Pre-Gaming for INFORMS

After 10 long hours on the plane from Hawaii and a 30-minute bus ride on the CATS Sprinter bus, I have finally arrived to Charlotte. Unlike typical pre-gaming for sporting events, I am getting cozy with the hotel pillows to re-set my body clock for the full week of events at the 2011 Annual Meeting of INFORMS. This conference is particularly important to me because it will be my last prior to deploying to Afghanistan in January in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Moreover, as we thank those combat veterans around us today who have dutifully served this nation, let’s also be thankful for both the birth and growth of the OR/MS field.

As a junior analyst still learning the trade of OR/MS, I trust that this conference will forge the opportunity for networking among professionals, mentorship from the experienced, learning and sharing new OR/MS theory and applications, and having fun. I look forward to tomorrow as we kick-off the conference with numerous vendor workshops and the INFORMS membership meeting.