Special Section: Linking Academia with Real-World Practice: Several Approaches

摘要

One of the critical issues in the discipline is finding ways to connect academic management science/operations research with what is happening outside the ivied walls. Too often students leave their management science classes thinking that they have had a follow-on to Algebra II rather than a subject that can make important improvements in productivity for organizations. Also, many faculty members have earned their PhDs without having seen management science in action. Consequently, they do not know how to frame either their teaching or their research in the context of the important real-world issues. The art of modeling cannot be fully appreciated without having done it for real. In this special section, the authors look at some of the ways in which academia can connect with the world of practice. The section grew out of a session I chaired at an INFORMS meeting; I asked the presenters to write up their talks, and I asked the attendees to submit pieces as well.