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.

Strategic Research Areas

News Highlights

  • Pender wins 2026-2027 Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship

    Jamol Pender has been awarded the 2026-2027 Claytor-Gilmer Fellowship by the American Mathematical Society (AMS). Pender, who has been at Cornell since 2015, is an associate professor and director of graduate studies in the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering.

  • Jason Erdell ’95 on AI, adaptability, and the long view of an operations research career 

    When Jason Erdell ’95 returned to the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering this fall, he came not simply to talk about artificial intelligence, but to reflect on how an operations research mindset prepares engineers to navigate repeated waves of technological change.

  • ‘Outstanding researcher, administrator, teacher’ Jim Renegar retires 

    Jim Renegar, the Class of 1912 Professor of Engineering Emeritus, has retired. Renegar has been on the faculty since 1987 and served as director from 2004 to 2009. At a celebration of Renegar’s career, David Williamson, director of the School of Operations Research and Information Engineering read a tribute.

  • Illustration of a section of computer chip with one segment of the chip showing a schematic diagram of a human brain.

    New elective connects AI to its operations research roots 

    Beginning this academic year, the school is launching a new focused elective – Data, Decisions and AI – that brings together courses in machine learning, reinforcement learning, data mining, causal inference and ethics, while explicitly connecting them to the core principles of operations research.

Upcoming Events

Alumni Profiles

  • Sean Sinclair

    Math with a purpose – using probability and statistics for the greater good

    Updated on December 3, 2024: 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…

  • Irene Poh

    M.Eng. alum asks “What can I learn next?”

    Operations Research and Information Engineering 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…

  • 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.

  • 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.”