UMass Amherst Student Chapter of INFORMS

Thanks to everyone who made the visit and talk of Tymofiy Mylovanov, the President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), at the University of Massachusetts Amherst today so informative and extremely timely. Special thanks to UMass Amherst Provost Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, Vice Provost Kalpen Trivedi, SBS Dean Karl Rethemeyer, and Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst Senior Associate Dean Lisa Pike Masteralexis for joining us at lunch with thanks also to the exchange students from KSE and our OM Isenberg PhD students plus OIM Chair Senay Solak and Professor Bogdan Prokopovych ???? for meeting with him. Mylovanov's talk, "Future of Europe if Ukraine Loses," generated many questions and attracted an audience from UMass Amherst, Amherst College, and the community. Discussions continued at the excellent reception, thanks to the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs. The partnership between #UMassAmherst and KSE continues to flourish with Virtual Scholars in Ukraine collaborating and publishing with faculty at UMass Amherst as well as with PhD students. Leading a university in wartime is extraordinarily challenging and doing so with the energy and innovation of Dr. Mylovanov and his team inspires.

Happening today! We are delighted to host President Tymofiy Mylovanov of the Kyiv School of Economics for a special visit and talk today. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has had a special #mobility and #research #partnership with #KSE since 2022. Please join us for his talk on "Future of Europe if Ukraine loses." #ukraine #umass #globalpartnership #kse Anna Nagurney UMass Amherst Student Chapter of INFORMS Kalpen T. Eric Wirth

This week was a very, very tough one for Ukrainians and their supporters everywhere, beginning with, on Monday, when we marked the 3rd anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to today's meeting of leaders in Washington DC. But, yesterday, there was a special event, organized by the UMass Amherst Student Chapter of INFORMS, which shone a bright light on our exceptional exchange students from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) in Ukraine, who spoke on a panel at the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst: Asta Motrenko, Marharyta Nechytailo, Karyna Lutsenko, and Oleksandra Horusieva. Their courage, work ethic, dedication, and appreciation of everything that the University of Massachusetts Amherst offers in terms of outstanding education and excellent extracurricular activities plus events and sports facilities, library, and award-winning food at the dining commons and many friendships with students from around the globe were truly heart-warming. Thanks to my fellow moderator: Professor Bogdan Prokopovych ???? and to the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs for sending representatives to our event, with a special shoutout to Kenneth J. Reade, and to all those who came to support the Ukrainian students, who are so far from home, including our great #UMassAmherst #INFORMS Student Chapter Officers and members: Ismael M. Pour, Dana Hassani, Samira Samadi, Josh Gladstone, G. Busra Karkili, and Yukti Kathuria and Professor Nataliia Bychkova from Amherst College and Nataliia Rubanska. For some background on the exceptional partnership between KSE and UMass Amherst, please, see the slide deck of my presentation yesterday https://lnkd.in/eW2eyVjN #globalpartnerships #highered #studentexchanges #Ukraine

Last year, we had the honor of welcoming Dr. Tymofiy Mylovanov, President of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), to UMass Amherst. He shared powerful stories of resilience and leadership during wartime, and our Chapter had the privilege of interviewing him, gaining firsthand insights into his experiences at KSE. Now, we are excited to welcome Dr. Mylovanov back to our campus next Friday for another thought-provoking discussion! ?? He will deliver a timely and critical talk on “The Future of Europe if Ukraine Loses,” offering his perspective on Ukraine’s role in shaping Europe’s future. ???? We extend our gratitude to the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst, Operations and Information Management Department, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst, and other supporters at University of Massachusetts Amherst for making this event possible. ???? ?? See our flyer for more details—we look forward to seeing you there! #UMassAmherst #Ukraine #KSE #TymofiyMylovanov #Europe #Leadership

The To My Younger Self (TMYS) mentoring program, organized by INFORMS WORMS, is now accepting applications for its 2025 cohort. This program supports underrepresented IE/OR/MS PhD students (year 3+) in developing professional skills, building networks, and receiving mentorship from experienced academics and industry professionals. Great to see Dr. Muge Capan, who joined us for our Chapter's #SpeakerSeries and gave an insightful interview, on the organizing committee! See the details below, and apply here before March 1: https://lnkd.in/erNfcsVR #INFORMS #Mentorship #WORMS #PhD

We have exciting upcoming events at the Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. On February 27, there will be a panel, organized by the UMass Amherst Student Chapter of INFORMS, with the exchange students from the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), now studying at #UMassAmherst: Asta Motrenko, Marharyta Nechytailo, Karyna Lutsenko, and Oleksandra Horusieva, moderated by my colleague Dr. Bogdan Prokopovych ???? and me. And, on March 7, the President of KSE, Dr. Tymofiy Mylovanov, will visit and deliver a seminar. That event is made possible by the UMass Amherst Office of Global Affairs and the UMass Amherst Student Chapter of INFORMS. Information is on the joint flyer below. Thanks also to the Operations and Information Management Department, Isenberg School of Management, UMass Amherst for the support. Do join us, if you can.

Join us on Thursday, February 27th at 4PM for an engaging panel discussion as we reflect on more than three years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine ???? Professors Anna Nagurney and Bogdan Prokopovych ???? will share insights from the University of Massachusetts Amherst – Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) partnership, followed by a conversation with our incredible Ukrainian exchange students Asta Motrenko, Marharyta Nechytailo, Oleksandra Horusieva, and Karyna Lutsenko. This is a great opportunity to hear firsthand perspectives, learn more about the impact of the war, and support our fellow students. We invite all of you to be part of this important discussion. See the attached flyer for details! We hope to see you there! ????

?? Proud to Present: #UMassINFORMS2024Wrapped ?? It has been an incredible year for our Chapter! From insightful #SpeakerSeries talks and interviews to building a strong community through events, we have had so many milestones to celebrate. Looking forward to more growth and impact in 2025! ?? #2024Wrapped #ORMS #YearInReview #INFORMS #Wrapped

??Reminder: We’ve taken off to #Bluesky! ??? If you’ve been following us on Twitter, stay connected and join us on Bluesky for the latest #ORMS updates and discussions. Let’s continue the conversation as the ORMS community! Follow us at: umassinforms.bsky.social #INFORMS #ManagementScience #OperationsResearch #OperationsManagement #BusinessAnalytics #OR #MS #FollowOnBluesky #StudentChapter

?? WHMP recently featured two interviews connected to our Student Chapter! ?? 1) In the interview titled “UMass Isenberg School Prof. Anna Nagurney: Trump, Tariffs & Tradeoffs,” our Faculty Advisor Prof. Nagurney discussed the impact of trade policies on global trade and supply chains. ?? Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ezBTVbri 2) Following last year’s panel and YouTube interview on our channel, Kyiv School of Economics exchange students—Asta Motrenko, Oleksandra Horusieva, Marharyta Nechytailo, and Karyna Lutsenko—were featured in a new radio interview. They shared their experiences studying abroad during Russia’s war on Ukraine, the challenges they have faced, and their hopes for the future. ?? Listen here: https://lnkd.in/ehqTSb4u Thank you to WHMP hosts Buz Eisenberg and Bill Newman for highlighting these important conversations! #GlobalTrade #SupplyChain #Tariffs #HigherEducation #Ukraine #WHMP