Turgay Ayer

Turgay Ayer holds key positions at Georgia Institute of Technology:

• Virginia C. and Joseph C. Mello Chair and Professor, H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Research Director of Business Intelligence and Healthcare Analytics, Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems
• Senior Scientist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Courtesy Appointment, Emory University School of Medicine

He earned his B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Sabanci University, Istanbul, Turkey (2006), and M.S./Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2011).

His research centers on healthcare analytics, AI/generative AI in medicine, and socially responsible operations, applying operations research to solve critical healthcare and humanitarian challenges with tangible policy impacts. His work emphasizes practice-focused solutions that bridge academic research and real-world implementation.

Notable scientific awards include:

• NSF CAREER Award (2015)
• INFORMS Franz Edelman Laureate Award (2017)
• First Place, MSOM Responsible Research in Operations Management (2019)
• Seth Bonder Foundation Research Award (2012)
• Society for Medical Decision Making Lee Lusted Award (2009)

Securing over $3 million in research funding primarily from the National Science Foundation, his work transformed American Red Cross blood collection operations, influenced U.S./U.K. lung cancer drug pricing decisions, and optimized hepatitis C treatment distribution in correctional systems.

As Research Director at the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems, he leads cross-institutional collaborations with the CDC and Emory University to advance analytics-driven public health solutions.