Welcome to the

Operations Research Program

at the University of Delaware


Philosophy of the Program
Skills and Job Market of OR Students
Programs of Study
Current OR students

Requirements for Admission
Application Procedure
Cost of Living and Academic Fees
Financial Aid

The Faculty and their Research Areas
Research Facilities
Graduates, Theses Titles, Employment Upon Graduation

Requirements for the Degrees
Procedure for Doctoral Preliminary Qualifying Examination
Operations Research Core Courses

For more information contact

PHILOSOPHY OF THE PROGRAM

The Operations Research (OR) Program at the University of Delaware is designed to provide the student with a strong foundation in the theories and methods of economics, engineering, mathematics and statistics in order to analyze problems from a systems ap proach. Valid applications (case studies) bridge the gap between pure theory and methods. The rigorous core courses provide the student with methodological tools in recognizing, analyzing and solving problems. The program strives to educate well -rounded individuals who are able to compete in the market places of academia as well as public institutions and private enterprises.

SKILLS AND JOB MARKET OF OR STUDENTS

Our OR students are suited for businesses and government agencies which need employees who are not only familiar with technical skills but also have an appreciation for the problems encountered in business or government. In many instances our Ph.D. gradu ates find employment at academic institutions in applied areas such as economics, business, public policy, agricultural economics and marine studies. The strength of our program lies in its multidisciplinary nature and flexibility. Our focus is on mar keting students as problem solvers in a particular problem domain.

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

The Operations Research Program at the University of Delaware is an interdisciplinary graduate program, drawing its faculty and students from the following: College of Agriculture (Bioresources Engineering, Food and Resource Economics ), College of Business and Economics (Business Administration and Economics), College of Engineering (Civil Engin eering and Electrical Engineering), College of Arts and Science (Computer and Information S ciences, Mathematical Sciences and Statistics), and the Urban Affairs. Programs of stud y are tailored to student and faculty interests and emphasize research. Course work includes a core in operations research, optimization, statistics, and applied probability, in addition to supporting courses related to areas of application.

The student is encouraged to select an adviser among the relevant faculty as soon as possible. The director of the program will assist in the search. After the first semester but no later than during the second semester , the student should have an advi ser for course selection and thesis/dissertation purposes. Changes in the adviser are possible with special justification, but all concerned including the Director of the Program must agree. The program encourages co-advisers for students if it is in th eir interest.

Master's programs allow students to take either the thesis or non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a research-oriented thesis (six credits) and course work about equally divided between OR-related courses, and course offerings in the area of application, for a total of 33 credit hours. A thesis committee consisting of at least four members, two of which are OR faculty, should be formed after the first year of study to advise the candidate and administer the final oral exam. The non-thesis option requires an internship and a related research report in lieu of the thesis. Two semesters of seminar attendance is required for all masters students.

The Ph.D. program is intended to prepare well-qualified students for management, research or teaching careers in industry, government or academia. Dissertations for the Ph.D. degree are a blend of empirical and theoretical research combining OR methodolo gies with application from a particular discipline. A dissertation committee consisting of at least five members, three of which are OR faculty, should be formed after the second year of study to advise the candidate and administer the comprehensive and final oral exam. The degree requires at least 51 credits hours with nine credits fulfilling the dissertation requirement and the remainder equally divided among OR-related courses and course offerings from the area of application. Ph.D. candidates must take the ORES 800 level course sequence and register for four semesters of seminar attendance. Comprehensive exams are administered in three areas (OR and two other areas of concentration) after a majority of the course work has been successfully complet ed.

Goals of the Program

Students should acquire through the program:

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION

Students should apply to the University's Office of Graduate Studies for admission into the Operations Research Program. General requirements for admission to the OR program are as follows: (1) a minimum average grade of B in undergraduate studies, with a grade of B or higher in calculus and linear algebra and (2) a minimum of combined verbal and quantitative score of 1150 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The OR program will assist students in selecting a suitable "home" department; and the st udent must meet any additional admission requirements of that specific department.

For international students a minimum TOEFL score of 600 is necessary for admission to the Operations Research Program. Required minimum GRE and TOEFL scores for admittance to the Operations Research Program are higher than the minimums required by the Of fice of Graduate Studies.

PREREQUISITES

Master's Degree (M.S.)

