Amedeo Odoni (born 1 May 1943) is the T. Wilson Chair Professor Emeritus of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is widely recognized for his contributions to operations research, air traffic control, and airport systems.
Biography
Odoni earned his SB (1965), SM (1967), and PhD (1969) degrees in electrical engineering and operations research from MIT. He joined the MIT faculty in 1969. Over his career, he has served as co-director of MIT's Operations Research Center (1985–1991), co-director of the Global Airline Industry Center (1999–2009), and co-director of the FAA's National Center of Excellence in Aviation Operations Research (1996–2002). He also served as editor-in-chief of Transportation Science (1986–1991) and as associate editor or board member of numerous scientific journals. He is also a distinguished visiting professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
Research and Publications
Odoni specializes in operations research, with research interests in applied probability theory, stochastic processes, and decision-making under uncertainty. His principal application domains include air transportation, air traffic management, and airport systems. He is the author, co-author, or co-editor of 9 books and more than 100 professional publications. Notable textbooks include:
- Urban Operations Research (co-authored with R. C. Larson)
- Airport Systems: Planning, Design, and Management (co-authored with R. de Neufville)
- The Global Airline Industry (co-edited with P. Belobaba and C. Barnhart)
He has served as a consultant to many of the busiest airports in the world, as well as to civil aviation authorities.
Awards and Honors
- Elected to the National Academy of Engineering (2011) — cited "for contributions and global leadership in air traffic control and airport systems."
- Fellow of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) — elected as part of the 2004 class of Fellows.
- Recipient of numerous awards for his teaching and research.
