Marena Keys sits outside and smiles at the camera.

On the Right Route

Marena Keys Maps Out a Future in Operations Research

By Kirsten Heuring Email Kirsten Heuring

Heidi Opdyke

What started as a class project to improve student transportation became a driving force for Carnegie Mellon University senior Marena Keys’ future in operations research.

Through Operations Research 1, Keys was introduced to the subject, an applied field that studies how to make complex systems work more effectively with real-world constraints. She wanted more hands-on experience, so took Math Models for Consulting soon after. The class project required making university’s shuttle system more efficient.

Keys and other students reimagined a shuttle route supporting Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood. They used computational modeling to analyze routes, stops and timing and built a graph showing how the most students could be picked up in the most efficient timeframe while balancing competing constraints with limited resources.

“It’s like doing a puzzle because there are so many components, and you want to find the best solution possible,” Keys said.

For Keys, the project revealed how mathematical thinking can translate into solutions. Encouraged by her experience, Keys sought out more opportunities related to operations research. After her sophomore year, she was accepted to a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Georgia Tech in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

There, she worked to fine-tune a generative AI model. Working with a faculty-developed machine learning system designed to generate images from text prompts, she adjusted code parameters of the code to ensure image outputs aligned with what users wanted.

“Machine learning was brand new to me at the time,” Keys said. “I enjoyed that project and learned so much from it.”

Though different in application from transportation planning, the REU reinforced similar principles like understanding constraints, refining models and designing systems that respond effectively to real inputs.

During the summer of 2025, Keys interned as an operations research analyst Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a position usually reserved for graduate students. She worked with base employees to improve the operational efficiency across the installation.

“You have a problem to solve, and there’s all these little constraints you have to take into account, and from there, you’re putting everything together,” Keys said. “Being able to work on a project and see how it was going to be implemented in the future, that was really fun.”

Seeing the models applied beyond the classroom confirmed that this was a career path she wanted to pursue.

Marena Keys and Michael Young sit on a couch and talk.
Marena Keys with one of her mentors, Michael Young.

Staying on course through community

Alongside her coursework and research, Keys found support through Tartan Scholars, which provides mentorship and academic resources for undergraduate students from limited-resource backgrounds.

“Even though we come from different places, we all understood of what it means to be at a school like CMU,” Keys said.

Through Tartan Scholars, Keys met two mentors: Michael Young, associate dean for community engagement in the Mellon College of Science and associate professor of mathematical sciences, and Aris Winger, a Carnegie Mellon alumnus and an associate professor of mathematics at Georgia Gwinett College. Winger helped tutor Keys in mathematics her first year and served as a guide afterward. Young formed a peer mentoring group that brought students together to support one another through coursework, internships and graduate school applications. Over time, Keys took on a leadership role in the group, guiding younger students.

“It has been a pleasure watching Marena grow over the past four years,” Young said. “She has been a huge asset to the CMU community and has not only grown as a mathematician, but also as a leader. She has been a huge supporter of her peers by being a pacesetter and accountability partner.”

Keys’ academic achievements and leadership earned her a GEM fellowship, which supports graduate students pursing advanced degrees in technical fields.

“Marena is an intelligent and highly motivated student from a significantly underrepresented group in mathematics,” said Jay Howell, teaching professor of mathematical sciences and Keys’ advisor. “She exhibits a strong commitment to her work, is very thorough and thoughtful, and is mature beyond her years. There is no question that she has the dedication and persistence to succeed in a graduate program that is aligned with her interests.”

Keys will attend North Carolina State University, where she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in operations research. She said she looks forward to pursuing a future career in the field.

“The work I was doing during my internship is the kind of position I want to have in the future, as an operations research analyst,” Keys said. “I really feel like I’ve gotten the skills I need to do that work in the future.”