“I wanted to take my learning and push boundaries, finding where IE concepts can be applied in various areas and discovering novel concepts,” said Lu. 

Lu’s research deals with the effect of uncertainty in econometrics. Simply put, he is studying how people model uncertainty in certain circumstances and how they use these models to make decisions.  Though it is still in the early stages, he hopes this research will eventually help provide a better way to constrain or model uncertainty to the point that its negative effects can be mitigated and its potentially positive effects expanded. 

“A more specific example of this research would be the modeling of uncertainty in inventory theory. In incorporating multiple sources of uncertainty such as economic cycles and supply relations, one may be able to make better educated decisions on inventory like forward buying and safety stock,” Lu explained.

Through his research, Lu has learned a great deal about designing experiments, problem construction, and effective communication.  He has also had the opportunity to learn from ISyE graduate students and faculty members.  Last summer he worked with Professor Jan Shi, and this summer he plans to work with Professor JC Lu.

“By working with research teams and learning under the mentorship of professors, I now have a better understanding of what it means to communicate one's findings. It does help with class along the general concepts of time management and communication. Additionally, it's awesome to see how class concepts can be explored and applied!” said Lu.

Lu, who expects to graduate in the spring of 2014, plans to continue his research throughout the summer and possibly fall, while applying to graduate Ph.D. programs.  

“I would very much like to delve deeper into these concepts!”

Lu was recognized for his work at the annual ISyE Undergraduate Student Awards Ceremony on April 18, receiving the COE Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award which is organized by the Undergraduate Student Research Program.

“The faculty in ISyE are the best in the world and extremely open. If you have a research idea or even a random question in mind, you have the capability to walk down the hall and find a world-renowned expert,” said Plumlee.

During his time as a student in ISyE, Plumlee has been awarded both the Morris Fellowship as well as the Tennenbaum Fellowship.  Plumlee has been invited to attend and present his work at several conferences including the 2012 IMS/ASA Spring Research Conference, the 2012 Design and Analysis of Experiments Conference, the 2012 NSF CMMI Engineering Research and Innovation Conference, and the 2011 NSF Summer Institute on Energy Manufacturing. Prior to coming to Georgia Tech in 2010, he received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Purdue University where he received the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the College of Engineering Dean's Choice Award for best poster. 

Plumlee is originally from Indiana and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and camping during his free time. To learn more about Plumlee and his work as an ISyE Ph.D. student, read the interview that follows.

ISyE:      What influenced your decision to get your Ph.D. at Georgia Tech?

MP:        Obviously its ranking and reputation had a huge influence on my decision, but ultimately where to get a Ph.D. comes down to potential thesis advisers and Georgia Tech had faculty members working closely within my research interests.

ISyE:      What piqued your interest in becoming an industrial engineer?

MP:        As an undergraduate in mechanical engineering, my fellow ME friends were out building solar powered cars and 3-d printers, and I was taking real analysis and algebra as electives. Industrial engineering departments tend to give students a little more freedom to study ideas in abstraction, focusing more on my interests which are math and statistics, so I switched departments.

ISyE:      Can you explain your thesis in layman's terms? 

MP:        My thesis work is on the development of efficient techniques to analyze simulation models. People, from material engineers to financiers, have a habit of building simulation models with computer code to study problems, mostly due to the cost or infeasibility of experimenting on certain systems. For example, most people do not have the resources to create a natural disaster on the level of a hurricane or earthquake (Department of Homeland Security might have some questions if you do). Therefore, people in this department build simulations of disaster relief to find optimal procedures in the event of a catastrophic event. How do we analyze these models? Simulation models can be computationally expensive to run, so we have a sample size limited by computer power and time.

ISyE:      What did it mean to you to receive an award at INFORMS this year?

MP:        It is always nice to get a pat on the back, but ultimately you always hold out hope that your research is useful to others. Luckily, people asked me for more details, wanting to try similar techniques on different problems.

ISyE:      What are your plans for the future?

MP:        I plan on continuing my research through the foreseeable future. Simulation models are becoming more popular, and huge amounts of data are sitting out there without well-developed techniques to put the data to use.