Dr. Zhuang's Group Members

Marie Catalano (Undergraduate Student)

• Spring 2012: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Working on an NSF project on visa screening Link.
  • Won the Undergraduate Research Award, UB's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA), April 2012
  • Supported by an NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) supplementary award for AY 2012-2013

May Cheung (Undergraduate Student)

• Since Spring 2010: Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)
• Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Summer 2011: IE 498/499 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Spring 2012: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences' Senior Scholar Program with Dr. Zhuang
• Cheung, M. and J. Zhuang. "Regulation Games Between Government and Competing Companies: Oil Spills and Other Disasters," Decision Analysis, Special Issue on Games and Decisions in Reliability and Risk, forthcoming.
  • 2011 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Award of Distinction Pic 1 with the group; Pic 2 with Dr. Zhuang
  • Highlighted in "Celebration of Academic Excellence: Student Posters," Buffalo Engineer, Fall 2011 PDF.
• May presented our research at UB's Celebration of Academic Excellence (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011) and Second New York Conference on Applied Mathematics (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011).

John Coles (B.S., May 2009; Ph.D. student: January 2011-August 2013 {expected})

• Passed B-exam in December 2011; Passed A-exam in April 2012; Expected graduation: August 2013
• Spring 2009: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences' Senior Scholar Program with Dr. Zhuang
• Spring 2009: IE 499 Independent Study with Dr. Zhuang
• Coles, J. and J. Zhuang. "Decisions in Disaster Recovery Operations: A Game Theoretic Perspective on Organization Cooperation," Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 8(1), Article 35, 2011. PDF.
  • Top 1 (out of 12), Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Poster Competition, Spring 2011
  • Honorable Mention, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Poster Competition, spring 2011
  • Highlighted in "Undergraduate Research Highlights," The Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, 32(2): 23-24, 2011. PDF.
  • Highlighted in "New Research in Game Theory and Disaster Recovery Published," CREATE Report/Publication, Sep, 2011. Link. PDF.
  • Highlighted in "Faculty Research Update," The Center for Geohazards Fall 2011 Newsletter, October, 2011. PDF.
• Coles, J., J. Zhuang, and J. Yates "Case Study in Disaster Relief: A descriptive analysis of agency partnerships in the aftermath of the January 12th, 2010 Haitian earthquake," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, special issue on Disaster Planning and Logistics, forthcoming, PDF.
  • Highlighted in "Faculty Research Update," The Center for Geohazards Fall 2011 Newsletter, October, 2011. PDF.
• Coles, J. and J. Zhuang. "Partnership Optimization Decision Support System (PODSS): Improving Partnership Development and Resource Allocation in Disaster Recovery Operations using Game Theory," in preparation.
  • 2011 Student Paper Award, Society for Risk Analysis's Decision Analysis and Risk Specialty Group

• Coles, J., J. Zhuang. "Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis and Game Theory: Perspective on a risk-centric approach to counter-terrorism," in preparation.

  • 2011 Student Paper Award, Society for Risk Analysis's Security and Defense Specialty Group
• Supported by an NSF-RAPID grant, John went to Haiti in summer 2010 to collect data on Identification of Key Dynamics for Optimal Distribution and Sustainable Partnership in Haitian Disaster Recovery.
• John received the Student Participation Grant from the 2011 NSF-CMMI Research and Innovation Conference!!
• Zhuang, J., and J. Coles. "Disaster Recovery Life Cycle,'' in Encyclopedia of Crisis Managemen, Geoffrey, G. J. K. B. Statler, M. Penuel, R. Hagen (ed.) Page TBD, forthcoming. SAGE Reference.
• John presented our research at INFORMS 2010 (Austin, TX, 11/2010), SRA 2010 (Salt Lake city, UT, 12/2010), NSF-CMMI 2011 Grantee Meeting (Atlanta, GA, 01/2011), 2011 Conference on Health and Humanitarian Logistics (Atlanta, GA, March 2011), the Fifth Annual U.S. Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit (Washington, DC, 03/2011), the UB's Sigma Xi Research Day and Poster Competition (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), Second New York Conference on Applied Mathematics (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011), SRA 2011 (Charleston, SC, 12/2011), ISCRAM 2012 (Vancouver, Canada), and ISERC 2012 (Orlando, FL).
• Column Co-Editor for "Ask DAS," Decision Analysis Today, November 2011-present