The equivalent of:
Analytical Geometry and Calculus IIIMATH 243
Data Analysis and Nonparametric StatisticsSTAT 420
Elements of Linear SystemsMATH 349
Computer Science ( Programming Language) CISC 105, 106 or 135

Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.)

A Masters degree in Operations Research or a parallel discipline.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The general application deadlines are as follows: April 1 for the fall semester, October 1 for the spring semester, March 1 for the summer sessions. Forms and information may be requested from the address below. Applicants should submit an application f orm, the $40 application fee, official transcripts of their previous academic records, and GRE general test scores (or GMAT scores) to the Graduate School, University of Delaware, 19716. Three letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the Oper ations Research program. Applicants from non-English speaking countries must also submit TOEFL scores unless they hold a degree from an english program/university. Applications for fellowships and assistantships are due by March 1. Although students ar e urged to apply as early as possible, late applications will be processed whenever possible.

COST OF LIVING AND ACADEMIC FEES

For the 1995-96 academic year, fees for full-time graduate students were $3,800 for Delaware residents and $10,800 for non-residents(subject to change). Fees for the summer sessions and for part-time students were $188 per credit for Delaware residents a nd $503 per credit for nonresidents. The graduation fees were $30 for the Master's degree and $65 for the Ph.D. For students who have completed their course work and are still working on their thesis, the sustaining fees were $150 for the Master's degre e and $225 for the Ph.D. Please note that these fees are subject to change.

While prices vary widely throughout the area, average monthly rents are $400 for an efficiency and $500 to $650 for one- and two-bedroom apartments. Electricity costs usually range from $35 to $60 per month, depending on the size of the apartment and the time of year.

The University has a limited number of one- and two-bedroom apartments for married students and graduate students who are enrolled in full-time programs of study. Some of these are unfurnished apartments. The monthly rents are from $540 to $630 and cost s are diminished by sharing. The Office of Housing and Residence Life, 5 Courtney Street, Newark, DE, 19716 can provide more information (831-2491).

Single graduate students are also permitted to apply for on-campus housing in College Towne, Conover and Christiana Towers apartments. These rooms are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. In the Christiana Towers, the cost for 1/4 of a 2-bedroo m apartment is $2510 per academic year while the cost for 1/2 of a 1-bedroom is $3210 per academic year.

FINANCIAL AID

Various forms of partial and comprehensive financial aid are available; however, financial aid is awarded only on a competitive basis to students with excellent credentials. Postdoctoral and research associateships are also available periodically. Teach ing assistantship awards ranged from $9,650 to $10,700 in 1994-95, including tuition remission for nine months, a period that includes fall and spring semesters and a winter session course. Additional stipends are sometimes available for summer. At pres ent, a proportion of full-time students receive either partial or full financial support after having established an acceptable academic track record on campus. Research assistants work up to 20 hours per week (partially funded students work 10 hours per week) on faculty projects and are expected to maintain a normal course load of nine credits per semester. Teaching assistants help with departmental instruction and are also expected to maintain a normal course load. Assistantships are usually awarded for a period of one academic year. However, renewal of the assistantship is reviewed after each semester with renewal being conditional on the student's overall satisfactory performance in the program (progress towards the degree and discharge of assista ntship obligations).

In most cases, individual departments are responsible for granting assistantships. A graduate assistant who is financially supported by a specific "home" department has the obligation to work for and complete the OR degree in that department. If, in an exceptional and compelling case, a transfer between home departments is in the interest of all parties (current and future home departments, the OR Program and the student) then an orderly transfer should be sought after consent from among all involved pa rties has been granted. Under no circumstances will the OR program director endorse any ill-founded transfers.

THE FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH AREAS

Core Faculty

R. J. Agnello, Associate Professor of Economics; Ph.D. (economics), Johns Hopkins, 1970. Econometrics and forecasting; fisheries, finance and transportation economics.

L. G. Anderson, Professor of Economics and Marine Studies; Ph.D. (economics), Washington (Seattle), 1970. Natural resources and environmental economics, fishery management, benefit- cost analysis.

J. G. Elterich, Professor of Food and Resource Economics; Ph.D. (agricultural economics), Michigan State, 1964.Quantitative supply analysis, risk programming, agricultural production functions, labor market and social program analysis, development economics (microeconomics).

C. M. Gempesaw II, Professor of Food and Resource Economics; Ph.D (agricultural economics), Penn State, 1985. Production economics, agricultural finance.

