MS&E Newsletter April 2026
The home stretch
Spring is in the air, and we can almost hear "Pomp and Circumstance" playing in the not-so-distant future. MS&E seniors recently presented their capstone projects, and many students are completing their last requirements before graduation. Below, learn more about the work we're doing as we race toward summer.
2026 senior projects: Adaptation in a changing landscape
As winter quarter drew to a close, MS&E undergraduates gave presentations detailing the research they performed as part of their senior capstone projects. Using a variety of MS&E techniques across a wide array of industries, student teams helped sponsor organizations adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Many of this year's projects made use of AI-powered tools, and some even built custom AI agents as deliverables. Sponsor organizations ranged from manufacturers like Gallant Sports and House of Livara to investment firms like New Enterprise Associates and nonprofits like Nest that serve to impact the community at large.
The latest in MS&E
- Seven MS&E faculty authors were featured on a list of 50 influential papers published during the first 50 years of the journal Mathematics of Operations Research. Many of their papers were also co-authored by MS&E alums.
- How will artificial intelligence reshape markets—and what new markets will AI itself require? Learn from experts including Professor Amin Saberi, who spoke at the recent Market Design in the Age of AI conference.
- On Stanford Engineering's The Future of Everything, Professor Chuck Eesley says the key to inspiring entrepreneurship is broad global investment over a singular focus at home.
- Close to 30 early-career professionals gathered at the 2026 Rising Stars workshop, which brings together emerging scholars to explore academic pathways, build relationships with faculty and peers, and engage in conversations about research and career development.
- Three MS&E alums—Faidra Monachou (PhD '22), Hannah Li (PhD '22), and Nikhil Garg (PhD '20)—now faculty at Yale, Cornell Tech, and Columbia, respectively, investigate whether the elimination of standardized testing requirements makes college admissions more inclusive.
- Eric Horvitz (PhD '91), chief scientific officer at Microsoft, called for AI governance at a talk given as part of the Graduate School of Business's applied AI initiative.
MS&E's Legacy
- Frederick S. Hillier, professor emeritus of operations research in MS&E, passed away on January 9, 2026. He was 89. Learn about his life and legacy.
- The 2025 INFORMS Annual Meeting marked a special session dedicated to the first anniversary of the passing of Ronald A. Howard, the late professor of MS&E, a founder of the field of decision analysis, and a pioneer of operations research. His former students Ali Abbas (PhD '04) and Eric Horvitz (PhD '91), along with former colleagues, share stories from his life, his influences, and his impact.
Career Events
Many thanks to the alums who led career-focused workshops for our current students during winter quarter! Special shout-outs to Gigi Griffin, Ashley Jepson, Ruoxing Liu, David Madej, Shreya Mantha, Rollins Stallworth, Ron Stubblefield, and David Telleen-Lawton.
Additionally, we'd like to thank the following organizations for coming to talk with our students: Alvarez & Marsal, Surge, and Qvest.
Are you an alum who would like to lead a career event or engage with students? Contact Lindsey Akin
Alumni Groups
Awards & Recognition
Faculty & Students
- Assistant Professor Vasilis Syrgkanis received a Schmidt Sciences Science of Trustworthy AI grant for research that aims to improve AI models' explanations of their step-by-step reasoning.
- Assistant Professor Renyuan Xu received a JP Morgan AI Faculty Research Award for her research project titled "From Generative AI to Financial Predictions and Decisions."
- Associate Professor Melissa Valentine received multiple honors:
- An article by Professor Valentine and PhD student Amanda Pratt was named one of the best HR & People Analytics articles of February by Data Driven HR Monthly.
- An article by Professor Valentine was named to the Journal of Organization Design's Weekly Readings.
- Her book, Flash Teams, won the PROSE Award in the Business, Finance, and Management category from the Association of American Publishers. Learn more about the PROSE Awards, and see the list of winners.
- Flash Teams received a gold medal in the Business Disruption/Reinvention category at the 2026 Axiom Awards.
- Professors Ben Van Roy and Ramesh Johari were among awardees of The AI Security Institute's AI Alignment Project.
- Junior David Shamah was named to the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) All-Academic Team for men's gymnastics.
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