Professor Chelst publishes new book on decision making

DETROIT (April 18, 2012) - Kenneth R. Chelst, professor of operations research in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Wayne State University College of Engineering, has added another tool to his arsenal of ways to impart knowledge to students and assist professionals in making better decisions. Chelst and co-author Yavuz Burak Canbolat of Abbott Laboratories have published a new book titled Value-Added Decision Making for Managers.

Chelst says the book is the result of a course in decision and risk analysis that has been delivered to hundreds of experienced technical managers over the past 17 years. It is founded on the principle that there is more to decision-making than just picking the best alternative. Chelst and Canbolat provide a structured approach that clarifies the strengths and weaknesses of the best alternatives and enables the decision-maker to develop a plan for improving on the best by adding value and/or reducing risk.

"Our goal with this book was to highlight practical situations in which people are tasked with making decisions-such as buying a car, choosing a home contractor or hiring an employee-and develop solid solutions for making the best possible decisions," said Chelst. "Throughout, we explore the important interaction between decisions and management action."

Chelst's research interests include the impact of globalization on engineering and manufacturing management functions in addition to structured decision-making in engineering management.

Used in coursework by Wayne State engineering students, the book also will be used by college and university students worldwide. Wayne State student Cengiz Arici said it's exciting to learn structured decision-making directly from the textbook's source.

"Dr. Chelst's book shows readers how to avoid gut reactions and make decisions based on logic," said Arici, a mechanical engineering master's student and design release applications engineer at Ford Motor Company. "I believe the lessons covered in the book will enable me to become more successful, not only in my professional career but also in my everyday life."

"I would like to congratulate Dr. Chelst on his accomplishment," said Wayne State College of Engineering Dean Farshad Fotouhi. "His innovative research and passion for educating students and peers is evident in all he does. We are fortunate to have him as a member of the Wayne State College of Engineering faculty."

Chelst was recently awarded the INFORMS® President's Award and has received dozens of honors for his teaching of structured decision-making. He also is director of the Wayne State Engineering Management master's program. He earned a bachelor's from Yeshiva College, a master's in operations research from New York University and a doctorate in operations research from M.I.T.

Visit http://ise.wayne.edu/research/decision.php for more information on Value-Added Decision Making for Managers.

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.