Samira Fazel

My name is Samira Fazel-Anvaryazdi. Currently, I am a teaching faculty in data analytics at Olin Business School and faculty scholar in the Institute for Public Health at Washington University in Saint Louis.

I received my Ph.D. in Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE) at Wayne State University in 2018. Prior to my Ph.D. studies, I received two Master’s degrees: in mathematical statistics involving continuous-time stochastic inventory model from Wayne State University (2012) as well as in pure mathematics concerning proximal point algorithm on Riemannian manifolds from Isfahan University (2008). This has provided me with a solid foundation in mathematics and has motivated me to apply my theoretical knowledge to real-world settings such as healthcare.

Throughout my academic career, I have accumulated nearly twelve years of teaching experience as an instructor of mathematics, statistics, and data analytics and a graduate teaching assistant across multiple departments and universities in Iran and the United States. This has provided me with the opportunity to solidify my theoretical foundation and practical concepts, and prepared me to be an effective candidate for an academic position. I regularly followed teaching and learning events at Office of Teaching & Learning (OTL) and NIH BEST workshops as well as OTL Pedagogy Journal Club at Wayne State University. Moreover, I was chosen for Pedagogy Teaching Workshop at Lawrence Technological University, where I received invaluable experience. I also won the 2017 GEOC (Graduate Employees Organizing Committee) Teaching Award at Wayne State University. In 2018, I won the KEEN ICE (KEEN: Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network , ICE: Integrating Curriculum with Entrepreneurial Mindset) Award and joined the network as a KEEN Innovative Teaching (KIT) faculty member, becoming a part of a unique cohort of faculty who are committed to improving engineering education.

Research Perspective

The overall goal of my Ph.D. research was to improve healthcare operations through systems engineering and optimization while focusing on operations and health outcome metrics. Going forward, I plan to continue and broaden this research in support of two overall goals: maximizing the long-run average daily net profit of a medical system from business perspective as well as quality of life from human being aspect.

Teaching Perspective

I believe teaching is a very challenging and promising effort. At the end of each class, we grew students not only to grasp the course materials but also know how to apply their knowledge in practical applications, which is the most exciting parts of being an instructor. I believe the knowledge I gained during my graduate studies and teaching experiences has provided me with a solid foundation in teaching. This will certainly help me become a strong and successful candidate using the experiences I have achieved as an engineer, as well as fulfill what I have proposed to nourish: mentor students to become thoughtful, creative, and effective engineers.

Education

• PhD 2018, Wayne State University
• M.Sc. 2012, Wayne State University
• M.Sc. 2008, Isfahan University
• B.Sc. 2004, Prayam-Noor University of Isfahan

Research Interests:

Scheduling through stochastic programming and robust optimization techniques with applications in healthcare and business problems. Data-driven decision-making. Resource allocation to improve access to community-based healthcare.

Awards/Honors:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation (BCBSM) Student Award, 2018
• Integrating Curriculum with Entrepreneurial Mindset (ICE) - KEEN ICE Award, LTU & KEEN partners, 2018
• Graduate Employees Organizing Committee (GEOC) Teaching Award, Wayne State University, 2017
• Dr. Alfred L. Nelson Award, In Recognition of Outstanding Achievement in the Masters Program, Wayne State University, Mathematics Department, 2013