Akshaya Suresh
Associate Operations Researcher
RAND Corporation
My research uses tools from statistical modeling and data-driven optimization to improve decision making and optimize processes in non-profit and public sector contexts. Recent projects include collaborations with partners like VolunteerMatch, the Florida Center for Reading Research, and the New Haven Lexinome Project.
Prior to my current position at RAND, I served as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Internal Revenue Service (Research and Applied Statistics) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (Field Policy and Management). I have professional experience in data science consulting and public policy, with roles in both the private and public sectors.
I received my PhD in Operations from the Yale School of Management where I studied non-profit resource allocation, an MA in Social Science from the University of Chicago where I studied early childhood education policy, and a BS in Astrophysics from Yale University where I studied star formation.
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News
August 2024: ​
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Excited to begin a new position at the RAND Corporation in DC!
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Research Interests
My main research interests lie in non-profit and public sector operations. These two sectors share the same fundamental challenge – that their capacity is outstripped by the size of the populations they aim to serve, requiring them to make difficult decisions when allocating resources. In many cases, new technologies could allow for better informed decision-making. My research has sought to develop models of best practices for these allocation processes using techniques like data-driven optimization, algorithm design, and statistical modeling.
Education
2024
Yale School of Management
PhD, Operations
2017
University of Chicago
Master of Arts, Social Science
Studied public policy, education, and sociology.
2015
Yale University
Bachelor of Science, Astrophysics
Cum Laude, with Distinction in the Major
Selected Publications
Working Papers
Optimal Timing for Screening Tests for Children with Reading Disabilities,
with E. Kaplan, E. Pinker, and J. Gruen. Major revision, SocioEconomic Planning Sciences.
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– Accepted to the American Psychological Association Convention (APA '23)
– Accepted to the Cornell Young Researchers Workshop 2023
Redesigning VolunteerMatch's Ranking Algorithm: Toward More Equitable Access to Volunteers,
with V. Manshadi, S. Rodilitz, and D. Saban. Major revision, Management Science. [SSRN]
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– Honorable Mention for Doing Good with Good OR Student Paper Competition 2023
– Winner of Public Sector Operations Research Best Video Award 2023 [Link to Video]
– Accepted to the 8th Marketplace Innovation Workshop (MIW '23)
Online Algorithms for Matching Platforms with Multi-Channel Traffic,
with V. Manshadi, S. Rodilitz, and D. Saban. Minor revision, Management Science. [SSRN]
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– Accepted to the 23rd ACM Conference on Economics & Computation (EC '22)
– Accepted to the 2nd ACM Conference on Equity and Access in Algorithms, Mechanisms, and Optimization (EAAMO '22)
– Accepted to the 7th Marketplace Innovation Workshop (MIW '22)
– Media: [UCLA Anderson Review]