Empowering Society With Better Decision-Making
Through mathematical modeling we develop essential decision-making tools for a wide range of industries. Whether devising more effective transportation systems, improving healthcare outcomes, or streamlining business operations, we play a crucial role in shaping our world for the better.
Our Degree Programs
- Minor
- B.S.
- M.Eng.On Campus
- M.Eng.Distance Learning
- M.S.
- Ph.D.
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Operations Research and Information Engineering
Optimizes complex systems using data and mathematical models. Ideal for those interested in logistics, decision-making, and improving processes.
Strategic Research Areas
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Algorithms
The engine at the core of the computerized solution of any mathematical model.
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Applied Probability
The application of probability theory to other scientific and engineering domains.
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Data Science
Statistics and computation combined to make sense of data so that it can be used to make better decisions.
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Information Technology Modeling
Managing the exchange of information between devices and systems.
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![lettered nodes connected by lines with values next to each line.]()
Optimization
The finding of minima and maxima of functions, subject to so-called constraints.
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![City skyline at night with a glowing orb of zeros and ones superimposed.]()
Networks
Analysis of flows and relationships between different components within a system.
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![Digital representation supply chains showing curved lines and many zeroes and ones.]()
Supply Chain
The network involved in getting a product from its raw materials to the final customer.
News Highlights
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Pantry collaboration expands mission to fight food insecurity
To meet a growing need, Enfield Food Distribution is working with a multidisciplinary Cornell team to design and raise funds for a larger, more welcoming facility.
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ORIE’s Mark Lewis named INFORMS president-elect
Mark Lewis, the Maxwell M. Upson Professor (ORIE), was named the 2025 Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) president-elect. Lewis will serve a one-year term as president elect, effective Jan.1, and then will…
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Cornell faculty honored for community-engaged innovation
Thirteen faculty members from across Cornell are being honored by the Einhorn Center for Community Engagement with this year’s Community-Engaged Practice and Innovation Awards.
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Cornell Engineering trio named Weiss Presidential Fellows
Three members of the Cornell Engineering faculty have been named Stephen H. Weiss Presidential Fellows, Cornell’s highest honors for graduate and undergraduate teaching. The Stephen H. Weiss Teaching Awards honor teaching faculty in three categories who have a sustained…
Upcoming Events
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Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session
The Office of Inclusive Excellence is sponsoring its annual Engineering Undergraduate Research Poster Session in Duffield Atrium. This event will feature the work of students who received Cornell Engi…
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CFEM and UBS AI & Data Research Seminars: Charles-Albert Lehalle (École Polytechnique)
Our last guest speaker for the CFEM and UBS AI & Data Research Seminars is Charles-Albert Lehalle, whose topic is “Synthetic Data for Portfolios: A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chanc…
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ORIE Colloquium: Raghu Pasupathy (Purdue)
Frank-Wolfe Recursions for Constrained Functional Optimization Over Probability Spaces Many challenging problems in statistics and applied probability can be posed as that of minimizing a smooth funct…
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ORIE Colloquium: Warren Powell (Princeton)
A Fresh Approach to Teaching Optimization: From Deterministic Optimization to the Jungle of Stochastic Optimization Operations research/industrial engineering departments have long taught deterministi…
Alumni Profiles
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![sean sinclair]()
Math with a purpose – using probability and statistics for the greater good
Note: Sean Sinclair earned his Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell in 2023. He is now an assistant professor of industrial engineering and management sciences in the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. Sean Sinclair,…
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![Irene Poh]()
ORIE M.Eng. alum asks “What can I learn next?”
ORIE M.Eng. alum Irene Poh ’01 M.Eng. ’02 believes that one key to a successful and satisfying career is to avoid defining your job as simply what you do. “It’s so much better to always ask yourself ‘What can I…
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![Jamie Hintlian ORIE alumni]()
All roads seem to lead Jamie Hintlian back to Cornell
“Originally, I was thinking I might major in mechanical engineering, but then I saw how OR involved applying math, which had a lot of appeal. And I learned about modeling and simulations and game theory from Professor David Heath and it all resonated with me deeply,” Hintlian said. He declared his major and never looked back.
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![Radhika Kulkarni]()
A life and a career spent finding the right solutions
“The kindness of Cornell has made a real difference in my life,” Kulkarni said. “They were willing to waive the application fee and then when I switched departments, Mathematics was willing to fund my second year, even though by then I was in OR. And then they made it possible for me to complete the final year of my doctoral program after I had moved to Georgia with my husband.”
