Inclusive Workplaces: What Do They (or Should They) Look Like for the Analytics & ORMS Industry?

Monday, April 15, 2024, 3:40-4:30pm

Inclusive Workplaces: What Do They (or Should They) Look Like for the Analytics & ORMS Industry?

The panel brings together individuals who represent various INFORMS forums, including Minority Interest, Military Veterans, Pride, and Women in ORMS. The panelists will share their experiences and thoughts on how diverse, inclusive, and equitable the workplaces in the analytics and ORMS industry are and could be. The panel discussion will highlight ways for us to create a more interconnected and inclusive professional community.

Moderator: Elena Gerstmann

Executive Director at INFORMS

Bio

Elena Gerstmann, PhD, FASAE, CAE, uses she/her/hers pronouns. She is the Executive Director of INFORMS. INFORMS is the largest association for decision and data sciences. It advances and promotes the science and technology of decision making to save lives, save money, and solve problems. Before joining INFORMS, Elena served as a Principal at Avenue M Group. She previously served on the senior executive team at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).

She earned her doctorate in social psychology from Rutgers University. She is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. She is a fellow and past board member of ASAE and is currently on the Board of Directors for CESSE.

Panelist: Shannon Browning

Technical Lead for Analytics at Haskell

Bio

Shannon Browning holds the role of Technical Lead for Analytics at Haskell, an AEC firm. A Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) with two decades of analytics expertise in the CPG sector, her specialties include discrete-event simulation, capacity analysis, and capital project management. Her tenure at Haskell includes a stint as Business Analytics Manager and the successful integration of Power BI into the company’s systems. Shannon’s academic background includes Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech and Accounting from Georgia State.

Panelist: Afi Harrington

Director of the Division of Evaluation and Analytics at the Food and Drug Administration

Bio

Afi Harrington is the Director of the Division of Evaluation and Analytics at the Food and Drug Administration. She holds a BS in Mathematics from Spelman College and a MOR and PhD in Operations Research from North Carolina State University.

Dr. Harrington held positions at the National Security Agency, Center for Naval Analyses, and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She co-founded an analytical consulting firm where she served as Managing Partner/CFO with oversight of finance, HR administration, IT, and security.

Dr. Harrington leveraged her small business experience and transition into small business consulting starting independently then joining the DC Small Business Development Center. She also worked as a business coach with two companies serving small law firm owners.

Dr. Harrington resides in Bowie, MD with her husband. Her two sons are majoring in computer science at the University of Maryland College Park.

Panelist: Emmy Smith

Senior Manager, Partner Intelligence at Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Bio

Emmy Smith leverages her Analytical and Relator strengths to bridge the divide of data and business. She is a highly effective leader with 15+ years of experience leveraging her strengths to build teams that use analytics to power data-driven decision making that delivers business results. She has the ability to see around corners to assess and mitigate risk while being a catalyst for change. She exercises a deliberate focus on attracting and retaining diverse talent and building a team culture founded on emotional intelligence, collaboration, and mentorship. She spent time in finance and telecommunications before moving to the tech industry. Currently, Emmy leads a team of analytics professionals at Amazon Web Services and is based in Seattle. With a passion for developing others, she routinely volunteers as a mentor and coach for organizations like Built by Girls and the Tri Sigma Foundation. She’s been an Industry Liaison with Women in OR/MS for the last six year. Beginning with BS degrees in math and physics, she launched her career path with a MS in Statistics from the University of South Carolina and accelerated it with a MBA from Western Governors University. She’s always happy to connect with others looking to succeed in analytics careers. You can find her on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmy-smith/.

Panelist: Nick Ulmer, CAP

Principal Operations Research Analyst at CANA LLC

Bio

Mr. Nick Ulmer is a retired Navy Supply Corps officer with over 20 years as a defense systems analyst. He is a Principal Operations Research Analyst for CANA LLC where he leads teams of analytics professionals to produce high level analytics products across federal and commercial domains including: operations research studies & analysis, models of systems, data and information-based decision support solutions, and data quality & analytic assessments. He is the current President of the INFORMS Veteran Interest Forum, voting council member of INFORM Military and Security Society, and the VP of Professional Development on the Executive Council of the Military Operations Research Society (MORS).

Panelist: William Christian

Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder at Paygevity

Bio

Dr. Bill Christian can often be found communicating about technical ideas. He is the CTO of Paygevity, a Supply Chain FinTech, and a research mathematician for the federal government. He also spends a lot of time volunteering in various pastoral and secular roles.

Having been an INFORMS member since the 1990s, he has served as an officer in the Minority Issues Forum, on the Pro Bono Analytics Committee, on the DEI Committee, and on other ad hoc committees. Bill is the Chair of the BIG Math Network Steering Committee, a consortium of math societies including INFORMS that helps educate students and faculty about jobs in Business, Industry, and Government.

Given his experience in academia and industry, Bill enjoys mentoring individuals in their early careers regardless of which path they take. He says, “I talk to students all the time who went through school with only one picture of success; I was that way. I enjoy helping people consider more of the awesome opportunities in our field.”

Bill earned his PhD from Rice University and his BS from University of Maryland Baltimore County. His current research focus is optimization and machine learning on data modeled as graphs, especially networks, for analysis and defense. He and his wife live in Maryland and have three adult daughters. He enjoys bicycling and snowboarding but rarely makes the time to do either.

Monday, April 15, 2024, 3:40-4:30pm

Inclusive Workplaces: What Do They (or Should They) Look Like for the Analytics & ORMS Industry?

Moderator: Elena Gerstmann

Executive Director at INFORMS

Panelist: Shannon Browning

Technical Lead for Analytics at Haskell

Panelist: Afi Harrington

Director of the Division of Evaluation and Analytics at the Food and Drug Administration

Panelist: Emmy Smith

Senior Manager, Partner Intelligence at Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Panelist: Nick Ulmer, CAP

Principal Operations Research Analyst at CANA LLC

Panelist: William Christian

Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder at Paygevity

Get the Latest Updates