Vice President - Meetings

Ariela Sofer

Divisional Dean for Engineering
College of Engineering and Computing
George Mason University

Biographical Profile

Education

  • DSc, Operations Research, George Washington University, 1984
  • BSc, Mathematics, M.Sc. Operations Research, Technion, Israel, 1979

Professional Experience

  • George Mason University
    • Divisional Dean, 2021-Present (Interim, for first two years)
    • Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, 2018-2023
    • Chair, Systems Engineering and Operations Research Department, 2002-2017
    • Professor, 1996-Present, Associate Professor (1989-1996), Assistant Professor (1994-1989)

Selected INFORMS and Related Activities (Member since 1984)

  • Vice President, Meetings, Jan. 2023-Dec. 2024
  • Chair, Fellows Committee, 2021 (Member, 2019-2021)
  • Vice President, Subdivisions, 2009-2010
  • President, ACORD, 2008-2009, President Elect/Secretary, 2006-2007
  • Chair, Computing Society, 2003-2005
  • Meetings chaired:
    • General Co-chair, 2020 Virtual INFORMS Annual Meeting
    • Co-chair, NSF/INFORMS Workshop: Bridging the Gap: O.R. in Medicine and Biology, Pittsburgh, October 2006
    • Co-chair, CSTS Conference, Williamsburg, VA, 1994 
  • Committee Chair:
    • Computing Society Distinguished Service Award, 2021; Selection of Editor-in-Chief, INFORMS Journal on Computing (IJOC), 2018; Review of Editor-in-Chief, IJOC, 2015; Farkas Prize, 2015 and 2016
  • Judge, INFORMS Minority Issues Forum Student Poster Competition (2013-Present, annually)
  • Board Positions:
    • IFEES, VP for Communications, 2020-2022, Executive Committee, 2018-2020
    • INCOSE, Director of Academic Matters, 2017-2020 (Member, Fellows Selection Committee, 2023-2025)
    • IISE, Secretary, Board of Trustees, 2014-2017
  • Meetings and Workshops:
    • Co-chair, IIE New Faculty Colloquium, 2009, 2010
    • Co-chair, 3rd International Conference on Model-Based SE, 2010
    • Co-chair, GMU/IBM/AFCEA Workshop, Service-Oriented Architectures, 2008
    • Co-chair, SIAM International Conference on Optimization, Toronto 2002
  • Other Major Committees
    • Chair, IFEES Duncan Fraser Global Award for Excellence in Engineering Education, 2020-2024
    • Chair, Search Committee, Editor-in-Chief, Systems Engineering, 2019
    • Secretary/Treasurer, SIAM SIG on Optimization SIAG/OPT, 1997-2000

Selected Professional Honors and Awards

  • Fellow: INFORMS 2016, IISE 2018, INCOSE 2022
  • Elected Member, Cosmos Club, 2010

Selected Publication Summary  

http://mason.gmu.edu/~asofer/

Co-author of textbook published by McGraw Hill and in second edition by SIAM, co-editor of four books/special issues, and author/co-author of more than 50 refereed publications.

Statement

I would be honored to continue in my role as the VP of Meetings for a second term. INFORMS meetings provide our members with unique opportunities for disseminating the latest research and technologies, as well as networking and collaboration. As VP of Meetings, I will continue to ensure that our meetings provide excellent value to INFORMS members while supporting the overall INFORMS objectives. My vision focuses on three intertwined areas: (1) enhancing the conference experience; (2) broadening participation; and (3) exploring new opportunities.

INFORMS conducts several Institute-level conferences, including the Annual Meeting, Analytics Conference, International Conference, and topical conferences such as those focused on Healthcare and Security. As VP of Meetings, I will work to ensure that the breadth of our membership is always at the forefront and the interests of all members are served and enhanced. Whether your objective is to learn about the latest research and technologies, present your own work, or network, we strive to meet your expectations.

Focusing on the diverse needs of our members guides me as VP of Meetings. To succeed, one must also be aware of the evolving landscape of professional conferences in the post-pandemic world and be prepared to adapt. Among the challenges we face are the limited and decreasing number of sites that can accommodate the many parallel sessions our Annual Meeting requires, as well as increased competition, especially in the world of data analytics. However, challenges also fuel new ideas and opportunities, and together with the outstanding Meetings Committee and INFORMS staff, we are continuously making headway.

Much of the work in enhancing the conference experience goes hand-in-hand with broadening participation. In particular, I am interested in expanding participation among practitioners, students, and international members, and advancing our diversity. Although our meetings have returned to in-person mode, I believe there are opportunities to explore regarding virtual or hybrid meetings, possibly including plenary/keynote sessions. This would allow participants who cannot travel or face delays in securing entry visas to partake in activities and gain value.

INFORMS also supports subdivision thematic and regional conferences, and I will work with our members to support their corresponding needs. I look forward to fostering new special conferences, particularly in emerging areas of global impact such as sustainability and smart growth. A virtual student-focused conference could also attract students and potential employers. Finally, I am very keen on expanding our international offerings, and possibly even establishing regularly recurring international meetings in one or two regions of the world.

Thanks to the extraordinary INFORMS staff and our outstanding member volunteers, INFORMS meetings have been very successful. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a nominee for a second term as INFORMS VP of Meetings.

For more information, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariela-sofer-86287811/