Michael Veatch

About:

Dr. Veatch uses the methods of operations research, particularly probability models and optimization, in a variety of areas. He is currently studying humanitarian logistics and the effective delivery of aid. He is also interested in the control of queueing networks, with applications to supply chains and manufacturing systems, and approximate dynamic programming. Prior to coming to Gordon, he worked for six years in the industry on defense logistics and he continues to occasionally work on industrial problems.

Dr. Veatch teaches probability, statistics, biostatistics, and operations research. He often works with students on research and projects with industry. As part of the nationwide Preparation for Industrial Careers in Mathematical Sciences, he developed a course where students work on projects from industry. He also contributes to the Vocational Seminar, a course where mathematics majors explore career options.

Book: Linear and Convex Optimization ➔

Research Projects

International Vaccine Allocation

Investigates when donating vaccines to other regions of the world may have the added benefit of protecting the donor country by delaying the emergence of variants. A model was developed to optimize the timing of donations using epidemiological and mutation models based on Covid-19 data. 

Gift-in-Kind Acceptance Strategies

Developed a rating system for World Vision that recommends which donations to accept based on value to their mission, as well as shipping costs and other considerations.

Informed compassion: how faith shapes decisions in Christian relief           

Working with Wheaton College (IL) and MIT, this project investigates how the operational decisions, such as what supplies to send where, of Christian organizations are, and should be, shaped by their unique values. It is funded by the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities.

Scheduling an airport after a disaster

With a collaborator at MIT, simulations were used to study the congestion that occurs at a remote airport after a major disaster and identify policies to improve the flow of aid. Data on flights into the Port-au-Prince airport after the 2010 Haiti earthquake was used.

Tutorial: Optimal control of queueing networks. Presented at INFORMS in Austin November 2010. Note: This tutorial is not included in the INFORMS tutorials CD and website. 

Recent Publications and Working Papers

A. Holleran, S.E. Martonosi, and M.H. Veatch, To Give or Not To Give? Pandemic Vaccine Donation Policy. Submitted for publication, 2023. http://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15950

A. Holleran, S.E. Martonosi, and M.H. Veatch, International Vaccine Allocation: An Optimization Framework. Submitted for publication, 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.05917

M.H. Veatch, Estimating Mission Impact for Gift-In-Kind Donations. UMAP Journal, 41(1), 63-78, 2023. 

M.H. Veatch, An analysis of TENZI using combinatorics and Markov chains. Mathematics Magazine, 94(3):173-185, 2021. Published version

M.H. Veatch, P. Chen, and S. Lee, Christian disaster response organizations: their approaches and networks. Working paper, 2021.

M.H. Veatch, An analysis of TENZI using combinatorics and Markov chains. Mathematics Magazine, 94(3):173-185, 2021. Published version

M.H. Veatch, P. Chen, and S. Lee, Christian disaster response organizations: their approaches and networks. Submitted for publication, 2021.

M.H. Veatch, Linear and Convex Optimization: A Mathematical Approach, New York: Wiley, 2021.

M.H. Veatch, P.Chen, and S.Lee, Christian Disaster Relief Organizations: Their Values and Partners. Working paper, 2020. 

M.H. Veatch, Models, Values, and Disasters. Proceedings of the Association of Christians in the Mathematical Sciences 2019 conference, 22, pp. 203-213. 

M.H. Veatch and J. Goentzel, Feeding the bottleneck: airport congestion during relief operations. Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, 2018. DOI: 10.1108/JHLSCM-01-2018-0006.

S. Saghafian and M. H. Veatch, A cm rule for parallel servers with two-tiered cm preferences. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 61(4), 1046-1050, 2016.

M.H. Veatch. Robust performance and optimization of a series queue. Working paper, 2016.

M. H. Veatch, Approximate Linear Programming for Networks: Average Cost Bounds. Computers and Operations Research, 63:32-45 November 2015. DOI:10.1016/j.cor.2015.04.014.

K. Crisman and M.H. Veatch, Reinventing Heron. The College Mathematics Journal 45(3): 191-197, 2014.

M. H. Veatch, Approximate Linear Programming for Average Cost MDPs.  Mathematics of Operations Research, 38:535-544, 2013.

M. H. Veatch and J. R. Senning, Simulation-Based Function Selection in Approximate Dynamic Programming. Working paper, 2012.

M. H. Veatch, Performance Bounds in Queueing Networks. In J. J. Cochran, L. A. Cox, P. Keskinocak, J. P.  Kharoufeh, and J. C. Smith, eds., Wiley Encyclopedia of Operations Research and Management Science, John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

M. C. Russell, J. Fraser, S. Rizzo and M. H. Veatch, Comparing LP bounds for queueing networks. IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 54(11): 2703 – 2707, 2009.

S. B. Gershwin, B. Tan and M. H. Veatch, Production control with backlog-dependent demand. IIE Transactions, 41(6):511 – 523, 2009.

M.H. Veatch. The impact of customer impatience on production control. IIE Transactions, 41(2), 95-102, 2009.

M. H. Veatch and J. R. Senning, Fluid analysis of an input control problem. Queueing Systems, 61(2), 87-112, 2009.

C. H. Wu, M. E. Lewis and M. H. Veatch,  Dynamic allocation of reconfigurable resources in a two-stage tandem queueing system with reliability considerations, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 51(2):309 – 314, 2006.

M. H. Veatch, Enhanced dynamic programming algorithms for series line optimization, IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control, 51(1): 159-164, 2006.

M. H. Veatch and Francis de Vericourt, Zero-inventory conditions for a two-part type make-to-stock production system.  Queueing Systems 43: 251-266, 2003.

M. H. Veatch, Using Fluid Solutions in Dynamic Scheduling. In S. B. Gershwin, Y. Dallery, C. T. Papadopoulos, J. M. Smith, eds., Analysis and modeling of manufacturing systems, pp. 399-426. Kluwer, New York, 2002.

M. H. Veatch, Fluid Analysis of Arrival Routing.  IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control 46: 1254-1257, 2001. [text and figures]

M. H. Veatch, Mathematics and Values. In Mathematics in a Postmodern Age: A Christian Perspective, R. W. Howell and W. J. Bradley, eds., Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 2001.