Airline operational research society elects Garrow as its first female president

Members of the Airline Group of the International Federation of Operational Research Societies have elected Laurie Garrow their next president.

Garrow, an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is the first woman to serve in the post in the organization’s 55-year history.

The group’s members come from more than 500 airlines, airline manufacturers, universities and aviation-related companies and associations. The society is “dedicated to the advancement and application of operational research within the airline industry,” according to its website.

Garrow will serve as president for three years. She has been the organization’s vice president, and she oversees the annual awarding of the Anna Valicek Medal for graduate students.

Garrow's research focuses on the development and application of advanced models of travel demand that integrate discrete choice, econometric and market research methods to enhance our understanding of travel behavior, especially within the airline industry.