Daniel B Lopez da Silva Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University |
Lingchao Mao H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, Georgia Tech |
Being an active INFORMS student chapter officer is an amazing but very challenging endeavor. As an officer of an INFORMS student chapter, we have the opportunity and responsibility of helping to shape the ORMS/analytics community in our department, university and beyond. The challenges are considerable: we must commit to a lot of volunteer work on top of our already very demanding program; we might not have a clue how to engage students with our chapter; we might not know which activities and special events to promote; our chapter might not have a solid onboarding program for new officers and the new leadership board might have to start their planning from scratch; we might not know what to expect from our department and/or faculty advisor; and we might not know what other members expect from their chapter. The key to solving most of these challenges might be cooperation among student chapters. In this article, we report on the the realization of the first Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat, and how this kind of initiative can be a strong driver of success for student chapters.
As the largest professional association for the decision and data sciences, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is central to advancing our understanding of complex problems, connecting current and future leaders, and equipping decision-makers with smarter decisions for a better world.
In many cases, the first point of contact for undergraduate and graduate students in courses like engineering, computer sciences, mathematics, business, information systems and analytics with INFORMS is their INFORMS student chapter. INFORMS student chapters play a significant role in engaging students in extracurricular activities, creating professional opportunities, promoting research and other initiatives, and creating a sense of community around shared interests. These groups commonly move the mission of providing an engaging platform for Operations Research, the Management Sciences (ORMS) and analytics enthusiasts beyond their university, creating outreach events, social and cultural gatherings, and recruitment sessions.
INFORMS Chapters have unique characteristics heavily influenced by their host school/department, membership composition, and focus. Many chapters are hosted by industrial engineering departments, with their membership primarily composed of Ph.D. students and with a primary focus on research initiatives. Other chapters are hosted in business schools; sometimes, their leadership board comprises students in master’s programs, focusing mainly on job opportunities. There are also chapters hosted by mathematics or information systems departments, with membership composed mainly of undergraduate students.
Despite their uniqueness, all INFORMS student chapters share many of the same challenges. It is hard for officers to keep up with their chapter’s activities on top of their regular workload; it takes time, effort and foresight to achieve an organizational culture of smooth transition and continuity from one leadership team to the next; it might be hard to figure out your chapter’s “place” in your school or department and how your chapter should position itself regarding other student organizations associated with your school/department and/or sharing a good portion of your membership. Many of these challenges can be overcome when officers of different chapters have a dedicated moment to discuss their challenges and successes, share ideas and experiences, and collaborate on new initiatives.
In this article, we discuss the First Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat, hosted by the INFORMS student chapter at Clemson University with the chapters from Georgia Tech and the University of Tennessee - Knoxville, and how this type of initiative can induce collaborations and help student chapters to overcome many of their challenges.
The First Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat
On July 13, 2024, officers of the INFORMS student chapters from the Georgia Institute of Technology and from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville traveled to Clemson, SC, to participate in the First Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat, hosted by the INFORMS student chapter at Clemson University. The retreat was thought and organized with the goals of providing an opportunity for an honest and engaged exchange of ideas and experiences, creating a strong connection among neighbor chapters, and celebrating these INFORMS student chapters, whose work and dedication play a central role in making INFORMS such an incredible community.
The retreat was organized in three sessions:
- Welcoming and Icebreaker: moment dedicated to welcoming the visiting chapters, introducing each officer and setting a relaxing and engaging environment for discussions.
- Chapters presentations: each chapter presented their experiences, successes, challenges, questions and ideas for the future. Although we had planned for 30-minute presentations, these presentations sparked such interesting discussions that the officers kept the conversation going for more than an hour. During these discussions, we found out that despite our chapter’s uniqueness, we share some of the same fundamental challenges. Topics discussed included how to plan activities and events considering membership composition and other school/department/college events, how to engage current and potential members to participate in events/activities, how to collaborate with other student organizations as well as with initiatives at the department and/or college level, how to communicate effectively using social media platforms, and how to initiate outreach activities. The exchange of experiences provided invaluable lessons for each chapter and created conditions for collaboration in future projects.
- Relaxation and Integration: moment dedicated to relaxing, recharging, having fun and celebrating the work of each INFORMS student chapter officer. The hosting chapter gave a tour of the beautiful Clemson University campus, the recreation center in the lake, and took the officers to a restaurant in Downtown Clemson.
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| Figure 1: Officers of the INFORMS student chapters from Clemson University, Georgia Tech, and University of Tennessee - Knoxville, present their experiences at the first Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat. |
Building Bridges: Insights from Student Chapters
Student Engagement
Each chapter has a unique culture shaped by its student body and significantly influenced by their host schools and departments. While most chapters are based in industrial engineering departments primarily serving graduate students, some also include members from business, mathematics, and information systems. The sizes of these departments vary considerably, with some hosting over 200 PhD students and others just a handful. This diversity leads to different levels of student engagement; some members are very social, while others concentrate on research or industry opportunities. Fluctuating and low attendance at certain events has been a common challenge across chapters. In response, chapters are striving to design events that resonate with their students’ interests. For instance, the Georgia Tech chapter aims to recruit a diverse student board that includes members from various academic stages—from master’s students to junior and senior PhD candidates—across different degree programs.
Promotional efforts typically leverage platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, mailing lists, and departmental emails. Some chapters have tried using Instagram for personal outreach. Still, word of mouth remains the most effective way to attract students to events. Student engagement can be challenging for newly established chapters. The Tennessee chapter has made great efforts to foster community through birthday celebrations, casual conversations, and paper airplane in the office.
