Dr. Jeong Hoon Choi

Dr. Jeong Hoon Choi is an associate professor at Youngstown State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from The State University of New York at Buffalo, earned in 2011. With a focus on Supply Chain and Operations management, Dr. Choi specializes in performance measurement and healthcare operations management. His research contributions have been published in esteemed journals such as International Journal of Operations & Production Management, International Journal of Production Economics, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, Journal of Forecasting, Managerial and Decision Economics, and Health Care Management Science, among others. Dr. Choi has actively participated as a presenter, reviewer, and/or session chair in MWDSI conferences and DSI conferences since he joined DSI in 2008. Dr. Choi’s commitment to MWDSI includes serving as Vice President for Conference Planning and Chair for the 2024 MWDSI conference. Previously, he dedicated his efforts as the secretary of MWDSI from 2021 to 2023. For DSI, he has served on the marketing committee as a member since 2022.

Dr. Ata Karbasi

Ata Karbasi is an Assistant Professor of Information and Decision Science at Valparaiso University. He earned his Ph.D. in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Georgia Southern University, where he taught operations and supply chain management as well as logistics and supply chain strategy courses. His research interests include operations strategy, competitive dynamics, airline operations, and big data & analytics. Ata serves as an ad-hoc referee for the Journal of Operations Management and has been a member of the Decision Science Institute (DSI) and Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP).

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Dr. Cigdem Z. Gurgur

Cigdem Z. Gurgur is Associate Professor of Management, Decision, and System Sciences at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Dr. Gurgur earned a master’s of science degree in management science from the University of Warwick, UK through a British Council scholarship; a master’s of science degree in applied and mathematical statistics from Rutgers University; and a PhD in industrial and systems engineering from Rutgers University. She is Area Editor for Data Technologies and Analytics, and Ethics, Equity, and Trustworthiness in Cambridge University Press Journal Data & Policy. Dr. Gurgur was a participant in the Faculty Academy on Excellence in Teaching Leadership Institute (FACET) at the Indiana University during 2012-2014. She is currently an Editorial Board Member in the Journal of Scholarship Teaching and Learning published by the Indiana University.

Dr. Gurgur is a data and management science expert with experience in optimization models under uncertainty and decision support systems development with algorithmic theory design. Her work utilizes meta-analytics, computational models, and artificial intelligence techniques for resource allocation and applies mathematical programming integrating financial and operational risk assessment. Previously, Dr. Gurgur was on the faculty at Colorado School of Mines and held an NSF fellowship in environmentally benign manufacturing. She has consulted with companies such as Arthur D. Little, Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Fort Wayne Metals Research Products Corporation, Xcel Energy, and S&P Global. Her
research has been published in major academic and real-world practice journals such as Journal of the Operational Research Society, Journal on Applied Analytics, EURO Journal on Decision Processes, Naval Research Logistics, Renewable Energy: An International Journal, International Journal of Energy Sector Management, and Amplify/Cutter Business Technology Journal. She led the Center for Excellence in Business Analytics at Purdue Fort Wayne from August 2015 through August 2019 through substantially funded research. She served Purdue Fort Wayne as Academic Director of MBA Programs. She is 2018 Alumna of Leadership Fort Wayne. She fulfilled duties at the Board of Directors for Science Central and participated in a yearlong Giving Back Fort Wayne Community Action Project. Dr. Gurgur is a member of international academic communities, including Decision Sciences Institute, European Operational Research, Forecasting for Social Good, and System Dynamics Society. She can be reached at cgurgur@purdue.edu.

Dr. Rajkamal Kesharwani

Dr. Rajkamal Kesharwani is an Assistant Professor of Business Analytics at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He earned a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, an M.S. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from Virginia Tech, and most recently a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology. Born in Mumbai, India, Raj has previously worked in the engineering design and manufacturing domain for a major OEM of the Energy sector based in Houston, Texas. His research interests include Supply Chains, Energy, Education and Applied Analytics. He has been a member of DSI since 2020.

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Dr. Alina Marculetiu

Dr. Marculetiu is an Assistant Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Youngstown State University where she was recently awarded a Distinguished Professorship in Teaching and a Research Professorship. She obtained her doctoral degree from Cleveland State University where her pedagogical prowess was recognized with the “Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award” and the “Doctoral Excellence in Teaching Award.” Her research interests include sustainable supply chain management, experiential learning, and innovative education. She is a co-chair for 2024 MWDSI conference. She has undertaken numerous responsibilities, including planning the student case competition, designing and maintaining the MWDSI conference website, and contributing to various other facets of conference management. Her efforts have already translated into increased members’
involvement in the MWDSI, through initiatives like the 2024 MWDSI Supply Chain Student Case Competition and the onboarding of new (doctoral) student members. Her dedication to academic excellence and student engagement makes her an excellent fit for the role of VP for Member Services, where she aspires to amplify members’ involvement and contributions within the MWDSI community.

Dr. Matthew Lanham

Dr. Lanham is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Academic Director for Purdue Universities’ award-winning M.S. in Business Analytics and Information Management (BAIM) program since 2016. He has been a strong advocate for students to engage with their professional communities. This has included submitting and presenting their work as posters or papers at conferences. Since 2017 his students have presented 32 papers at MWDSI and won the best student paper award four times. These experiences have helped students showcase their knowledge, skills, and abilities of decision sciences and also helped them become aware of the strong, supportive, and collegial community of MWDSI.

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Dr. Bulent Erenay

Dr. Bulent Erenay is an Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management in the Haile College of Business at Northern Kentucky University where he teaches SCM and data analytics courses at undergraduate and MBA levels. He serves as the faculty sponsor of the student chapter of ASCM at NKU. Prior to joining NKU, Dr. Erenay worked as a faculty member at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. He has worked as a business data analyst in insurance industry, and as an industrial and manufacturing engineer for various companies.

Dr. Erenay obtained his PhD from Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at Ohio University. He obtained his MS and BS in Industrial Engineering from Yildiz Technical University, Turkiye. His research focus includes supply chain management, manufacturing system design and control, statistical modeling and data mining, and information systems. He has published peer-reviewed articles and conference proceedings, and presented his work at prestigious conferences such as DSI, POMS, INFORMS and IISE.