“The ORC brings together leading researchers and exceptionally talented students under the same umbrella,” describes Rahul Mazumder, assistant professor of operations research and statistics at MIT. “They [are] using innovative scientific approaches to tackle some of the most complex problems in the real world.”

To that end, Mazumder, a self-described applied statistician doing research at the intersection of statistical machine learning and computational optimization motivated by real-world problems; is currently working on research that has applications in climate science and global sustainability.

“The main goal in this project is to harness massive amounts of environmental data gathered by automated floats deployed in the worlds’ oceans,” explains Mazumder, who is collaborating with researchers at Columbia University. “This data helps us understand how environmental parameters like ocean water salinity and nutrient content change over space and time—and this subsequently helps us understand important issues like climatic variations and environmental impact on the worlds’ fisheries.”

Mazumder, who joined the ORC faculty in 2015, finds himself in awe of the Center’s unique blend of collaboration and creativity—both in and out of the classroom.

“I get to be a part of a vibrant community of faculty and students, who are constantly striving to change the world for the better with a combination of research and education,” he enthuses. “It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of this energetic, intellectually curious group of people.”