Title

Efficiency Measurement and the Design of Engineered Systems for Resilience: Themes and Future Research Opportunities

Time

1:40 pm - 3:00 pm

Location

1605 Tilia, Room 1103, West Village

Abstract

The objective of this presentation is to highlight research themes and when considering the efficiency measurement paradigm as a way to pro-actively inform our thinking on the design and operation of engineered systems. Initial formulations and conceptualizations that address three key issues are covered first. These include: disaggregate performance assessment (network performance approaches); characterizing the dynamic nature of systems (the dynamic productive efficiency model (DPEM)); messy data, influential and contextual variables in efficiency measurement (multi-variate methods and fuzzy clustering). Next, ongoing exploratory research is discussed that covers the following topic: efficiency measurement and the design of resilient critical infrastructure systems. Within this topic we will expand on two examples: first, the downtown space reservation system; second, the evaluation of evacuation performance from three disciplinary perspectives transportation engineering, disaster management, and efficiency measurement.

Biographical Sketch

Konstantinos (Kostas) Triantis is currently the John Lawrence Professor of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research in the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia Center. Among other positions, Dr. Triantis served as the program director for the Civil Infrastructure Systems at the National Science Foundation. In addition to research and education responsibilities, Dr. Triantis has held administrative responsibilities as the program director of the Systems Engineering program across the Commonwealth of Virginia, the director of the ISE Ph.D. program in Northern Virginia, and is a member of the College of Engineering’s Executive committee for the Northern Virginia programs. He also co-directs the System Performance Laboratory (SPL) at Virginia Tech’s Northern Virginia campus. Dr. Triantis research has focused on performance measurement and evaluation, fuzzy methods for data envelopment analysis, dynamic efficiency analysis, and affordability engineering, and has included research on the performance evaluation of civil infrastructure systems, as well as social service and manufacturing enterprises. He has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Naval Research, NASA, U.S. Navy, American Red Cross, Washington Post, U.S. DOT&E, and U.S. Postal Office He has been a consultant for organizations such as the American Red Cross and the South Florida Water Management District.