Jodie-Ann Duquesnay (Undergraduate Student)

• Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Fall 2011, Spring 2012: CSTEP/SUNY LSAMP Research Internship with Dr. Zhuang
• Spring 2011: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Duquesnay, J. and J. Zhuang. "Social Media and Disaster Preparedness" (poster), Technical Research Exhibition at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 2012 Annual Convention, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 28th - April 1st, 2012.
  • This research won the Undergraduate Research Award, UB's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA), February 2012

Peiqiu Guan (Ph.D. Student, June 2010 to present)

• Passed B-exam in May 2011; Passed A-exam in August 2011; Expected graduation: August 2013
• Working on "Balancing Public and Private Investment"
• Peiqiu presented our research at Second New York Conference on Applied Mathematics (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), and INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011).
• Peiqiu received the competitive Graduate Student Fellowship for the 2012 NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference!!

Fei He (Ph.D. Student, August 2009 to present)

• Passed B-exam in August 2010; Passed A-exam in March 2011; expected graduation: August 2012
• He, F. and J. Zhuang. "Modeling 'Contracts' between Terrorist Groups and Governments in a Sequential Game,'' Journal of the Operational Research Society, 63(6): 790-809, 2012. PDF.
• He, F. and J. Zhuang. "Decision Making on Pre-disaster Preparedness and Post-disaster Relief," in preparation.
  • Semifinalist of the 2011 INFORMS Charlotte Interactive Session Competition
• Rao, N., S. Poole, C. Ma, F. He, J. Zhuang, and D. Yau. "Cloud Computing Infrastructure Robustness: A Game Theory Approach,'' (full paper refereed, acceptance rate~=35%) Proceedings of the International Conference on Computing, Networking and Communications, Maui, Hawaii, January 30 - February 2, 2012. PDF.
• He, F., J. Zhuang, and N. Rao. "Game-Theoretic Analysis of Attack and Defense in Cyber-Physical Network Infrastructures," Proceedings of the 2012 Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference, forthcoming. (Full paper refereed.) PDF.
• Fei presented our research at Second New York Conference on Applied Mathematics (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011) and INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011).

Giovanni Madejski (Undergraduate Student)

• Since Spring 2012: Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)

Jerome Ndayishimiye (Graduate Student; M.S., thesis completed in February 2011)

• Ndayishimiye, J. and J. Zhuang. "Differential Equations Modeling of Patients and Physicians Dynamics In Emergency Rooms: Optimal Control Policies and Implementation Methods," in preparation.
• Jerome presented our research at INFORMS 2010 (Austin, TX, 11/2010).

Elizabeth Newell (Undergraduate Student)

• Since Spring 2010: Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)
• Undergraduate Research Award, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Summer 2010, based on our research
• Undergraduate Research Award, UB's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA), December 2011
  • Based on our research "Game Theoretic Application to Disaster Preparation and Mitigation: Hurricane Case Study"
• Undergraduate Research Award, UB's Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities (CURCA), May 2012
  • Based on our research "Airport Security Screening"
• Supported by an NSF REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduates) supplementary award for AY 2012-2013
• Air Force Research Lab-sponsored Research assistant, Fall 2011
• Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Zhuang, J. and E. A. Newell. "Technology Evolutionary Games in Complex Transportation Systems in the Face of Adaptive Adversaries," invited white paper published at Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute website, following the Fifth Annual U.S. Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit, Washington D.C., March 2011.
• Hsu, W., E. Newell, J. Zhuang, and D. Ross. "Heuristics, Optimization, and Equilibrium Analysis for Automated Wargames," Proceedings of the 2012 Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference, forthcoming. (Full paper refereed.) PDF.
• Editor Assistant, Decision Analysis Today, January 2011-present

Xiaojun Shan (Ph.D. Student, August 2008 to present)

