Analytics Today & Tomorrow
In this session, Paul Brooks, Stephen W. Custer, and Sven Kepes will:
- Introduce analytics concepts
- Illustrate a process for creating effective performance measures in a case study
- Discuss potential pitfalls and how to minimize
Speaker Bios
Paul Brooks, Ph.D.
Paul Brooks is a professor in the Department of Supply Chain Management and Analytics at Virginia Commonwealth University and directors the Decision Analytics Traditional Track Program. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia Tech and bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.
Paul teaches in the weekend and evening Master of Decision Analytics programs. His research interests include the use of optimization for the design of new data analysis methods. He is the maintainer of a library for R called pcaL1.
He has consulted extensively with Richmond-area companies on projects involving optimization for scheduling, inventory management, and transportation. Clients include Altria, Capital One, Markel, Derive.io, Precizion Solutions, and other startups.
Paul is a highly sought after speaker at business and academic conference. Conferences include: INFORMS Healthcare Conference and Computing Society Conference, International Symposium on Systems Informatics and Engineering, Asia Pacific Workshop on Decision Support, Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Business Analytics, RVATech Data Summit.
Has been a guest speaker at Harvard University, Northwestern University, Clemson University, University of Maryland, University of Alabama, UNC Charlotte, William & Mary, and the University of North Carolina.
Stephen W. Custer, Ph.D.
Steve is Director of the Decision Analytics Professional Track Program and Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management & Analytics at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business. His Ph.D. is in Statistics from Virginia Tech.
Before joining VCU he had a varied career in private industry including management/executive positions at IBM and Xerox, running his own consulting and publishing firms, serving on the Board of Directors and Chair of the Audit Committee of a Fortune 500 company, and for a time a professional gambler. He published a book on the last endeavor.
At VCU he received the School of Business 2017 Faculty Excellence Award (Term Faculty). He was Associate Professor at Canisius College in Buffalo New York and Adjunct Professor at the University of Rochester and Niagara. He was recognized as Outstanding Professor in the Graduate School of Business at Canisius.
He served as Chairman of the Board of the Association of Internal Management Consultants, was a founding board member of the Greater Rochester Area Council for Excellence, and the Buffalo Quality Council. He was an Examiner for the New York State Quality Award, and President Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Duchess County. He was listed in Oxford’s Who’s Who Registry of Professionals and Strathmore’s Who’s Who.
Sven Kepes, Ph.D.
Sven Kepes is a Professor of Management at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas and additional degrees from Drury University and Leuphana University, Luneburg, Germany.
Sven is a recipient of VCU School of Business prestigious Research Award. His research interests include strategic human resource management, compensation systems, meta-analytic methods, publication bias, and the trustworthiness of our cumulative knowledge. He has been published in leading journals such as Psychological Bulletin, Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, and Organizational Research Methods.
In addition to the VCU School of Business Distinguished Research Award, his research was recognized with the VCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Award. He also received the VCU School of Business Distinguished Teacher Award, and was recognized as a Dean's Scholar in 2018.
He has years of consulting experience and co-founded and was managing partner of Spektrum-Raum (a virtual organization created when writing his thesis in Germany). His industry experience includes serving as Assistant to the CEO of a medium-sized firm.
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If you attend you may be randomly selected for a donation to a charity of your choice.
Webex meeting information will be attached in the registration confirmation email.
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