Voting/Elections

Expert speakers in a variety of fields within the decision and data sciences. Members support organizations and governments at all levels as they work to transform data into information, and information into insights that lead to more efficient, effective, equitable and impactful results.

James Howard

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory

James Howard is a data scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Previously, he worked for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an internal consultant on statistical computing. He has also been a consultant to numerous government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Executive Office of the President, and the United States Department of Homeland Security. He also teaches mathematics and statistics at the University of Maryland. His research spans the applications of data science. His most recent published scholarship has modeled the population of Earth-orbiting satellites, analyzed the risks of flood insurance, predicted disruptive events, and sought to understand small business cybersecurity.

He holds a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Maryland, a M.S. in Public Administration from University of Baltimore and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Highlights

  • Areas of Expertise: Statistical computing, Data science applications, Disruptive event prediction, Small business cybersecurity
  • Worked for Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
  • Consulted for numerous government agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Executive Office of the President, and the United States Department of Homeland Security

Josh Dehlinger

Towson University

Josh Dehlinger is an associate professor in the Department of Computer and Informational Sciences at Towson University. His research interests include software safety/reliability, software reuse, software product line engineering, agent-oriented software engineering and requirements engineering. He has been the primary developer of security tools and softwares, such as SSVChecker and PLFaultCAT. He holds a B.S. in Management of Computer Systems from the University of Wisconsin and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Iowa State University.

Highlights

  • Areas of Expertise: Software safety/reliability, Software reuse, Software product line engineering
  • Primary developer of security tools and softwares like SSVChecker and PLFaultCAT

Natalie Scala

Towson University

Natalie Scala is an associate professor and Graduate Program Director in the Department of Business Analytics and Technology Management at Towson University. She formerly worked with the United States Department of Defense, the RAND Corporation and the FirstEnergy Corporation. Her research includes decision modeling, energy utilities, military applications, spare parts management, cyber security and election security. She has published several papers in leading journals including INFORMS Transactions on Education. She holds a B.S. in Mathematics from John Carroll University, and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh.

Highlights

  • Areas of Expertise: Decision modeling, Energy utilities, Spare parts management, Cybersecurity, Election security
  • Worked with the United States Department of Defense, the RAND Corporation, and the FirstEnergy Corporation

Sheldon H. Jacobson

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Sheldon H. Jacobson is a Founder Professor of Computer Science, Director of the Simulation and Optimization Laboratory, and Founding Director of the Bed Time Research Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a B.S. and M.S. in mathematics from McGill University and a Ph.D. in operations research from Cornell University.

Over the decades, Professor Jacobson has dedicated his effort to draw the attention of the public to the power of operations research and analytics for informed policy and decision making. He has made research contributions to operations research and optimization-based artificial intelligence. Additionally, he has written on a broad range of subjects: aviation security, healthcare, transportation, political redistricting and elections, etc. He is an INFORMS Fellow and has received the INFORMS Impact Prize.

Highlights

  • Areas of Expertise: Informed policy and decision making, Aviation security, Healthcare, Transportation, Political redistricting, Elections

Media Contact

Ashley Smith
Public Affairs Coordinator
INFORMS
Catonsville, MD
[email protected]
443-757-3578