Archive for September 2026
UC Berkeley researchers develop diffusion model to better simulate rare, extreme outcomes
Planning for what usually happens is relatively straightforward. Preparing for what rarely happens, but can have enormous consequences, is much harder. Businesses, governments and financial institutions rely on averages to estimate typical demand, costs and resource needs. But a sudden spike in demand or an unusually large financial loss can fall well beyond those typical…
Read MoreBringing AI into the work of learning
This fall, UC Berkeley industrial engineering and operations research professor Huiwen Jia will ask students in an undergraduate engineering course to step into the role of operations managers, using a newly developed resource allocation simulator to make and refine decisions over 12 simulated months. Using an AI assistant built into the web-based dashboard, students can…
Read MoreUC Berkeley IEOR undergraduate program ranks No. 4 nationally
UC Berkeley’s undergraduate program in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (Berkeley IEOR) is ranked No. 4 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, maintaining its position from last year. The College of Engineering rose to No. 2 among engineering programs nationwide and ranks No. 1 among public institutions. UC Berkeley IEOR’s graduate program…
Read MoreUC Berkeley Ph.D. Student Yuchen Fang Receives 2026 Simons Dissertation Fellowship
Yuchen Fang, a UC Berkeley doctoral student co-advised by UC Berkeley IEOR Professor Javad Lavaei, has been named a recipient of the 2026 Simons Dissertation Fellowship in Mathematics. Fang is pursuing his Ph.D. in applied mathematics at UC Berkeley and is co-advised by Lavaei and Professor James Demmel. His research focuses on stochastic nonlinear optimization…
Read MoreUC Berkeley IEOR and EECS researchers earn INFORMS award for power systems research
As renewable energy reshapes the electric grid, researchers are rethinking how power systems can remain reliable without sacrificing efficiency. Wind and solar generation can vary from forecasts, forcing grid operators to make decisions under uncertainty. A new optimization method developed by UC Berkeley researchers offers a more precise way to account for that risk, potentially…
Read MoreUC Berkeley professor Lee Fleming receives 2026 Dan and Mary Lou Schendel Best Paper Prize
The Strategic Management Society recognized Fleming and co-author Olav Sorenson for influential research showing how scientific knowledge can guide inventors through complex technological problems. Lee Fleming, a professor in UC Berkeley’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (Berkeley IEOR) who also holds an appointment at the Haas School of Business, has received the 2026…
Read MoreBeSMART Recap: Teaching students how AI works
As artificial intelligence becomes capable of increasingly complex analytical and decision-making tasks, UC Berkeley is preparing young learners to do more than simply use the technology. This summer, the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (Berkeley IEOR) welcomed high school students to campus for the inaugural Berkeley Engineering Summer Machine-learning & AI Research Training,…
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