Co-designing Solutions to Societal Issues With Lived Experts for Better, Smarter Operations Research Models: A Focus on Anti-human Trafficking Efforts

Operations Research has the potential to help address many of the pressing societal issues facing our world today that increase the vulnerability of people to experience harm. But, how do we know what the needs of people in vulnerable positions actually are and that our models don’t accidently cause unintended harms? Taking a Community-Engaged Operations Research approach helps address these problems. This seminar will describe the ways we have used a Community-Engaged Operations Research approach to partner with people with lived experience (e.g., homeless youth, human trafficking survivors) to better understand the complexities and nuances of societal issues that Operations Research can help address. It will show how our conceptualization of human trafficking became better (more accurate, attuned to context, and actionable) and how our Operations Research models and analysis became more complex because of our partnerships with lived experience experts. The audience will leave with an understanding of why this approach is necessary for ethical research, how it motivates theoretical advancements in Operations Research, and actionable tips for how to create and sustain these partnerships.

Dr. Kayse Lee Maass is an Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering; Director of the Operations Research and Social Justice Lab at Northeastern University; and cofounder of the Human Centered Action Research to Disrupt Trafficking (HART) team. Dr. Maass’s research focuses on advancing operations research methodology to address access, equity, and justice issues within human trafficking, mental health, housing, worker rights, and food justice contexts. She uses community-engaged transdisciplinary participatory action research approaches to co-create solutions with people with lived expertise on these topics. Dr. Maass’s work has been supported by multiple federal and state grants, including a NSF CAREER Award, and has informed local, national, and international policy and operational decisions.