Event Design
Chapters have organized a wide array of activities, including:
- Welcoming event: Held in the first week of the fall semester, these gatherings aim to welcome new students, connect them with current members, and introduce them to chapter activities and the INFORMS society. This event tends to be the largest, as students are not yet overwhelmed with deadlines and academic obligations. However, reaching new students can be challenging, as they may be unfamiliar with campus life and communication channels. Engaging first-year students through direct interactions in the office or during graduate orientations can be beneficial.
- Industry Information/Recruitment Sessions: These events bring company representatives to campus to share career opportunities, particularly during recruiting seasons. Students often express appreciation for these sessions, as many have successfully secured interviews as a result. Chapters are actively working to strengthen connections with companies to enhance these offerings.
- Student Research Seminars: These seminars provide a platform for PhD students to present their research to peers and faculty, fostering visibility and allowing them to showcase their work within the academic community.
- Peer Mentorship Sessions: To facilitate peer mentoring, chapters have organized various formats, including panels, one-on-one mentorship programs, and small group discussions. For instance, the Georgia Tech chapter launched the INFORMal Chat series, featuring monthly topics of interest where senior PhD students serve as Focus leaders, sharing their experiences with junior members. Topics range from navigating the first year of a PhD to exploring internships in tech and careers in health and NGOs and many more.
• Conference Preparations: Leading up to the INFORMS Annual Meeting, student chapters conduct presentation preparation sessions. For example, Clemson hosts a three-day practice session attended by students from various departments. Feedback from previous participants highlights the benefits of increased visibility and practice opportunities.
• Coffee Breaks: These informal gatherings aim to keep students engaged during busy periods, offering coffee and snacks in a relaxed environment. However, low attendance can be a challenge due to the varying schedules of students.
• Social Events: Fun activities, such as trivia nights and white elephant games, are organized to encourage camaraderie among students, especially during the end of the semester.
• Outreach Initiatives: Student chapters are also committed to K-12 outreach. For example, the Clemson chapter participates in STEM Nights at local elementary schools, where they create engaging math-related challenges and games, such as card guessing games that illustrate probability concepts and shortest path problems. This initiative has received positive feedback from schools. Meanwhile, the Georgia Tech chapter focuses on high school outreach by visiting local schools to discuss college life, industrial engineering, and career paths. This two-part initiative includes initial school visits to spark interest, followed by inviting interested students to campus for shadowing experiences with graduate students.
• Resource Hubs: The Clemson chapter runs the Optimality Gap podcast, interviewing faculty members who participate in the seminar series. This podcast serves as a valuable archive for students to learn more about the faculty’s research interests and expertise. However, managing a podcast comes with challenges, including a steep learning curve. Similarly, other chapters are developing a resource hub on their website to provide links and resources related to fellowships, research awards, academic career preparation programs, startup resources, and other academic opportunities.
• Collaborative Efforts: Many board members also engage in additional initiatives, such as serving on graduate student advisory boards or other departmental roles, further enriching their involvement and the resources available to their chapters. Some chapters, like Georgia Tech, collaborate closely with local chapters, such as the Atlanta chapter, to co-organize young professional events that connect students with industry professionals. These partnerships facilitate community building beyond campus.
Board Operations
In most chapters, responsibilities are divided among four to five major roles overseen by the chapter president. At Clemson, each board member coordinating a special event each academic year while maintaining their primary duties. Chapters have noted that managing social media requires considerable time for event promotion. To address this, Clemson has introduced two new roles: Director of Media Relations and Director of Outreach/Engagement, allowing passionate board members to take the lead. Similarly, the Georgia Tech chapter has created a role for Council Members who represent student interests, brainstorm new events, foster new connections, and are great extra hands during the busiest times of the semester.
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| Figure 2: Tour of the beautiful campus of Clemson University. |
A key takeaway from various chapters is the importance of documentation in managing operations. For instance, the Georgia Tech chapter experienced significant disruptions due to COVID-19, pausing activities for nearly two years. When the new board took over, they found themselves with limited resources and no clear direction. To remedy this, the chapter decided to create tutorials for each position, facilitating a smoother onboarding process for future boards. Clemson has developed an effective documentation pipeline where each event has a comprehensive report that covers planning, execution, evaluation, and lessons learnt, accompanied by a monthly report summarizes activities and achievements, including attendance and budget details. These documents are passed to subsequent boards, serving as valuable resources for enhancing future events.
The Importance of the Retreat
An event like our retreat is a unique opportunity to enhance a chapter’s performance and to strengthen the ORMS community overall. Even though INFORMS provides a series of amazing resources, many officers feel like their chapters are in an island. We need to connect to other officers, to ask for advice, to share our experiences and hear other chapters experiences. The exchange of ideas and experiences is what make a community, any community, strong.
Lessons Learnt
- Each student chapter is unique. Despite the differences, all chapters share many of the same challenges.
- The exchange of ideas and experiences can offer ways to overcome these challenges and build cooperation.
- Events like the First Southeast INFORMS Student Chapter Retreat might be just what your chapter needs to unlock its full potential!
Looking Towards the Future
Just as we debrief and reflect on each student event we plan, we held a session to evaluate how we can enhance this retreat. To promote inclusivity, we will offer an online option for the chapter presentations, accommodating those who cannot attend in person and allowing for broader participation. Additionally, we plan to introduce team-building activities, such as friendly competitions for swag, to strengthen connections among new officers and create a more engaging experience. Once this retreat becomes a tradition, we envision chapters alternating hosting duties to bring a variety of locations into the mix. We are excited about our upcoming INFORMS student chapter retreat and are eager to welcome more chapters to participate. If you think this could be an opportunity for your chapter, please contact us; we would love to have your chapter in our next retreat.
Acknowledgements: We would like to thank Justin Dumouchelle for taking time to review this article. Photo credit goes to Daniel Lopes da Silva.