Benjamin Lev

Benjamin Lev is a Professor in the Department of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems (DS&MIS) at the LeBow College of Business, Drexel University. He previously served as Trustee Professor (2014–2021) and Department Head (2009–2014) at Drexel. His academic leadership extends to prior roles as Professor, Department Head, and Dean at the University of Michigan-Dearborn (1990–2009), Professor and Department Head at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1987–1990), and Professor and Department Head at Temple University (1970–1987). He has held short appointments at institutions in China and the U.S., including the Wharton School and Tel Aviv University.

Lev’s research spans Operations Research, Management Science, and Decision Sciences, with expertise in mathematical programming, operations planning, inventory control, supply chain management, and optimization under uncertainty. His recent work focuses on applications in disaster management, sustainable supply chains, AI in operations, water resource allocation, and emergency logistics. He has published over 150 journal articles and authored or edited 18 books, with a strong emphasis on real-world problem-solving using quantitative methods.

The trends in his recent publications (2022–2025) reflect a focus on complex optimization under uncertainty, particularly in humanitarian logistics, environmental sustainability, and digital commerce. His work frequently employs advanced methodologies such as bi-level programming, stochastic optimization, fuzzy logic, and data envelopment analysis (DEA), often applied to critical societal challenges like disaster response, air pollution, and resource scarcity.

Lev is an INFORMS Fellow (2003) and has received several honors, including the 2023 Top Cited Article award in Naval Research Logistics and the 2023 First Prize from the Jiangxi Province Social Science Outstanding Achievement Award. His editorial leadership is most notably demonstrated by his 23-year tenure as Editor-in-Chief (2002–2025) of OMEGA – The International Journal of Management Science, one of the premier journals in the field.

He has advised numerous scholars and presented his work globally, particularly on his experience as EiC of OMEGA. He has been actively involved in academic collaborations, especially in China, serving on advisory boards and as an external reviewer for institutions like Sichuan University. He has also received significant grant funding from the U.S. National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, and U.S. Air Force for research in medical information systems and operations research applications.

Lev has been instrumental in organizing major international conferences and has served on the editorial boards of over 20 journals, including Interfaces, IIE Transactions, OR Journal, and Financial Innovation. His role as Vice President of TIMS and INFORMS further underscores his leadership in the global operations research community.