Pinar Keskinocak is the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor in the School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) at Georgia Tech. She is the co-founder and Director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems (CHHS). Previously, she served as Associate Chair for Faculty Development in ISyE, College of Engineering ADVANCE Professor, and Interim Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Scholarship.

Her research spans supply chain management and applications in health and humanitarian systems, with a multidisciplinary, multi-stakeholder perspective. Recent work has focused on disease modeling, evaluating interventions, resource allocation, process improvement for healthcare delivery, and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. Her research has appeared in leading journals and has been supported by government agencies, industry, NGOs, and foundations.

Her leadership and service within Georgia Tech, professional communities, and nationwide have been extensive, including serving as President of INFORMS. Dr. Keskinocak is a Fellow of INFORMS and IISE. She is the recipient of the INFORMS President’s Award (2024), George E. Kimball Medal (2024), Women in Operations Research and Management Science Award.

Infectious diseases continue to affect millions of people around the world. Pharmaceutical or non-pharmaceutical interventions such as testing, vaccines, or treatments help control their spread. Resources for the deployment of interventions are often limited, and decisions regarding what, when, and how to deploy need to incorporate various short- and long-term considerations, as well as human behaviors. In this presentation, we will illustrate these challenges using a few examples from infectious diseases that are targeted for elimination or eradication, and share results from modeling studies to help inform these complex decisions.