Faculty and Alumnus Recognized at National Military Operations Research Symposium

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Simon Goerger, Ed Pohl, Greg Parnell, Eric Specking and Nick Ulmer, MORS Awards chair. Not pictured: Tevari Barker.

The 91st annual Symposium of the Military Operations Research Society took place June 12 to 15 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The event brought together experts and researchers from the field of military operations research to discuss and exchange ideas.

During the symposium, the Richard H. Barchi prize was awarded to a paper titled "Impact of Reliability in Conceptual Design: An Illustrative Trade-Off Analysis." This paper was submitted by Tevari Barker, an industrial engineering alumnus, and a team including Gregory S. Parnell, Edward A. Pohl, Eric A. Specking, Simon R. Goerger and Randy K. Buchanan. The research is funded by the Department of Defense Engineering Resilient Systems program.

The Barchi Prize is a prestigious recognition given to the best paper submitted in response to a call for nominations from each working or composite group at the society's annual symposium. The award was presented during a special recognition dinner held to honor the prize and award winners. Chase Rainwater, head of the Department of Industrial Engineering, commented, "This honor is further evidence that Drs. Parnell, Pohl and Specking have made the University of Arkansas a leader in the area of military operations research."

The symposium provided a platform for experts to share their research findings, insights and innovations in the field of military operations research. It fostered collaboration and discussion among professionals, with the goal of advancing the knowledge and application of operations research techniques in military settings. The Barchi Prize-winning paper demonstrated the importance of reliability in conceptual design and offered an illustrative trade-off analysis, shedding light on critical considerations in military decision-making processes.

Overall, the society's 91st symposium was a resounding success, reinforcing its role as a premier gathering for military operations researchers and showcasing the significant contributions made in this field. The event served as a catalyst for further advancements in operations research, ultimately benefiting military organizations and their mission to ensure security and strategic effectiveness.

A full listing of the winners, bios and abstracts can be found here.

About the Military Operations Research Society: The Military Operations Research Society (MORS) has a long and distinguished history, dating back over 50 years. The inaugural Military Operations Research Symposium (MORS), sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) - Pasadena, was held at Corona Naval Ordnance Lab, Corona, California in August of 1957. By the Eighth MORS Symposium, the event became a nationally oriented joint-service meeting. In April 1966, the Military Operations Research Society was incorporated.