William Alan Wallace

• Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Public opinion on autonomous vehicles (AVs) is an important topic as AVs are expected to change the transportation system dramatically. Although the topic has been discussed extensively by many researchers and experts, it is beneficial to complement current studies by explaining the AV-related sentiment variations leveraging the unique social media...

Although attention to data fusion has undergone rapid growth since the late 1980s, there are still relatively few applications in transportation management. Most research has based fusion weight estimation on the variance of each data source, assigning high weights to low variance data, implying that low variance means high accuracy. We propose a d...

We consider optimization problems related to the scheduling of multi-echelon assembly supply chain (MEASC) networks that have applications in the recovery from large-scale disruptive events. Each manufacturer within this network assembles a component from a series of sub-components received from other manufacturers and, due to high qualification st...

This research explores relationships between social network structure (as inferred from Twitter posts) and the occurrence of domestic protests following the 2016 US Presidential Election. A hindcasting method is presented which exploits Random Forest classification models to generate predictions about protest occurrence that are then compared to gr...

Social media provides abundant, naturally occurring data on communications among people that can reveal their behavior. Recent technological advancements have made possible the rapid processing of social media data with the potential to learn more about human behavior. In order to do so, however, there is a need for a comprehensive and integrative...

A mixed-integer linear program is proposed to model the dynamic network expansion problem of improving oil spill response capabilities to support energy exploration in the Arctic. Oil spill response operations in this region can be hampered by a lack of existing infrastructure, limited pre-positioned response equipment, and the possibility that res...

We study the relationship between chatter on social media and observed actions concerning charitable donation. One hypothesis is that a fraction of those who act will also tweet about it, implying a linear relation. However, if the contagion is present, we expect a superlinear scaling. We consider two scenarios: donations in response to a natural d...

Information and communication technology (ICT) has increasingly important implications for our everyday lives, with the potential to both solve existing social problems and create new ones. This article focuses on one particular group of ICT professionals, computational modelers, and explores how these ICT professionals perceive their own societal...

Social media have become an integral part of modern communication. There is, however, no clear consensus among transportation managers about how social media could or should be used to collect or disseminate actionable information. To provide guidance on the potential use of social media in transportation, a better understanding is needed of the co...

Engineering ethics education is taking on increasing importance worldwide, but in Chile the percentage of universities that have a mandatory course concerning ethics is still small. Traditionally, Chilean universities with existing ethics courses teach them using a philosophical or theological perspective, limited to occidental theories, and usuall...

Computer-aided decision support systems can be valuable tools in crisis response and preparedness training for emergency management professionals. However, to realize their full value, these tools must be designed with the needs of a broad range of potential users in mind. This paper describes preliminary research to determine how decision support...

Large-scale disasters can produce profound disruptions in the fabric of interdependent critical infrastructure systems such as water, telecommunications and electric power. The work of post-disaster infrastructure restoration typically requires information sharing and close collaboration across these sectors; yet – due to a number of factors – the...

We study the relationship between the level of chatter on a social medium (like Twitter) and the level of the observed actions related to the chatter. For example, in a disaster, how does relief-donation chatter on Twitter correlate with the dollar amount received? One hypothesis is that a fraction of those who act will also tweet about it, which i...

This paper introduces the new concept of restoration interdependencies that exist among infrastructures during their restoration efforts after an extreme event. Restoration interdependencies occur whenever a restoration task in one infrastructure is impacted by a restoration task, or lack thereof, in another infrastructure. This work identifies exa...

We consider restoring multiple interdependent infrastructure networks after a disaster damages components in them and disrupts the services provided by them. Our particular focus is on interdependent infrastructure restoration (IIR) where both the operations and the restoration of the infrastructures are linked across systems. We provide new mathem...

Computer-aided simulation and decision-support tools have a recognized role in planning for, and responding to, extreme hazard events. Multi-network interdependent critical infrastructure program for the analysis of lifelines (MUNICIPAL) is a multipurpose computer-simulation and decision-support tool that was developed to simulate the damage to int...

Civil infrastructure systems such as power, water, and communications are critical for the well-being and functioning of citizens, industries, and organizations both under normal and disaster conditions. Infrastructure systems cannot be seen as independent entities because they rely a great deal on each other for services needed for operation. Dama...

