Kayse Lee Maass
Northeastern University · Engineering Management and Systems Engineering
Active 2015–2025
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About
Kayse Lee Maass is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Industrial Engineering and Operations Research department at Northeastern University College of Engineering. Her research focuses on advancing operations research methodology to address social justice, access, and equity issues, particularly within the contexts of human trafficking, mental health, housing, and food justice. She leads the Operations Research and Social Justice lab at Northeastern University and holds a research appointment with the Information and Decision Engineering Program at Mayo Clinic. Dr. Maass's work involves developing models and strategies to improve resource allocation for disrupting human trafficking networks, increasing access to services for survivors, and evaluating the effectiveness of stakeholder coordination. Her research has been supported by multiple federal grants and has informed policy and operational decisions at local, national, and international levels, including features in the 2019 United Nations Report of the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery. She has received numerous awards, such as the NSF CAREER Award, INFORMS Judith Liebman Award, and recognition as a 'Rising Star' among INFORMS' Powerful, Pragmatic Pioneers. Dr. Maass actively contributes to professional organizations, serving on the INFORMS Subdivision Council, as INFORMS Section on Location Analysis Secretary, and as an INFORMS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ambassador.
Research topics
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Sociology
- Artificial Intelligence
- Engineering
- Engineering ethics
- Economics
- Public relations
- Operations research
- Knowledge management
Selected publications
International Journal of Qualitative Methods · 2022 · 18 citations
Background: Human trafficking for sexual exploitation (referred to as sex trafficking) is a complex global challenge that causes harm and violates human rights. Most research has focused on victim-level harms and experiences, with limited understanding of the networks and business functions of trafficking operations. Empirical evidence is lacking on how to disrupt trafficking operations because it is difficult to study; it is hidden and dangerous, spans academic disciplinary boundaries, and nece…
Interdicting restructuring networks with applications in illicit trafficking
European Journal of Operational Research · 2022 · 18 citations
Trauma Violence & Abuse · 2023-11-23 · 13 citations
reviewHuman trafficking is a serious crime and violation of human rights that results in numerous harms. Although the phenomenon is not new, scholarship on the issue has grown substantially since the first legal framework was passed in 2000. However, the existing literature has been criticized for its skewed focus on victims, among other things. The dearth of information on traffickers and their operations limits our ability to reduce or prevent perpetration. The current study presents a comprehensive…
European Journal of Operational Research · 2022-12-23 · 11 citations
articleIISE Transactions · 2023-01-17 · 9 citations
articleOne of the major challenges associated with applying Operations Research (OR) models to disrupting human trafficking networks is the limited amount of reliable data sources readily available for public use, since operations are intentionally hidden to prevent detection, and data from known operations are often incomplete. To help address this data gap, we propose a network generator for domestic sex trafficking networks by integrating OR concepts and qualitative research. Multiple sources regard…
Recent grants
Frequent coauthors
- 15 shared
Renata Konrad
- 14 shared
Andrew C. Trapp
- 12 shared
Geri L. Dimas
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- 10 shared
Mark S. Daskin
- 10 shared
Thomas C. Sharkey
Clemson University
- 9 shared
Amy Farrell
- 8 shared
Shawn Bhimani
Northeastern University
- 7 shared
Yaren Bilge Kaya
Labs
Operations Research and Social Justice LabPI
Education
- 2017
Ph.D. Industrial and Operations Engineering, Industrial and Operations Engineering
University of Michigan
- 2014
M.S. Industrial and Operations Engineering, Industrial and Operations Engineering
University of Michigan
- 2012
B.A. Mathematics, Mathematics
Bethel University
- 2012
B.A. Physics, Physics
Bethel University
Awards & honors
- INFORMS Judith Liebman Award
- Industrial Engineering Professor of the Year at Northeastern…
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Award
- INFORMS Section on Location Analysis Dissertation Award
- Rising Star among INFORMS’ Powerful, Pragmatic Pioneers
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