James Smith is a Professor in Decision Science at the Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College. He holds a PhD (1990), MS (1986), and BS (1984) from Stanford University. Education: PhD, MS, BS - Stanford University His research focuses on Decision Analysis , Operations Research , and Stochastic Optimization , with applications in energy systems, medical decision-making, and technology adoption. Recent work includes dynamic programming approaches to energy systems under uncertainty and information relaxation techniques in stochastic dynamic programs. Key publication trends: 15 most recent articles span 2025–2004, emphasizing stochastic dynamic programming , resource allocation , and risk evaluation across energy, finance, and public health domains. Scientific awards: Jack Byrne Distinguished Professor in Decision Science He has collaborated extensively in Operations Research and Management Science journals, with notable coauthors like David Brown, Canan Ulu, and Robert Winkler. His work addresses theoretical and applied problems in portfolio management, commodity pricing, and sequential decision modeling.
Professor Morten Lau is a leading academic in behavioral finance and experimental economics, holding the position of Professor at Durham University Business School since October 2010. Previously, he served as Professor of Economics at Newcastle University (2008–2010) and held roles at Durham University Business School (2005–2008). Prior to academia, he worked as an Economist at Denmark’s Ministry of Business and Industry (1996–2005). His research focuses on applied microeconomics, behavioral finance, experimental economics, and public finance. Notable contributions include studies on risk aversion in game shows, temporal stability of prospect theory, and discounting behavior in field experiments. He has published extensively in top journals like Econometrica and American Economic Review , and co-authored influential works on behavioral econometrics and experimental design. Lau’s work integrates theoretical models with empirical analysis, emphasizing field experiments to assess real-world decision-making. His research often explores policy implications, such as tax reforms, social security incentives, and gambling risk mitigation. He has advised on economic policy in Denmark and contributed to understanding behavioral biases in financial markets and public health contexts. He leads the Center for Behavioral Economics and Finance at Durham University, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. His current projects include longitudinal studies on discounting behavior and the psychological underpinnings of economic decisions.
Hannele Wallenius serves as a Senior Advisor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management within Aalto University's School of Science, holding the academic rank of Researcher. She maintains an active dual role in research and teaching, evidenced by her dedicated research profile, peer-reviewed publications spanning 2009-2022, and multiple teaching accolades from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. Her research program centers on Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), Decision Support Systems, and Operations Research, with specialized expertise in behavioral dimensions of decision processes. Key contributions include bibliometric mapping of global MCDM research communities, empirical analyses of crowdfunding campaign success factors, and theoretical advancements in multi-attribute reverse auctions. Her work consistently bridges methodological rigor with real-world applications, particularly in online marketplaces and sustainable development contexts, often incorporating behavioral insights to enhance traditional operations research models. Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals evolving focus from foundational bibliometric studies (2009-2012) toward applied problem-solving in financial technology and global challenges (2015-2022). Recent work demonstrates increased emphasis on how decision sciences can address complex societal issues, as seen in her 2022 article examining MCDM's role in solving world problems. Collaborative patterns show consistent partnership with Jyrki Wallenius across 9 of 10 indexed publications, indicating a robust research alliance. Wallenius' teaching excellence has been formally recognized through: Student Union Teaching Award, Aalto University, School of Science (2010) Teacher of the Year, Prodeko (2015, 2014, 2009, 2005, 2004, 2001) While specific student advising details and grant funding are not documented in source materials, her prolific publication record and teaching awards indicate substantial mentorship impact. No laboratory affiliations or dedicated research teams are mentioned, though her departmental role suggests integration within Industrial Engineering and Management research ecosystems. Current contact information (email: hannele.wallenius@aalto.fi; phone: +358503878109) confirms ongoing institutional engagement.
Dusan M Stipanovic is a Professor in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois, affiliated with the Coordinated Science Lab. His research focuses on control theory, multi-agent systems, and mobile robotics, with applications in collision avoidance, formation control, and decentralized optimization. Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (2000) and M.S.E.E. (1996) from Santa Clara University, and a 5-year Diploma in Electrical Engineering (1994) from the University of Belgrade. His scholarly contributions include publications in IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control , Automatica , and Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications , covering distributed control, game theory, and dynamic systems. His work has been recognized by prestigious awards such as the 2024 IEEE Fellowship and 2017 Alexander von Humboldt Bessel Research Award . Stipanovic has served as an Associate Editor for multiple journals, including IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems I (2007-2009) and the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications (2014-present). He received the 2014 Sharp Outstanding Teaching Award and 2006 Excellence in Teaching Award , underscoring his dual impact in research and education.
