Faculty in the Decision Sciences program include internationally recognized scholars who produce theoretical and applied research in the best academic journals in their fields. Cutting-edge research guarantees that the curriculum reflects recent advances in tools and methods.
Decision Sciences faculty have received numerous, prestigious teaching awards. These include Business School and campus-wide Teacher of Year awards, the Teacher Who Makes a Difference awarded by Rocky Mountain News/Channel 4, and Professor of the Year by the 11-Month MBA program. Our faculty have coauthored textbooks and published seminal academic research about the teaching of decision science topics.
Deborah L. Kellogg, PhD
Associate Professor of Operations Management
I came to Decision Sciences and Operations Management from a nursing background. That might seem strange to most people, but I soon learned that most of the day-to-day problems that I saw when practicing nursing were decision sciences problems; staffing, scheduling, inventory, quality, and work flow are just a few. So while this field often seems full of numbers, there is a real human side to it. When we find solutions to business problems, we never do that in isolation of what it means for management, the employees, or the customers.
Gary Kochenberger, PhD
Professor of Operations Management
These are exciting times for the decision sciences. Organizations all over the world are applying decision sciences methodologies such as data mining and forecasting to important workplace problems. The use of formal modeling and mathematical analysis is showing up in every conceivable industry, like hospitality, retailing, healthcare, manufacturing, sports entertainment, and many more. In all these settings, firms are learning that quantitative approaches to decision-making lead to substantial improvements in measurable outcomes like financial performance or customer satisfaction. In our MS program, students study the latest in decision science methodologies along with the most popular software available for implementing various applications. Our strong applied orientation is designed to prepare students for an exciting career of solving important problems in both the private and public sectors.
Marlene Smith, PhD
Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods
As the Director of the MS Decision Sciences program, I have the enviable task of keeping in close contact with each of our MS students. I consult with them about their professional interests and assist students in choosing elective courses to help them achieve their career goals. For example, students expressing an interest in becoming a data mining professional will be directed toward that course along with forecasting, project management, and research methods. I refer students to other decision sciences faculty who have specific expertise in their areas of interest. I also alert students to scholarships, internships, conferences, lectures, and job placement resources.