Resoundingly Human

In previous episodes of the podcast we’ve explored how O.R. can help create that bridge between our current COVID-19-reality of social distancing and sheltering at home and being able to return to normal activities, such as reporting back to work, going to school, and in the case of this episode, attending large public gatherings like concerts and sporting events.

Joining me is Irv Lustig with Princeton Consultants, who has created an advanced analytics approach to reopening stadiums and arenas that would allow us to attend our favorite events while maintaining safe social distancing.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic this past spring saw universities across the country close their campuses and teachers rapidly transition their curriculums to a virtual classroom setting. Now, after months of social distancing and online learning, these same institutions are looking ahead to the fall semester. Simultaneously however, as states are beginning the process of reopening, many at different rates, we are also seeing a spike in infection rates. So in the face of this, can universities safely reopen their campuses? The answer may truly surprise you.

Joining me to discuss how his university is approaching the upcoming fall semester is Peter Frazier, professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

In this episode, a first for the Resoundingly Human podcast, I am joined by Congressman Jerry McNerney, a Member of Congress representing California's 9th congressional district and co-chair of the Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus.

Congressman McNerney, who holds the distinction as the only member of Congress with a Ph.D. degree, is a member of two congressional committees that impact the technology, science, and analytics policy space – the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Science, Space and Technology Committee. 

As the country begins to reopen, we are seeing restrictions put in place to counteract the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic begin to loosen. I think many of us are battling conflicting emotions: excitement at the idea of a return to something closer to normal as well as uncertainty and anxiety, with each state reopening at a different rates and even inconsistencies in requirements regarding the use of face masks. And with some states seeing new spikes in infection rates, it begs the question, in a desire to return to normal are we moving too quickly, or perhaps simply going about reopening the wrong way. Could there be a different, more balanced approach, one based on operations research?

For this episode I am joined by Tory Chen, professor with the Center on Stochastic Modeling, Optimization, & Statistics (COSMOS) in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. We will be discussing her work to create a balanced approach to reopening that still prioritizes the health and safety of citizens, especially those who continue to be at a higher risk of infection.

In today’s world, we are becoming increasingly aware of the prevalence of bias and the significance of its impact, particularly regarding minority groups and at risk and vulnerable members of our community.

In an episode of the podcast released last month, we discussed the presence of bias in rideshares, in particular a study which identified that minorities and supporters of the LGBTQ community are twice as likely to have their rides canceled as Caucasians. In this episode, we will continue to explore additional examples of bias and their impact, as well as the role that operations research and analytics plays in identifying and addressing bias.  

In this episode I am joined by Swati Gupta, professor with the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, who has conducted research focusing on bias in job applications and school admissions.

Even as we are beginning to see a lessening of restrictions in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic, I think many of us are still processing the myriad ways it has impacted our lives this year. As spring comes to an end and summer is upon us, we are keenly feeling the absence of many of our favorite activities, like concerts, barbeques, parades, and for the purposes of this episode, an afternoon spent with a hotdog and a beer at a baseball game.

For those of you who may be feeling these losses particularly keenly, we wanted to share a fun story that involves a childhood love of baseball, a college assignment and an unexpected induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

For this episode, I am joined by Gary Cokins, an internationally recognized expert, speaker and author in enterprise and corporate performance management improvement methods and business analytics, as well as the founder of Analytics-Based Performance Management. In addition, Gary can claim the unique distinction as an inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame for the oldest computer game code.

I think many of our listeners will agree, that while the timeline to safely do so remains uncertain, we are all looking forward to a day when we can once again spend time with friends on a night out, head to a movie theater or a favorite museum, or frankly, do anything outside the house.

When the time comes, people will once again rely on rideshare platforms like Uber or Lyft to get them where they need to go, much as they did prior to the coronavirus pandemic. What they may not know, is the role that bias based on race and sexual orientation could play in whether or not their ride will be canceled.

Unfortunately, according to new research in the INFORMS journal Management Science “When Transparency Fails: Bias and Financial Incentives in Ridesharing Platforms,” under-represented minorities have more than twice as likely to have their ride canceled compared to Caucasians.

Joining me is Jorge Mejia professor with Indiana University, who along with Chris Parker of American University, were the authors of this study. In this episode we will discuss their work and what can be done to address this disturbing bias.

It seems surreal to think that at the start of this year, few of us were aware of the threat of a novel new virus gaining momentum overseas. Now, only a few months later, the coronavirus or COVID-19, is a global pandemic, the effects of which have impacted nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives.

As the number of cases in the U.S. continued to grow, states enacted restrictions to enforce social distancing efforts, with stay at home orders, business closures, and for businesses deemed essential, establishing guidelines to ensure customer and employee safety. At the heart of this was the desire to limit person-to-person contact in order to slow the rapidly climbing rate of infections. And so the terminology, “flatten the curve,” became part of our everyday conversation.

For this episode I am joined by Julie Swann, department head and A. Doug Allison Distinguished Professor of the Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering with North Carolina State University, to discuss what the impact could be on the national and even world-wide effort to flatten the curve as states being to lift their restrictions.

As the coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic continues, supply shortages are something we are all facing, none with a more critical impact than those involving hospitals and healthcare workers. We’ve heard of the shortages of personal protective equipment or PPE, like face masks and gloves, and the lack of an adequate number of ventilators for the most seriously ill patients. But as the number of cities and communities impacted by the virus continues to grow, what do hospitals do when there are more patients in their ICUs than beds to hold them along with the accompanying monitoring and life-saving equipment? To discuss a very serious reality facing many hospitals across the country, I am joined by Frances Sneddon, chief technology officer with SIMUL8 Corporation.

We’d like to think that our performance at work, regardless of our sex, is the primary deciding factor in deciding whether or not we are recognized for our work with a promotion. You do a good job, you earn recognition, right? Unfortunately, according to new research in the INFORMS journal Information Systems Research in certain fields this might not actually be the case. Joining me for this episode is Nishtha Langer, professor with the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to discuss her study “Onwards and Upwards? An Empirical Investigation of Gender and Promotions in IT Services.”