Meet Zeynep Ertem: Assistant Professor, Systems Science and Industrial Engineering

Assistant Professor Zeynep Ertem joined the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science’s Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering in fall 2020.

How did you first get interested in industrial and systems engineering?

I chose my career as an industrial engineer because its application is really wide. I became intrigued about how mathematics could be used to model not just physical phenomena, but also economic and social interactions.

One can work as an industrial engineer in a factory as a manufacturing or quality engineer, in a social network company as a data scientist or even in a hospital to optimize the flow.

What projects are you currently working on?

My research focuses on operations management, with an emphasis on challenges in public health and healthcare systems. Recent initiatives in digitization of healthcare records provide an unprecedented ability to measure how our healthcare systems operate. Leveraging this capability, my research aims to use and extend operations management literature to improve the efficiency of healthcare systems.

I also study disease transmission. Many countries spend significant resources to limit the potential effects of outbreaks. Accurately predicting the outbreaks enables public health officials to optimize their prevention strategies. Furthermore, recent refugee movements across countries might put stress on both the healthcare system and the general public health of the hosting countries. We need to understand the effect to the public health of such population movements and devise strategies to prevent potential outbreaks, like COVID-19.

What is your favorite thing about Binghamton University so far?

Students are so respectful and very smart! I also enjoy walking around campus — it is very peaceful.