Basic background information on yourself, perhaps where you came from, former education, etc.
I was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, and then moved to Paris, France, after high school to study Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science at Lycée Louis Le Grand. After that, I received a Bachelor and Master of Science in Applied Mathematics from École Centrale Paris.
What degree you received from MIT and when
I received two degrees from MIT: a Master of Business Analytics (MBAn) in 2017 and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Operations Research in 2022.
Who your advisor was at MIT
Prof. Georgia Perakis advised me throughout my almost four years of Ph.D. at MIT. During the MBAn program, I also worked with Prof. Dimitris Bertsimas and kept collaborating with him on some projects during the Ph.D.
What was the research you did while at MIT
My research at MIT was at the intersection of modern optimization with statistics and machine learning. I worked on predictive and prescriptive analytics, Bayesian statistics, and optimization under uncertainty, with applications in healthcare, pricing and revenue management, and supply chain management.
Where are you working now
I am now a Senior Data Scientist at QuantumBlack, the AI arm of McKinsey & Company, where I develop novel machine learning assets for the firm and help clients use advanced analytics and optimization to make transformative and sustainable performance improvements.
What have you been up to since your OR degree
I only left MIT a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed some well-deserved vacations and kept working on advancing research and papers from my Ph.D. while transitioning into my new role.
Why the ORC from your perspective
There are many reasons to choose the ORC for graduate school. However, here are a few that made my experience truly unique:
1. Exceptional Talents. The professors and the students are among the best, if not the best, you can find. You will learn so much from them, and they will constantly push you to better yourself throughout your journey at the ORC.
2. Exceptional Community. The ORC enjoys a vibrant and supportive community. The generosity and collegiality of its people, from the staff to the faculty to the students, make the ORC what it is.
3. Exceptional Research. At the ORC, people do high-quality research that can change the world. There are opportunities to explore whatever you want to do in research in terms of theory, methodologies, applications, and beyond.
Advice/guidance to students coming to the ORC
My main advice to people joining the ORC:
Keep an open mind. There is so much you know, but also so much you don’t know. Be humble. Explore, discover, and learn new things as much as you can and evolve constantly.
Strive for impact. From theoretical OR to finance to education to healthcare, whatever you do, make sure it has an actual, positive impact and strive to improve society through your research.
Enjoy the ride! Besides a few exceptions, you go to graduate school only once in your life. Enjoy the experience.
How did the ORC contribute to your development as a scientist and as a person?
The ORC changed how I view research, mathematics, and problem-solving. Before coming to MIT, I considered research problems as this solo challenge you need to solve by yourself, and once it is done, you move on to the next challenge. The ORC taught me that it is a team effort and that multidimensional collaboration is key to success and achieving true impact.
What is the one memory about the ORC you will carry with you?
The endless discussions in E40 to distract you from the work you have to do.
Honorable mention to the many lunch breaks in E62 or around Kendall Square to catch up with your friends and that never fail to make your day better.
