Systemic Thinking

Dr. Patrick T. Hester is an Associate Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University. He received a Ph.D. in Risk and Reliability Engineering from Vanderbilt University and a B.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Webb Institute.  Dr. Hester has been involved in research and consulting activities involving systemic thinking, multi-criteria decision analysis, and performance measurement and management for diverse clients, including NASA Langley Research Center, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Sandia National Laboratories, NOAA, TRADOC, and General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company.  In 2011, he was the first Assistant Professor ever awarded the Excellence in Research Award in the Batten College of Engineering & Technology. He is a member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers, Performance Management Association, and the International Society on Multiple Criteria Decision Making. His research has been published in Systems Engineering, International Journal of System of Systems Engineering, International Journal of Operations Research, International Journal of Critical Infrastructures, and Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation, among others.