Sepideh Kaffash, PhD

Biography

Professor Kaffash teaches courses in Data and Decision Making, Business Analytics, and Operations Management. Her teaching emphasizes practical applications of advanced statistical tools and modelling techniques to solve real-world business problems, preparing students to make data-driven decisions in dynamic environments.

Her research focuses on transportation, sustainability, resilience, supply chain management, and performance measurement, addressing real-world challenges. Grounded in empirical methods and advanced statistical tools, her work emphasizes the development of practical solutions with policy implications, aiming to enhance operational efficiency, sustainability, and resilience across various industries.

Her contributions have been featured in esteemed publications like the European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of the Operational Research Society, and the International Journal of Production Economics.

Professional Activities

• Associate Editor, Decision Analytics Journal, Supply Chain Analytics
• Co-director of Center for Innovation and Change Leadership
• Published extensively in leading journals such as the European Journal of Operational Research and the Journal of the Operational Research Society.
• Mentored emerging professionals through the WTS-Boston Chapter Mentoring Program.
• Built strong industry partnerships that integrate consulting projects and experiential learning into the classroom, enabling students to tackle real-world problems with data-driven solutions.
• Collaborated on large-scale projects sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB), including initiatives on airport operational readiness.
• Served as a panel member for federally funded projects, including the ACRP University Design Competition, and as a reviewer of ACRP research reports that shape industry best practices.

Publications

Recent Intellectual Contributions

Kaffash, S. F Chomachaei, E Aktas (2024). The Impact of Financial Performance and Efficiency on Environmental Sustainability Performance: An Empirical Study in the U.S. Airline Industry. Journal of the Operational Research Society.

H Hou, H Kiaei, R Kazemi Matin, S Kaffash. Enhancing Group Efficiency in Two-Stage Data Envelopment Analysis: A Novel Common Set of Weights Approach. INFOR: Information Systems and Operational Research.

Kaffash, S. (2024). Navigating Efficiency: Insights from One-Stage and Two-Stage DEA Modelling in the Airline Industry. Annals of Operations Research.

Khezrimotlagh, D., Kaffash, S., Zhu, J. (2022). U.S. Airline Mergers’ Performance and Productivity Change. Journal of Air Transport Management.

Kaffash, S., Khezrimotlagh, D. (2022). U.S. network and low-cost carriers' performance in response to COVID-19: Strictness of government policies and passengers' panic. Research in Transportation Business & Management.

Kaffash, S., Nguyen, A. T., & Zhu, J. (2021). Big data algorithms and applications in intelligent transportation system: A review and bibliometric analysis. International Journal of Production Economics, 231, N.PAG.

Kaffash, S., Azizi, R., Huang, Y., & Zhu, J. (2020). A survey of data envelopment analysis applications in the insurance industry 1993-2018. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, 284(3), 801–813.

Kaffash, S., Aktas, E., & Tajik, M. (2020). The impact of oil price changes on efficiency of banks: An application in the Middle East oil exporting countries using SORM-DEA. RAIRO -- Operations Research, 54(3), 719–748.

Kaffash, S., Kazemi Matin, R., & Tajik, M. (2018). A directional semi-oriented radial DEA measure: an application on financial stability and the efficiency of banks. Annals of Operations Research, 264(1/2), 213–234.

Kaffash, S., & Marra, M. (2017). Data envelopment analysis in financial services: a citations network analysis of banks, insurance companies and money market funds. Annals of Operations Research, 253(1), 307–344.

Tajik, M., Aliakbari, S., Ghalia, T., & Kaffash, S. (2015). House prices and credit risk: Evidence from the United States. ECONOMIC MODELLING, 51, 123–135. 

Intellectual Contributions

• Sepideh Kaffash's Intellectual Contributions [PDF]

Professional Memberships

• Member, Production and Operations Management Society (2024–2025)
• Member, Decision Sciences Institute (2023–2024)
• Member, INFORM (2024-2025)

Honors and Recognitions

• 2023 & 2024 Sawyer Business School, Immersive Learning Teaching Award
• 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2025 Sawyer Business School, Research Grant
• 2023 the top 1% cited paper of the academic field of Engineering in Web of Science