In 2014, the MIT Leaders for Global Operations Program (LGO) was awarded the third annual UPS George D. Smith Prize for effective and innovative preparation of students to be good practitioners of operations research. In this paper, we describe the innovative, interdisciplinary education of the two-year dual-degree LGO program, which trains students for careers in operations and manufacturing through a three-way partnership between the MIT School of Engineering, the MIT School of Management, and industry. The first-of-its-kind program includes a six-month research internship that results in a master’s thesis. This paper will discuss the LGO approach to preparing students for practicing operations research and the impact that the program has made on operations in manufacturing and services companies.