Killian Lecture by Dimitris Bertsimas
You are warmly invited to attend
MIT’s 2026 Killian Lecture honoring
Dimitris Bertsimas
2025–2026 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award recipient
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
4:00–5:00 PM
Dimitris Bertsimas, Vice Provost for Open Learning, Boeing Professor of Operations Research, Associate Dean of Online Education & Artificial Intelligence at MIT Sloan, and Associate Dean of Business Analytics, is recognized for his remarkable intellectual breadth, groundbreaking contributions to operations research, and extraordinary educational leadership.
He will talk about Algorithms for Life: AI and Operations Research Transforming Healthcare, Education, and Agriculture
“For over four decades, I have pursued the vision of using mathematics and algorithms to address problems that improve the human condition—saving lives, improving learning, and feeding the world. This talk traces the convergence from operations research and optimization under uncertainty, through machine learning and AI, to their impact in healthcare, education, and agriculture. I share how breakthrough research becomes real-world impact, with concrete examples from medical diagnosis and precision medicine to precision agriculture and personalized education. And I explore what is next: how emerging AI developments will fundamentally reshape these fields in ways we are only beginning to imagine.”
About Dimitris Bertsimas
Dimitris Bertsimas SM ’87, PhD ’88 has been a defining figure at MIT for nearly four decades. His pioneering work in optimization, machine learning, stochastic systems, and real‑world decision‑making frameworks—most notably robust optimization—has transformed fields from healthcare to finance to transportation.
As the inaugural faculty director of the Master of Business Analytics (MBAn) program and a highly sought‑after mentor, he has shaped generations of data‑driven leaders. The Killian Award committee cites his incredible productivity, intellectual leadership, and deep impact across theory, practice, and education.
The Killian Lecture is MIT’s most prestigious faculty honor lecture—an opportunity to hear from faculty whose scholarship and impact embody MIT’s highest aspirations. With Bertsimas’s visionary work at the intersection of analytics, AI, and societal problem‑solving, this year’s lecture promises to offer insight into the future of data‑driven innovation and decision‑making. You can read the announcement of the award to learn more.