Francesca Beccacece is an Associate Professor of Financial Mathematics at Bocconi University in Milan. She has held leadership roles as Director of the Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management for Arts, Culture, and Communication (2016–2019) and Director of the Master in Quantitative Finance and Risk Management (2008–2010; 2012–2014). Her educational background includes a Degree in Economics from Università di Parma. Her research focuses on Quantitative Finance (financial markets models, asset pricing, term structure models), Decision Theory (benchmarking models in finance), and Risk Theory (default risk modeling). Recent work explores multivariate risk attitudes in sustainability policies and regulatory principles for financial amortization. Earlier studies include applications of functional ANOVA in utility theory and stochastic frameworks for project evaluation. Teaching responsibilities span undergraduate and graduate courses, including Financial Models for Valuation , Mathematics , and Quantitative Methods for Social Sciences . Past courses include Mathematics, Advanced Financial Mathematics, Quantitative Methods for Management, and Fixed Income/Asset Pricing in master programs. Her contributions to academia include curriculum development and editorial work in finance-related journals. She advises on financial modeling and risk strategies, though specific advisees are not listed. No scientific awards were explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Ilia Tsetlin is the INSEAD Chaired Professor of Decision Sciences at INSEAD, specializing in decision-making under uncertainty. His research focuses on multiattribute decision models, target-based and contest-based settings, and background risk analysis. He also explores auction theory, negotiation, and collective choice mechanisms. His work is published in top journals like Management Science and Operations Research. Education: PhD in Business Administration from Duke University MSci in Applied Mathematics and Physics from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology Teaching includes MBA modules on uncertainty and strategic planning, PhD courses in probability/statistics, and executive education programs on decision-making. His research interests span stochastic dominance, risk analysis, and operational frameworks for complex decisions. Recent articles explore multivariate stochastic dominance under dependence uncertainty, delegated search strategies, and epistemic rationality in noisy evidence contexts. His work bridges theoretical foundations with practical applications in business and policy. No scientific awards are explicitly listed. Advising no formally recorded students. Active in case studies on analytics, risk-weighted assets, and banking product strategies.
Morten Lau is a Professor of Experimental Economics at the Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School (CBS), appointed as Adjunct Professor in September 2011 and promoted to full Professor in July 2013. Previously, he served as Professor of Behavioral Finance at Durham University Business School, UK. His research centers on decision-making under risk and uncertainty and intertemporal choice, employing experimental methodologies to investigate real-world economic behavior. He earned his PhD from the University of Copenhagen in 2001. His research spans Behavioral Economics and Experimental Economics, with specific focus on risk attitudes, discounting behavior, and preference stability. Recent work examines gambling behavior, asset integration, and methodological innovations in longitudinal field experiments, often involving collaborations with international researchers across the United States and New Zealand. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2008-2025) reveals consistent emphasis on experimental validation of economic theories, particularly in Danish field settings. Key trends include methodological advancements in measuring risk/time preferences, applications of cumulative prospect theory, and investigations into pathological gambling through population surveys. His work frequently addresses experimental design challenges like sample selection bias and attrition in longitudinal studies. No scientific awards are documented in the provided materials. Regarding advising and research funding, he supervises students including Lasse Jessen and secured support from Otto Mønsteds Fond for the 2016 project 'The Behavioral Identification and Preferences of Pathological Gamblers,' which involved attending the International Conference on Gambling and Risk Taking in Las Vegas. Additional research initiatives include 'Beliefs and Decisions Under Ambiguity: Evidence From The Field.' Professionally, he maintains active memberships in the Econometric Society, American Economic Association, Economic Science Association, American Risk and Insurance Association, and Royal Economic Society. He also holds a part-time professorship at Durham University's Department of Economics and Finance since 2013 and served on New Zealand's Performance-Based Research Fund panel (2018-2019).
Régis Chenavaz is an Associate Professor of Operations Management and Managerial Economics at KEDGE Business School. His research focuses on pricing strategies at the intersection of operations management, business economics, and business analytics. Academic Affiliation: KEDGE Business School, Department of Operations, Supply Chain and Information Management Research Interests: Dynamic pricing, behavioral pricing, revenue management, sustainable management, circular economy, and ecological economics. Recent Publication Trends: His 2025-2024 work explores AI integration in pricing, circular economy policies, multiattribute demand modeling, and the interplay between sustainability and pricing dynamics. Collaborations: Regularly works with researchers like S. Dimitrov, R. Schlosser, and F. Figge on interdisciplinary projects.
