Conference: Diversifying Student Participation by Mentoring the Next Generation of Researchers in Operations Research and Management Sciences

该项目将实施一项创新计划，为学生提供包括研究、职业发展和指导在内的全面体验。每年，一组对STEM感兴趣的本科少数民族学生将被邀请参加INFORMS年会开始时的研讨会。研讨会还将与该领域的领导者进行个性化指导，通过参加结构化的会议来指导学生，包括职业选择、网络策略和工具，以最大限度地利用他们在会议上的参与。这个项目将通过让本科生接触到会议上展示的前沿研究，在增加运筹学和管理科学领域未被充分代表的少数族裔学生的渠道方面发挥重要作用。通过参加会议和指导会议，学生将了解该领域的最新技术，并形成专业联系。正如NSF的使命所述，该项目资助通过投资于运筹学和管理科学的下一代研究人员，为国家的繁荣和福利做出贡献，并为更富有成效的劳动力发展做出贡献。该项目有三个具体目标：组织一个全面的培训研讨会，为参与者提供成功驾驭会议的工具，支持学生参与INFORMS年会，并促进在运筹学和管理科学社区采用学生指导计划。该项目将实施一项指导计划，帮助学生度过他们作为科学家发展的几个关键阶段。此外，该项目还将制定指南，以促进其他运筹学和管理科学领域的类似指导计划。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project will implement an innovative program to provide a comprehensive student experience that includes research, career development, and mentoring. Every year a selected group of undergraduate minority students interested in STEM will be invited to participate in a workshop at the beginning of the INFORMS Annual Meeting. The workshop is complemented by individualized mentoring with leaders in the field by participating in structured sessions that will guide students on topics including career choices, networking strategies, and tools to make the most of their participation at the conference. This project will play an essential role in increasing the pipeline of underrepresented minority students in Operations Research and Management Sciences by exposing undergraduate students to the cutting-edge research presented at the meeting. From their attendance at the conference and mentoring sessions, students will learn the current state of the art in the field, and form professional connections. As stated by NSF's mission, this project grant contributes to the prosperity and welfare of the nation and contributes toward a more productive workforce development by investing in the next generation of researchers in Operations Research and Management Sciences.This project has three concrete goals: Organize a comprehensive training workshop that will provide participants with the tools to navigate the conference successfully, support student participation at the INFORMS Annual Meeting, and promote the adoption of student mentoring programs in the Operations Research and Management Science community. The project will implement a mentoring program to help students navigate several critical stages in their development as scientists. Moreover, the project will also develop guidance to foster similar mentoring programs in other operation research and management science venues.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.