R. A. Hyde, Associate Professor of Food and Resource Economics and Operations Research; Ph.D. (management science), Clemson, 1987. Agricultural production systems, Inventory models.

S. Kikuchi, Professor of Civil Engineering; Ph.D. (civil and urban engineering), Pennsylvania, 1974. Optimization of transportation systems and logistics.

P. Krishnan, Associate Professor of Bioresources Engineering; Ph.D. (bioresources engineering), Illinois, 1979. Operations research in agriculture, power and machinery management.

D. Mills, Professor of Electrical Engineering; Ph.D. (computer and communication sciences), University of Michigan, 1971. Data communications, computer networks and protocol engineering.

M. F. Pohlen, Associate Professor of Business Administration; Ph.D. (operations management), Ohio State, 1967. Production and inventory control systems and models, manufacturing policy, project management.

R. S. Sacher , Manager, Scientific Computing, CNS User Services and Associate Professor of Mathematical Sciences; Ph.D. (operations research), Stanford, 1974. Mathematical programming, statistical computation.

A. Sethi, Associate Professor of Computer and Information Sciences; Ph.D. (computer science), Indian Institute of Technology, 1978. Performance evaluation and modeling, network management and control, local area networks, distributed systems.

R. M. Stark, Professor Mathematics and Civil Engineering; Ph.D. (applied science), Delaware, 1965. Probability models, civil engineering systems, management science.

F. X. Tannian, Professor of Urban Affairs; Ph.D. (economics), Virginia, 1965. Political economy: model development and applications, externalities.

Associated Faculty

T. S. Angell, Professor of Mathematical Sciences; Ph.D. (mathematics), Michigan. Calculus of variations, optimal control.

R. D. Baker, Professor of Mathematical Sciences; Ph.D. (mathematics), Ohio State. Combinatorics, error-correcting codes, integer programming.

C. C. Balascio, Associate Professor of Bioresources Engineering; Ph.D., Iowa State. Soil and water.

V. Klemas, Professor of Marine Science; Ph.D., Technical University, Braunschweig. Remote sensing, coastal resource analysis, analysis of satellite data, productivity of wetlands.

K. Lewis, Professor of Economics; Ph.D., Princeton. Econometrics, microeconomic growth, regional forecasting, human capital modelling.

A. K. Manrai, Associate Professor of Business Administration; Ph.D. (business administration), Northwestern, 1986. Econometrics and optimization theory, analytical and mathematical models in marketing .

R. L. McCullough, Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director, Center for Composite Materials; Ph.D., New Mexico. Composite materials, technological project management, polymer physics.

M. Z. Nashed, Professor of Mathematics and Professor of Electrical Engineering; Ph.D. (mathematics), Michigan, 1963. Optimization and approximation theory, numerical analysis, ill-posed problems, generalized inverses, control and system theory.

E. M. Saniga, Associate Professor of Business Administration; Ph.D. (management science), Penn State, 1975. Quality control, portfolio theory, applied statistics.

T. Saydam, Professor of Computer and Information Sciences; Ph.D. (Engineering-Computer Science) Istanbul Technical Unversity and University of Texas, 1964. Performance evaluation of complex systems, computer communication networks, discrete systems, modeling and simulation.

C. W. Sloyer Jr., Professor of Mathematics; Ph.D. (mathematics), Lehigh, 1964. Operations research in public systems and utility companies, topology.

P. L. Solano, Associate Professor of Urban Affairs and Public Policy; Ph.D. (government and politics), Maryland, 1978. Political economy, public finance, public financial management, public choice.

J. S. Ying, Associate Professor of Economics; Ph.D. (economics), Berkeley, 1987. Economic theory and industrial organization.

RESEARCH FACILITIES

The University of Delaware Library includes the Hugh M. Morris Library and the following four branch libraries: The Agriculture Library in Townsend Hall, the Chemistry Library in Brown Laboratory, the Physics Library in Sharp Laboratory, and the Marine S tudies Library in Cannon Laboratory in Lewes, Delaware. The Morris Library, near the center of campus, houses the university's principal collections and includes among its facilities graduate carrels, faculty studies, group study rooms, a microcomputing site, individual study tables, on-line computer terminals (DelCat system) to numerous nationwide computer-based systems and data bases, and equipment to assist the visually impaired.

