MS&E Newsletter October 2025

Our lead story: MS&E's next 25 years

Thank you again to those who helped us celebrate our 25th anniversary! As many of you know, we have a rich history that began long before MS&E became what it is today. We saw many examples of MS&E's impact and heard from alumni who have changed the world through research, optimization, policy, entrepreneurship, and more.

As we approach the end of our 25th year, we turn our attention to the department's future. New faculty and students join our classrooms, and exciting new research projects unfold. The research landscape has changed, but our commitment to creating solutions to pressing societal problems is unwavering.

Now, we ask for your help in shaping our next 25 years of impact. Gifts to MS&E build vital resources that are ready wherever and whenever they are needed most. That flexibility enables us to bring on promising new faculty, support world-class students, and launch new research projects, among other impactful activities.

Learn more about how you can support MS&E

And for a little inspiration, you can relive our 25th anniversary celebration, learn about our latest research below, and meet some of the faculty and students who make MS&E such a special place, also below.

The Latest in MS&E

Informing Policy Decisions

• Theory meets practice: Faculty members Irene Lo and John Weyant are developing practical climate solutions, including new ways to curb deforestation while boosting rural incomes.
• For unhoused individuals suffering from opioid use disorder, a housing-first approach offers a surprisingly cost-effective path to improved health outcomes, according to a study by Professor Margaret Brandeau and alum Isabelle Rao (PhD '23).
• Scholars including Professor Itai Ashlagi and alum Al Roth (PhD '74, MS '72), physicians, health care practitioners, and policymakers gathered at Stanford to explore research advances in kidney transplantation.

AI & Data Science

• GenAI datasets: How can we ensure responsible applications of data for AI models? And how can we trace outputs to specific training data? Hear from a research team that includes Assistant Professor Ellen Vitercik at the 2025 Hoffman-Yee Grant Symposium on October 14. Virtual attendance options are available.
• The Stanford Institute for Computational & Mathematical Engineering (ICME) hosted its annual research symposium, featuring talks by MS&E faculty Jose Blanchet, Ramesh Johari, and Markus Pelger.
• Are you a business leader who wants to harness the power of AI beyond just the basics? Learn from Associate Professor Melissa Valentine and other experts as part of Stanford HAI's custom executive education program.

The Future of Organizing

• What makes certain entrepreneurs successful while others struggle? Associate Professor Chuck Eesley has spent decades studying the answers. His research reveals critical factors that contribute to entrepreneurial success.
• Across industries, organizations struggle to move quickly on key priorities and new initiatives. The solution? "Flash teams," according to Associate Professor Melissa Valentine and computer science Professor Michael Bernstein.

Student Research

• Undergraduates in our Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program gave presentations on the research they conducted alongside MS&E faculty and PhD students.
• Master's student Charles Shi and an interdisciplinary team help governments identify, apply, and manage financing opportunities for resilient infrastructure projects using data and AI integration. They received a TomKat Innovation Transfer award to help bring their ideas to market.
• Stanford Energy Fellow Cong Chen, co-advised by Professor Itai Ashlagi, reflects on her work at Stanford as she prepares for a faculty position at Dartmouth College.

Meet Our Community

Our Newest Faculty

MS&E welcomes two new faculty members this fall: Assistant Professors Ruizhe Jia and Renyuan Xu.