As a celebration of International Women’s Day, we mark the event by
highlighting the achievements of pioneering women in Operational
Research (OR) and signpost networks that support women in OR careers
today.
Tracing the Legacy of Women in Operational Research
Among the most famous female names in OR is Ailsa Land (1927 – 2021),
the first female OR professor. Before computers were widely available,
Land devised pencil and paper methods to solve problems without
resorting to the “brute force” approach of trying every solution one by
one. She took the opportunity computers offered to automate such
methods, structuring data effectively and devising strategies to produce
computer code that was as efficient as possible.
Her contributions to OR techniques, particularly her work on the
branch-and-bound method in integer programming, remain foundational even
today. Her pioneering efforts, alongside Alison Harcourt (neé Doig),
introduced groundbreaking methodologies that continue to influence
contemporary integer programming solvers and methodologies. Land’s
academic career also resulted in her taking a professorship at the
London School of Economics in 1980, the first woman in the UK to hold
such a post in operational research.
Other notable women include Pamela Rose (née Gibson), who is known
for her work during World War II at Bletchley Park and for being one of
the few women promoted to head the Naval Indexing department, which has
been hailed as a precursor of the Information Age. Her coordination of
vital fact-finding forays, despite the lack of technological
advancements, cements her role in history. Let us not forget Margaret
Hamilton, who was renowned for her work at NASA as the lead programmer
for the Apollo guidance computer, stands as a symbol of excellence in
software engineering.
Addressing the Gender Gap in STEM Careers
This year’s International Women’s Day is focusing on the theme of
inclusion, and this also makes us reflect on the underrepresentation of
women in OR and STEM fields.
Until 2018, there wasn’t any specific research into women's low
representation in OR until The OR Society sponsored three MSc research
projects on the theme.
This led to the establishment of The Women in Operational Research and Analytics Network (WORAN), which offers events, mentorship and support for women in OR.
We wanted to flag up some of the inspiring events they have coming up for women in OR including:
WORAN Book Discussion: Inferior by Angela Saini
Date: 21 March 2024
An engaging discussion on Angela Saini's book "Inferior," exploring themes of gender and science.
Workshop: Presence and Personal Impact
Date: 18 April 2024
Hosted
by Piers Ibbotson, Business Trainer/Consultant, and Associate
Professor, Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Warwick
Business School
This workshop will explore techniques for confident
and impactful communications in both one-on-one and group settings.
Attendees will increase their self-awareness and develop a broader range
of communication styles to build rapport and influence. They will
understand the link between authority, status, and power, with a focus
on gender dynamics.
To sign up for these events and for more information, please visit Women in OR & Analytics Network - The OR Society
Another thriving women’s group is The EURO WISDOM Forum (Women in
Society Doing Operational Research and Management Society) which has
been set up to empower all genders in OR within EURO. Collaborating with
other women's groups, WISDOM has conducted some groundbreaking
research, including a systematic review of OR literature through a
gender lens, set to be published in JORS.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we want to amplify the
voices and contributions of women in OR and highlight that through WORAN
and EURO WISDOM Forum, progress is being made toward gender equality
and inclusivity in the field, which we hope will lead to a more diverse
and dynamic OR community.