When actors in a social network interact, it usually means they have some general goal towards which they are collaborating. This could be a research collaboration in a company or a foursome planning a golf game. We call such groups \emph{planning groups}. In many social contexts, it might be possible to observe the \emph{dyadic interactions} betwe...

This chapter describes the material covered and educational approaches used in an Engineering Ethics course designed initially for an American university, and then adapted to the Chilean culture; explains the adaptation process and how cultural differences were overcome; and reports on an assessment of learning and the evolution of students’ moral...

Social media has become an important communication tool especially following an extreme event. Research in social psychology has shown that people engage in gathering and 'milling' information, and confirmation seeking during the process of forming intent to take action or voice an opinion. Twitter serves as a communications channel where people co...

Abstract— Leadership has traditionally been viewed as a relationship between the leaders and their subordinates. Recent research has shown the significance of the social aspects of leadership. This view forms the basis for the research reported on in this paper. Social network analysis provides socio-metric measures of leadership, which can be asso...

This paper addresses the problem of designing supply chains that are resilient to natural or human-induced extreme events. It focuses on the development of efficient restoration strategies that aid the supply chain in recovering from a disruption, thereby limiting the impact on its customers. The proposed restoration model takes into account possib...

Engineering ethics education is taking on increasing importance due to globalization, where current and new global issues need to be addressed with both technologies and values. In particular, multiculturalism is part of the process of globalization, and that can be seen in U.S. universities whose students have different nationalities, ethnicities,...

Delivering infrastructure projects that make a contribution to conditions of sustainability is a relatively new but important goal for engineers. Projects that conserve resources while reducing or eliminating negative environmental and social impacts have higher public acceptance and can save money. However, the critical issue is not just how to im...

Delivering infrastructure projects that make a contribution to conditions of sustainability is a relatively new but important goal for engineers. Projects that conserve resources while reducing or eliminating negative environmental and social impacts have higher public acceptance and can save money. However, the critical issue is not just how to im...

Twitter is presently utilized as a channel of communication and information dissemination. At present, government and non-government emergency management organizations utilize Twitter to disseminate emergency relevant information. However, these organizations have limited ability to evaluate the Twitter communication in order to discover communicat...

Large-scale disasters can produce profound disruptions in the fabric of critical infrastructure systems such as water, telecommunications and electric power. The work of post-disaster infrastructure restoration typically requires close collaboration across these sectors. Yet the technological means to support collaborative training for these activi...

Twitter is presently utilized as a channel of communication and information dissemination. At present, government and non-government emergency management organizations utilize Twitter to disseminate emergency relevant information. However, these organizations have limited ability to evaluate the Twitter communication in order to discover communicat...

We consider the problem faced by managers of critical civil interdependent infrastructure systems of restoring essential public services after a non-routine event causes disruptions to these services. In order to restore the services, we must determine the set of components (or tasks) that will be temporarily installed or repaired, assign these tas...

This paper presents an analysis of arterial travel times based on AVI (automatic vehicle identification) data from vehicles that were equipped with toll tags. The source is a six-month experiment conducted on a small arterial network in upstate New York. Data were collected using wireless, solar-powered toll tag readers. The paper explores and exam...

This paper describes the decision technology MUNICIPAL (Multi-Network Interdependent Critical Infrastructure Program for the Analysis of Lifelines). This technology supports decision makers in the restoration of critical infrastructure systems after an extreme event. MUNICIPAL consists of four components: a vulnerability simulator which predicts da...

Contents: R.M. Cyert, Foreword. K.M. Carley, M.J. Prietula, Introduction: Computational Organization Theory. R.E. Levitt, G.P. Cohen, J.C. Kunz, C.I. Nass, T. Christiansen, Y. Jin, The "Virtual Design Team": Simulating How Organization Structure and Information Processing Tools Affect Team Performance. K. Crowston, Evolving Novel Organizational For...

We consider the problem of restoring services provided by infrastructure systems after an extreme event disrupts them. This research proposes a novel integrated network design and scheduling problem that models these restoration efforts. In this problem, work groups must be allocated to build nodes and arcs into a network in order to maximize the c...

Social media is rapidly becoming an integral part of modern society. People use social media as a channel of communications with each other, a targeted group or a general public. Concurrently, researchers are studying this channel of communications in an attempt to link the characteristics of the message, such as content, sender-receiver, etc. to t...

