Senay Solak
John F. Smith Memorial Professor | Department Chair
Dr. Senay Solak is the John F. Smith Memorial Professor and Chair of the Department of Operations and Information Management at the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds PhD and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy. Prior to his academic career, he served as a naval officer and worked as an analyst in the Planning Department of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. His research focuses on socially and environmentally sustainable operations, with applications in social welfare programs, healthcare, energy, transportation, and information systems. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and industry partners, and has appeared in leading journals including Operations Research, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, Production and Operations Management, and Transportation Science. Solak has received numerous research and best paper awards and is internationally recognized for his contributions to operations management and decision sciences.
Education
Academic Appointments
Recent Honors / Awards
Research Interests
Teaching Interests
- Business process simulation
- Supply chain management
- Stochastic models
Media, Industry, and Public Impact
- Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator on research projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office, Advanced Cyber Security Center, and industry partners
- Research on improving access and equity in childcare subsidy programs was featured by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, highlighting policy implications for public-sector social welfare programs.
- Collaborated with the Massachusetts State Auditor’s Office to establish an Information Technology Audit Unit and develop analytical approaches to improve government oversight and accountability.
- Conducted industry-sponsored research with Intuitive Surgical and Baystate Medical Center on improving operating room efficiency and surgical team performance in robotic surgery.
- Led and participated in research projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Advanced Cyber Security Center, and other public and private organizations.
- Research has informed decision-making in transportation systems, healthcare operations, cybersecurity investment, energy technology management, nonprofit organizations, and social welfare programs.
- Coordinated academic-industry workshops on cybersecurity risk analysis and enterprise security involving researchers, practitioners, and government stakeholders.
Selected Working Papers / Current Research
Wei, W., Arora, P., & Solak, S. “Contract or Voucher?: Policies for Operating Subsidy Welfare Programs.” Under review.
Hu, Z., Chen, H., & Solak, S. “Stochastic Network Design for Bitcoin-based Electric Vehicle Charging Payment Systems.” Under review.
Selected Publications
Wei, W., Arora, P., & Solak, S. (2024). “Allocation of Funds in Bilevel Subsidy Welfare Programs.” Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 26(4), 1435–1453.
Arora, P., Wei, W., & Solak, S. (2021). “Improving Outcomes in Child Care Subsidy Voucher Programs under Regional Asymmetries.” Production and Operations Management, 30(12), 4435–4454.
Solak, S., & Zhuo, Y. (2020). “Optimal Policies for Information Sharing in Information System Security.” European Journal of Operational Research, 284(3), 934–950.
Solak, S., Bayram, A., Gumus, M., & Zhuo, Y. (2019). “Optimizing Foreclosed Housing Acquisition Portfolios in Societal Response to Foreclosures.” Operations Research, 67(4), 950–964.
Solak, S., Solveling, G., Clarke, J.-P., & Johnson, E. (2018). “Stochastic Runway Scheduling.” Transportation Science, 52(4), 739–763.
Solak, S., & Chen, H. (2018). “Optimal Metering Point Configurations for Optimized Profile Descent Based Arrival Operations at Airports.” Transportation Science, 52(1), 150–170.
Chen, H., & Solak, S. (2015). “Lower Cost Arrivals for Airlines: Optimal Policies for Managing Runway Operations under Optimized Profile Descent.” Production and Operations Management, 24(3), 402–420.
Baker, E., & Solak, S. (2014). “Management of Energy Technology for Sustainability: How to Fund Energy Technology R&D.” Production and Operations Management, 23(3), 348–365.