The collections of the University of Delaware Library contain over 2,000,000 volumes with an additional 390,000 government publications and another 2,300,000 microforms. Subscriptions are held to cover 21,000 journals.

The University of Delaware provides members of the academic community with access to computing resources on and off campus. By connecting the central main frame and advanced workstations, the departmental computers, and the terminals, microcomputers, and workstations in public and computing sites and on desktops, the campus network offers faculty, staff, and students a rich and evolving variety of hardware and software solutions to computing problems.

The backbone of the campus network consists of a high-speed (80 megabits per second) fiber optic Proteon Ring, which is being extended to connect most campus buildings. Local area networks (LANs) within these buildings are connected to this backbone. Tw o Ethernet LANs in the Chapel Street Computing Center link the large central academic computers to the backbone; LANs in the Colleges of Engineering, Business and Economics and Agriculture link numerous computers and workstations in the Colleges to the ba ckbone. On-campus users can access the campus network from terminals, microcomputers, and workstations that are located in buildings connected to the campus network, or from terminals and microcomputers connected to the campus network by terminal servers or telephone lines. Off-campus users can dial in to the campus network.

The campus network is connected with external networks such as CREN (BITNET and CSNET) and Internet. Through these networks, university computing users access remote supercomputing resources and exchange information with colleagues all over the world.

University faculty, staff and students can use any combination of the University's computing hardware: large central computers running VM/XA CMS and UNIX, Apple Macintosh and IBM microcomputers, and Sun advanced workstations. Programming, statistical an d mathematical problem-solving, instructional courseware delivery, data base and spreadsheet management, text and word processing, graphics, communications, and electronic mail exchange are possible on the different hardware platforms using an extensive c ollection of software.

As of December, 1992 six large centrally-supported computers are used for research and instructional computing:

Four Sun Microsystems SPARCserver 690 PM each having 4 processors, running Release 4.1.2 of the SunOS (UNIX) operating system and one IBM RS 6000/950, running AIX 3.2 (UNIX).

These systems support a wide variety of text and graphics terminals and can send their output to impact printers, monochrome and color laser printers, and plotters that are centrally-supported. Students needing central computing resources for research a nd for specific courses will be given computing accounts by their instructors or advisors. Furthermore, all students at the University are given electronic mail accounts useful for communicating with others, both on and off campus. For more information o n the University's computing facilities, contact the University's central system.

Additionally, students, faculty, and staff can use any of several hundred Sun workstations, Apple Macintosh's and microcomputers in the IBM PC and PS/2 family, without charge. These are distributed in many sites around campus. Copies of the Computing Si te Map can be acquired from CNS User Services, 002 Smith Hall. CNS User Services provides general consulting in the Consulting Center in Smith Hall as well as specialized consulting in the areas of databases, desktop publishing, graphics, mathematics, op erations research, programming languages, spreadsheets, statistics, supercomputing, and desktop publishing. The User Services staff also provides documentation, seminars and workshops of the use of the computing systems and their software.

CNS User Services also operates the Microcomputing Resource Center, where a variety of microcomputing and workstation software and hardware are available for demonstration and purchase by University faculty, staff and students. Eligible members of the Un iversity community can buy computing hardware and software and a significant savings for their personal use.

OPERATIONS RESEARCH GRADUATES THESIS/DISSERTATION and EMPLOYMENT/STATUS UPON GRADUATION

B. Adams: Ph.D., 1997 "Statistical Inference in Modeling Longitudinal Data with Feed Forward Neural Networks" Dr. Conrado Gempesaw II/Food & Resource Economics, Advisor.

F. Albay: M.S., 1995 " The Use of Simulation in Evaluating Specialized and Integrated Agricultural Enterprises" Dr. J. Elterich/ Operations Research, Advisor.

F. Araujo: M.S., 1985. Professor, University of Zulia, Venezuela.

K. Ballal: M.S., 1997. Nozzle Selection and Replacement Based on Nozzle Wear Analysis" Dr. P. Krishnan/Bioresources Engineering, Advisor.

D. Batkova: M.S. , 1989 " A Stochastic Econometric Model of the Delaware Agricultural Sector" Dr. C. Gempesaw/ Food & Resource Economics, Advisor.

