Richard Larson – A Lifetime Dedicated to Knowledge and Innovation, 2026
For more than five decades, Richard Larson has embodied the rare fusion of intellectual rigour, curiosity-driven inquiry, and real-world relevance. A distinguished professor, pioneering researcher, and deeply committed mentor, Larson’s life’s work stands as a testament to the transformative power of education—when knowledge is not merely accumulated but applied with purpose.
Recognised globally for his contributions to Operations Research, applied probability, and systems thinking, Larson’s career has been shaped by a singular belief: that the scientific method, when thoughtfully applied, can solve some of society’s most pressing challenges.
For Roula Youssef Halabi, Senior Vice President of Global Fertility Services at CooperSurgical, the pursuit of excellence in healthcare has been a lifelong mission.
Born and raised in Lebanon, her formative years were influenced by a culture that valued resilience, adaptability, and community—qualities that would later define her leadership style. Roula’s journey from a trained midwife to leadership roles in the fertility industry is not only a testament to her unwavering commitment to the health of women, babies, and families – the very mission she strives toward at CooperSurgical – but her dedication to excellence in everything she does.
CooperSurgical is a fertility & women’s health company rooted in a dedication to upholding the highest standards and reaching new heights as a leader in the industry: a guiding principle with which Roula found perfect harmony. Since 2023, she has led the global fertility services business, placing paramount importance on excellent quality care for customers and their patients, around the world.
Read on for excerpts from our interview with Roula where she brings to light how she inspires excellence in her teams through passionate leadership and empowering others.
The Path to Leadership
My journey began in the delivery rooms, where I witnessed firsthand the complexities and joys of bringing new life into the world. My education and training as a midwife gave me a deep understanding of the human side of healthcare. However, I felt a pull toward broader challenges in leadership, particularly in the domain of infertility—a field often fraught with emotional and physical hurdles for patients.
I’ve always been driven by the desire to create meaningful change and impact. Transitioning from midwifery to the infertility world having the opportunity to see the business from different lenses, the lens of a patient and the lens of a customer where I was the COO for the largest fertility network in the Middle East, and the lens of a supplier allowed me to address not only the clinical aspects, but also the emotional and social dynamics, of building families, along with the innovation and advanced technology that ensure access to care and improve outcomes.
After a few years in the field, I transitioned into business, combining clinical expertise with strategic acumen. I now bring 24 years of global healthcare expertise and leadership experience to my role, including managing a quarter-billion-dollar P&L and leading M&A endeavors. My journey has also been shaped by effective collaboration within complex organizations, strategic goal-setting, and international expansion initiatives. My multilingual skills (English, French, and Arabic) and dual nationalities (Lebanese and American) have enriched my ability to navigate diverse markets and cultures.
Staying Motivated in a Dynamic Role
For me, motivation stems from my dual focus: advancing medical innovation and making a real difference in patients’ lives. Every product we develop, every solution we deliver, has the potential to change someone’s story and help people achieve their dream of parenthood. That’s incredibly powerful.
Staying driven in a global leadership role requires balancing a demanding schedule with personal values. I credit my family for keeping me grounded; their support is my anchor. My commitment to a balanced and healthy lifestyle, including my active participation in the F45 High-Intensity Team Challenge, helps me maintain the energy and focus needed for my responsibilities.
Integrating Technology and Empathy
In a field as sensitive as fertility, the challenge lies in integrating cutting-edge technology without losing the patient focus. We can’t just innovate for innovation’s sake. We need to ask, ‘How does this improve the patient journey and the patient outcome? How does it support clinics in delivering better care for their patients?’
At CooperSurgical, we have introduced solutions and services that simplify complex processes, such as electronic witnessing systems and advanced genomic testing. But the real triumph lies in ensuring these innovations are accessible and empowering for patients and clinics alike.
Empowering Women Professionals
As a woman in a leadership role, I am deeply committed to fostering an environment where women can thrive. I have championed initiatives that promote mentorship, career development, and a culture of inclusivity. I believe that diverse voices drive innovation.
