Pinar Keskinocak

Pinar Keskinocak serves as the H. Milton and Carolyn J. Stewart School Chair and Professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She co-founded and directs the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems, demonstrating leadership in both academic administration and research innovation. Her career includes prior roles as College of Engineering ADVANCE Professor and interim associate dean for faculty development, alongside industry experience at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center.

Her educational foundation includes a Ph.D. in Operations Research from Carnegie Mellon University and M.S. and B.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering from Bilkent University. This rigorous training underpins her interdisciplinary approach to complex societal challenges.

Dr. Keskinocak's research pioneers operations research applications for societal impact, with dual emphases on health systems and humanitarian logistics. She develops advanced models for infectious disease dynamics (including COVID-19, malaria, and Guinea worm), vaccination strategies, disaster response, and supply chain optimization. Her work uniquely bridges engineering analytics with real-world implementation through partnerships with the CDC, American Red Cross, Carter Center, and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.

Analysis of her 2023-2025 publications reveals intensifying focus on eradication program modeling for polio and Guinea worm, with increasing integration of machine learning for predictive accuracy in vaccine distribution. A pronounced trend addresses health equity through targeted interventions for under-immunized populations in Sub-Saharan Africa, emphasizing resource allocation under constraints and cross-border coordination challenges.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• INFORMS Fellow (2015)
• NSF CAREER Award (2001)
• Outstanding Professional Education Award, Georgia Tech (2018)
• Denning Award for Global Engagement, Georgia Tech (2016)
• Women in Engineering Excellence Teaching Award (2005)
• Moving Spirit Award, INFORMS (2005)

Dr. Keskinocak has secured extensive project funding through collaborations with federal agencies and NGOs, directing research on pandemic response systems, vaccine logistics, and disaster debris management. While specific advisees aren't publicly cataloged, her leadership in the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems mentors numerous graduate researchers through interdisciplinary projects. She significantly influences national policy via National Academies committees addressing supply chain resilience and vaccine distribution infrastructure.

The Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems operates as a dynamic hub where engineering rigor meets humanitarian action, coordinating multi-institutional teams to develop deployable solutions for global health crises and disaster response systems.