John O. Miller

Dr. John O. Miller is an Associate Professor of Operations Research in the Department of Operational Sciences at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), where he has served since 1997 in roles including Military and Civilian Deputy Department Head and Director of the Center for Operational Analysis. A retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, he combines more than three decades of military experience with scholarly expertise in simulation modeling, defense logistics, and operations research.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, The Ohio State University, 1997
• M.S. in Operations Research, Air Force Institute of Technology, 1987
• M.B.A., University of Missouri at Columbia, 1983
• B.S. in Biology, United States Air Force Academy, 1980

Dr. Miller’s research focuses on the development and application of simulation methodologies—especially agent-based and discrete-event modeling—to military logistics, weapon system evaluation, and combat readiness. His work often integrates multivariate statistics, experimental design, and optimization techniques to address Air Force and Department of Defense challenges such as sortie generation, munitions supply chains, and directed-energy weapon assessment.

Across more than 40 refereed articles, recent publications demonstrate a sustained emphasis on:

• Metamodeling of large-scale simulations using dynamic Bayesian networks and bootstrapping
• Agent-based exploration of air-to-air missile concepts and aircraft maintenance manpower
• Statistical evaluation of pattern-recognition and automatic-target-recognition algorithms
• Logistics degradation modeling for bomber fleets and brigade combat teams

These contributions underscore his leadership in military simulation and defense-focused operations research.

Scientific & Teaching Honors:

• AFIT Instructor of the Quarter, 2005
• Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society (Alumnus Member), 2001
• AFIT Student Chapter ORSA Outstanding OR Educator, 1999
• MORS Barchi Prize Nominee, 1998
• Alpha Pi Mu & Omega Rho Honor Societies
• USAFA Department Instructor of the Year, 1993

Dr. Miller has advised numerous M.S. and Ph.D. students whose dissertations and theses advance simulation optimization, military logistics, and combat modeling. His teaching interests span simulation modeling and analysis, design of experiments, probability and statistics, and operations research methods for defense applications. He maintains active professional memberships in INFORMS, the Military Operations Research Society, and the Air Force Association, and he frequently presents at both invited and organized conferences, fostering collaboration among military, academic, and industry analysts.