Rakesh Sarin is Professor of Decisions, Operations, and Technology Management and holds the Paine Chair in Management at UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1979, promoted to associate professor in 1981, full professor in 1985, and awarded the Paine Chair in 1990. He has also held faculty appointments at the Indian Institute of Management, Purdue University, and Duke University. Education: Ph.D. Operations Management, 1975, UCLA MBA, 1971, Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad B.E. Mechanical Engineering, 1969, M.R. Engineering College, Jaipur Sarin's research spans behavioral decision making, decision analysis, and risk analysis. His theoretical interests include preference theory, decisions under uncertainty, and equity and fairness in decision making. He has developed models applied to project evaluation, new product development, and risk analysis for human health and the environment. Most notably, his decade-long research with Manel Baucells identified the fundamental equation of happiness: Happiness = Reality – Shifting Expectations, published in their book Engineering Happiness. His publication record shows a clear evolution from foundational decision theory work in the 1970s-80s toward broader applications in social welfare, happiness studies, and behavioral economics in later years. His work bridges mathematical modeling with psychological insights, particularly in how humans perceive risk and make decisions under uncertainty. Sarin currently serves as editor-in-chief of Decision Analysis, a peer-reviewed journal of INFORMS that bridges theory and practice. He has consulted for numerous private and public organizations and is particularly noted for his teaching in MBA and Executive MBA programs, where he emphasizes the connection between decision quality and personal/social well-being. His research team has focused extensively on understanding the mathematical foundations of happiness, examining worldwide survey data alongside insights from ancient literature and spiritual traditions. This interdisciplinary work integrates management science, psychology, and economics to offer a novel approach to understanding human well-being.
James E. Smith is the Jack Byrne Professor in Decision Science at the Tuck School of Business , Dartmouth College. He specializes in applying decision analysis and stochastic dynamic programming to complex systems in energy, healthcare, and finance. Key research themes: Stochastic optimization under uncertainty Technology adoption dynamics Medical decision modeling Energy system resource allocation Notable collaborations: David Brown, Robert Shumsky, Canan Ulu His recent work spans 2025-2010 , focusing on energy systems (unit commitment, exploration wildcats), healthcare (Hepatitis C elimination strategies), and financial portfolio optimization with transaction costs. Publications emphasize information relaxations , dual bounds , and real options analysis. Decision science contributions include foundational work on multiattribute value functions and the optimizer's curse. Current contact: jim.smith@dartmouth.edu
Margherita Cigola is an Associate Professor of Mathematics in the Decision Sciences Department at Bocconi University, Milan. She specializes in mathematical models for decision-making in deterministic and stochastic frameworks, with applications in economics, finance, and statistics. Current Course Director for Applied Mathematics (30063) and (30449) Her research focuses on decision theory, optimization, probability, and utility modeling. She has collaborated extensively with scholars like Peccati, Castagnoli, and Beccacece across fields such as financial mathematics, risk management, and intertemporal choice. Over a 25-year period (1989–2013), her publications spanned financial calculus, static and dynamic optimization, risk discounting, and stochastic decision theory. These works emphasize mathematical rigor in applied contexts like corporate finance and economic modeling. She has taught foundational mathematics courses for economics, finance, and statistics programs, emphasizing probability, optimization, and dynamical systems as critical tools for advanced model application.
Michael H. Birnbaum is a Professor at the California State University, Fullerton , Department of Psychology, specializing in judgment and decision making , psychophysical and social judgment , and mathematical models of behavior . He directs the Decision Research Center and has held leadership roles in multiple societies, including the Society for Mathematical Psychology , Society for Judgment and Decision Making , and Society for Computers in Psychology . Research Interests Violation of stochastic dominance Transitivity and independence properties Prospect theory and cumulative prospect theory Branch-splitting independence Gain-loss separability Recent Publications focus on testing critical properties of decision models, including priority dominance, lexicographic semiorders, and response variability. His work includes experiments on risk assessment , mixed gambles , and Internet-based behavioral research . Scientific Awards : 1991 : Outstanding Professor, CSUF 2014 : L. Donald Shields Award for Scholarship and Creativity Grants include multiple NSF awards (SBR-9410572, SES-9986436, BCS-0129453, SES-0202448). He has developed online decision calculators and experimental programs for public participation.
