Dr. Richard C. Larson, the Mitsui Professor at MIT’s Institute for Data, Systems, and Society (IDSS), has spent his career exploring how operations research can transform service industries. As the founding director of MIT LINC and Principal Investigator of MIT BLOSSOMS, he has authored or co-authored seven books and over 100 scientific articles, covering topics from urban service systems and logistics to disaster management and dynamic pricing. His passion for problem-solving has earned him the nickname “Dr. Queue” for his expertise in queueing theory.
Growing up in New York City, Dr. Larson developed a deep love for urban life. “I fondly recall, at age five, my parents taking me from our home in Bayside, Queens, to Manhattan and seeing that huge, wonderful sign: Radio City Music Hall. The sign that is there now looks unchanged from my memory.” Today, he calls the Boston area home—another city that has shaped his journey.
His interest in urban policing started at 23 when he became an indirect victim of grand larceny. His MIT advisor, Professor Alvin W. Drake, recognized this fascination and arranged for him to work on a graduate project with the Boston Police Department. “I must have spent over 200 hours in the rear seats of Boston police cars, doing ride-alongs! It was so fascinating for a naive 23-year-old from suburbia,” shares Dr. Larson. That hands-on experience led to a role with the Science and Technology Task Force of the President’s Crime Commission—one of the few operations research professionals at the time with real-world policing exposure.
From an early age, Dr. Larson had a strong affinity for physics, but when he discovered Operations Research (OR), he knew he had found his true calling. Dr. Larson explains, “OR is, in my mind, ‘Physics as applied to our everyday lives.’ Once I realized this, I started seeing the world differently; traffic light delays, waiting in line for a hamburger, running out of milk, even chimney inspections. OR was everywhere.” This perspective shaped his research, eventually leading to his PhD thesis and first book, Urban Police Patrol Analysis, which won the Lanchester Prize for the best publication in operations research in 1971.
Transforming Education with BLOSSOMS
Education is a topic Dr. Larson speaks about with a different kind of passion. He states, “I see education as anyone’s ladder out of ignorance and poverty. It can be a great equalizer — not in making everyone the same, but in giving all people equal opportunities to reach their full potential.” This belief guided his work as Director of MIT’s Center for Advanced Educational Services (CAES), where he pioneered interactive learning videos for high school STEM students.
One of Dr. Larson’s proudest accomplishments is BLOSSOMS—Blended Learning Open Source Science Or Math Studies. This initiative was a partnership with Mary Elizabeth Murray, his lifelong soulmate and professional collaborator. Tragically, Murray passed away two years ago, but her contributions to education continue to inspire students worldwide.
The idea for BLOSSOMS took root during Dr. Larson’s visits to local high schools, where he was invited to give guest lectures. However, the true turning point came during a visit to a remote, impoverished village in China. There, he observed something remarkable—a local teacher using video segments featuring world-class educators from Beijing and Hong Kong. After each segment, the teacher engaged students in discussion, making the learning process interactive and dynamic. “That experience did the trick,” he recalls.
Moved by what they had witnessed, Dr. Larson and Murray set out to create BLOSSOMS, a platform designed to bring high-quality STEM education to students worldwide. Today, BLOSSOMS offers 86 interactive video lessons, all freely accessible on YouTube. The most popular lesson, An Introduction to the Physics of Sailing, continues to attract students from across the globe. Thanks to the power of technology and innovative teaching methods, learners everywhere—regardless of their economic background—can access the same educational resources as those in the wealthiest communities.
The Evolution of an MIT Career
MIT offers remarkable flexibility to its faculty, allowing them to explore new interests and shift academic departments accordingly. Dr. Larson has experienced this firsthand over his nearly 50-year career at the institute. “I can’t believe it’s been that long!” he admits. His journey began in the Electrical Engineering Department, reflecting his academic background as a student. Over the years, his evolving interests led him to Civil and Environmental Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning, and eventually to the Institute for Data, Systems and Society (IDSS). “The name of IDSS matches almost perfectly with my interests,” he notes.
Throughout these transitions, Dr. Larson has always identified as an “OR person,” referring to his deep-rooted expertise in Operations Research. His intellectual home has been the MIT Operations Research Center (ORC), where he served as co-director twice. His research, teaching, and student mentorship have consistently been viewed through an OR lens.
Leadership for Dr. Larson has been centered at ORC and CAES, but he also considers himself a leader in ongoing faculty discussions on curriculum and research directions. Among his many contributions, his research on Urban Emergency Services stands out as one of the most impactful. In 1971, he collaborated with the New York City Police Department to apply OR techniques in scheduling 911 telephone operators. Before this intervention, newspaper editorials were flooded with complaints about 20-minute wait times—an unacceptable delay in life-and-death emergencies.