• Passed B-exam in May 2009; passed A-exam in August 2009; passed thesis proposal in December 2012; expected graduation: August 2012
• Shan, X. and J. Zhuang. "Subsidizing to Disrupt Terrorism Supply Chain---A Four Player Sequential Game," under review.
• Shan, X. and J. Zhuang. "Hybrid Defensive Resource Allocations in the Face of Partially Strategic Attackers, and Comparison with Fully Endogenous and Exogenous Model," under third-round review.
  • Honorable Mention, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Poster Competition, spring 2010
  • Finalist, 2010 Decision Analysis Society Student Paper Award
• Shan, X. and J. Zhuang. "Cost of Equity in Homeland Security Resource Allocation In the Face of A Strategic Attacker," under second-round review.
  • Top 3 (out of 12), Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Poster Competition, Spring 2011
  • Semifinalist of the 2011 INFORMS Charlotte Interactive Session Competition
• Zhuang, J., and X. Shan. "Nuclear proliferation,'' in Encyclopedia of Crisis Management, Geoffrey, G. J. K. B. Statler, M. Penuel, R. Hagen (ed.) Page TBD, forthcoming. SAGE Reference.
• Xiaojun presented our research at INFORMS 2009 (San Diego, CA, 10/2009), INFORMS 2010 (Austin, TX, 11/2010), SRA 2010 (Salt Lake city, UT, 12/2010), the Fifth Annual U.S. Department of Homeland Security University Network Summit (Washington, DC, 03/2011), the UB's Sigma Xi Research Day and Poster Competition (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), the UB's Information and Computing Technology (ICT) Workshop (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), Second New York Conference on Applied Mathematics (Buffalo, NY, 4/2011), INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011), DSI 2011 (Boston, MA), SRA 2011 (Charleston, SC, 12/2011), and ISERC 2012 (Orlando, FL).

Cen Song (Ph.D. Student, August 2009 to present)

• Passed B-exam in May 2011;Passed A-exam in January 2012; Expected graduation: August 2013
• Working on a food supply chain risk management
• Cen passed her MS thesis defense in July 2011 and is continuing on a Ph.D. degree
• Cen presented our research at INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011).

Xin Sun (Graduate Student)

• Expected to finish a M.S. thesis by Feburary or May 2013

Jie Xu (Ph.D. Student, August 2010 to present)

• Passed B-exam in May 2011; Expected graduation: August 2013
• Xu, J. and J. Zhuang "Modeling Costly Learning and Counter-learning in an Attacker-defender Game with Private Defender Information," under second-round review.
• Jie presented our research at INFORMS 2011 (Charlotte, NC, 11/2011).

Niam Yaraghi (Graduate Student, August 2011 to present)

• Expected to finish a M.S. thesis with Dr. Zhuang by Feburary 2013
• Niam is also currently a Ph.D. student at UB's School of Management

Bruck Adam (Undergraduate Student)

• Summer 2010 (CSTEP/SUNY LSAMP Research Program for underrepresented students); finished one research report and one poster for the project "International Collaboration and Competition following Volcanic ash Clouds---A Game Theory Perspective" PDF.
• Fall 2010: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Fall 2010: CSTEP/SUNY LSAMP Research Internship with Dr. Zhuang

Marcus Alexander (12th grade High School Student from City Honors High School)

• 2010 BEAM/SEAS Honors Research Summer Program for underrepresented students
• Finished one research report and PPT presentation entitled "Evolutionary Game Theory: The Basic Models"

Hao Chen (Undergraduate Student)

• Since Spring 2011: Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)
• Working on sustanability games
• Spring 2011: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang

Yulin Deng (Visiting Professor)

• Assistant Professor, Business School of Hohai University, China
• Visiting Dr. Zhuang's group from June 2010 to December 2010
• Working on incentive mechanisms

Sabrina Fleurantin (Undergraduate Student)

• Summer 2009 (CSTEP/SUNY LSAMP Research Program for underrepresented students)
• Working on a project "The Effect of Volcanic Eruption on Climate and Global Warming"
• Finished one report and one poster

Mohsen Golalikhani (Graduate Student; M.S., thesis completed in February 2011)

• Golalikhani, M. and J. Zhuang. "Modeling Arbitrary Layers of Continuous Level Defenses in Facing with A Strategic Attacker," Risk Analysis, 31(4): 533-547, 2011. PDF.
• Ali, M., M. Golalikhani, and J. Zhuang. "A Computational Study on Different Penalty Approaches for Solving Constrained Global Optimization Problems with the Electromagnetism-like Method,'' Optimization, forthcoming. PDF.

