Officers

INFORMS UB Student Chapter E-BOARD Team 2019-2020

RITWIK RAJ
President

Ritwik is currently a Ph.D student in the department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His research interests lie in the fields of Operations Research and Data Analytics, and his current work involves optimization of logistics systems. He has served as a graduate ambassador for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in 2018, and is an active volunteer in the department recruitment activities. In his free time, he likes to draw, or go for ice-skating.

COURTNEY BURRIS
President-Elect

I am a third year PhD student in the department of Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research. I have a BS in mathematics and a masters in ISE. I work with Dr. Alexander Nikolaev on multiple projects focusing on game theory, machine learning, and networks. I served as the VP of Outreach for Informs and will be President-Elect for the 2019-2020 academic year. As the VP of Outreach my role was to build and maintain connections with the community and to co-ordinate the UB-INFORMS Pro-Bono Analytics initiative.

ANTONIO DIMITROV
Vice President - Communications

Antonio is a first year Master student pursuing and MS in OR. Antonio received his undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering at UB where he was an active member of IISE, an undergraduate engineering club. With the club, Antonio volunteered with GoBike Buffalo and had the opportunity to attend regional conferences as well as a national conference. Outside of academia, Antonio likes to stay active and like outdoor activities such as hiking, snowboarding, and playing sports.

LAN PENG
Vice President - Social Media

Lan is currently a PhD student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at UB. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Quality and Reliability Engineering from Beihang University, in 2015, and Master’s Degree in Control Science and Engineering from Beihang University, in 2018. His research interest is solving the "last mile delivery" problem using drones. He is also a huge Star Trek fan.

ZACHARY STEEVER
Treasurer

Zachary is a third year Ph.D student in Operations Research. My research focuses on discrete optimization, and the intersection of operations research and machine learning. My current work is in partnership with the National Football League, applying techniques from these fields to develop fairer NFL schedules. Previous research focused on dynamic vehicle routing in both military and commercial settings. I have loved serving our chapter as President this year, and look forward to seeing continued growth in the coming years!

KAYLIE BUTT
Secretary

Kaylie attended the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and graduated this May with a major in Industrial Engineering. She will be joining the department this fall as PhD student in Operations Research. Her current future research interests are in military and defense applications of OR and machine learning. She is originally from Kalamazoo Michigan home of Western Michigan University (WMU) which is a rival in the MAC to UB (Oops!). Kaylie loves being active as she played varsity volleyball at MSOE and is a power lifter.

KYLE HUNT
Vice President - External Events

Kyle is currently an undergraduate student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and plans to begin his PhD in the spring 2020 semester. His research focuses on applications of OR and data science in the field of emergency management. Outside of academics, he loves traveling with his fiancée, and spending time with his friends and family.

DEMETRI PAPAZAHARIAS
Vice President - Internal Events

Demetri is a PhD student in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. His research focuses on bilevel optimization in network problems. Outside of his work, Demetri plays rugby with a local men's club. He enjoys running through Delaware Park and is known around the department for his exceptional LaTeX skills.

CARTER MANN
Vice President - Outreach

Carter is currently a Ph.D. student in the department. Currently his work is in natural disaster management, focusing on the compound effects of concurrent strikes on a region. He has experience in schedule building problems, graph/network modeling, and vehicle routing. He has a passion for data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. The Fourth Industrial Revolution is here, and he plans to be a part of the “Big Data” world to come. He looks forward to expanding the Outreach Department of INFORMS and hopes to build stronger relationships between UB and companies in the Buffalo area. #HornsUp everyone!!!

RISHABH BHANDAWAT
Editor-In-Chief

Rishabh is currently a Ph.D. student in the department. He hopes to create efficient and equitable health care systems with his ongoing research. Additionally, he volunteers on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee within the Institute of Operations Research and Management Science, with the hopes of bridging the inclusion gap in his field. Outside his professional career, Rishabh is an avid baker and likes to experiment with different flavors and ideas, and everything he bakes has to be photographed.