MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Dinesh Pai, associate professor of supply chain management in Penn State Harrisburg's School of Business Administration, has received an award from the Northeastern Decision Sciences Institute (NEDSI) for his service as the organization’s president.
Pai, who served as the NEDSI president for the 2022-23 term, received the Presidential Service Award at the 2024 NEDSI conference in April. The award is given to an individual who has greatly advanced NEDSI's mission.
Pai expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement he received from the college and the School of Business Administration while serving NEDSI.
He joined the NEDSI board in 2015 and has served in various capacities since, including as president in 2022-23 and as program chair for the NEDSI 2021 annual conference, which was hosted at Penn State Harrisburg.
"In my capacity as program chair, we managed a successful conference despite extremely challenging conditions, such as an unforeseen shift to a virtual format due to the pandemic,” Pai said. “The whole campus was involved in this endeavor: The chancellor delivered the welcome address, the college board members served as keynote speakers, other stakeholders participated in panel discussions, and my colleagues, staff and students served as track chairs, session chairs, and presenters. I am excited to serve as the program chair for NEDSI 2025, which will be held in Hershey, and to represent Penn State Harrisburg and its stakeholders on a global platform while showcasing our campus."
The Northeastern United States region is one of the five U.S. regions that comprise the professional society, the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI). The DSI is a professional organization of academicians and practitioners interested in the application of quantitative and behavioral methods to the problems of society.
Pai completed his doctorate in supply chain management at Rutgers University prior to joining Penn State Lehigh Valley and joined Penn State Harrisburg in fall 2011. He has published in such journals as Healthcare Management Science, International Journal of Production Economics, American Journal of Emergency Medicine, Information Technology and Management, Internal and Emergency Medicine, Health Systems, and the Journal of Rural Health.
Pai’s professional affiliations include the Center for Supply Chain Research at Penn State, DSI, INFORMS and the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering.