Warren Powell's senior theses
Over his career, Professor Powell supervised 202 senior theses, the most of any research-active faculty member in the history of Princeton University. The vast majority, and virtually all since 2000, were on sequential decision problems. The experience of supervising these talented students contributed in a significant way to my appreciation of the breadth of this problem class. It also helped me develop a style of teaching this to a broader audience.
From 2008 to 2019, I also supervised 42 summer interns, primarily on energy projects. In the summer of 2019 he supervised seven students who wrote the first version of the python modules for his successful book Sequential Decision Analytics and Modeling.
2020 (2)
Kara Dowling (2020), A Multi-agent Stochastic Control Model for Adversarial Planning in Naval Operations
Madhumitha Shridharan (2020), The Little Wind Farm That Could: A Comparative Analysis of Lookahead Policies for Energy Storage Problems
2019 (9)
Emma Corless (2019), Conquering an Empire of Pain: An Optimal Learning Strategy for Identifying the Stage of Opioid Addiction
Sadie McGirr (2019), Optimal learning for optimal rowing: Minimizing race energy expenditure
Greg Kernisan (2019), Making “Dependable Engines”: From Policy Search to Stochastic Lookaheads in Dynamic Supply Chain Planning
Stephanie Ward (2019), Optimizing Energy Storage Locations in the Presence of Offshore Wind using Stochastic Dual Dynamic Programming
Emily Kallfelz (2019), Optimal Learning for Optimal Rowing: Maximizing Technical Efficiency
Amanda Brown (2019) Beat the Curve: Designing Adaptive Blood Glucose Management Strategies for Non-Pump Patients with Type 1 Diabetes
Selina Pi (2019) An optimal learning model for state-level optimization of naloxone kits with non-convex response rates
Amy Zhang (2019) Optimal Learning using Monte Carlo Tree Search for Epidemic Control in the Meningitis Belt
Kara Dowling (2019) (ORFE – Junior independent work)
2018 (9)
Joseph Carlstein (2018), Approximate Dynamic Programming: Designing an Economically Optimal Fleet of Electric Self-Driving Cars
Anid Laoui (2018), Optimal Design for Multi-Agent Peer to Peer Energy Trading Networks
Steven Sobel (2018), A Stochastic Optimization Model for Managing Energy Storage Using a Driverless Fleet of Electric Vehicles
Evan Wood (2018), Energy Risk Management: Stochastic Optimization for Industrial Gas Operations
Brandon Tan (2018), The Knowledge Gradient Policy for Sequential Information Collection: A Review (PACM)
Nicholas Yang (2018), The Knowledge Gradient Policy in Sequential Decision Applications (Math)
Michael Li (2018), Applying the Knowledge Gradient Policy with Locally Quadratic Belief Model to Optimizing Energy Arbitrage Strategies (CS – Junior independent work)
Woramot (Earning) Yomjinda (2018), Jet Engine Supply Chain Optimization: Graphical Utility and One-Agent Inventory Policy Against Uncertainties (ORFE – Junior independent work)
Tor Nitayanont (2018), – Relationship Learning on a Graph Using Optimal Learning Policies (ORFE – Junior independent work)
2017 (6)
Andy Deng (2017), Optimal Management and Design for a Fleet of Electric Vehicles
Ginevra Guzzi (2017), Investigating a Feasible, Reliable and Cost-Effective Energy Portfolio in a Net-Zero Carbon Emissions Landscape.
Raj Patel (2017), Twitter Trading: Modeling Twitter Processes and Finding an Optimal Trading Policy
Aaron Schwartz (2017), Stochastic Optimization for Isolated Microgrid Energy System Design and Control
Eric Schneider (2017), Multifidelity Modeling with Varying Costs using Optimal Learning (Math)
Connor Werth (2017), Learning Stochastic Binary Feedback on a Sampled Hierarchical Belief Model: Optimal Pricing of Contracts in the Truckload Trucking Market
2016 (10)
Sankalpa Banerjee (2016), Understanding Variability and Uncertainty in Energy Generation Portfolios using SMART-Invest: A Stochastic Dynamic Programming Approach
Kabo Kula (2016), A Stochastic Analysis of the Economics of Solar and Storage
Angela Zhou (2016), Sequential Decision-Making Problems: Online Learning for Optimization over Networks
Zachary Koerbel (2016), An Evaluation of Different Hotel Management Techniques
Chandler Gay (2016), Simulated Solar Variability under High Penetration Renewable Energy Deployment
Mohamed El Tonbari (2016), Low Rank Approximations to Markov Decision Processes
Olabode Adunbarin (2016), Energy Resource Scheduling Policy Studies in the PJM Electricity Market: A Dynamic Programming Approach
Natalie Carthy (2016), A Dynamic Programming Model for Simulation Demand Response and Renewable Energy.
Raina Sun (2016), Gone With the Wind: A Stochastic Model of Wind Energy Crossing Time and Error Distributions
Bryan Oslin (2016), Finding the Inefficiencies in Medicine: An Analysis of Medical Quality Versus Cost with Respect to Knee Replacement Episodes
2015 (2)
Erick Chen (2015), Structured Approximate Dynamic Programming for Simulating Heterogeneous Agents in Incomplete Markets
Saumya Singh (2015, Princetonian Electricity: Managing an Isolated Microgrid
2014 (7)
Kevin Cen (2014), Entropy Minimization and Locating Faults Across the Electrical Network using Customer No Light Calls
Henry Chai (2014), A Statistical Model for Simulating Solar Intensity in New Jersey
Daniel P. Chen (2014), Analyzing Transformer Replacement Policies: A Simulation Approach to Reducing Failure Risk
Luke L. Cheng (2014), Solar, Wind, and Storage: Optimizing for Least Cost Configurations of Renewable Energy Generation in the PJM Grid
Mark Holekamp (2014), Keeping the Lights On: An Analysis of the Dynamic Allocation Problem of Assigning Utility Repair Trucks to Outages
Kevin Lin (2014), Approximate Dynamic Programming Applied to Biofuel Markets in the Presence of Renewable Fuel Standards
Oladoyin F. Phillips (2014), Policies for Investing in Nigeria’s Power Delivery Capabilities
2013 (9)
Haotian (Cosmo) Zhong (2013), Replicating Electricity Spot Prices Through Inverse Optimization of Supply Shifts
Daniel H. Elkind (2013), Prediction Markets and Strategic Behavior: A Simulation Approach to Evaluating Alternative Mechanisms, Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Economics Department.
Kelly R. Funderburk (2013), Exploring Alternative Treatment for Bacterial Meningitis through Optimal Dosing Strategy: Responding to Rising Antibiotic Resistance
Shreyashi Ghosh (2013), The Future of Solar: An Analysis of New Jersey’s Market for Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs)
Taman Narayan (2013), Modeling Government Contracting: A Principal-Agent Approach with Imperfect Monitoring and Constrained Rewards, Certificate Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Economics Department.
Alexander Ogier (2013), Optimizing Princeton’s Energy Use, Department of Computer Science
Tarun Sinha (2013), Resource Optimization in the Princeton University Energy System, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering
Tarun Sinha (2013), A Stochastic Gradient Method to Match Actual Resource Demand in Energy Management Systems, Certificate Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering (PACM certificate)
Timothy Wenzlau (2013), Nested Newsvendor Optimal Commitment Policies in Day-Ahead and Hour-Ahead Electric Capacity Forward Markets
2012 (8)
Yu-Sung Huang (2012) Dynamic Pricing of Electric Vehicle Charging Locations: An Application of Optimal Learning
Kevin Kim (2012) A Stochastic Unit Commitment Model in the Presence of Offshore Wind Energy
Huanqi Deng (2012) A Clustering Based Algorithm for Efficient Online Nonparametric Regression
Dao Mi (2012) Electricity Forward and Option Hedging System
Daniel Dix (2012) Examining the Impact of Electric Vehicles on Today’s Power Grid
Ma. Claudine M. Fernandez (2012) Parameterization of Public Policies to Incentivize Investment in Geothermal Power Projects in the Philippines
Steven Chen (2012) Natural Gas Power Generation in the Presence of Wind: A Mixed Integer Linear Programming Approach to the Hour-Ahead Unit Commitment Problem
Atanas Petkov (2012) The Hedging Problem: Modeling Electricity Spot Prices
2011(13)
Xiaoyang Long (2011) Optimal Learning in Dynamic Pricing Problems with Linear Beliefs
Hui (CinCin) Fang (2011) Controlling the Elements: Regulating Wind With Hydro in China
Sarah Gershkon (2011) Advance Commitments for Electric Power: Applied Policies and Risk-Management at Air Products and Chemicals
Kathy Huang (2011) Smart Home Appliances: Demand Management as Energy Storage
Vince Jeong (2011) Approximate Dynamic Programming for the Stochastic Load Curtailment Problem
Lawrence W. Manning (2011) Mean Field Variational Inference for Dirichlet Process mixtures of Generalized Linear Models and Applications in Approximate Q-learning
Ben Sheng (2011) A Stochastic Dynamic Programming Model of Ancillary Storage Using Electric Vehicles to Offset Volatility from Wind Generation
Gerald van den Berg (2011) Bayesian Information Collection in Stochastic Optimization:_An Aggregation-Based Approach
Megan Wong (2011) Cell Charging Challenges: An Optimal Pricing Strategy for a Solar Mobile Charging System in Africa
Sami Yabroudi (2011) Exploiting the Inverse Capacity-Rate Relationship in a Stochastic Setting: Control Algorithm Development for Hybrid Energy Storage in Renewable Energy Applications (MAE)
Peck Yang (2011) Lake Management: Endogenous and Optimal Learning to Reduce Uncertainty
Florina Yezril (2011) Smart Grid in New York City: Modeling, Optimizing, and Controlling Power Flow Bottlenecks (EE)
Rui Zhang (2011) Winding up the Grid: Optimal Placement of Wind Farms in China
2010 (12)
Peng, Jerry (2010) The Batch Knowledge Gradient Policy for Simultaneous Information Collection
Earp, Daphne (2010) Riding Down the Experience Curve: A Dynamic Model for Photovoltaic Technology Incentives
Escoriaza, Alex (2010) Simulation and Analysis of an Energy Portfolio Problem using a Deterministic Linear Program
Hsih, Katie (2010) Optimal Dosing Applied to Glycemic Control for Type 2 Diabetes
Hummer, Merritt (2010) Greening the Grid: Optimal Tax Policy for Wind and Solar Technology
Schoppe, Christine (2010) Wind and Pumped Hydro-Power Storage: Determining Optimal Commitment Policies with Knowledge Gradient Nonparametric Regression
Schoppe, Jennifer (2010) The Valuation of Natural Gas Storage: A Knowledge Gradient Approach with Nonparametric Estimation
Shue, Victoria (2010) Batteries: Storing Wind
Tagher, Nicholas (2010) Powering America: Optimizing Electricity Generation for the United States until 2030
Wei, Eva (2010) Optimal Levels of Hourly Wind Generation Commitment and Reserve Portfolio Usage
Yu, Vanessa (2010) Optimal Information Collection and Intervention Strategy for Infectious Disease Outbreak at Princeton University: A Partially Observable Markov Decision Process
Zhou, Jessica (2010) 20 Percent Wind Generation and the Energy Markets
2009 (5):
Negoescu, Diana, (2009) Optimal Learning for Drug Design in Ewing’s Sarcoma
Valdez-Vivas, Martin R., (2009) Optimal Learning in the Two-Agent Newsvendor Problem
Tsinis, Ilya (2009) The Role of Energy Storage in Helping Global Energy Problems Become Gone with the Wind
Sun, Yintao (Alex) (2009) Utilizing Wind: Optimal Wind Farm Placement in the United States
Wong, Kimlee (2009) Wind Farm Valuation
2008 (3):
Gregory, Alanna (2008), Optimal Risk Profiling Strategies and Testing Policies for Cardiovascular Disease in Female Patients in the United States
Tavares, Stephen L. (2008), An Examination of the Ethanol Industry’s Effect on Agriculture and the Corn-Soybean Planting Decision in the U.S.
Gartner, Bryan (2008), Ex Post Disaster Loans: Optimizing the Small Business Administration’s Decision Making Process
2007 (7):
Krishnan, Meera (2007), Distribution of antiviral drugs during pandemic influenza: an approximate dynamic programming approach.
