Tech News: May 2025
MAY 2025
Predicting and preparing for what's next. That's what the Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Department (DO&IT) at the Robert H. Smith School of Business is doing every single day. People with knowledge about artificial intelligence, IT, data analytics and operations are highly sought after by employers, and DO&IT prepares students for rewarding careers in business and government. To that end, we're doing extraordinary research that provides real-world, high-tech business solutions. Providing the newest tech to federal workers and others looking for new job opportunities is also on the to-do list. The most recent highly impactful offering from professors in DO&IT has been free formal AI training. Smith and Decision, Operations and Information Technologies faculty are changing lives.
With warm regards,
Ilya Ryzhov
Area Chair, Decision, Operations and Information Technologies
Smith research has found that AI is the fastest-growing job sector in the nation. In light of that, the business school is offering a free online certificate program in Artificial Intelligence and Career Empowerment. It’s the collaborative effort of Smith's Office of Executive Education and its Center for Artificial Intelligence in Business, directed by Dean's Professor of Decision, Operations and Information Technologies Balaji Padmanabhan. The program is open to everyone but was specifically created to benefit people transitioning out of federal civil service. Smith School Dean and DO&IT professor Prabhudev Konana says, "We are deeply grateful to our 10 world-class faculty for creating high-impact content that builds AI literacy and prepares the workforce for the future." The program has gained prominent media attention, appearing in Forbes and the Financial Times Business School Insider among many others. Read more.
Fighting Social Media Misinformation the Right Way
Journal of Production and Operations Management
Social media misinformation can be damaging to companies and their operations, but solutions to this enduring problem have been difficult to find. Siva Viswanathan, Lauren Rhue and Jessica Clark have co-written a study that finds prominence reduction—a content moderation strategy that reduces the visibility of misinformation—is an effective solution that is less harsh than banning users and it preserves posts that contain factual contributions. Their study, Fighting Misinformation on Social Media: An Empirical Investigation of the Impact of Prominence Reduction Policies, contributes to operations research on misinformation in several ways. Read more.
Uncovering Consumer Privacy Preferences Through Social Media
Information Systems Research
Wen Wang has co-authored research that looks at a more accessible alternative to obtaining consumers’ personalized privacy preferences. This information is crucial for companies and policymakers to establish trust and compliance and to enact effective policies. Currently, they have to rely on private information that is proprietary as well as individual-level demographic and socio-economic factors. Firms may also require user input in order to get this information, which can be invasive and bothersome, possibly leading to user dissatisfaction. Wang’s study, Learning Personalized Privacy Preference from Public Data, proposes a new framework for predicting privacy preference—social media. Read more.
Saving Money While Increasing Profit: The Benefits of Energy Stacking on BESS
Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), devices that use rechargeable batteries to store electrical energy for later use, are becoming increasingly important for integrating renewable energy sources like solar and wind, stabilizing power grids and providing backup power. Assistant Professor of Business Analytics John Silberholz has co-written research showing that energy stacking— multiple battery modules stacked together in a single unit—reduces costs and improves profits. The study, Cost-Saving Synergy: Energy Stacking in Battery Energy Storage Systems, also finds that simultaneous stacking can roughly double the profit of the standalone service. Read more.
- The Knight’s Cross of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon
- Associate Editor, Operations Research, Real World OR Innovations Department
- Department Editor, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management Department
- Senior Editor, Production and Operations Management, Healthcare Operations Management Department
- Associate Editor, Management Science, Information Systems Department
- Senior Editor, MIS Quarterly
- Associate Editor, Information Systems Research
- Associate Editor, Operations Research, Simulation Department
- Associate Editor, INFORMS Journal on Computing, Simulation Department
- Associate Editor, Management Science, Operations Management Department
- Senior Editor, Production and Operations Management, New Product Development Department
- Associate Editor, INFORMS Journal on Computing: Data Science and Machine Learning Department
- Associate Editor, MIS Quarterly
DO&IT faculty have hosted several events this year:
- April 4, 2025: 2nd Annual AI Symposium on Design and Governance
- April 11, 2025: 6th Annual Datathon
- April 17, 2025: TechFest 2025
- April 24, 2025: AI Case Competition on AI and Food Insecurity
- May 2, 2025: Workshop on AI & Analytics for Social Good
Smith's Decision, Operations and Information Technologies PhD graduates hold leadership positions at prestigious universities:
- Farzad Fathi, PhD ’25, visiting assistant professor, Freeman College of Management, Bucknell University
- Mikhail Lysyakov, PhD ’21, assistant professor, Simon School of Business, University of Rochester
- Raveesh Mayya, PhD ’19, assistant professor, Stern School of Business, New York University
- Maya Mudambi, PhD ’23, assistant professor, Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Lanfei Shi, PhD ’19, assistant professor, McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia
- Tianshu Sun, PhD ’16, associate professor, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California