Media Coverage

Media articles featuring INFORMS members in the news.

Most Recent Media Coverage

Topic
How Engineering Can Help Reimagine the US Public Health System, According to an Engineer and Management Expert

How Engineering Can Help Reimagine the US Public Health System, According to an Engineer and Management Expert

Business Insider, January 28, 2021

Of the many things that COVID-19 has made abundantly clear to us, surely one of them is a newfound realization that public health has become increasingly complex. Understanding the challenges to public health — that is, the task of guarding the well-being of the US population — is essential now more than ever. As an engineer, design futurist, and graduate program director, I have seen how COVID-19 has transformed how public health preparedness is viewed and understood. Some say the pandemic has delivered an urgency for a reimagining of public health.

Covid-19 Vaccine Sites Call in Volunteers, Retirees to Staff Rollout

Covid-19 Vaccine Sites Call in Volunteers, Retirees to Staff Rollout

The Wall Street Journal, January 28, 2021

Bill Renda expected to spend this time of year traveling and visiting family, were it not for the pandemic. Instead, the retired orthopedic surgeon from Louisville, Ky., and his wife, Sally, spent much of January in a cold parking lot, directing drivers to a place for observation by medical staff after receiving doses of Covid-19 vaccine. Dr. and Mrs. Renda, a docent at the city zoo, signed up with more than 4,000 others to staff Broadbent Arena, which normally hosts the Kentucky State Fair. This month, the arena was converted into a drive-through site with the capacity to administer 1,600 shots a day. Joining the Rendas are local librarians, parks department workers, students from the local nursing and pharmacy schools and others volunteering 40 hours in exchange for getting vaccinated.

The U.S. May Soon Have a Third Vaccine. Here's How It Works

The U.S. May Soon Have a Third Vaccine. Here's How It Works

National Geographic, January 29, 2021

As the Biden administration promises to accelerate the U.S. coronavirus vaccine rollout, it could soon have a new tool: A single-dose vaccine that can survive up to three months in an ordinary refrigerator. Manufacturer Johnson & Johnson released data today showing that its single-dose version provided strong protection against COVID-19. Yet the news came with two caveats: The candidate’s efficacy rate—72 percent in the United States—is lower than the 95 percent rates boasted by the two-dose versions from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna that are currently approved for use in the U.S.

What Other States Are Doing That Alabama Isn't to Roll Out COVID Vaccine

What Other States Are Doing That Alabama Isn't to Roll Out COVID Vaccine

AL.com, January 29, 2021

A person living in West Virginia is almost twice as likely to have gotten a COVID-19 vaccine than a person in Alabama. The same goes for Connecticut, New Mexico and North Dakota. Alaskans are more than twice as likely to have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. For people in Alabama, checking the national COVID vaccine statistics has been an exercise in frustration, as Alabama in January hovered near or at the very bottom of state rankings in terms of percentage of the population vaccinated and percentage of doses received that have been administered.

Pandemic Help Wanted: Fast Food Managers, Road Race Experts

Pandemic Help Wanted: Fast Food Managers, Road Race Experts

NBC 21 WFMJ, January 29, 2021

A year into the coronavirus pandemic, Americans are painfully aware that overcoming the scourge is a marathon, not a sprint. Enter Dave McGillivray, who knows a thing or two about endurance events — and logistics. The race director of the Boston Marathon, which is on hold until fall, has been tapped by the state of Massachusetts to run mass vaccination operations at Gillette Stadium and Fenway Park. Idled at his day job by the pandemic, he's part of an emerging group of event organizers and other unconventional logistics experts who are using their skills to help the nation vaccinate as many people against COVID-19 as possible.

“It's amazing how our event management skill set can be applied to running a massive vaccination site," said McGillivray, who has been directing the marathon — with its many moving parts — for more than three decades.

Media Contact

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Artificial Intelligence

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

Why 23andMe’s Genetic Data Could Be a ‘Gold Mine’ for AI Companies

TIME, March 26, 2025

The genetic testing company 23andMe, which holds the genetic data of 15 million people, declared bankruptcy on Sunday night after years of financial struggles. This means that all of the extremely personal user data could be up for sale—and that vast trove of genetic data could draw interest from AI companies looking to train their data sets, experts say.

Healthcare

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

Want to reduce the cost of healthcare? Start with our billing practices.

The Hill, March 11, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as the new secretary of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s de facto healthcare czar. He will have influence over numerous highly visible agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration, among others. Given that healthcare is something that touches everyone’s life, his footprint of influence will be expansive. 

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

We all benefit from and are hurt by health insurance claim denials

Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 23, 2025

Health insurance has become necessary, with large and unpredictable health care costs always looming before each of us. Unfortunately, the majority of people have experienced problems when using their health insurance to pay for their medical care. Health insurance serves as the buffer between patients and the medical care system, using population pooling to mitigate the risk exposure on any one individual.

Supply Chain

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Experts warn logistics industry stakeholders to make contingency plans

Seafood Source, March 10, 2025

In their March 2025 forecasts, shipping and logistics experts are warning those who rely on the industry to expect continued disruption, and in order to survive a chaotic landscape, they are advising businesses to spend money conservatively, work with trusted partners, and make comprehensive contingency plans.

Climate