S. Bhargava: M.S., 1989. "A Stochastic Dominance Analysis of Broiler Grower Housing Investments", Dr. Conrado Gempesaw II/Food & Resource Economics, advisor. American College of Radiology

G. Buttar: M.S., 1991. "Sample Size Determination for Component Failure Rates in a Multi-Echelon, Multi-Indentured, Optimizing Inventory Stockage Model", Dr. Michael Pohlen/Business Administration, advisor. Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.

S. Chakravarthy: Ph.D., 1983. "A Stochastic Model for Two Servers Sharing a Common Tool Magazine and Its Analysis", Dr. Marcel Neuts/Math, advisor. Assistant Professor, General Motors Institutes, Flint, MI.

K. Dolk-Etz: M.S., 1992. "Analysis of Southern China's Consumption Behavior: An Almost Ideal Demand System", Dr. Conrado Gempesaw II/ Food and Resource Economics, advisor.

R. Donnelly: Ph.D., 1988. "Expert Systems in Aggregate Production Planning", Dr. Erwin Saniga/Business Administration, advisor.

D. A. Dunkers, M.S., 1992. "Prioritizing Growth Constraints in the U.S. Aquaculture Industry: An Application of the Analytical Hierarchy Process", Dr. Rhonda Aull-Hyde/Food & Resource Economics-Operations Research, advisor.

M. Dzulkifli: M.S., 1989. "Analysis of Delay Propagation in Public Transit Operation", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/Civil Engineering, advisor.

J. Fernandez-Cornejo: Ph.D., 1990. "Dynamic Production Structure of Multi-product Firms, with an Empirical Application to German Agriculture", Dr. Spiro Stefanou/Penn State Visiting Professor, advisor. Agricultural Economist at ERS/USDA, Washington, D.C.

S. D. Flam: Ph.D., 1984 "Resource Management under Uncertainty", Dr. Adi Ben-Israel/Math, advisor. Assistant professor, Institute of Economics, University of Borgen.

R. Gana: M.S., 1989. "Improvement of the Draft Failure Rate Regression Model of Walberg and Rasher", Dr. Arthur Hoerl/Math, advisor. University of Delaware - Ph.D. study

J. Ghosh: M.S., 1988. "A Canonical Basis Approach to the Primal-Dual Method", Dr. Adi Ben-Israel/Math, advisor. Ph.D. candidate, University of Delaware.

J. Hung: M.S. 1994 " A Comparison of Priority Queues: preemptive(Resume versus Nonpreemptive Priority", Dr. Howard Taylor/ Math, Advisor. Columbia University, Ph. D Study.

I. Hussiada: M.S., 1991. "A Logit Analysis Testing the Consistency of Federal Agencies Regulatory Decisions", Dr. George Parsons/Marine Studies, advisor. International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C. (affiliated with the United Nations).

S. Jung: M.S., 1994. " Optimal Contractor- Type and Action Combinations of Sole- Source Procurement", Dr. P. Brown/Business Adminstration, advisor.

P. Kapustik: M.S., 1993. "The Use of Latent Variable Model in Measuring Size and Efficiency Relationship: The Case of Parametric and Non-Parametric Approaches", Dr. Joachim Elterich/Operations Research, advisor.

M. Kramp: Ph.D., 1986. "Models of Switching: Multi-Purpose Fleets in Fisheries, Multi-Armed Bandits and Gittins Indices", Dr. Adi Ben- Israel/Math, advisor. Operations Research Department, Proctor and Gamble, Germany. Gottinbiz University.

M. Krishnamurti: Ph.D., 1989. "Uncertainty and Duality in Economic Models and Effects of Policy on the West German Dairy Industry", Dr. Adi Ben-Israel/ Math, advisor.

S. Kumar: Ph.D., 1983. "A Simulation Study of a Multi-Nodal Communication Network with Contention", Dr. Marcel Neuts/Math, advisor. Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

S. Lam: M.S. , 1995 " Mathematical Programming Approaches to an Agricultural Production Diversification Model for poultry Waste Management", Dr. R. Aull- Hyde, Advisor.

W. S. Lovejoy: Ph.D., 1984. "Policy Bounds for Markov Decision Processes with Applications to Fisheries Management", Dr. Lee Anderson/Marine Studies, advisor. Associate Professor, Stanford University.

D. Lucantoni: Ph.D., 1982. M.S. (statistics), 1982. "An Algorithmic Analysis of a Computer-Communications Model", Dr. Marcel Neuts/Math, advisor. Recipient of the 1982 Allan P. Colburn Dissertation Award. Technical Staff Member, Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ.

