Matthew Petering

Matthew Petering is an Associate Professor in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His work bridges operations research with real-world applications in logistics, transportation, and political redistricting. He holds a PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan (2007), an MS from the same program (2003), and a BA in Mathematics from Washington University in St. Louis (1999).

His research focuses on optimizing complex systems: from seaport container terminals to university course scheduling, and recently developing the FastMap algorithm for unbiased political redistricting. His algorithm was central to Wisconsin Supreme Court litigation in 2023-2024, submitting proposals for legislative maps that balanced fairness and operational efficiency.

Dr. Petering has pioneered board game designs like Distrix (2020), which won international awards, and authored The Distrix Puzzle Book. His peer-reviewed work spans over 30 publications in journals like Transportation Science, European Journal of Operational Research, and International Journal of Production Economics.

• Key contributions include:
• Algorithmic solutions for container shipping and rail logistics
• Cyclic production planning models
• Real-time location management systems for distribution facilities
• Emergency evacuation modeling

His FastMap redistricting system was recognized with the 2024 INFORMS Practitioner Poster Competition award. Dr. Petering frequently advises governmental bodies and judicial proceedings on redistricting methodology and logistics optimization.