Purdue's Krannert School selected as finalist for 2022 UPS George D. Smith Prize

Monday, January 31, 2022

INFORMS, the largest association for the decision and data sciences, has selected Purdue University's Krannert School of Management as one of three finalists for the 2022 UPS George D. Smith Prize, which recognizes excellence in preparing students to become practitioners of operations research and analytics.

Named in honor of the late UPS Chief Executive Officer – a champion of operations researchers at a leading Fortune 500 corporation – the UPS George D. Smith Prize was created in the spirit of strengthening ties between industry and the schools of higher education that graduate young practitioners of operations research.

The prize is awarded to an academic department or program for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research and analytics. These students go on to fill positions in industry and government, jobs that are essential to the goal of elevating the field of operations research and analytics to help people make better decisions that save lives, save money and solve problems.

Krannert’s strengths in operations management and analytics are well established. The MS in Business Analytics and Information Management has been ranked the #1 Data Science Master’s program by CIO magazine, while the Operations Management undergraduate and graduate programs have been ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report for more than 25 years.

"The Krannert School has always nurtured an analytic approach to management," says Ananth Iyer, management department head and senior associate dean. "Our success today is built on a dedication to the teaching, research and practice of operations research and analytics profession."

Current faculty in Krannert’s Supply Chain and Operations and Quantitative Methods areas have nearly 46,000 Google citations for their research. Those leading-edge discoveries are passed along to students throughout bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, particularly those in supply chain and business analytics.

"Students can apply their knowledge in a number of activities outside the classroom, including case competitions, research projects with faculty, and consulting opportunities with corporate partners," says Iyer. "They walk into job interviews with more than a GPA – they bring real-world experience."

The other finalists for the 2022 Smith Prize are Eindhoven University of Technology, Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science; and the University of Toronto, The Rotman School of Management, Master of Management Analytics. The winner will be announced on April 4 at the 2022 INFORMS Business Analytics Conference in Houston, Texas.