My name is Leo (Cheng-Lung) Chen. I am a senior operations research developer at Southwest Airlines. Previously I was an operations research consultant at American Airlines.My role revolves around a diverse set of responsibilities essential for optimizing critical airline operations under uncertain disruptions, improving both resilience and reliability. With the expertise of operations research, I work closely with cross-functional teams and analytics professionals to identify valuable business opportunities and conduct comprehensive research on various analytical problems. I also actively engage with engineering, product, operations, and business teams to prioritize and deliver on our technology roadmap. This enables me to provide actionable recommendations to our business partners and influence informed decision-making. Lastly, I continuously stay informed about cutting-edge technical developments, striking a balance between supporting existing technology and exploring new analytical ideas and solutions to drive continuous improvement.What is operations research?Operations research (OR) is a field that uses analytical methods to help organizations make better decisions by solving complex problems with data-driven approaches. It’s like using advanced math and technology to figure out the best ways to achieve goals, such as scheduling flights, managing supply chains, or allocating resources. One of OR’s unique strengths is its ability to evaluate trade-offs that are too complex for a human to fully assess. By modeling different scenarios and predicting outcomes, OR practitioners can help organizations balance competing factors—like cost, time, and risk—in a way that leads to the most efficient, effective solution. This helps businesses and governments make decisions that save time, reduce costs, and improve overall performance.