INFORMS is saddened to share the passing of longtime member and INFORMS Fellow Alfred Blumstein. Blumstein was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he spent more than four decades on the faculty and helped establish the university as a global leader in operations research and public policy.
Blumstein will be remembered for his pioneering work applying operations research to criminal justice, public safety, and social policy. His research fundamentally shaped the way quantitative modeling is used to understand crime trends, incarceration, and justice system performance. Within INFORMS, he was a deeply respected leader and scholar. He was one of two people to hold the distinction of being president of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute of Management Sciences (TIMS) - predecessors of INFORMS - as well as INFORMS following the merger of ORSA and TIMS.
Blumstein was recognized with the George E. Kimball Medal and INFORMS President's Award. He was elected to the inaugural class of INFORMS Fellows in 2002. He also served as president of the American Society of Criminology and was awarded the 2007 Stockholm Prize in Criminology. He was also elected as a member of the National Academy of Engineering, among many additional honors and recognitions.
Beyond his scholarly achievements, Blumstein was known for his intellectual rigor, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to using analytics to inform better public policy. His influence continues through the many students, colleagues, and policymakers he inspired. He will be deeply missed by the INFORMS community and the broader operations research profession.
Learn more about Al's life and contributions:
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Scharan Johnson
Director of Membership and Communities
INFORMS
Catonsville MD
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