| Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory | ||||
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PEOPLE |
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Current Members
Past Post-Doc Fellows
Past Members |
Current Members
Cleotilde (Coty) Gonzalez, Ph.D. Associate Research Professor and Director of DDMLab Coty is an Associate Research Professor in the department of Social and Decision Sciences at CMU. She earned a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from Texas Tech University in 1996. Coty's research lies at the intersection of Human Behavioral Decision Making and Technology. Her research program is motivated by real-world decision making and by the challenges involved in studying dynamic decision making in the laboratory. Her research is embedded within a theoretical framework that emphasizes the role and development of decisions from experience, the similarity of contexts, and the cognitive abilities of decision makers. office: Porter Hall 223C web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~conzalez/ e-mail: coty(at)cmu.edu phone: 412-268-6242 fax: 412-268-6938 Noam Ben-Asher, Ph.D. Noam Ben-Asher completed both his MS and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering and Managment; and Human Factors Engineering from Ben-Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel. His previous experience and research has focused on UI usability, authentication methods and security models for mobile devices, and developing and testing processes of network access equipments. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Jani is a visiting Fulbright Scholar from the University of Eastern Finland, UEF (Kuopio Campus). He is pursuing a PhD from the Department of Social and Health Management. Jani earned his Master’s in applied geology and hydrogeology from the University of Helsinki, Finland. After two years working as a researcher and project manager for Geological Survey of Finland, he continued studying expert organization management and leadership in the former University of Kuopio (present UEF). In addition, Jani is a National Expert for civilian crisis management as a team member of European Union’s civilian protection team, which can be dispatched to crisis/disaster/catastrophe area around the world in very short notice. His earlier research has focused mainly on operational environmental risk assessment and analysis, and relationship between crisis and the environment. Jani is very interested in prevention and preventive actions. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Varun earned his Ph.D. in the Engineering and Public Policy department at Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a Master's in Rational Simulation in the Psychology Department at CMU in 2007 and a M.S. in Computer Science, Information Technology, and Software Engineering in CMU's School of Computer Science in 2006. Prior to these degrees, he had earned a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from Thapar University, India, in 2004, and worked as a software engineer in one of India's top IT Companies, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). The current focus of Varun's interests and research has been in the fields of environmental decision making, judgment and decision making, dynamic decision-making, system dynamics modeling (and systems thinking), human factors, and modeling human decisions using instance-based learning theory and ACT-R theory of cognition. Varun has applied himself to investigating problems concerning judgment and choice. Most importantly, he is interested in answering the question of how people make repeated decisions from past experience and how they learn from feedback in simple problems concerning their day-to-day lives. He has applied his research towards a number of real-world issues like climate change, cyber security, and cyber situation awareness. Varun is also the Knowledge Editor of a financial daily, Financial Chronicle (Deccan Chronicle Group), published from India and contributes regularly on topics concerning public policy, technology, and business. Varun is the main tool developer in the DDMLab, developing software simulations and tools for data analysis. His goal is to apply his interests to the field of decision sciences, particularly to the area of dynamic decision making. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite phone: 412-268-9547, 412-628-1379 email: vdutt(at)andrew.cmu.edu web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/vdutt/
Karen is a senior undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University who formerly studied architecture but is now majoring in Decision Science. Last year Karen spent the year abroad at the London School of Economics studying Social Policy. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Sara M. Levens, Ph.D. Sara completed her Ph.D. in Psychology from New York University in New York City. She also holds a BA in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. Her past research has focused on emotions and decision making, neuroeconomics, emotional experiences and altruistic behavior. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Michelle is a current sophomore undergraduate student double majoring in Economics and Decision Science attending Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently working with Sarah Levens and Muniba Saleem in the Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory as a research assistant. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Katja Mehlhorn Katja did her PhD with Niels Taatgen at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands, and Josef Krems at the Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany. She is interested in how memory processes affect the way we think and make decisions. She likes to combine behavioral experiments and cognitive modeling to get a better understanding of complex cognition. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Young-Suk Ahn Park, B.A. Young-Suk received his Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering from Korea University in 1997. He is currently pursuing his Master's in Software Engineering at Carnegie Mellon. Young-Suk has eleven years of IT consulting experience for Panamanian and Koreans organizations in such fields as telecommunication, finance, transportation, and government. He is also the founder and director of Cultraplus.net, a culture network for Panama. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Muniba completed her Ph.D. in Psychology from Iowa State University working with Dr. Craig Anderson. She also holds a MS in Psychology from Iowa State University and a BA in Psychology and Arabic from the Ohio State University. Her past research has focused on understanding what personal and situational factors are involved in increasing or decreasing aggressive and prosocial behaviors. Her other research interests include: stereotypes and prejudice, terrorism, and media effects. Muniba's current work is focused on understanding how intergroup bias and conflict can be reduced and how cooperative and prosocial strategies within these contexts can be encouraged. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite
Hau-yu Wong, B.S. Research Associate Hau-yu completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and International Relations at Carnegie Mellon University. Her previous research experiences focused on the effect of culture on complex collaboration through computer-mediated communications. office:
4609 Winthrop St., 1st Floor Suite
Michael Yu Mike is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Social and Decision Sciences department at Carnegie Mellon University. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003 with a BS in Economics and a BA in International Studies and French, then spent 5 years as a consultant in the pharmaceutical and medical device industry. Currently, he is working with the DDM lab in evaluating how cues are synthesized to identify emergency situations under a dynamic environment. More broadly, Mike's current research interests are in the domain of public policy and regulation, with a focus on agency and cooperation, consumer behavior, medical decision making, and behavioral interventions. office: 4609 Winthrop Street, 1st Floor Suite Past Post-Doc Fellows Tomás Lejarraga After the DDMLab, Dr. Lejarraga took a position at the University of Balearic Islands in Spain. web: http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/tleja/
Jolie
Martin After the DDMLab, Dr. Martin took an Assistant Professor position in Strategic Communication at the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Lelyn
Saner After the DDMLab, Dr. Saner took an Assitant Research Scientist position at the Center for Advanced Study of Language, University of Maryland.
