Operations for social good

Operations and math don’t inherently evoke a sense of community-focused care but for Soonbong Lee, a new assistant professor of operations, technology, and information management at SC Johnson College of Business, he’s created a niche for himself doing just that.

“My particular research field is, broadly speaking, operations for social good,” Lee said. “I’m interested in helping nonprofit and public organizations, who tackle very challenging societal issues, by improving their operational decision making using various mathematical and optimization methodologies.”

Throughout his career, Lee has worked with a major U.S. refugee resettlement organization and with Feeding America on its online food rescue platform, MealConnect. At Cornell, he plans to continue exploring how better operational decisions can help address societal challenges.

The first-time professor recognizes that operations may not stand out to MBA students but to Lee, operations is what makes every aspect of business flow. An analogy Lee once heard, and that resonated with him, compares operations to a traffic light of business specialties: You don’t appreciate it until it’s not working.

“We are the people who make the flow of activities in the organizations as smooth as possible, which gives them a competitive edge,” he said.

Lee will teach his first Cornell class on managing operations in January, and he’s spending the fall semester creating his MBA curriculum. He said that his main goals are being interactive, transparent and predictable.

“I’m trying to design as structured a course as possible to set the right expectation for both me and for students,” Lee said.

He’s currently exploring the idea of using AI tools to enhance the interactive nature of the classroom setting and may use it to help MBA students understand motivations, not just equations. AI is an empowering tool for instructors, according to Lee.

Between time dedicated to developing his course, Lee is exploring his new surroundings. He relocated to Ithaca from New Haven, Connecticut, after earning his Ph.D. at Yale University.

“I think Ithaca is a very similar town to New Haven, but it’s just much smaller and because it is very small, it’s very lovely,” Lee said. “And everyone seems to be very warm, kind and it’s a tightly-connected community.”

Lee plans to take advantage of the academic community and already has his sights set on collaboration within the college and across the university in areas like engineering, computer science and with the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

“I’m very excited to talk about research and not only broaden my perspective, but also explore a lot of collaborations for impactful research,” Lee said.

When needing to recharge, Lee heads to Lincoln Hall where he’s rented a grand piano practice room, though he’s quick to downplay his ability.

“The act of playing the instrument itself is just a very refreshing experience,” he explained. “Whenever I need a break, it helps me zone out from whatever I’ve been working on in the office.”

Beyond his piano practice room, Lee is eager to explore nature more and hopes to hike and ski in the area.

Whether he’s at the piano, on a hiking trail or prepping to stand at the helm of a classroom for the first time, Lee isn’t shying away from a challenge. He hopes to nurture a growth mindset among his students and help them see that struggling at something can be a rewarding experience that enhances overall confidence.

“I’ve never considered teaching as a kind of burden or job. It was always a very fun experience to see students get a sparkle in their eyes in terms of understanding,” Lee said. “Also, when you actually teach a topic, it strengthens your understanding, which is a very rewarding experience.”