| FALL 2004 UMASS
Amherst Operations Research / Management Science Seminar Series |
Date: Friday, October 1, 2004 Time: 12:00 PM Location: Isenberg School of Management, Room 128 |
| Speaker: Professor Donald
Fisher Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering University of Massachusetts at Amherst |
| Biography: Donald Fisher is a
Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the Director of
the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst. Projects in the laboratory include Project MIDAS
(Massachusetts Interactive Driving and Acoustic Simulator), whose goal
is to test the safety and useability of many of the new technologies
that will form the backbone of Intelligent Transportation Systems,
Project PROTO, whose goal is to develop the tools for rapidly
prototyping the visual and auditory interface between users and new and
evolving products such as audio remote controls, cellular phones, voice
mail, ATMs and so on, and Project CARE (Cognitive Aging Research and
Engineering), a campus wide effort, is to undertake the basic research
needed to improve the physical and mental well-being of older adults. |
| TITLE: How a Philosopher Became a
Psychologist Who Fell in Love with Operations Research |
| Abstract: The dreams of
philosophers and psychologists are not often filled with thoughts of
the transient completion time distribution of customers making their way through tandem queuing networks. Yet, as first a philosopher and then a psychologist, I found just such happening. In my talk, I want to describe the critical role that stochastic networks can play when attempting to optimize the interface between an individual human user and the environment with which he or she interacts. I will begin by describing a general method which lets one represent difficult real world problems as stochastic networks, from which a closed form solution can often easily be derived. I will then talk about applications to multimedia intelligent tutors, in-vehicle technologies (including cell phones), Variable Message Signs, and something as common as everyday reading. |
| This series is organized by the
UMASS Amherst INFORMS Student Chapter. Support for this series is
provided by the Isenberg School of Management, the Department of
Finance and Operations Management, and the John F. Smith Memorial Fund. For questions, please contact the INFORMS Student Chapter President, Ms. Tina Wakolbinger, wakolbinger@som.umass.edu |