Empowerment is about creating opportunities and removing barriers. It’s about recognizing potential and investing in people, providing them with the tools to succeed.
My advice to young women aspiring to lead in healthcare is to believe in your vision and don’t be afraid to take risks. Seek mentors, build your network, and never stop learning. Most importantly, measure your success by the people you uplift, and don’t forget to celebrate the small wins along the way. Overcoming Challenges
My career has not been without its hurdles. Navigating a transition from a regional role to a global leadership position in a traditionally male-dominated industry came with unique challenges. These experiences, however, provided invaluable opportunities to break barriers, challenge biases, and pave the way for greater inclusivity.
Leadership is not just about making tough decisions in difficult times. It’s also about transparency, empathy, and ensuring that those decisions align with the organization’s values and long-term vision. As COO at Fakih IVF, I contributed to a significant industry acquisition and gained hands-on experience in board-level operations, preparing me for my current leadership responsibilities at CooperSurgical.
Board Memberships and Industry Contributions
Beyond my executive role at CooperSurgical, I serve as a board member for MECOMED and AVL Skincare, where I leverage my expertise to drive strategic initiatives and foster industry growth. My involvement underscores my dedication to advancing healthcare and related sectors through collaboration and innovation.
Defining Success and The Future of Fertility
Looking ahead, I see a future shaped by more personalized treatment, increased accessibility, and the integration of AI in clinical decision-making. The next frontier is making fertility solutions available to more people, irrespective of geography or socioeconomic status.
For me, success is about impact. It’s not just about hitting numbers or launching products. It’s about leaving a legacy of innovation, compassion, and empowerment. It’s about the lives we touch and the futures we help create.
As I continue to lead CooperSurgical’s fertility services with vision and heart, I am committed to excellence and inspiration to change fertility care for generations to come.
Richard Larson: A Lifetime Dedicated to Knowledge, Inquiry, and Innovation
For more than five decades, Richard Larson has embodied the rare fusion of intellectual rigour, curiosity-driven inquiry, and real-world relevance. A distinguished professor, pioneering researcher, and deeply committed mentor, Larson’s life’s work stands as a testament to the transformative power of education—when knowledge is not merely accumulated but applied with purpose.
Recognised globally for his contributions to Operations Research, applied probability, and systems thinking, Larson’s career has been shaped by a singular belief: that the scientific method, when thoughtfully applied, can solve some of society’s most pressing challenges.
The Earliest Influences: Teachers Who Lit the Spark
Larson’s lifelong devotion to learning began with exceptional educators who understood how to awaken curiosity rather than impose instruction. Growing up in Needham, Massachusetts, he encountered a high-school physics teacher whose ability to relate physics to everyday life fundamentally reshaped how Larson viewed the world.
“Being exposed to great teachers inspired my desire to learn and then to become a teacher myself.”
That spark intensified when Larson entered MIT, where he was mentored by iconic figures such as Amar Bose, founder of Bose Corporation, and Professor Alvin W. Drake, his faculty advisor who instilled in him a passion for applied probability modelling.
Another pivotal influence emerged during Larson’s service as the youngest member of the Science and Technology Task Force of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice in 1967. There, he worked closely with Dr Alfred Blumstein, whose patience, discipline, and commitment to clarity profoundly shaped Larson’s intellectual development.
“I view myself as a product of (Al)².”
Larson vividly recalls how both mentors—Drake at MIT and Blumstein in Washington—took the time to sit with him, critique his work, and guide him towards clearer thinking and better communication. These moments, often late in the day, left an indelible mark on how Larson would later mentor his own students.
Discovering Operations Research: An Invisible Force with Visible Impact
It was through MIT and the President’s Crime Commission that Larson discovered Operations Research (OR)—a discipline he famously describes as “the world’s most important invisible field of study.” OR provided him with a framework to translate abstract thinking into actionable solutions, using data, probability, and modelling to understand and improve complex systems.
“I always loved identifying problems that could be framed and eventually solved via the scientific method.”
From that moment on, Larson identified himself not just as an academic, but as an Operations Research specialist, committed to applying rigorous thinking to real-world problems that affect everyday lives.
