SMU INFORMS Chapter Kickoff Event

October 27, 2009

The new SMU student chapter of INFORMS is having its student/faculty mixer and kick-off meeting on Monday, November 2, 4 p.m., at the Huitt-Zollars Pavilion of the Embrey Building. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) is the professional society for practicing management scientists and OR professionals. All interested parties are invited and welcome, and refreshments will be served. Read more

Lyle-OR Team in Finals of International Modeling Competition

June 30, 2009

Team SMU

A team of three Operations Research Ph.D. students are finalists in the 2009 AIMMS-CPLEX/MOPTA Optimization Modeling Competition, to be held at Lehigh University in August. Angelika Leskovskaya, Jason Kratz, and Ron Dearing  (shown with faculty sponsor, Dick Barr, on left) developed for the competition’s challenge a system for transportation fleet maintenance optimization. Their user-friendly solution led them to the finals against teams from the Zuse Institute Berlin (Germany) and the University of Twente (Netherlands).

Ph.D. Defense: Anusha Madhaven

April 17, 2009

Anusha MadhavenModels and Algorithms for Integer Multi-Commodity Network Routing Applications

Anusha Madhavan
Advisor: Dr. Jeffery L. Kennington

Ph. D. Defense
Tuesday, April 21, 2009  -  1:30 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Huitt-Zollars Pavilion, Embrey Building
All interested persons invited and welcome

Abstract: This dissertation presents two applications of multi-commodity network routing problems, Read more

Robert Jones Completes Ph.D. Defense

April 17, 2009

Robert Jones

Robert Jones successfully defended his dissertation on April 14, 2009 and will receive his Ph.D. in May. The defense announcement is given below:

Heuristic Algorithms for Solving the Interval Flow Transshipment Network
Robert H. Jones
Advisor: Dr. Richard Barr

This dissertation addresses the inclusion of semi-continuous variables into network formulations for minimum cost-flow transshipment problems with and without a fixed-charge. These models, termed interval-flow networks, are formulated mathematically and solution methods are proposed and tested computationally. Results are compared to state-of-the-art commercially available software. A solution for a real world scheduling problem and a well know NP-hard problem are included.

Wireless LAN Research Grant for Kennington, Olinick

January 20, 2009

Wireless LAN schematic

The Office of Naval Research has awarded the following research grant to EMIS faculty Jeff Kennington and Eli Olinick:

Using Optimization to Design Wireless Local Area Networks

Developing a good design for a wireless local area network for a multistory building is a challenging problem.  The designer must determine the number and location of the access points (radio
transmitters and receivers), the best power setting for these access points, and the frequency to be assigned to the access points. Since the exact location of the mobile devices (i.e. users) is not known, evaluation of a given design requires a statistical analysis over a random sample of potential locations.  Our objective is to
develop optimization-based prototype design tools for both current and future versions of these networks.

Funding level: $135,000.

Yu Awarded Research Grant on Engineering Supply Chain Systems

January 20, 2009

EMIS faculty member Dr. Junfang Yu recently received the following $85,000 research grant from Sandia National Laboratories:

Collaborative Environment Implementation, Data Management and Security in Supply Chain System

This funded research project will help Sandia to design and implement a secure and effective Electronic Component Information System (ECIS) which is being used by design and development engineers, and other personnel along their supply chain in a collaborative environment. The scope of the work includes the design and implementation of the control mechanism and management schema for the engineering release of various designs and subsystems to be used in a complex weapon system. The project will also help Sandia to design and implement their ECIS so it could be used in a secure and collaborative way.

Brandon Ha: 2008 School of Engineering Standard Bearer

May 19, 2008

2008 Standard Bearer Brandon Ha and Prof. BarrBrandon Ha (BSMS ‘08, BS Math ‘08, MSOR ‘08) is the 2008 Stardard Bearer for the School of Engineering, with the highest grade point average of all bachelors recipients. He was the first engineering student to receive his diploma at the graduation ceremonies and, in doing so, symbolically led the 2008 graduating class across the stage and into their future. He graduates with a B.S. with a major in Management Science, a B.S. with a major in Mathermatics, and a Master of Science with a major in Operations Research. [Shown here with EMIS department chair, Prof. Dick Barr. and his three new diplomas.]

Operations Research Program Announces New Masters Recipients

May 19, 2008

The EMIS Department is proud to announce the following recipients of Masters of Science with Major in Operations Research: Read more

Xinyu Wang Receives the 2008 EMIS Terman Award

May 8, 2008

Xinyu Wang Receives 2008 Terman Award

Xinyu “Ed” Wang received the 2008 Frederick E. Turman Award from the EMIS Department. Ed is completing his Ph.D. in Operations Research and is shown here with Dean Geoffrey Orsak at the School of Engineering Awards Ceremony. Read more