M. Machida: M.S. 1994 "Discrete Partially Observed Systems", Dr. Robert Stark/Math, advisor.

K. Meier: Ph.D., 1981. "A Statistical Procedure for Fitting Markov-Modulated Poisson Processes", Dr. Marcel Neuts/Math, advisor. Technical Staff Member, Bell Labs, Holmdel, NJ.

J. Mukherjee: M.S., 1990. "Factors Affecting the Off-Farm Labor Patterns of Delaware Farm Operators and Their Spouses", Dr. Steven Hastings/Food and Resource Economics, advisor. University of Illinois - Ph.D. study

R. Nanda: M.S., 1991. "Application of Fuzzy Set Theory and Neutral Networks to Regression and GMDH Analysis", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/Civil Engineering, advisor. University of Delaware - Ph.D. study

P. Ou: Ph.D., 1994 "Hierarchical Production Planning Under uncertainity: A Three- Level Multi-Item Production Problem Extension". Dr. Michael Pohlen/ Business, advisor.

P. Pantitanonta: M.S., 1989. "Simple Portfolio Selection Rules and Market Anomalies", Dr. Erwin Saniga/Business Administration, advisor.

J. Parameswaran: M.S., 1992. "Schedule Coordination of Fixed Route Transit Lines: Application of Fuzzy Control to Combinatorial Problems", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/ Civil Engineering, advisor.

D. payne: M.S. , 1995 "Determining the Optimal Stock Levels for Parts Common to Multipls Weapon Systems, Dr. Rhonda Hyde/ Operstions Research, Advisor. U.S. Army Material System Analysis, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

P. Petsong: M.S., 1995 "Optimal Control in Economic Growth" Dr. T. Angell/ Math, advisor.

S. Philips: M.S., 1992. "Optimal Management of Groundwater with Constraints", Dr. Carmine Balascio/Agricultural Engineering, advisor.

R. Ramachandran: M.S., 1988. "A Prototype Expert System for a Going Concern Judgment", Dr. Erwin Saniga, Business Administration, advisor.

N. Ramanujam: M.S., 1990. "A Stochastic Model for Manufacturing Costs", Dr. Michael Pohlen, Business Administration, advisor. Certainteed Corporation -- Operations Research Analyst

S. Ramasami: M.S., 1989 "Application of Fuzzy Techniques to Routing and Scheduling Problems", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/Civil Engineering, advisor.

K. Ramdas: M.S., 1989. "A Hierarchical Approach with Feedback Mechanisms to Single Stage Scheduling Problems", Dr. Rhonda Aull-Hyde/Food and Resource Economics, advisor. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) -- Ph.D. study

B. Resosodarmo: M.S., 1991 "Management of the Indonesian Flying Fish", Dr. Lee Anderson/Marine Studies, advisor. Cornell University -- Ph.D. study

M. Roof: M.S., 1991. "Assessing the Effects of a Technical Assistance Project on the Efficiencies of Small Farms in Guatemala", Dr. John MacKenzie/Food and Resource Economics, advisor. Northwestern University -- Ph.D. study

S. Rutherford: M.S. , 1995 " A Methodology to Infuse Quality into an Emerging Technology Manufacturing Process", Dr. Erwin Saniga/Operations management, advisor.

Y. Seo: Ph.D., 1993. "Analysis of Military Procurement Contracts that allow Risk-Sharing Under Adverse Selection:, Dr. Pamela Brown/Business Administration, advisor.

G. Serabo: M.S. , 1995 "Dr. R. Sacher / Mathematical Sciences, advisor. U.S. Army Material Systems Analysis Activity, Aberdeen Proving ground, MD.

V. Shivani: M.S., 1990. "The Financial Impact of Alternative Dairy Policies on U.S. and West German Dairy Farms", Dr. Conrado Gempesaw II/Food and Resource Economics, advisor. Auburn University -- Ph.D. study

S. Sinurat: M.S., 1990 "Modeling and Forecasting the Monthly Units of Blood Supply in the Blood Bank of Delaware", Dr. John Schuenemeyer/Math, advisor. Indonesian Government

J.Sparco: M.S. , 1995 " A Benefit-Cost Methodology for Analysis of Nitrate Abatement in Sussex County, Delaware Groundwater" , Dr. J. Mackenzie, advisor.

