Sheldon H. Jacobson

Sheldon H. Jacobson is a Founder Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding appointments in Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mathematics, Statistics, and the College of Medicine. He serves as Director of the Simulation and Optimization Laboratory and Founding Director of both the Bed Time Research Institute and the Institute for Computational Redistricting.

Dr. Jacobson earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Mathematics from McGill University and his Ph.D. in Operations Research from Cornell University. Prior to joining the University of Illinois in 1999, he served on the faculties at Case Western Reserve University (Weatherhead School of Management, 1988-1993) and Virginia Tech (Industrial and Systems Engineering, 1993-1999).

His research focuses on applying operations research and optimization-based artificial intelligence to address societal problems of national interest. Key areas include aviation security analytics, computational redistricting, public health data analytics, sports analytics (particularly NCAA bracketology), and decision-making under uncertainty. His work has pioneered the field of aviation security analytics, with research on multi-level passenger screening forming the foundation for TSA PreCheck. He has also made significant contributions to pediatric vaccine formulary design, the relationship between transportation and obesity, and computational approaches to combat gerrymandering.

Dr. Jacobson's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent focus on applying analytical methods to real-world problems. His recent publications reflect expertise in aviation security, immigration policy, election analytics, and risk-based decision making. The articles show his ability to translate complex analytical concepts into accessible policy discussions for broader audiences.

• Guggenheim Fellowship (2003)
• INFORMS Impact Prize (2018)
• INFORMS President's Award (2023)
• IISE David F. Baker Distinguished Research Award (2017)
• Election as Fellow of AAAS (2020), INFORMS (2013), and IISE (2011)

As an educator, Dr. Jacobson has directed 27 Ph.D. dissertations and secured over $5 million in research funding from the National Science Foundation and Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He has taught courses including Advanced Stochastic Processes and Simulation. Through his leadership of the Bed Time Research Institute, he has launched several public-facing websites including BracketOdds, ElectionAnalytics, DrivingObesity, and Redistricting, designed to communicate research value and promote STEM literacy. His policy-relevant research has informed government decision-making at the highest levels.