2011-2012 Bulletin – PDF - SEAS Bulletin - Columbia University

Current Research Activities
In industrial engineering, research is
conducted in the area of logistics,
routing, scheduling, production and
supply chain management, inventory
control, revenue management, and
quality control.
In operations research, new
developments are being explored
in mathematical programming,
combinatorial optimization, stochastic
modeling, computational and
mathematical finance, queueing
theory, reliability, simulation, and both
deterministic and stochastic network
flows.
In engineering and management
systems, research is conducted in
the areas of logistics, supply chain
optimization, and revenue and risk
management.
In financial engineering, research
is being carried out in portfolio
management; option pricing, including
exotic and real options; computational
finance, such as Monte Carlo simulation
and numerical methods; as well as data
mining and risk management.
Projects are sponsored and
supported by leading private firms
and government agencies. In addition,
our students and faculty are involved
in the work of three research and
educational centers: the Center for
Applied Probability (CAP), the Center
for Financial Engineering (CFE), and
the Computational and Optimization
Research Center (CORC). These centers
are supported principally by grants from
the National Science Foundation.
The Center for Applied Probability
(CAP) is a cooperative center involving
the School of Engineering and Applied
Science, several departments in the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences,
and the Graduate School of Business.
Its interests are in four applied areas:
mathematical and computational finance,
stochastic networks, logistics and
distribution, and population dynamics.
The Center for Financial Engineering
(CFE) at Columbia University
encourages interdisciplinary research on
financial engineering and mathematical
modeling in finance and promoting
collaboration between Columbia faculty
and financial institutions, through the
organization of research seminars,
workshops, and the dissemination
of research done by members of the
Center.
The Computational Optimization
Research Center (CORC) at Columbia
University is an interdisciplinary group
of researchers from a variety of
departments on the Columbia campus.
Its permanent members are Professors
Daniel Bienstock, Don Goldfarb, Garud
Iyengar, Jay Sethuraman, and Cliff
Stein, from the Industrial Engineering
and Operations Research Department,
and Professor David Bayer, from
the Department of Mathematics at
Barnard College. Researchers at
CORC specialize in the design and
implementation of state-of-the-art
algorithms for the solution of large-scale
optimization problems arising from a
wide variety of industrial and commercial
applications.
undergraduate programs
B.S. in Industrial Engineering
The undergraduate program is
designed to develop the technical
skills and intellectual discipline needed
by our graduates to become leaders
in industrial engineering and related
professions. The program is distinctive
in its emphasis on quantitative,
economic, computer-aided approaches
to production and service management
problems. It is focused on providing
an experimental and mathematical
problem-formulating and problemsolving
framework for industrial
engineering work. The curriculum
provides a broad foundation in the
current ideas, models, and methods of
industrial engineering. It also includes a
substantial component in the humanities
and social sciences to help students
understand the societal implications of
their work.
The industrial engineering program
objectives are:
1. To provide students with the requisite
analytical and computational skills
to assess practical situations and
academic problems, formulate
models of the problems represented
or embedded therein, design
potential solutions, and evaluate their
impact;
2. To prepare students for the
workplace by fostering their ability
to participate in teams, understand
and practice interpersonal and
organizational behaviors, and
communicate their solutions and
recommendations effectively
through written, oral, and electronic
presentations;
3. To familiarize students with the
historical development of industrial
engineering tools and techniques and
with the contemporary state of the
art, and to instill the need for lifelong
learning within their profession; and
4. To instill in our students an
understanding of ethical issues
and professional and managerial
responsibilities.
B.S. in Operations Research
The operations research program
is one of several applied science
programs offered at the School. At
the undergraduate level, it offers
basic courses in probability, statistics,
applied mathematics, simulation,
and optimization as well as more
professionally oriented operations
research courses. The curriculum is well
suited for students with an aptitude for
mathematics applications.
It prepares graduates for professional
employment as operations research
analysts, e.g., with management
consultant and financial service
organizations, as well as for graduate
studies in operations research or
business. It is flexible enough to be
adapted to the needs of future medical
and law students.
B.S. in Operations Research:
Engineering Management Systems
This operations research option is
designed to provide students with
an understanding of contemporary
technology and management. It is
for students who are interested in a
technical-management background
rather than one in a traditional
engineering field. It consists of required
courses in industrial engineering and
operations research, economics,
business, and computer science,
intended to provide a foundation
for dealing with engineering and
management systems problems.
Elective courses are generally intended
to provide a substantive core in at least
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engineering 2011–2012