Jacobson named an INFORMS Fellow

Sheldon Jacobson, a professor of computer science, has been elected as a fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) for his lifetime achievement in the field of operations research.

"It is a privilege to be recognized by my peers for this distinction," said Jacobson.

As director of the Simulation & Optimization Lab at Illinois, Jacobson is well-known for his work in operations research (OR). OR combines a multitude of tools in engineering, computer science, mathematical modeling and algorithms, and statistical analysis. It also utilizes tactics like probability theory, game theory, decision analysis, and simulation to find optimal solutions to complex problems.

His most notable studies have shed light on how the growing rate of obesity in the U.S. is correlated to higher fuel costs, the need to invest and position security devices at airports, and even the odds a basketball seed has in winning the NCAA tournament.

Recently, Jacobson was selected as a member of a National Academy of Science committee that will to evaluate the safety of advanced imaging technology used in airport screening.

In particular, the committee is examining the safety of backscatter x-ray machines deployed at security checkpoints across the US. These machines were recently pulled out of service due to privacy concerns, though some have wondered if there were potential health risks due to minor levels of radiation.

“The charge of our committee is to look at what people have done to evaluate the safety of these devices and make a recommendation as to the validity of the studies that have been conducted and provide new potential insight on whether the devices are safe to the flying public,” said Jacobson. “We have a charge that will last for the next fourteen months and we’ll have a number of on-site and off-site meetings to discuss the literature and assess the safety of these devices.”

Jacobson is also serving as program director at the National Science Foundation (his second year), where he is responsible for setting and guiding the national agenda for his field, operations research.

“As program director, I interact with the entire operations research community, providing guidelines and guidance. I assess and evaluate research proposals and recommend funding for some of these proposals,” said Jacobson, “I interact with the community to help it move forward in a positive direction that will be for the greatest good and advance knowledge in the field.”

Jacobson is the second Illinois professor to receive this recognition: Industrial Engineering Professor Judith Liebman was named a Fellow in 2002. The formal announcement will be made at annual INFORMS conference this week in Minneapolis.