Dear INFORMS team,
Yesterday afternoon I posted a message for the Decision Analysis Society and the INFORMS Open Forum, using your online service
https://connect.informs.org/participate/postmessage?GroupId=187&ListKey=9bab17e3-c87b-4049-a782-d56a897a20a4
Since the message did not appear at any forum today, I am sending you the message via email. As you may know, Ronald Howard was a key scholar of our discipline and a past president of our Society. I hope you can publish the message soon.
Thank you.
Roberto Ley-Borrás
INFORMS member 105155
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In Memoriam: Ronald A. Howard 1934-2024
Dear Decision Analysis Society and INFORMS members,
With the passing of Professor Ron Howard, our community has lost one of its founders and one of its most valuable thinkers and champions. This is a very sad moment.
I am including in this post, with permission, the message that Jeremy Walker, president of the Society of Decision Professional sent to SDP members. I think the message reflects the feelings of many of us that have been influenced by the teachings of Ron.
I had the honor and privilege of being a student of Ron at Stanford and he was my dissertation advisor. Ron was certainly very important for me since Stanford but I learned a lot from him, through his papers and books, years before I met him in person. Therefore, I think that he will continue teaching and influencing students and professionals for many, many years to come.
You can read a brief biography of Ron at the INFORMS and at the Stanford sites
https://www.informs.org/content/view/full/269156
https://profiles.stanford.edu/ronald-howard
Also, a brief article (worth enriching) in Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_A._Howard
Would you share with this community the ways in which Professor Ron Howard touched your life or your career?
Thank you.
Roberto Ley-Borrás
Consultoría en Decisiones
Instituto Tecnológico de Orizaba (retired)
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Ron Howard, a pioneering figure in the field of Decision Analysis (DA) and an inspiration to numerous professionals around the world.
In turning Decision Theory into Decision Analysis, Professor Howard's revolutionized how individuals and organizations approach decision-making, laying the foundation for a field that has transformed a wide range of industries with high stakes and complex decisions from healthcare to engineering. His contributions over six decades shaped how we understand risk, uncertainty, and the importance of structured, value-driven decisions. Carl Spetzler, a longtime partner with Ron, said "Ron and Jim (Matheson) created the Teaching Hospital for DA at SRI already in 1966. I was lucky to find them and join that SRI DA Group."
That group generated many dedicated practitioners that led to the forming of the Society of Decision Professionals (SDP), which are continuing to carry forward his legacy by advancing the principles of Decision Quality (DQ) across the globe. Our Society embodies his passion for thoughtful, ethical decision-making and continues to foster the spirit of innovation and collaboration that he championed. In recognition for his contributions and that of his fellow thought leader, Howard Raiffa, the SDP established the Raiffa-Howard Award to recognize organizational adoption of DQ. This award has been earned by such notable companies as Chevron, Pfizer, Eli Lily and China Mobile but the award's criteria has been used by many others as a measure for their own DQ deployments.
Professor Howard was not only an academic giant but also a mentor to generations of Decision Professionals. Through his work at Stanford University, where he was a beloved professor, he shaped the careers of many, leaving an indelible mark on our community. His influence reached far beyond the classroom, touching every corner of the DA world through his research, writings, and commitment to advancing ethical decision-making.
Reflecting on Professor Howard's profound influence, his dear colleague and friend, James Matheson, Ph.D., shared: "Ron was a tool collector, but most of the time he fixed things with his jackknife. He tried to find the simplest way to solve a problem. That was the same thing about Decision Analysis-you don't need to build complex models, you just need to get clarity to act."
His legacy lives on in the principles he established and the countless individuals whose lives and careers he touched. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and the entire Decision Analysis community as we reflect on the profound impact of his work and celebrate his extraordinary life.
Jeremy Walker
President, Society of Decision Professionals