Mengran Hao (Graduate Student):

• Mr. Hao did not write any thesis/dissertation with Dr. Zhuang
• Hao, M., S. Jin and J. Zhuang. "Robustness of Optimal Defensive Resource Allocations in the Face of Less than Fully Rational Attackers,'' Proceedings of the 2009 Industrial Engineering Research Conference, p.p. 886-891. PDF.

Wei-Yuan Hsu (M.S. Student, M.S., thesis completed in January 2012)

• Wei-Yuan did a summer internship with Dr. Zhuang at the U.S. Air Force Research Lab (Rome, NY) in summer 2011
• Air Force Research Lab-sponsored Research assistant, Fall 2011
• Hsu, W., E. Newell, J. Zhuang, and D. Ross. "Heuristics, Optimization, and Equilibrium Analysis for Automated Wargames," Proceedings of the 2012 Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference, forthcoming. (Full paper refereed.) PDF.

Jianyuan Huang (Visiting Professor)

• Professor, College of Public Administration, Hohai University, China
• Visiting Dr. Zhuang's group from July 2009 to December 2009
• Working on water resource allocation game in China

Christopher Kujawinski (Undergraduate Student)

• Since Spring 2011: Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)

Shilan Jin (Graduate Student)

• Ms. Jin did not write any thesis/dissertation with Dr. Zhuang
• Jin, S., Z. Liu and J. Zhuang. "Monte Carlo Simulation-Based Supply Chain Disruption Management for Wargames," Proceedings of the 2010 Winter Simulation Conference, p.p. 2682-2693, 2010. (Full paper refereed.) PDF.
• Hao, M., S. Jin and J. Zhuang. "Robustness of Optimal Defensive Resource Allocations in the Face of Less than Fully Rational Attackers,'' Proceedings of the 2009 Industrial Engineering Research Conference, p.p. 886-891. PDF.

Zhihao Liu (Undergraduate Student)

• Research Internship (UB CURCA Research Program for undergraduate students)
• Fall 2010 and Spring 2011: IE 498 Undergraduate Research with Dr. Zhuang
• Working on energy games between developing and developed countries

Nevin Mutlu (Undergraduate Student)

• Spring 2011: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences' Senior Scholar Program with Dr. Zhuang
• Working on disaster relief network

John Urschel (Graduate Student)

• Mr. Urschel did not write any thesis/dissertation with Dr. Zhuang
• Urschel, J. and J. Zhuang. "Are NFL Coaches Risk and Loss Averse? Evidence From Their Use of Kickoff Strategies,'' Journal of Quantitative Analysis in Sports, 7(3), Article 14, 2011. PDF.
  • Highlighted in "What NFL Coaches and Investors Share," The Wall Street Journal, September 22, 2011. PDF.

Dana Voll (11th grade Student from Clarence High School)

• 2011 BEAM/SEAS Honors Research Summer Program for underrepresented students
• Working on historical terrorist/government interactions

Han Wu (Graduate Student; M.S., thesis completed in May 2011)

• Zhuang, J., G. Saxton, and H. Wu "Publicity vs. Impact in Nonprofit Disclosures and Donor Preferences: A Sequential Game with One Nonprofit Organization and N Donors,'' Annals of Operations Research, special issue on Operations Research in the Public Sector and Nonprofit Organizations, forthcoming. PDF.

Long Zhang (Graduate Student; M.S., thesis completed in August 2011)

• Worked on a M.S. thesis titled "Modeling Free-gym as an Incentive Game between Insurance Company and Policy Subscribers"