Systemic Decision Making / Topics in Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality Bd.33 (PDF)

Dr. Patrick T. Hester is an Associate Professor of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University. Dr. Hester 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. He has been involved in research and consulting activities focused on systems thinking and decision analysis for diverse agencies including NIST, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, NASA Langley Research Center, DHS, Sandia National Laboratories, NOAA, TRADOC, and General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company. The results of his research have led to over one hundred publications in books, journals, and conferences. 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. Dr. Hester is a Senior member of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), the Performance Management Association, and the International Society on Multiple Criteria Decision Making, a Board member of IISE's Society of Engineering and Management Systems, and an Editorial Board Member of Systemic Practice and Action Research. He is a two-time Outstanding Author Contribution Award Winner from the Emerald Literati Network, and in 2016, he was named one of 20 "Engineering Management Professors You Should Know" by OnlineEngineeringPrograms.com.





Dr. Kevin Adams is a much sought after speaker and lecturer who specializes in providing systems-based solutions for complex real-world problems. He is the author of books on systemic thinking and non-functional requirements and has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings.

His presentations merge both philosophical and theoretical concepts from

“The decision-making process proposed by Hester and Adas is based on systemic thinking through the application of a three-stage process: think, analyze and observe, giving greater importance to global results. … The language used by the authors is accessible to entire public: no prior training is required to read it. … a remarkable work that should not be missing in the library of the specialist, the technician and the student.” (Melio Sáenz, ResearchGate, researchgate.net, February, 2018)