Operations Research and Analytics

Deterministic Optimization
• Convex relaxations and solution methods for mixed-integer nonlinear programs; interconnections between logical inference and integer programming.
Stochastic Optimization
• Parameter estimation techniques and statistical analysis of risk.
Application
• Network interdiction and transportation.

Research Projects
• Outer approximation for integer nonlinear programs via decision diagrams
• Unsplittable network flow problems: models and applications
• Bayesian solution estimators in stochastic optimization
• Consistency in integer programs

Nonparametric Statistics & Applications
• Nonparametric regression when errors are correlated
• Model selection methods for regression and density estimation
• Asymptotic analysis

Research Projects
• Combining Fluid Dynamics, Statistics and Pattern Recognition in Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, to Quantify  Spatial Uncertainty and Remove Human Bias
• Correlated data analysis
• Long term memory processes

Deterministic and Stochastic Models
• Production decision making under uncertainty
• Renewable energy system design and analysis
Data Analytics and Optimization
• Data-driven shop floor scheduling and planning
• Resource planning and management for agriculture and plant breeding

Research Projects
• Engineering Crops for Genetic Adaptation to Changing Environments, supported by NSF
• FactBoard: Real-Time Data Driven Visual Decision Support  System for the Factory Floor, supported by DMDII
• Data Driven Highway Infrastructure Resilience Assessment, supported by MTC
• Development and Evaluation of Improved Strategies for Genomic Selection, supported by USDA

Statistics/Data analytics/Machine Learning 
• Quality assurance
• Supervised/unsupervised learning
• Bayesian analysis
• Predictive Analytics
• Health research

Research projects
• Quality assurance and process monitoring in advanced manufacturing
• Health risk prediction
• Tuberculosis prediction and prevention
• Soil roughness quantification and comparison

Mitigating Risk in Public Policy and Business Operations

Decision and risk analysis, with a particular emphasis on preparing for and responding to major disruptions and building resilience within organizations

Research projects
• Solar and Wind Energy using Engineering Economics Theory (SWEEET)
• Assessing and measuring capabilities for emergency preparedness for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD)
• Analyzing emerging risks in Iowa for the Iowa HSEMD
• Analytical decision making for a digital twin using discrete-event simulation
• Navy Engineering Analytics Program (NEAP) for undergraduate students

Stochastic Optimal Control
• Engineering valuation of projects under uncertainty
• Optimal timing/Impulse control
• Real options
Sustainability Modeling
• Renewable energy generation and transmission planning
• Closed-loop supply chains
• Valuation of remanufacturing and supply contracts

Research Projects
• Valuation of Blockchain “ilities” such as traceability and irrefutability
• Engineering valuation of complex projects under uncertainties
• Complex project teaching & learning materials/visualization aids

Optimization
• Heuristic methods for discrete optimization
Data Analytics
• Predictive plant phenomics
• Data-driven production scheduling
• Data mining of incident reporting databases
• Sports analytics
Optimization/Data analytics
• Optimization-based methods for input engineering in data mining

Research Projects
• Decision support for plant breeding
• Expert system to improve data collection from law enforcement
• Predicting the hardness of new materials

Optimization Under Uncertainty
• Data analytics for formulating and verifying stochastic process models
• Risk considerations in capital investment and operational planning

Research Projects
• DataFEWSion traineeship for innovations at the nexus of food production, renewable energy and water quality
• Analysis of power system operational uncertainty from gas system dependence
• Closed loop supply chain design for uncertain carbon regulations and random product flows

Methodology
Stochastic, robust, bilevel, discrete optimization
Applications
TEAM (Transportation, Energy, Agriculture,
and Manufacturing) systems

Recent Projects
• (Transportation) Assessing and enhancing
transportation network resiliency
• (Energy) Strengthening electric power networks through transmission planning
• (Agriculture) Advanced analytics of genomic data for improving plant and animal breeding
• (Manufacturing) Real-time data driven visual decision support system for the factory floor