Chasparis, Filippos (2007), An approximate dynamic programming approach for routing a bulk cargo ship.
Yu, Vincent (2007) Approximate dynamic programming for blood inventory management.
Raikh, Evgenia (2007) Share repurchase strategies using approximate dynamic programming techniques
Tostanoski, Edward J. III, (2007) Approximate dynamic programming for equity portfolio selection
Yates, Peter (2007) (ADP for spare cell phones)
Dixon, Blake (2007)
2006 (8):
Basler, John T. (2006): Optimal Portfolio Rebalancing: An Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach.
Melendez, Ariel (2006): Approximate Dynamic Programming Methods For Speeder Apprehension.
Brosterman, Jonathan (2006): Applications of the Beer Distribution Game in Supply Chain Decision Making.
Kim, Sophia Y. (2006): Modeling the Allocation of Trailers in the Southeastern United States for Future Hurricane Preparation.
Brown, William Cliff (2006): Dynamic Jet Fuel Hedging Strategies.
Bellapravalu, Vikram (2006): Are Multiple Acts of Deception Preferable to One? A Comparison of Hierarchical and Centralized Resource Allocation.
Cant, Lindsey (2006): Life Saving Decisions: A Model For Optimal Blood Inventory Management.
Blankshain, Jessica (2006): Centralization and the Robustness of Military Supply Chains: A Scenario Analysis for the Design of Fuel Distribution Infrastructure.
2005 (5):
Toran, Julie (2005): A Model for the Dynamic Management of Power Transformers.
Ortiz, Michael (2005): Revenue Maximization for Software; Dynamically Solving the Versioning and Pricing Problems.
Johnson, Joshua (2005): Putting a Price on Performance: A Study of Risk Hedging in Major League Baseball.
Cui, Xiaolin (2005): Modeling the Spread of HIV/AIDS and the Financial Resource Needs in China.
Andrews, John O. (2005): Approximate Dynamic Programming for Aerial Refueling.
2004 (7):
Karfeld, Whitney Laine (2004): How Much Is Enough? Optimizing Loans at the International Monetary Fund.
Bramwell, Elizabeth Burns (2004): Value Optimization for Trucking Networks.
Verbin, Ann S. (2004): Optimal Direct-to-Consumer Advertising for the Pharmaceutical Industry.
Bondada, Sandhya (2004): Modeling the Impact of Funö on Tuberculosis Control in India.
Ng, Wei Hung Vincent (2004): Learning To Buy Futures: An Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach.
Zimmerman, Aaron (2004): Pricing to a Different Tune: A Mathematical Model for the Sale of Music in the Digital Marketplace.
Cohen, Daniel L. (2004): Stocks and “Barry” Bonds: Evaluating Players and Optimal Team Strategy in Baseball Free Agent Markets.
2003 (3):
Lescher, Scott (2003): Beyond Bar Codes: A Benefits Analysis of Auto-ID Technology in Retail..
DeRoulet, Jason (2003): Approximate Dynamic Programming for Fleet Management..
Farmer, Catherine (2003): The Economic Effects of Defense Spending in Isreal.
2002 (5):
Ahuja, Anand (2002): Optimization with a Pattern Metric: An Application for Mutual Fund Investing.
Brown, Craig A. (2002): The Cooperative and Adaptive Information Chains: What is the Right Information Chain For Your Product?.
Caragine, Dana (2002): Mathematical Models for the Marketing Trade: The Development and Application of Decision Science Models in New Product Management.
Fleming, Heather L. (2002): Modeling the Spread of HIV/AIDS and the Allocation of Financial Resources for Prevention Methods in Zimbabwe.
Colburn, Edward (2002): The Optimization of Pricing Decisions Over a Dynamic Shipping Network Using Stochastic Gradient Algorithms.
2001 (7):
Vazquez-Gil, Xabier (2001): Learning to Fly: An Adaptive Dynamic Programming Approach for the Air Mobility Command Problem.
Anen, Stephen John (2001): The Role of Underwriter Reputation in the Initial Public Offering Process.
Atchison, David (2001): Consumer Decisions: A model for the flow of information.
