INFORMS Open Forum

Dear INFORMS community,

We invite applicants for "To My Younger Self" (TMYS) 2024 – a mentoring program for PhD students sponsored by the INFORMS Forum for Women in OR/MS (WORMS). We are specifically interested in underrepresented IE/OR/MS PhD students in their third (or greater) year who are interested to continue their journey into academia or industry. 

Applications must be received by Friday February 16th and should be completed through: https://forms.gle/dCqgGySw8MzoLtmK7. Please attach a curriculum vitae and a statement of purpose, stating why you are interested in joining this program, what your professional goals are, and the level of mentoring available to you at your home institution. About 10 qualified applicants will be chosen and notified by the end of February. More information about the program is attached below.

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TMYS was started as an INFORMS DEI Ambassadors project (now organized by WORMS) to provide professional development through online workshops, one-on-one mentoring meetings, and in-person activities that allow students to interact with more experienced women in the field. We call this program "To My Younger Self" because we imagine the program will provide the sort of mentoring and professional development coaching they wish they had received earlier in their careers. At the end of the year-long program, participants will: 1) Form a community of peer students underrepresented in STEM fields across institutions; 2) Develop a network of established mentors and advocates; 3) Be equipped with professional and self-care skills; 4) Feel confident in their abilities to succeed in the IE/OR/MS profession. 

Five or six short virtual workshops will be held throughout the year, each on a different topic, for example: networking, collaborating within industry and academia, work-life balance, and academic writing and publishing. TYMS will offer paired mentoring for the students. Mentors will be selected from established leaders in our profession with a track record of excellent mentorship. Students will present their research and practice presentation skills. Participants, mentors, and panelists participating in the 2024 INFORMS Annual Meeting will be invited to a celebratory dinner the evening before the start of the 2024 Annual Conference to conclude the TMYS 2024 program. This will give participants the chance to meet face-to-face, solidify their professional relationships, and build community. The program will offer a small amount of travel support to offset student participant costs to attend the 2024 INFORMS Annual Meeting.