【Time】July 11, 2014 (Friday), 10:00-11:00   

【Venue】Room N510 (Conference Room), Shunde Building   

【Title】Balancing Congestion and Security in the Presence of Strategic Applicants with Private Information   

【Speaker】Dr. Jun Zhuang, Associate Professor, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York   

【Host】Dr. Chen Wang   

【Abstract】Concerns on security and congestion appear in security screening which is used to identify and deter potential threats (e.g., attackers, terrorists, smugglers, spies) among normal applicants wishing to enter an organization, location, or facility. Generally, in-depth screening reduces the risk of being attacked, but creates delays that may deter normal applicants and thus, decrease the welfare of the approver (authority, manager, screener). In this research, we develop a model to determine the optimal screening policy to maximize the reward from admitting normal applicants net of the penalty from admitting bad applicants. We use an M/M/n queueing system to capture the impact of security screening policies on system congestion and use game theory to model strategic behavior, in which potential applicants with private information can decide whether to apply based on the observed approver’s screening policy and the submission behavior of other potential applicants. We provide analytical solutions for the optimal non-discriminatory screening policy and numerical illustrations for both the discriminatory and non-discriminatory policies. In addition, we discuss more complex scenarios including robust screening, imperfect screening, abandonment behavior, and complex server networks.   

【Bio】Dr. Jun Zhuang has been a faculty (Associate Professor, 2014-present; Assistant Professor, 2008-2014) of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York (UB, or SUNY-Buffalo), since he obtained his Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering in 2008 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Zhuang has a M.S. in Agricultural Economics in 2004 from the University of Kentucky, and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering in 2002 from Southeast University, China. Dr. Zhuang’s long-term research goal is to integrate operations research, game theory, and decision analysis to improve mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery for natural and man-made disasters. Other areas of interest include health care, sports, transportation, supply chain management, and sustainability. Dr. Zhuang’s research has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the National Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events (CREATE) and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Dr. Zhuang is a fellow of the 2011 U.S. Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program (AF SFFP), sponsored by the AFOSR. Dr. Zhuang is also a fellow of the 2009-2010 Next Generation of Hazards and Disasters Researchers Program, sponsored by the NSF. Dr. Zhuang has published 30+ peer-reviewed journal articles in Operations Research, European Journal of Operational Research, Annals of Operations Research, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Military Operations Research, Risk Analysis, Decision Analysis, among others. His research and educational activities have been highlighted in The Wall Street Journal, Industrial Engineer, Stanford GSB News, The Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly, The Pre-Engineering Times, among others. He is on Editorial Board of Risk Analysis, and Decision Analysis, is the co-Editor of Decision Analysis Today, and has reviewed proposals for NSF/ASEE/DOD/NASA, book chapters for Springer, and articles for 60+ academic journals and conferences for 200+ times. Dr. Zhuang dedicates to mentoring high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in research. Dr. Zhuang’s mentoring effort has been recognized by the 2008 Graduate Student Mentor Award from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the 2012 President Emeritus and Mrs. Martin Meyerson Award for Distinguished Teaching and Mentoring from University at Buffalo.