MIF presents - OR Applications in Healthcare and Finance

When:  Jul 15, 2022 from 13:00 to 14:00 (ET)
1st Topic: Simulation-Based Sets of Similar-Performing Actions in Finite Markov Decision Process Models

Markov decision process (MDP) models have been used to obtain and evaluate the performance of policies in various domains, such as treatment planning in medical decision making. However, in practice, decision makers may prefer other alternative that are not statistically different from the actions in their initial policy of interest. To allow for decision makers’ expertise and provide flexibility in implementing policies, this talk introduces a framework for identifying sets of similar-performing actions in finite MDP models.

Speaker: Wesley J. Marrero, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth

Bio:
Wesley’s research interest lies at the intersection of operations research and statistics, with an emphasis on stochastic simulation and optimization to support decision making in practice. His current work addresses various application areas, including opioid use disorder, cardiovascular disease, and organ transplantation. Through this research, Wesley has ongoing collaborations with the Massachusetts General Hospital, the University of Michigan Medical School, the University of Michigan School of Public Health, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Before joining Dartmouth, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment and Harvard Medical School.

2nd Topic: Competing with Cause Marketing: Transactional vs. Non-Transactional Campaigns

CM investments (donations) broadly belong to two categories: Transactional CM (T-CM), where firms donate a fraction of their revenue from each unit sold to a cause; and Non-Transactional CM (N-CM), where firms contribute to a cause independent of customer purchases. While the literature has mainly focused on T-CM, we study the implications of the “choice” of the CM type under competition for various stakeholders, including firms, consumers, total donations, and social welfare.

Speaker: Mike Gordon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Business Information Technology, Virginia Tech

Bio:
Mike M. Gordon is an Assistant Professor of Information Technology in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech. He earned a Ph.D. in Business Analytics and Operations from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from Auburn University, and a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. His primary research and teaching interests are in the areas of socially responsible operations, sustainability, and platform operations. He is a member of DSI, INFORMS, POMS, and the PhD Project.