One of his most significant contributions to the field was the development of the Hypercube Queueing Model. “It was a nearly full-time, two-year effort,” he recalls. The project involved complex mathematical equations and extensive programming, his last major coding effort using the C language. The system’s state space formed an N-dimensional hypercube, making the problem increasingly intricate. Some challenges were so tough that the solutions came to him in his sleep. “I dreamed the solution, and at 3:00 AM, I jumped out of bed to write it down before I forgot!” he says.
Another notable innovation was the Queue Inference Engine (QIE), an algorithm that estimates queue delays with minimal information. This tool stemmed from National Science Foundation-supported research on ATM wait times, eliminating the need for direct observation of customer lines.
Though many years have passed since these innovations, the impact remains significant. Dr. Larson has lost track of all implementation activities worldwide, but he knows the Hypercube Queueing Model has been widely adopted, with over 900 citations to date.
Making an Impact on Public Service
Throughout his career, Dr. Larson has lent his expertise to some of the world’s most influential organizations, from the World Bank and the United Nations to American Airlines and the U.S. Department of Justice. Yet, among all his consulting work, one collaboration stands out above the rest: his time working with the City of New York.
His work with the New York Police Department, Emergency Medical Services, and the Department of Sanitation wasn’t just theoretical—it led to real-world implementation. One particularly memorable moment came when he presented his team’s recommendations for optimizing 911 call center operations to the NYPD’s top brass, including the Police Commissioner himself.
As Larson walked through his carefully prepared presentation, featuring a series of pastel-colored charts, the Commissioner cut in. “Your ‘Easter Bunny’ charts are interesting,” he remarked, “but they don’t tell the true story. My staff has reported no issues in the 911 call center.”
It was a moment of tension, but Larson knew the data told a different story. The room turned to the two lieutenants who had worked with Larson’s team for over a month. Nervously, they confirmed, “Sir, everything Dr. Larson has said and presented is true.”
The Commissioner’s demeanor shifted immediately. “Go on,” he urged, even offering an apology for his initial skepticism. Within just two weeks—an astonishingly fast turnaround in the world of public policy—every one of Larson’s recommendations was implemented. It was a rare and rewarding moment in his decades-long career, a testament to the power of data-driven decision-making.
Legacy in Operations Research
With over 100 scientific articles and seven books to his name, Dr. Larson has cemented his reputation as a thought leader in operations research. His work spans urban service systems, queueing theory (earning him the nickname “Dr. Queue”), logistics, disaster management, disease dynamics, and education.
His first book, Urban Police Patrol Analysis (MIT Press, 1972), was awarded the prestigious Lanchester Prize, a recognition given to the most outstanding contribution to operations research each year. Another milestone was Urban Operations Research, co-authored with Amedeo Odoni, which remains a cornerstone in the field.
Beyond academia, one of his most significant contributions was leading the merger of the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) and The Institute for Management Science (TIMS), two organizations that had long operated separately. ORSA was primarily composed of engineers, while TIMS was dominated by business school professionals. Bridging the gap between these two communities wasn’t easy, but Larson saw the potential.
“The merger wasn’t just 1 + 1 = 2,” he recalls. “It was 1 + 1 = 5.” The result was INFORMS, now the world’s leading professional society for operations research and management science professionals. His leadership in this transformation earned him accolades, including the INFORMS President’s Award and the Kimball Medal. Most recently, in 2025, he was honored with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award for his career-long dedication to excellence.
Words of Wisdom for Future Generations
Looking back on his career, Dr. Larson hopes to be remembered as someone who was deeply committed to expanding access to quality education, particularly in the STEM fields. His passion for leveraging technology in education and his leadership in professional societies are aspects of his legacy that he holds dear. But perhaps, more than anything, he hopes his former students and colleagues remember him as a mentor who inspired them to think independently and pursue their passions.
For young researchers and academics — whether in operations research, management, education, or urban studies — his advice is simple but profound: Follow your intellectual passions. “If these passions are well-founded, they will lead you to new peaks of knowledge and personal excitement,” he advises. “By creating your path, rather than following others, you may climb and conquer peaks heretofore unexplored.”
He also emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s beliefs. “Do not follow The Crowd unless you’ve independently decided it’s the right path for you,” he says. “Lead by example and recognize the need to mentor younger colleagues. Share your enthusiasm for your research — it’s contagious. And, for once, it’s an infectious disease worth spreading.”