Summary
Selected Completed Funded Projects
1) “Research: Cognitive Understanding of Complexity-Evidence from Engineering Students and Practitioners,” National Science Foundation, PI: Triantis, co-PIs: Ghaffarzadegan, Hosseinichimeh Knight, Grohs,
Summary: We will conduct a multi-disciplinary project that lies at the intersection of complex systems and engineering education and will study undergraduate students with different educational experiences as well as professionals with different work experiences. We assume that system complexity can be recognized and managed by engineers, and that classroom education and field experiences can be essential for learning how to understand complex systems. Our central hypothesis in this research is that education in engineering programs and real world experiences influence (positively or negatively) engineers’ understanding of complex systems. We investigate our main hypothesis by studying four specific research questions (RQ1-RQ4). We will use three vignettes with different levels of structuredness and complexity to represent complex tasks. Our questions are as follows: RQ1: What is the relationship between engineering students’/professionals’ level of education/expertise and their performance on three vignettes that vary with respect to problem structuredness and complexity? RQ2: What is the relationship between engineering students’/professionals’ perceptions of their own systems thinking competencies and their performance on three vignettes that vary with respect to problem structuredness and complexity? RQ3: How do engineering students and professionals differ in their approaches to solving problems that vary with respect to problem stucturedness and complexity? and RQ4: How do engineering students and professionals describe how and where they developed their cognitive skills of understanding complex systems?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2) “Modeling mental workload and multi‑level factors that collectively create errors in complex, safety‑critical systems,” Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE)-VT, PI: Niyousha Hosseinichimeh, Co-PI: K. Triantis
Collaborators: Andrea K. Wittenborn (Associate Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University); Robin L. Dillon-Merrill (Professor, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University); Roets Bart (Chief Engineer, INFRABEL—Belgian Railway Company); Peter Madsen (School of Business, Brigham Young University).
Summary: Human errors in safety‑critical systems have led to many catastrophic events around the globe such as the 2010 Halle train collision in Belgium that killed 19 people and injured 171 passengers. The complex interactions of many factors including mental workload, stress, fatigue, mental health and organizational factors lead to human errors. This research aims to investigate dynamic hypotheses about the relationships among these factors and to map them. In addition, we will create a system dynamics simulation model that we will calibrate with data provided by the INFRABEL (Belgian Railway Company). The model will go through many structural and behavioral tests. After building confidence in the model, it will be used to run “what‑if” analyses and explore interventions. This research will suggest the implications of specific interventions that can reduce human errors and stress in the workplace for managers and policymakers
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
3) “Collaborative Research: Multi-Perspective Evacuation Performance Measurement,” National Science Foundation, Infrastructure Management and Extreme Event Program, PI: Triantis (co-PI: Dr. Murray Tuite)
Summary: The consequences of performing well in an evacuation are many. They range from utilizing scarce resources, to saving lives and protecting property, to securing politically viable decisions when a disaster occurs. However, there is limited consensus among various stakeholder groups as to what constitutes a successful evacuation. Since Hurricane Katrina, some evacuation issues have been considered and plans adjusted to one degree or another, but to date most changes have been reactive responses to particular problems. While important, these solutions are stop gaps that do little to ensure that new shortcomings will not be identified in the next event. Observing this range of dimensions to the evacuation experience, raises important questions: What is a good evacuation? How does this concept change during an evacuation? Who decides what good evacuation means? This proposal explores some of these issues by marrying sociological, engineering and performance measurement approaches to evacuation performance measurement and improvement.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4) Convergence HTF: RCN: “Enhancing small and mid-level farm viability through a systems-based research network: Linking technology and sustainable development and practice” National Science Foundation, PI: Srinivasan, senior personnel, Triantis: member of the steering committee
Summary: We propose a Research Collaboration Network (RCN) as a convergence of various engineering, socio behavioral and humanistic disciplines at the cusp of the Human Technology Frontier to enhance small and mid-level farm viability by linking systems-based research in technology, human factors and sustainable development with education and practice. New technological innovations ranging from assistive technology, precision agriculture, agricultural robots and sensor development for land and resource monitoring are expected to significantly impact the day-to-day operational ease and costs of farming. However, to achieve revolutionary advances in the future, technological innovation research needs to converge with various other engineering, socio-behavioral, and humanistic disciplines such as human factors, health and safety, systems engineering and an integrated approach to sustainability in food and farming systems. Such research needs to go hand-in-hand with extension, outreach, education, and farmer capacity-building efforts best achieved through a community participatory framework, to maximize the impact and acceptance of technology in farming.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
