Ph.D. Students

Anne E.C. Johnson: ( cv )

Research: My dissertation involves integrated planning models for large enterprises, specifically airlines. I am combining surrogate modeling techniques with large-scale optimization techniques and computational experimentation for validating model output. The models that I am working with include both integer variables and stochastic components.

Expected Graduation Date: May, 2005

Background: I grew up in Damascus, Maryland except for three teenage years in the UK. I studied mechanical engineering at Cornell University before stumbling across Operations Research and Industrial Engineering during my junior year. After graduation from Cornell, I was commissioned into the U.S. Air Force. I graduated with an M.S. in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology. I served as an operational flight test analyst for fighter jets in Las Vegas before being sent to Germany to work with US and NATO exercises. My last active duty assignment brought me to Tucson, one of my favorite places on earth. I live with my husband, Rick, an A-10 pilot, and two noisy cats. In my free time, I train for and participate in triathlons and bike races.

Lei Zhao: ( cv ) ( Lei's page )

Research: I have been working on large-scale optimization problems. More specifically, my research work has been focusing on the design and implementation of computational experiments for comparison of sample-based two-stage linear programming (2S-SLP) solution algorithms. I am currently working on optimality tests and solution validation for sample-based multi-stage stochastic linear programming (MS-SLP) methods. I am interested in applying the tools I have developed, especially in the area of financial models.

Expected Graduation Date: August, 2005

Background: I got my master's degree in HVAC (Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning) in 1995. After four and half years of working in construction HVAC and automotive A/C industries, I came back to school studying Reliability Engineering. After several steps of shifting (HVAC->Reliability Engineering->I.T.->Operation Research), I finally settled down into my career as an Operations Researcher.

Jenn Barzeele ( cv )

Research: Using linear approximations to uncover an underlying nonlinear structure present in large, high-dimensional data structures. If this structure can be discovered, then we can represent the high-dimensional data in terms of the lower-dimensional structure. We would like to perform this dimensionality reduction of the data with little loss of information that is inherent in the original data.

Expected Graduation Date: May 2006

Background: I have B.A. in Mathematics and Computer Science from California State University, Sacramento and a M.S. in Systems Engineering from University of Arizona. Before returning to school to work on a Ph.D., I worked at Raytheon (formerly Hughes).

Up and Coming ...

Ed Mamou ( Ed's page )

Interests: My research interests include problems in applied probability and stochastic processes. More specifically, I am interested in the simulation and analysis of stochastic models, with an emphasis on financial models and traffic flow models.

Background: I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit and graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from Kalamazoo College. I spent a year abroad, during my time at Kalamazoo, in Clermont-Ferrand, France where I learned a lot about the french culture, ate too much, and attended an economics school. After graduation, I went to the University of California, San Diego where I completed a Master's degree in Applied Mathematics. I enjoyed the climate so much in San Diego that I decided to teach at San Diego Community College for a year. I eventually decided to follow my passion and come to Arizona to begin research in applied math. I enjoy backpacking and hiking all over the US and especially in the desert.

Tom Prevendoski

Interests: -- potential research topics

Background: I was born and raised in the small town of Amsterdam, NY. After high school, I received my A.S. degree in Mathematics/Science from Schenectady County Community College. But even with some college, I had no specific career path in mind. I spent several years bouncing from one odd job to another ... at the age of 32, I went back to school, pursuing my B.S in Applied Mathematics from Rochester Institute of Technology. It was during these years that I discovered a love for teaching, as well as the various fields of Systems Engineering, such as Queuing Theory and Stochastic Programming. Now, here at University of Arizona, I plan to finish off my education by acquiring my Ph.D. After that, I hope to get a teaching position at the college level.

Brian Keller

Interests: I am interested in operations research modeling with stochastic components. Revenue management, financial modeling, and scenario generation are some areas of interest.

Background: I was born in Sandusky, OH, home of Cedar Point, the world's greatest amusement park. I lived there until the end of junior high when my family moved to Kansas City, MO. I graduated high school in KC and returned to Ohio to attend a NCAA Div III school called Mount Union College. Shortly after, my family returned to Ohio as well. I graduated from Mount Union with a double major in Physics and Business and a minor in Math. I enjoy hiking, piano, cooking, and going to the gym. I'm looking forward to Happy Harry and his adventures in stochastics..