funds, allowing some funding of member-proposed initiatives. Ensuring continued financial stability would be my primary focus as Treasurer.
As a member of the INFORMS Investment Committee for the past two years, I am confident that the performance of our investment advisors is receiving regular (quarterly) oversight that had been missing in previous years. Optimal invetment portfolio selection was the topic of my PhD dissertation, and likely one reason I was asked to join the Investment Committee. One area that I would focus my attention is on the near-term financing aspects that fall under the purview of the Treasurer through the INFORMS Finance Committee. I am in no way suggesting that things are not in order there; but rather recognizing that this is an area where I have not been as closely involved.
I do strongly support the ongoing efforts to improve public funding for INFORMS activities. The recently held INFORMS Government & Analytics Summit is one way to improve visibility of our organization and explain the value we deliver to society through OR/MS and analytics. Funding of future such events are investments that should reap rewards over time. Additionally, I propose to work with other INFORMS leaders and staff members to continue the diversification and growth of INFORMS’ revenue streams.
In conclusion, I am honored to be nominated for Treasurer of INFORMS. INFORMS has millions of dollars in income, expenses and reserves, which require stewardship on your behalf. Being a board member is a solemn responsibility that I pledge to take seriously. If elected, I look forward to serving with the professional staff, the other board members chosen by you -- our members, who are the organization. I ask for your support (i.e. vote) so that I may continue to serve you in this new role.
Biographical Profile
Education
- BS, Civil Engineering, Lehigh University, 1989
- MS, Applied Mathematics, Naval Postgraduate School, 1999
- PhD, Management Science & Statistics, University of Maryland - College Park, 2007
Professional Experience
- University of Notre Dame, Associate Teaching Professor, 2015-present; Incoming Director, MS in Business Analytics and dual MBA/MSBA programs
- U.S. Army, Operations Research Analyst, Force Strategy Division Chief, 2013-2015; Director, Center for Data Analysis & Statistics, 2008-2010; Assistant Professor, 2007-2012; Manpower Analyst, 2002- 2004; Instructor, 1999-2002
- U.S. Army, PATRIOT Air Defense Artillery Officer, 1990-1997
INFORMS Activities
- INFORMS Investment Committee, 2017-Present
- Planning Committee, INFORMS Midwest Practice of Analytics Conference, 2017
- Volunteer, Pro Bono Analytics, 2016-Present
- Review Committee, Editors’ Cut, 2016
- Reviewer, INFORMS Transactions on Education Journal, 2016-Present
- Vice Chair, INFORMS SpORts (OR in Sports) Section, 2015-Present
- Chair / Vice Chair, Analytics Certification Board (ACB) for CAP® program, 2013-2015
- INFORMS Certification Task Force, 2011-2013
- Co-Chair, Various Tracks, INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics and Operations Research, 2011-2018
- INFORMS Analytics Job Task Analysis Working Group, 2011-2012
- Co-Chair, Military Applications Track, Winter Simulation Conference 2011, Phoenix, 2010-2011
- INFORMS Credentialing Committee, 2008-2010
Publications Summary
- Author of over 25 journal papers, articles, and conference proceedings that have appeared in Significance, Decision Analysis, Naval Research Logistics, OR/MS Today, Analytics Magazine, PHALANX, and others
- Volume Editor, “Analytics in Sports,” INFORMS Editor’s Cut, 2015
- Contributing Author, "Fundamentals of Data Analytics", with Iain Pardoe, Rodney X. Sturdivant, Joel Berrier, & Krista Watts, zyBooks, 2016
- Co-Author, “Mathletics” (2nd Edition), with Wayne Winston and Konstantinos Pelechrinis, 2018 (forthcoming)
Honors and Awards
- Accredited Professional Statistician (PStat®), American Statistical Association, 2010
- Richard H. Barchi Prize, Military Operations Research Society, 2010
- Certified Analytics Professional (CAP®), 2013
Other Professional Actitivities
- Reviewer for numerous journals: Central European Journal of Operations Research, Military Medicine, Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction
- Judge, Mathematical Competition in Modeling, COMAP, 2008-2012, 2016-Present