I. Sundaresan: M.S., 1992 "Agricultural Trade Policy Analysis of China: A General Computable Equilibrium Approach", Dr. Catherine Halbrendt/ Food and Resource Economics, advisor.

S. Tadesse: Ph.D., 1992 "Mathematical Modelling of Strategic Decisions: Aggregate Agricultural Production Planning Models with Risk and Return Considerations", Dr. Rhonda Aull-Hyde/Food and Resource Economics, advisor. University of Maryland-Ph.D study.

R. Tanjuakio: Ph.D., 1991 "A Regional Analysis of U.S. Dairy Pricing Policies: A Stochastic-Coefficient-Linear-Quadratic Optimal Control Approach", Dr. Conrado Gempesaw, II/Food and Resource Economics, advisor.

P. Vijayakumar: M.S., 1990. "Application of Fuzzy Set Theory to Linear Programming", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/Civil Engineering, advisor. University of Delaware -- Ph.D. study

N. Vukadinovic: M.S., 1992. "Fuzzy Relation-Based Vehicle Scheduling Algorithm: Applied to the Demand Responsive System", Dr. Shinya Kikuchi/Civil Engineering, advisor. PA Transit -- Transit Planner (Pittsburgh)

N. Weida: Ph.D., 1989. "Game Theoretic Models of the Transfer Pricing Problem", Dr. Pamela Brown/Business Administration, advisor. Assistant Professor, Bucknell University

G. Wu: M.S. , 1996. " Variance Analysis as an Instrument for Optimizing Decisions in Manufacturing Technology Transfer", Dr. M. Pohlen, advisor.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREES

Master's Degree

OR core required courses (in addition to those required by the student's chosen unit of concentration):

Survey in Operations Research IORES601
Survey in Operations Research Survey IIORES602
Probability Theory and ApplicationsMATH630
Operations Research ApplicationsORES603
Methods of OptimizationMATH694

Highly recommended Courses:

Recommended for students terminating graduate studies in OR:
  1. Non-thesis option: Of the standard 6 credit hours toward the Masters Thesis, 3 credit hours could be used for an elective applications course or internship. The second 3 credit hours would consist of project work associated with the internship expanding on the applications course. If an internship cannot be arranged, ideally an applications course and 3 credit hours of project work can substitute for the 6 credit hours of Master's Thesis.

DOCTORAL DEGREE

Required courses:

Operations Research PrinciplesORES 801
Operations Research ApplicationsORES 802
Introduction to Stochastic ProcessesMATH 631
Topics in OptimizationMATH 804 (or appropriate substitute)
Operations Research Survey IIIORES 803 (1 credit hr)
Operations Research Ph.D. DissertationORES 899 (0 credit hr)
Proposal Presentation

One of the following, as appropriate:

For students with minimal (Masters OR) level of statistics and some economics:
Econometric Theory ECON 822
For students with two to four undergraduate courses in statistics and some economics:
Seminar in Econometrics ECON 823 or 824
For students with several graduate level statistics courses and no economics:
Microeconomic Theory ECON 801 or 811

PROCEDURE FOR THE DOCTORAL PRELIMINARY QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

The preliminary qualifying exam consists of 2 to 3 written exams and an oral dissertation proposal defense after all or most of the course work has been completed. The written portion is composed of 1 to 2 exams given by the "home" department (see curren t Graduate Handbook for details and consult with your advisor or the Graduate coordinator from that unit). The following procedure applies only to the Operations Research preliminary exam, not the other two qualifiers given by the home department.

The Operations Research Preliminary Exam is administered once a year in August/September and covers the following courses: ORES 601, 602, 801, 802 , MATH 630, 631, 694 and Econometrics.

Procedure:

OPERATIONS RESEARCH RELATED COURSES

ORES 601 Operations Research Survey I (3 credit hours)

Emphasis on O.R. application methodology including problem formulation, model construction, deriving and implementing solutions from models. Application areas span both general mathematical programming (linear, integer and dynamic), deterministic invento ry models and networks. Prerequisite: Linear Algebra, Analytic Geometry and Calculus III.

ORES 602 Operations Research Survey II (3 credit hours)

Oriented towards the analysis of dynamic decision processes primarily within stochastic settings. Included are the following topic areas: Decision/game theory, inventory models, queuing systems, dynamic programming models, and simulation. Prerequisite: Linear Algebra, MATH 630.

