Get to know the members of ORSSA: Rosephine Georgina Rakotonirainy

In this edition of Get to Know the Members of ORSSA, we introduce Georgina, who is based at the University of Cape Town. As an active member of the Operations Research community, Georgina brings her own unique experiences and perspective to the field.

Goergina, what is your academic and professional background?

"I am originally from Madagascar, where I completed my undergraduate studies in pure mathematics at the University of Antananarivo. I then moved to South Africa for a structured masters in Mathematical Sciences at AIMS South Africa, followed by a research masters in OR at UCT. After completing my PhD in Industrial Engineering at Stellenbosch University, I joined the Department of Statistical Sciences at UCT in 2019. Since then, I have been teaching OR-related courses and conducting research in the field."

What type of OR-related work are you currently involved in?

"My research focuses on cutting and packing problems, particularly the development and application of metaheuristic methods. I supervise students working on topics such as online packing, stochastic packing, and multi-objective optimisation. I am also involved in interdisciplinary projects that use OR to address societal challenges, including humanitarian planning and climate resilience, as well as the allocation and sustainable management of shared computing resources through the African Compute Initiative."

How (and when) did you first get involved with ORSSA?

"I joined ORSSA in 2016 when I started my PhD at Stellenbosch University under the supervision of Prof Jan van Vuuren. As part of the SUnORE group, ORSSA membership and conference participation were strongly encouraged, which was a great introduction to the OR community."

Have you had positions on the Exec of ORSSA?

"In 2021, I served as the UCT representative on the ORSSA Western Cape Executive Committee. One of my responsibilities was organising a chapter event, which featured a virtual seminar by Prof José Fernando Oliveira from the University of Porto on uncertainty in combinatorial optimisation and metaheuristics."

Was there a specific project or moment that made you realise, “This is why I love OR”?

"Organising the OR Symposium at UCT in 2024 was one of those moments. As I put together the programme, I was amazed by the range of applications represented, such as education, healthcare, finance, energy, logistics, computing systems, and more. It was a great reminder of just how versatile and impactful OR can be."

What excites you about the field of OR?

"OR is everywhere, even when people do not realise it. It is a field with endless opportunities to learn, explore, and solve real-world problems. There is always a new challenge waiting to be tackled."

What do you enjoy most about being part of ORSSA or the OR community?

"The OR community may be relatively small, but it is incredibly diverse and impactful. I always enjoy attending the ORSSA conference to learn about the exciting work being done across different sectors and to reconnect with colleagues. I am naturally a bit shy when it comes to networking, but ORSSA has always felt like a welcoming community filled with talented and supportive people."

 

What do you think is the biggest benefit of being part of ORSSA?

"The people. ORSSA provides fantastic networking opportunities, exposure to new ideas, and a supportive professional community."

What is one common misconception people have about OR?

"Probably the name itself! “Operations Research” is not an appealing name and does not really capture how broad and interdisciplinary the field is. OR draws on mathematics, statistics, computing, data science, engineering, and many other disciplines, but people often see it as a niche or separate field."

If you had to describe Operations Research using only a movie title, what would it be?

"Hidden figures"

What skills do you think are most important for students or early-career OR practitioners to develop today?

"Critical thinking and communication. The ability to analyse complex problems, identify appropriate modelling approaches, and communicate findings effectively is essential in OR. In the current era of technology and AI, coding skills are becoming increasingly accessible to everyone. What truly sets people apart is the ability to think critically, ask the right questions, understand the problem context, and translate insights into meaningful decisions."

What piece of advice would you give students, or anyone that is new to the field of operations research, that you wish you had at the start of your OR career?

"Do not be afraid to make mistakes, learn from those around you, stay curious, and try to become good at the area of OR that excites you the most."

What’s one small thing in your daily life that you now instinctively “optimise”?

"Packing! Whether it is a suitcase, a car boot, or a grocery bag, I cannot help trying to fit everything in as efficiently as possible."