The Defining Moment: Choosing Academia for Life
As Larson neared the end of his PhD at MIT, he stood at a crossroads—until a single question from Professor Alvin Drake altered the trajectory of his life.
“Dick, how would you like to stay on for a couple of years as an assistant professor before you go off and make your millions?”
The offer stunned him. Despite his self-doubt—what he jokingly calls the “Groucho Marx Syndrome”, the feeling that one could never belong to an institution willing to accept them—Larson accepted.
That decision led to promotion, tenure, and a lifelong relationship with MIT.
“I became an MIT Lifer—one who entered as a freshman at age 18 and essentially never left.”
Curiosity as a Discipline, Learning as a Moral Obligation
Larson’s formative years shaped a philosophy that has guided his entire career: curiosity is not casual—it is disciplined. His early exposure to physics taught him not to pursue knowledge for prestige, but for problem-solving.
“Not knowing something is an opportunity for learning.”
He frequently cites the maxim attributed to both Albert Einstein and B.B. King:
“A day without learning is a wasted day.”
For Larson, learning is not confined to youth or academia—it is a lifelong responsibility.
An Evolving Intellectual Home at MIT
Over more than 50 years at MIT, Larson’s intellectual journey has been remarkably dynamic. His research interests evolved, leading him to work across five academic departments, including:
- Electrical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Urban Studies and Planning
- And ultimately, IDSS – the Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
“MIT is a wonderfully welcoming meritocracy.”
IDSS reflects the culmination of Larson’s career interests—data-driven decision-making, systems analysis, and societal impact. He credits the institute’s interdisciplinary approach with enabling deeper, more relevant research in the latter phase of his career.
Rigour Without Intimidation: Making Research Useful
Larson firmly rejects the notion that academic rigour must be intimidating or inaccessible. In his view, rigorous research and real-world application are synonymous.
“Too much rigour can lead to rigor mortis.”
This philosophy underpins his book, Model Thinking for Everyday Life: How to Make Smarter Decisions, published by INFORMS. The book reflects his desire to bring Operations Research thinking to the public, empowering individuals to make better decisions using models—without drowning them in mathematics.
When Research Changed a City: The 911 Breakthrough
Among the many instances where Larson’s work influenced real systems, one stands out as especially powerful. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, shortly after the introduction of 911 emergency services, New York City residents reported alarmingly long wait times.
At the time, Larson was both a PhD student at MIT and a consultant for the RAND Corporation. He volunteered to spend a month embedded within NYPD headquarters, working directly with call-takers and dispatchers, collecting data, and building a statistically valid model for staffing and scheduling.
When presenting his findings to the NYPD Police Commissioner, Larson was initially dismissed.
“These ‘Easter Bunny’ charts are lies.”
The turning point came when two senior sergeants—Larson’s closest collaborators—confirmed the data’s accuracy. The Commissioner immediately authorised implementation.
“Virtually all of my recommendations were implemented within about one week.”
It remains the fastest implementation of any Operations Research model in Larson’s career, and one that significantly improved emergency response times.
Mentorship: The Quiet Moments That Matter Most
Despite his achievements, Larson speaks most fondly of moments spent mentoring students. He recalls numerous conversations with young researchers questioning their abilities or contemplating leaving academia.
Through patient discussion and encouragement, Larson helped many rediscovers confidence and direction.
“These conversations most often had a happy ending.”
Advice for Future Researchers and Changemakers
Larson’s advice to young academics has remained consistent over the years:
“Identify your passion—the work you love so much you dream about it—and pursue it with all the energy you can muster.”
He also urges researchers to think beyond traditional publication and actively spread the word—through media, public engagement, and innovative outreach.
“Don’t give up—not after a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad month.”
A Legacy Defined by Learning and Impact
Richard Larson’s legacy is not measured solely in citations or accolades, but in the lives improved through smarter systems, clearer thinking, and empowered students. His life’s work stands as proof that knowledge, when guided by curiosity and applied with care, can change the world.
