Professor Shumsky has research and teaching interests in operations management and decision science. His current research focuses on the interactions among quality, flexibility and efficiency in service systems.

He has conducted research on the U.S. air traffic management system and studied transportation operations for state agencies and the Federal Aviation Administration. He has also served as a consultant for both manufacturing and service operations, including call centers and health care providers.

Robert Shumsky is also the faculty co-director for the Master of Health Care Delivery Science Program at Dartmouth.