Columbia Business School's Peter Kolesar Awarded with a 2011 MSOM Distinguished Fellow Award

NEW YORK — June 30, 2011 — Columbia Business School is proud to announce that Peter Kolesar, Professor Emeritus and Special Lecturer for Decision, Risk, and Operations was elected to be a 2011 MSOM Distinguished Fellow. The Manufacturing and Service Operations Society bestows the award annually for achievement in research and scholarship in operations management.

Professor Kolesar studies quality management and statistical quality control as well as applications of operations research and statistics to the management of production and service systems. His research includes modeling of service systems with random cyclic customer demand patterns, accelerating the implementation of total quality management systems and optimizing credit–screening procedures. He was awarded the 1975 Lanchester Prize — the highest award in operations research — for work on the deployment of police and fire departments and for contributions to the design of the New York City Fire Department’s Computerized Control System. His algorithm for relocating fire engines in severe emergencies was used to great effect during the 9/11 World Trade Center crisis. His most recent award winning research laid the foundation for the water release rules for New York City’s Delaware River dams, which provide half of the City’s drinking water. Professor Kolesar was twice an examiner for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, and is an associate editor for Interfaces and the Quality Management Journal, and is also a consultant to numerous firms and government agencies.

Columbia Business School’s Decision, Risk, and Operations Division has historically been recognized by MSOM. Garrett J. van Ryzin, Paul. M. Montrone Professor of Private Enterprise, Chair of Decision, Risk, and Operations and Professor Awi Federgruen, Charles E. Exley Professor of Management both received the honor.Professor Kolesar received the award formally during the INFORMS MSOM Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which was held on June 27th and June 28th, where he delivered a keynote address.  

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About Columbia Business School

Led by Dean Glenn Hubbard, the Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School seeks to provide a truly global business education that lasts and evolves over a lifetime, preparing students for strong leadership in any industry. The School’s cutting–edge curriculum bridges pioneering academic theory with industry practice, imparting not only functional skills, but the entrepreneurial mindset required to recognize and capture opportunity in a competitive business environment. Beyond academic rigor and teaching excellence, the School offers programs that are designed to give students practical experience making decisions in real–world environments. The strength of its ideas, the breadth and accessibility of its alumni network, and the extent of its connections to New York City combine to make Columbia Business School one of the most innovative and dynamic business communities in the world. The School offers MBA and Executive MBA (EMBA) degrees, as well as nondegree executive education programs. 

For more information, visit www.gsb.columbia.edu.

About The Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society (MSOM)

The Manufacturing and Service Operations Management Society (MSOM) promotes the enhancement and dissemination of knowledge, and the efficiency of industrial practice, related to the operations function in manufacturing and service enterprises. The methods which MSOM members apply in order to help the operations function add value to products and services are derived from a wide range of scientific fields, including operations research and management science, mathematics, economics, statistics, information systems and artificial intelligence. The members of MSOM include researchers, educators, consultants, practitioners and students, with backgrounds in these and other applied sciences.