Make Lines Move More Quickly
A new scheduling method can improve customer satisfaction and business efficiency.
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Biography
John R. Birge studies mathematical modeling of systems under uncertainty, especially for maximizing operational and financial goals using the methodologies of stochastic programming and large-scale optimization. He was first drawn to this area by a need to use mathematics in a useful and practical way. "My research has shown how special problem structure can allow for efficient solution of complex problems of decision making under uncertainty," Birge explains. This research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corporation, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Naval Research, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Volkswagen of America. He has published widely and is the recipient of the Best Paper Award from the Japan Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences Fellows Award, the Institute of Industrial Engineers Medallion Award and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
A former dean of the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Northwestern University, he has worked as a consultant for a variety of firms including the University of Michigan Hospitals, Deutsche Bank, Allstate Insurance Company, and Morgan Stanley, and he uses cases from these experiences in his teaching.
Birge earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Princeton University in 1977 and a master's degree and a PhD in operations research from Stanford University in 1979 and 1980, respectively. He joined the Chicago Booth faculty in 2004.
He is a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, the Mathematical Programming Society, the Mathematical Association of America, and Sigma Xi. He also speaks French, Russian, German, and English.
Outside of academia, Birge enjoys running, reading, and travel.
Research Interests
Methods and models for optimal decision making under uncertainty; emphasis on relationships between operations and finance.
Academic Areas
- Operations Management
Selected Publications
V. Babich and J.R. Birge, “Foundations and Trends at the Interface of Finance, Operations, and Risk Management,” Foundations and Trends® in Technology, Information and Operations Management 15 (2021), pp. 1-203.
Senay Agca, Volodymyr Babich, John R. Birge, and Jing Wu, “Credit shock propagation along supply chains: evidence from the CDS market,” Management Science 68 (2022), pp. 6506-6538.
J. R. Birge, O. Candogan, and Y. Feng, "Controlling epidemic spread: reducing economic losses with targeted closures," Management Science 68 (2022), pp. 3175-3195.
John R. Birge, Jörgen Blomvall, and Jonas Ekblom, “The value and cost of more stages in stochastic programming,” Quantitative Finance 22 (2022), pp. 95-112.
John R. Birge, Timothy C.Y. Chan, J. Michael Pavlin, and Ian Yihang Zhu, “Spatial price integration in commodity markets with capacitated transportation networks,” Operations Research 70 (2022), pp. 1739-1761.
John R. Birge, Agostino Capponi, and Peng-Chu Chen, “Disruption and rerouting in supply chain networks,” Operations Research 71 (2023), pp. 750-767.
Senay Agca, John R. Birge, Zi’ang Wang, and Jing Wu, “The Impact of COVID-19 on Supply Chain Credit Risk,” Production and Operations Management 32 (2023), pp. 4088-4113.
For a listing of research publications, please visit the university library listing page.
Working Papers
2025 - 2026 Course Schedule
Get Insights from John R. Birge in Chicago Booth Review
Is Insider Trading Always Bad?
Chicago Booth’s John R. Birge discusses manipulation in political prediction markets and other types of markets.
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How Old Navy Could Have Avoided a Plus-Size Mess
A two-step pricing process can help avoid costly markdown debacles.
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