Awi Federgruen

Awi Federgruen is the Charles E. Exley Professor of Management and Chair of the Decision, Risk, and Operations (DRO) Division at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. He joined Columbia’s faculty in 1979 after earning his DSc in Operations Research from the University of Amsterdam and holding roles as a Research Fellow at the Mathematical Centre in Amsterdam and faculty member at the University of Rochester. He also holds a courtesy appointment in Columbia’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Education:

• BA, University of Amsterdam, 1972
• MS, University of Amsterdam, 1975
• DSc (Operations Research), University of Amsterdam, 1978

Research Interests: Federgruen’s work focuses on optimizing supply chain and service systems through advanced operations research methodologies. Key areas include supply chain coordination, inventory management under uncertainty, service system design, and dynamic pricing. His theoretical contributions span applied probability, queuing models, and dynamic programming. Recent applications include pharmaceutical supply chains, healthcare operations, and vaccine distribution strategies.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2004 Distinguished Fellowship Award (MSOM Society)
• INFORMS Presidential Fellow (highest honor)
• National Science Foundation & ARPA grants

Consulting & Industry Impact: Federgruen advises companies in pharmaceuticals, consumer electronics, and logistics. Notably, he developed marketing mix models for the pharmaceutical industry and advised the Israeli Air Force on logistics policies. His work bridges academic theory with real-world applications in industries like retail, healthcare, and transportation.

Editorial Roles: Editor-in-Chief of Naval Research Logistics; former Departmental Editor for Manufacturing & Service Operations Management and Associate Editor of Operations Research.