Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research

Operations research (OR) is a core discipline in military and defense management. Coming to the forefront initially during World War II, OR provided critical contributions to logistics, supply chains, and strategic simulation, while enabling superior decision-making for Allied forces. OR has grown to include analytics and many applications, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and big data, and is the cornerstone of management science in manufacturing, marketing, telecommunications, and many other fields.

The Handbook of Military and Defense Operations Research presents the voices leading OR and analytics to new heights in security through research, practical applications, case studies, and lessons learned in the field.

Features

• Applies the experiences of educators and practitioners working in the field
• Employs the latest technology developments in case studies and applications
• Identifies best practices unique to the military, security, and national defense problem space
• Highlights similarities and dichotomies between analyses and trends that are unique to military, security, and defense problems.

Natalie M. Scala is an associate professor and director of the graduate programs in supply chain and project management in the College of Business and Economics at Towson University. She earned PhD and MS degrees in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her primary research is in decision analysis, with foci on military applications and cybersecurity. Dr. Scala frequently consults for government clients and has extensive professional experience, including positions with Innovative Decisions, Inc., the United States Department of Defense, the RAND Corporation, and the FirstEnergy Corporation. She is currently serving as the president of the INFORMS Military and Security Society.

James P. Howard II is a scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Previously, he worked for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an internal consultant on statistical computing. He has also been a consultant to numerous government agencies. Additionally, he has taught mathematics, statistics, and public affairs since 2010. He earned a PhD in public policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.