Judging the CPMS/TIMS Prize Winners

This issue of Interfaces, printing the CPMS/TIMS prize winners, is most eagerly awaited by many readers. It is an important issue because the papers report some of our more impressive professional successes. This year's competition was the first I attended. I am sorry that I waited so long. If this year's finalists were any indication, over the years I have missed many outstanding presentations of successful implementations of management science.

From a set of over 30 applicants, 17 semi-finalists were selected. Each semi-finalist was assigned to a “verifier” from the CPMS council. The verifier, through extensive interviewing within the applicant's organization, helped determine the impact of the management science contribution on that organization. From this information, seven finalists were chosen. Each finalist was assigned a coach, a CPMS member whose job was to help the finalist prepare the written and oral project reports.