Pinar Keskinocak, co-director in the Center for Health and Humanitarian Logistics, associate director of research in the Health Systems Institute, and professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Georgia Tech, has been named the Harold R.and Mary Anne Nash Professor in Industrial and Systems Engineering, effective July 1, 2010. 

 The Nash professorship was created through a faculty endowment established by H. RonaldNash (IE 1970), Deborah Nash Harris (IE 1978) and Michael R. Nash (IE 1974), the children of Mary Anne and Harold R. Nash (EE 1952), in honor of their parents.

 “Our parents were smart, disciplined, and high achievers,” stated the Nash siblings. “It is gratifying for us to have Dr. Keskinocak hold the professorship named after them as she carries the same outstanding attributes.  She embodies the intellectual curiosity and disciplined hard work that we saw in our parents.  Her work with her team to break new ground in humanitarian logistics is impressive and something that we are gratified to support.  We expect great things in the future from her as she continues to solve such huge and pressing problems in our world today.”

 The Nash family has a longstanding and deep connection to Georgia Tech, having had three generations educated here and launched into successful careers. “Our parents started this trend,” the Nashes share, “and it is one that we and our children have benefited from significantly. Through this professorship we honor their paving the way for the following generations. We are excited to be able to support Georgia Tech.”

 Pinar Keskinocak, along with Health and Humanitarian Logistic Center co-directors Özlem Ergun and Julie Swann, have a passion for applying their industrial engineering and operations research knowledge and expertise in ways that will have a positive global impact. They have developed an astute awareness of the issues associated in areas such as health and humanitarian logistics, environmental degradation, and education. 

 “I am honored to be named the Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Professor,” said Professor Keskinocak.  “The opportunities to make a difference in the humanitarian response and world health sectors are vast. Through the Nash family support, I, my colleagues, and our students, will be able to expand our reach and impact by pushing the boundaries of our research and education in this field.”

 Professor Keskinocak’s research focuses on supply chain management, with an emphasis on resource allocation, and she is actively engaged in research and applications in healthcare and humanitarian logistics. She received B.S. and M.S. degrees in industrial engineering from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, in 1991 and 1992, and a Ph.D. in operations research from Carnegie Mellon University in 1997. Before joining Georgia Tech, she was with IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York.