Hsu, Michael (2001): Multiproduct Inventory with Substitution in an Electronic Commerce Setting.
Viergutz, Philip M. (2001): Simulations of the Bullwhip Effect: How Information Sharing and Cooperation Creates Value in Supply Chains.
Kim, Frances Y. (2001): The Economic Impact of Charter Schools and Educational Vouchers on the Princeton Regional School District.
del Sol, Adrianne Christine (2001): The Multidimensional Corporate Profile: Synthesizing the Layers of the Industrial Organization Model.
2000 (5):
Cervantes, Elizabeth Cerda (2000): Subsitute Inventory and the Value of Observable Consumer Preference in E-Commerce.
Stockdale, Owen Benton (2000): The Application of Minimum Cost Machine Scheduling Algorithms to Job Shop Manufacturing.
Dranoff, Julia (2000): Risk Aversion, Investor Behavior and IPO Pricing: Can Deception Really Make us Better Off.
Mattamana, Alan (2000): The Chemistry of Human Processes.
White, Kevin A. (2000): A Report From the Flight Deck: An Empirical Analysis of the Fractional Jet Ownership Industry.
1999 (3):
Todd, Ian H. (1999): A Multiple Path Theme Park Ride System.
Breckner, Erica A. (1999): Managing Dynamic Resource Allocation Problems through Control of Information.
Liu, James I. (1999): Adaptive Dynamic Programming Methods Applied to the Management of Orange Juice Commodities.
1998 (5):
Krasovec, Brian (1998): Congestion Management: The Development and Application of an Arrival Gradient for an Emergency Ward.
Weinstein, Jamie (1998): Price Optimization for Freight Trucking: An Application of Stochastic Gradient Methods to Complex Network Pricing Pronblems.
Woolbert, Stephen (1998): The Inventory Sourcing Problem: Development and Analysis of an Iterative Solution Algorithm.
Jones, Courtney (1998): Airline Yield Management: A Stochastic Gradient Approach.
Mitchell, Bradley (1998): Ingram Book Company: A Dynamic & Stochastic Distribution Case Study.
1997 (4):
Kamara, Korli (1997): The Use of Marginal Cost Forecasting to Assist in Operations Management Decisions.
Applebaum, Michael (1997): Methods of Cost Allocation for Networks: An Application to Truckload Motor Carriers.
Corcoran, Brian (1997): Competing Against a Free Commodity: An Analysis of the Evian Water Distribution Network.
Hanson, Paul M. (1996): Analysis of Fleet Size and Mix Using Hierarchical Control of a Logistics Queueing Network: An Application to Norfolk Southern Railroad.
1996 (4):
Kundrat, Paul S. (1996): Development of an Integrated Packaging, Inventory, and Distribution Model for PanAbrasive Inc..
Bell, Akira Lynn Brantley (1996): Evaluation of Prices for Truckload Trucking: An Application for Reusable Resources.
Pollack, Jacob A. (1996): A Modular Dynamic Fleet Management Simulator for Research and Analysis.
Rodriguez, Steven Francis (1996): Decision Making in Time: An Algorithm to Schedule Production.
1994 (2):
Spencer, Joffrey (1994): A New Algorithm for Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problems with Time Window Constraints.
Chen, Paige (1994): Tradeoffs and Preferences in the Driver Assignment Problem.
1993 (5):
Wang, Jennifer S.W. (1993): Production and Inventory Control in a Multi-Item, Capacitated Job Shop Environment.
Hu, Eric L. (1993): A Study of Costing Allocation and Marginal Analysis of Empty Flows in the Trucking Industry.
Zolikoff, III, John A. (1993): Scenario Methods for Logistics Systems Design: Discount Pricing Strategies for Inventory Management.
Clark, Jr., William A. (1993): Experimental Investigation of Just-In-Time Theory: An Application with Derrick Manufacturing.
Hammonds, Keita M.K. (1993): Circumventing the Shelf Life Problem at Brook Warehouse through Improved Inventory Maintenance.
1982-1992(50):
I didn’t list my senior theses when I started teaching at Princeton, but from 1981-1992 (10 nonsabbatical years) we carried a standard load of five senior theses per year.