Update Your Data!
Help us create a visualization of member data in 2022.
One of INFORMS strategic goals is advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. We’re asking for all members to add or update their demographics so that we can better understand the diversity within INFORMS. As 2022 proceeds, you’ll see the blank outlines on the opposite page continue to fill in with color, shape and texture representing the diversity of INFORMS members. ¶
We’re counting on your help to complete the full picture! We have recently updated questions to allow for multiple answers or write-in answers in case you don’t identify with the choices we provide. The information you submit via this form will replace what’s in your current member profile. ¶
How it Will Work
There are eight components of diversity for this project: primary work setting, highest degree, racial identity, gender identity, pronouns, birth year, language(s) spoken and OR/MS activities. Some of these, such as pronouns and languages, are entirely new questions for which we have no existing data. Most of the questions have simply been revised to update terminology and allow different or additional answers. We encourage you to review your previously provided data, contribute any updates and complete the new questions. If you have personal reasons not to share your demographic data, we encourage you to select “Prefer not to answer” rather than leave it blank. ¶
The demographics we are including in the visual representation, and its key, are illustrated on the next page. In a few weeks, all INFORMS members will receive an email with a link to the demographics survey. You can also update this information at any time by logging in to myaccount.informs.org and navigating to the "About Me" section on the My Info page. Our customer service team stands ready to help if you encounter any difficulties or have questions: informs@informs.org. ¶
We’ll remind you of this campaign periodically by email and in our eNewsletters throughout the year. Follow INFORMS on social media, and you’ll see reminders there as well! ¶
This project will include a large interactive art display at the 2022 INFORMS Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, where attendees can contribute their demographic data in person. At the end of 2022, we’ll compare the demographic data we’ve collected to what we had at the beginning of the year. A full analysis of the data and an evaluation of how the results might inform our organizational priorities in 2023 and beyond will appear in the December issue of OR/MS Today. ¶
We are excited to kick off this project! But we can’t do it without you. Please help us discover and honor the diversity among INFORMS members. ¶
Note: INFORMS is committed to respecting member privacy. INFORMS staff have access to this data, which
is governed by our Privacy Policy. ¶