CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 17, 2025 ~ MIT Awards Operations Research Pioneer Dimitris Bertsimas with Prestigious Killian Faculty Achievement Award

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has recently announced that Dimitris Bertsimas, a renowned figure in the field of operations research, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025-26 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award. This prestigious honor is the highest recognition granted by the MIT faculty to its own professors.

Bertsimas, who currently serves as MIT Sloan's Associate Dean of Business Analytics and Boeing Professor of Operations Research, has been recognized for his transformative contributions in various areas, including transportation optimization. In addition to his academic roles, he is also the faculty director of the Master of Business Analytics program at MIT.

Expressing his gratitude for being chosen as a Killian Award winner, Bertsimas stated, "To be recognized among the Killian Award winners is humbling. I focus on solving problems that drive real change—not in 50 years, but in two." This statement reflects his commitment to making a tangible impact through his work.

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One notable example of Bertsimas' contributions is his co-founding of AlphaRoute, a fleet management software company that specializes in optimizing transportation for school districts and transit agencies. Through this venture, he collaborated with fellow co-founder John Hanlon, former COO of Boston Public Schools (BPS), to develop an algorithm that resulted in BPS eliminating 50 buses from their fleet and saving $5 million. Today, AlphaRoute's services are utilized by school districts nationwide to reduce transportation expenses by up to 30%.

The success stories continue as other districts have also benefited from partnering with AlphaRoute. The School District of Manatee County in Florida was able to reduce their route count from 106 to 94 with the help of AlphaRoute during a time when driver shortages were a major concern. Jamie Warrington, Director of Transportation and Vehicle Maintenance, praised the company's transparency and exceptional service, stating, "We are so thankful for their assistance with this project and their post-project support!"

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Daniel Kang, Director of Transportation at LA Unified, also shared his positive experience working with AlphaRoute, saying, "AlphaRoute has expanded our capacity and improved efficiency, delivering safe, reliable service for our students. The AlphaRoute team's expertise in both public and private sectors allows for practical, innovative solutions."

As part of the Killian Award tradition, Bertsimas will deliver a lecture in spring 2026 where he will share insights on the future of artificial intelligence in transportation optimization and its potential impact on industries such as healthcare and finance.

Bertsimas' achievements have not gone unnoticed by the academic community. In 2019, he was awarded the John von Neumann Theory Prize from INFORMS for his contributions to the theory of operations research and management sciences. He also received the INFORMS President's Award that same year for his contributions to societal welfare. In addition to these accolades, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering at just 43 years old.

For more information on Bertsimas' work and accomplishments, visit MIT Sloan's website or www.alpharoute.com.

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