The Departmental Seminar Series is open to all. U-M Industrial and Operations Engineering graduate students and faculty are especially encouraged to attend.

Title:
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Operations Research and Analytics: A Research Agenda for Scholarship, Practice and Service

Abstract:
Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) refers to strategies and processes that enable organizations to become more reflective of and responsive to identities, values and experiences of different stakeholder groups. Organizations committed to DEI may better fulfill their missions and improve the well-being of their stakeholder groups and of society at large.

In this talk, I will explore the presence of DEI in OR/analytics through an assessment of the profession (the diversity of OR/analytics practitioners) and scholarship (published and emerging work that addresses DEI and related issues). My focus will be on traditionally underrepresented and marginalized groups and communities. I will discuss current and proposed initiatives to support the increased application of DEI principles throughout OR/analytics practice, research and education. I will argue that infusing DEI and social & racial justice principles within OR/analytics can enable our society to become more equitable, more just and more welcoming of people from diverse backgrounds, identities and communities.

Bio:
Michael P. Johnson is Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Policy and Public Affairs at University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Johnson’s research focuses on developing decision models and decision support systems to improve operations and strategy design of nonprofit organizations and government agencies. His primary application areas are affordable and assisted housing, community development, climate change response, and diversity, equity and inclusion in the decision sciences. Dr. Johnson has published widely in academic journals of OR/analytics, urban planning, and housing policy. His most recent extended works include a lead-edited volume of curated papers, including INFORMS Editor’s Cut: Diversity and Inclusion: Analytics for Social Impact (INFORMS, 2019), a lead-edited special issue of European Journal of Operational Research on community operational research (Elsevier, 2018) and a lead-authored book, Decision Science for Housing and Community Development: Localized and Evidence‐Based Responses to Distressed Housing and Blighted Communities (Wiley, 2016). His lead-authored book Supporting Shrinkage: Planning and Decision-Making for Legacy Cities (SUNY Press) will appear in Spring 2021. Dr. Johnson earned his PhD from Northwestern University in operations research in 1997 and his bachelor of science from Morehouse College in 1987.