Managerial Decision Modeling

A recognized innovator in spreadsheet instruction and highly regarded pioneer in business analytics, Dr. Cliff Ragsdale is the Bank of America Professor of Business Information Technology and Academic Director of the Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics in the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, where he has taught since 1990. Dr. Ragsdale received his Ph.D. in Management Science and Information Technology from the University of Georgia. He also holds an M.B.A. in Finance and B.A. in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Before pursuing his Ph.D., he was supervisor of Benefit Finance & Qualified Plans at the international headquarters of Red Lobster, Inc. He has served as an information systems and statistical consultant for a variety of companies and as an expert witness in the area of spreadsheet forensics. Dr. Ragsdale's primary areas of research interest include applications of artificial intelligence, mathematical programming, and applying statistics to business problems. His research has appeared in Decision Sciences, Naval Research Logistics, Omega: The International Journal of Management Science, Computers & Operations Research, Operations Research Letters, Personal Financial Planning, and other publications. He has received both the Pamplin award for excellence in teaching and the Outstanding Doctoral Educator Award from the Pamplin College of Business Administration at Virginia Tech. Dr. Ragsdale is a Fellow of the Decision Sciences Institute and active member of DSI and INFORMS.

1. Introduction to Modeling and Decision Analysis. 2. Introduction to Optimization and Linear Programming. 3. Modeling and Solving LP Problems in a Spreadsheet. 4. Sensitivity Analysis and the Simplex Method. 5. Network Modeling. 6. Integer Linear Programming. 7. Goal Programming and Multiple Objective Optimization. 8. Nonlinear Programming & Evolutionary Optimization. 9. Regression Analysis. 10. Discriminant Analysis. 11. Time Series Forecasting. 12. Introduction to Simulation using Risk Solver Platform. 13. Queuing Theory. 14. Decision Analysis. 15. Project Management (online).