Angela
Brunstein After the DDMLab, Dr. Brunstein took a teaching faculty position at the Qatar campus of Carnegie Mellon University.
Michael Martin After the DDMLab, Dr. Martin took a Project Scientist position for the Institute for Software Research at Carnegie Mellon University.
Wai-Tat
Fu After the DDMLab, Dr. Fu took an Assistant Professor position in the Human Factors Department and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Poornima
Madhavan After the DDMLab, Dr. Madhavan took an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Psychology and Human Factors at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA.
Matthew
Cronin After the DDMLab, Dr. Cronin took an Assistant Professor position in Management at George Mason University.
Jose Quesada After the DDMLab, Dr. Quesada took a researcher position at the Adaptive Behavior and Cognition group at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, Germany.
Rickey Paul Thomas After the DDMLab, Dr. Thomas took an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Psychology at Oklahoma University. Other Past Members Tina Hwang Tina is an undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University, pursuing a B.S. in Social & Decision Science. She is also working towards an additional major in Policy & Management and a minor in Japanese. Ripta received his Bachelor's in Information Systems and an additional Bachelor's in Statistics from Carnegie Mellon University in 2007.
Olivia DeFazio Olivia was an undergraduate at Carnegie Mellon University pursuing a B.S. in Decision Science. She is also working towards an additional major in Policy and Management and minor in Business Administration. Sylvia Lee Sylvia Lee is currently a graduate from Carnegie Mellon University with a degree in Public Policy Management. Her previous research experiences is at Infant Language and Learning Lab and Center for Behavioral Decision Research.
Wei Siong Neo, B.S. Wei Siong was a Ph.D. student in the Social and Decision Sciences department at Carnegie Mellon University. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree with Highest Honors in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 2007.
Haritha Dasari Haritha was an undergraduate student at Carnegie Mellon University. She was pursuing a B.S. in Information Systems and a minor in Business Administration.
Lisa Czlonka, M.B.A. Lisa Czlonka completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology and Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She earned her MSW from the University of Hawaii and MBA from Carnegie Mellon's Tepper School of Business in May of 2009.
Brad
Best Dr. Best is a Principal Scientist for Adaptive Cognitive Systems, LLC.
Alex Persoskie, B.S. Alex received a BS in psychology from Allegheny College in 2005 and is a doctoral student in the Behavioral Decision Research and Psychology program at CMU. Alex is working with Coty on projects that contrast the limited cognitive abilities of human beings with the nearly infinite complexity of the world they must navigate. In general, Alex is interested in how aspects of behavior often seen as "irrational" (e.g., contingent use of decision heuristics, changing tastes, emotions) can be adaptive for an agent of bounded rationality in a dynamic system.
Semiha Kiziltas, M.S. Semiha was a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University, in the Computer Aided Engineering Program and worked as a Research Associate in the lab. Semiha concluded her work with the lab to focus on her thesis.
Frank Lacson, M.S. Frank was a Research Associate in the DDM Lab. Following his work with the DDM Lab, Frank accepted a research position for a private industry in San Diego, CA that does contract work with the military.
Jack Hang Lim, B.S. Jack was the main tool developer in the DDMLab, developing software simulations and tools for data analysis. Following his work with the lab, Jack moved to Oregon, to work near his family.
Chris Horn, B.A. Chris was a part-time Master's student in CMU's Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and worked as a Research Associate in the lab. Following his work in the lab, he took a position in industry in Pittsburgh, PA.
In Memoriam: Eric Biefeld, M.S. At the DDMLab, Eric worked on integrating ACT-R with other simulators, focusing on the application of intelligent systems.
Colleen M Vrbin, B.S. In May 2001, Colleen earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Policy and Management, Political Science, and Social and Decision Science (triple major). She is currently employed through the Jewish Healthcare and Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative as a research assistant. Her research interests include studying the decision making processes that physicians use in determining appropriate treatment for patients.
Aanand Radia, B.S. Aanand Radia was an undergraduate student working in the lab. Following graduation, he took a position as an associate in Patriot Capital.
Octavio
H. Juarez-Espinosa After the DDMLab, Dr. Juarez-Espinosa took a Scientific/Technological Specialist position in the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University.
Polina M Vanyukov, B.S. Polina M Vanyukov completed her undergraduate degree in Logic and Computation at Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at University of Pittsburgh. Lina is the former lab manager, responsible for providing research support, namely, collecting, recording, and analyzing data using experimental methods involving human subjects. She also maintained the lab server and designed web pages. While a graduate student, Lina is continuing her work with the lab, through research on problems of stocks and flows.
John M Graham, M.S. John was a Ph.D. student in the Human Computer Interaction Institute in the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. Following his work with the lab, he went on to serve on the faculty in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department at West Point.
Janice Golenbock, M.S. Janice Golenbock was a programmer in the DDMLab, where she made updates to the simulations in the lab and developed software for data analysis and other tools. Following her work with the lab, Janice accepted a position in the computer software industry.
Jacob (Kobi) Wimisberg, M.S. Kobi was a master's student in the lab. Following his work with the lab, he continued his studies of social psychology at Tel Aviv University, Israel. |
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The Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory is part of the Social and Decision Sciences Department, Carnegie Mellon University. For updates and comments, please email hauyuw@andrew.cmu.edu. |