ORES 603 Operations Research Applications (3 credit hours) Project and case-oriented course with exposure to real problems requiring structuring, modelling and solution implementation. Prerequisite: ORES 601. Co-requisite: ORES 602.

ORES 690 Operations Research Seminar (0 credit hours)

Seminars to be given by faculty, visiting academia, industry and government personnel. Graduate students provide topical insights in significant methods and results of current research in Operations Research.

ORES 801 Operations Research Principles I (3 credit hours)

Models and principles of basic interest to the theory and practice of Operations Research. Classic models of inventory and queuing theories, maintenance and replacement of equipment, and government planning. Contemporary models from research literatur e of energy management, urban planning, artificial intelligence and flexible manufacturing systems. Co-requisite or prerequisite: MATH 529, STAT 601 or MATH 630.

ORES 802 Operations Research Principles II (3 credit hours)

Introduction to four problem domains and related research literature; application of relevant OR software packages. Prerequisite: MATH 630, ORES 801.

ORES 803 Operations Research Survey III (1 credit hour)

PhD students are required to present a survey paper as part of the Operations Research Seminar Series. The paper should be on a topic not covered in the student's chosen course work or thesis requirement and of mutual interest to the student and faculty member willing to serve as a special problem advisor. This requirement entails surveying the relevant literature, summarizing the current state of research and providing a proposal for further research.

Topics suitable to survey are to be chosen from a list provided by faculty interested in serving as special problem advisors. The list will be compiled each year by the director of the program from interested faculty, mailed to OR students and posted at the Operations Research office.

MATH 630 Probability Theory and Applications (3 credit hours)
An introduction to probability theory to serve as a background for further work in statistics or stochastic processes. Course contents: sample spaces and the axioms of probability, discrete sample spaces having equally likely events, conditional probabi lity and independence, random variables and describing their distributions, the classical discrete and continuous random variables, mathematical expectation and the moments of a distribution, the distribution of a function of a random variable, Chebyshev' s inequality, the law of large numbers, the central limit theorem.

MATH 631 Introduction to Stochastic Processes (3 credit hours)

Classical stochastic processes with emphasis on their properties, which do not involve measure theory. Course contents: Markov chains in discrete and in continuous time with examples from random walk, birth and death processes, branching processes and q ueuing theory. Renewal and Markov renewal processes. Basic notions of Brownian motion and second-order processes. Prerequisite: MATH 630.

MATH 694 Non-Linear Mathematical Optimization (3 credit hours)

Introduction to the various branches of non-linear optimization and their applications. Most topics have evolved since World War II in the quest for solutions to contemporary problems in economics, engineering and Operations Research. Likely topics incl ude: basic concepts of calculus and linear programming review, Kuhn-Tucker Theory, geometric programming, dynamic programming, reductions to linear form, piecewise linearization of non-linear functionals, search methods, and calculus of variations.
< br> Interested students are invited to correspond with individual home departmental units through the contacts listed below.

Operations Research Director (email: or-dir@strauss.udel.edu)
or
Professor P. Krishnan (email: baba@strauss.udel.edu)
Operations Research Program
232 Townsend Hall
University of Delaware
Newark, DE 19717.

Agricultural Engineering: Prof. P. Krishnan, 73 Townsend Hall ( email:baba@strauss.udel.edu)

Food and Resource Economics: Prof. C. Gempesaw, 212 Townsend Hall (gempesaw@strauss.udel.edu)

Business Administration: Prof. A. Manrai, 211 Purnell Hall ( manraia@collegebe.udel.edu)

Civil Engineering: Prof. S. Kikuchi, 342B Du Pont Hall (kikuchi@ce.udel.edu)

Computer and Information Sciences: Prof. A. Sethi, 101D Smith Hall ( sethi@cis.udel.edu)

Economics: Prof. R. J. Agnello, 414 Purnell Hall (ely00217@vm.udel.edu)

Electrical Engineering: Prof. D. Mills, 104 Evans Hall (mills@strauss.udel.edu)

Marine Studies: Prof. L. C. Anderson, 313 Robinson Hall (lee.anderson@mvs.udel.edu)

Mathematical Sciences: Prof. R. Stark, 202 Rees Hall ( stark@strauss.udel.edu)

Urban Affairs and Public Policy: Prof. F. Tannian, 282 Graham Hall(tannian@strauss.udel.edu) .


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