Decision Systems Laboratory

Director: Deborah Thurston
Read Dr. Thurston's Curriculum Vitae

The Decision Systems Laboratory research addresses the problem of tradeoffs under uncertainty during the design of engineering systems. Examples of systems include the product design and manufacturing system, a portfolio for product take-back and remanufacturing system, and an energy generation and supply system. Tradeoffs include attributes such as cost, environmental impact, quality and reliability. A normative approach is taken; what design decisions best reflect the decision maker's true preferences? External funding for this research comes from a variety of sources, including the National Science Foundation, industry, and the Environmental Protection Agency.