5) “Workshop: The Investigation of the Theoretical Foundations of Systems Engineering,” National Science Foundation, System Science Program, PI: Triantis
Summary: The objective of this workshop is to investigate and define theoretical foundations in systems engineering with respect to a fundamental thrust area among many. In order to achieve this objective, the workshop participants will follow an approach that will address theoretical gaps in the literature, define an axiomatic framework, suggest what can be borrowed from other disciplines, investigate synergies among thrust areas and link the theoretical foundations to societal needs. If successful, the approach followed in this workshop can be used and augmented to address additional thrust areas in the future. This being accomplished, will allow for the creation of rigorous theoretical frameworks that can subsequently be tested with solid empirical fieldwork.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
6) “Climate Change and Urban Growth: Development of a Sustainable and Resilient Water Management System Portfolio for the Greater Washington, DC Metropolitan Area,” co-principal investigator (Drs. Triantis (ISE), Murray-Tuite (CEE), Wolf (CPAP) and Wernstedt (School of Public and International Affairs) co-principal investigators, Dr. Moglen (CEE) principal investigator), ICTAS Grand Challenge, Virginia Tech,
Summary: We propose to study a range of technical alternatives and institutional approaches for addressing future water challenges. These options serve as a broad portfolio of tools for engineers, scientists, managers, and decision-makers. The portfolio will not stake the solution to water problems on a single path, but will address these problems from different angles and across many scales. Robust and resilient solutions will result from this approach.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
7) “Proposal for Efficiency and Work Flow Analyses,” co-principal investigator: Triantis with Drs. Hoopes (Pamplin School of Business) and Rahmandad (ISE), McClatchy Tribune Wire Information Service
Summary: MCT is competing in a market being transformed by economic and technological forces, including the increasing strength of digital media, the declining position of traditional news delivery systems, and the growth of complex search, editing, delivery and data mining technologies that change the both economics and the functionality of news agencies. Therefore, MCT needs to be agile in reshaping its business processes to be best positioned to benefit from technological innovations and poised to take advantage of new opportunities for increased productivity as they arise, without compromising established sources of revenue. Helping MCT understand its product/service processes, identifying the most effective intervention strategies so as to facilitate the continuous reshaping of the business and proposing suitable change concepts are the focus of this project.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
8) “A Comprehensive Framework for the Efficiency Measurement of Road Maintenance,” co-principal investigator: Triantis with Dr. de la Garza, CEE (PI), National Science Foundation, CMMI
Summary: The purpose of this research is to develop and implement a comprehensive framework that can measure the overall efficiency of road maintenance operations given that multiple inputs and outputs that are incommensurate will characterize the relative performance of these operations and that they are also affected by multiple uncontrollable factors (e.g., climate, traffic, etc.). To address this challenge, current performance measurement paradigms and more specifically Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) will be used and expanded in this research to take into account multiple views (the driver’s versus the maintenance provider’s), important societal goals (e.g., safety) as well as uncontrollable considerations (e.g. climate, location, etc.).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
9) “Traffic Congestion: Actions and Reactions,” principal investigator :Triantis with Dr. Teodorovic, National Science Foundation, Human and Social Dynamics. Proposal submitted jointly with Louisiana State University (Dr. Sarangi), and University of Mississippi (Dr. Razzolini).
Summary: This interdisciplinary research considers the causes and ramifications of change altering our spatial and social world, and the design of social institutions to ameliorate traffic congestion.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
10) “The Effect of New Technologies on Ship Systems: A System Dynamics Cost Modeling Approach,” principal investigator: Triantis, Office of Naval Research
Summary: Research is proposed to develop system dynamics based cost models that will be complemented with efficiency optimization concepts and structures. Cost data was accumulated from Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding. Throughout this research project Newport News Shipbuilding will be a subcontractor to Virginia Tech.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
11) “Indicators of Chapter Performance: Instrument Development and Data Collection,” principal investigator: Triantis, American Red Cross
Summary: Research project is awarded to define quality, outcome, and efficiency indicators of chapter performance.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
12) "An Evaluation and Macro Level Design Specifications of a Total Quality Management Framework for Shipboard Electronic Hardware Production Facilities," principal investigator: Triantis, Naval Warfare Assessment Center Corona, California/Naval Sea Systems Command Crystal City, VA,
Summary: Research project awarded to develop Total Quality Management (TQM) assessment and design guidelines to be used by the Navy to award contracts based on TQM criteria.