Dimitris Bertsimas, a leading figure in operations research, has been named the recipient of the 2025-26 James R. Killian Jr. Faculty Achievement Award, one of the highest honors the MIT faculty grants its professors.

Bertsimas serves as MIT Sloan’s Associate Dean of Business Analytics, Boeing Professor of Operations Research, and faculty director of the Master of Business Analytics program, which allowed him to offer transformative contributions, including those in transportation optimization.

One particular accomplishment manifested in Bertsimas’ co-founding of AlphaRoute, a fleet management software company that helps school districts and transit agencies cut costs and optimize transportation.

His collaboration with fellow co-founder John Hanlon, former COO of Boston Public Schools (BPS), led to an algorithm that eliminated 50 buses from BPS’s fleet, saving $5 million. Today, AlphaRoute enables districts nationwide to reduce transportation expenses by up to 30%.

“To be recognized among the Killian Award winners is humbling,” Bertsimas said. “I focus on solving problems that drive real change — not in 50 years, but in two.”

As part of the Killian Award tradition, Bertsimas will deliver a lecture in spring 2026, discussing insights on the future of artificial intelligence in transportation optimization.

AlphaRoute's Solutions Amid Driver Shortages

The School District of Manatee County, Florida, successfully partnered with AlphaRoute to drive down its route count from 106 to 94 — especially notable during this time of driver shortages.

“From the beginning, AlphaRoute was transparent as to their ability, set the expectations, and then executed those expectations without fail,” said Jamie Warrington, director of transportation and vehicle maintenance in Manatee County. “Additionally, the AlphaRoute team went beyond the scope of work they were contracted for! We are so thankful for their assistance with this project and their post-project support!”

“AlphaRoute has expanded our capacity and improved efficiency, delivering safe, reliable service for our students,” Daniel Kang, director of transportation at LA Unified, said. “The AlphaRoute team’s expertise in both public and private sectors allows for practical, innovative solutions.”

Killian Award Caps a Career of Innovation and Service for Bertsimas

Bertsimas’ achievements have earned widespread recognition, with the Killian Award being the latest honor in his career. In 2019, he received the John von Neumann Theory Prize from INFORMS for his contributions to the theory of operations research and the management sciences.

That same year, he was awarded the INFORMS President’s Award for his contributions to societal welfare. He was also elected to the National Academy of Engineering at age 43.

“I love this institution,” Bertsimas said. “This is where I have spent the last 40 years of my life. We don’t do things at MIT to get awards; we do things here because we believe they are important. It’s definitely something I’m proud of, but I’m also humbled to be in the company of many of my heroes.”