Dr. Phebe Vayanos

Associate Professor

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Biography

Phebe Vayanos is an Associate Professor in the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Southern California. She serves as the Co-Director of the CAIS Center and the ORAI interdisciplinary PhD Program. Vayanos holds a PhD in Operations Research and has a distinct research focus on advancing integer, stochastic, and robust optimization, particularly in the intersection of machine learning and causal inference. Her work aims to design predictive and prescriptive models that are robust, interpretable, and fair, especially in high-stakes settings, impacting underrepresented and marginalized communities positively. Before joining USC, she was a lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and held a postdoctoral position at the MIT Operations Research Center. She has received several prestigious awards, including the NSF CAREER award and the USC Viterbi Junior Research Award, and she actively participates in committees related to operations research and artificial intelligence.

Research Interests

Experience

Associate Professor

2018-01-01 — Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Teach and conduct research in the field of Operations Research and supervise the ORAI interdisciplinary PhD Program.

Lecturer

2016-01-01 — 2018-01-01

MIT Sloan School of Management • Cambridge, MA

Delivered courses on Operations Research to graduate students.

Postdoctoral Research Associate

2014-01-01 — 2016-01-01

MIT Operations Research Center • Cambridge, MA

Conducted advanced research in operations research methodologies.

Awards

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USC Viterbi Junior Research Award

2022-01-01
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National Science Foundation CAREER award

2021-01-01
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INFORMS Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Ambassador Program Award

2020-01-01

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.