We present novel indexing and searching schemes for semantic graphs based on the notion of the i.degrees of a node. The i.degrees allow searches performed on the graph to use “type” and connection information, rather than textual labels, to identify nodes. We aim to identify a network graph (fragment) within a large semantic graph (database). A fra...

The focus of this paper is on demonstrating how a model of the diffusion of actionable information can be used to study information cascades on Twitter that are in response to an actual crisis event, and its concomitant alerts and warning messages from emergency managers. We will: identify the types of information requested or shared during a crisi...

Our understanding of the impacts of social media on individuals who receive warnings of extreme events is limited. There is to date no uniform approach to integrating social media as part of emergency management strategies. This research addresses the question of the role of social media in the effectiveness of the warning response process in the c...

The goal of this research is to develop a computer simulation that determines the point at which an organisation's culture will change when responding to disaster situations. Different organisations' cultural biases shape how they resolve accumulated response tasks and deal with the disruptions of novel tasks. Called Organizational Response Culture...

Consider the scenario where information is introduced into a network, advising recipients to take an action. If at a later time, the information is found to be inaccurate and the action is unnecessary, it becomes necessary to stop the information from spreading and to prevent actors from taking the action. We investigate the concept of introducing...

In this work, we study the effectiveness of information retraction in situations where information being spread requires recipients to make a decision or take an action. Consider the scenario where information is introduced into a network, advising recipients to take an action. If at a later time, the information is found to be inaccurate and the a...

Research on resilient infrastructures in this paper focuses on getting disrupted infrastructures back to normal as soon as possible, i.e., a timely, efficient recovery from disruptions caused by natural, technological and willful disasters. The models and algorithms are presented for the optimal restoration strategy, with consideration of interdepe...

We consider a new class of integrated network design and scheduling problems, with important applications in the restoration of services provided by civil infrastructure systems after an extreme event. Critical services such as power, waste water, and transportation are provided by these infrastructure systems. The restoration of these services is...

This paper describes the development and evaluation of an educational simulation that supports collaborative learning of ethical decision-making (EDM). This collaboration-based simulation serves as the core component of an information ethics course. Twenty-two graduate students used the simulation during the second half of a semester-long course. T...

This paper investigates the relationship between human values and computational modeling through mixed-method field research at three organizations (corporate, academic, and government research labs). This research builds on research on the role of values in information technology design from science and technology studies, information ethics, and...

This study investigates values that are positively correlated with a reduction in value conflicts during the process of designing computational models among stakeholders such as modelers, clients, users, and those affected by models. Survey results identify statistically significant differences in the values of those who have experienced various ki...

Typically, case-based learning focuses on how students can learn from playing cases built by educators. However, students can also learn from building cases. In this demo, we will demonstrate CaseBuilder, a GUI Web App that allows students to build interactive teaching cases that can serve both as a learning experience for students and as the basis...

What value conflicts influence the success of the modeling process and of models as products? Clients commission models, modelers develop models, users use models, and many other members of society are affected by models. These different groups all have different values, leading to value conflicts that influence the success of both the modeling pro...

Diffusion occurs in various contexts and generally involves a network of entities and interactions between entities. Through these interactions, some property, e.g., information, ideas, etc., is spread through the network. This paper presents a general model of diffusion in dynamic networks. The authors simulate the diffusion of evacuation warnings...

To manage supply chain disruptions, many diverse organizational cultures must work together to restore services and help ensure resiliency. We use a model of culture taken from social anthropology, economics and public management illustrated through two interorganizational cases of humanitarian supply chain disruption: the Federal Emergency Managem...

Trust is an important yet complex and little understood aspect of the dyadic relationship between two entities. Trust plays an important role in the formation of coalitions in social networks and in determining how high value of information flows through the network. We present algorithmically quantifiable measures of trust based on communication b...

This article describes the use of microsimulation for traffic management of special events, including evacuations and traffic incidents. Specifically, the research employed tabletop exercises using the microsimulation software TransModeler to present traffic management alternatives for special events to stakeholders. The exercises involved analysis...

Diffusion occurs in various contexts and generally involves a network of entities and interactions between entities. Through these interactions, some property, e.g. information, ideas, etc., is spread through the network. The network may become dynamic as entities in the network interact and information, ideas, etc. flow through the network. This p...

This paper reports results from an analysis of interviews and surveys with computational modelers. The interviews involved asking participants if they felt that modelers should follow a code of ethics. The survey included the Schwartz Value Survey and questions about experiences with and views on codes of ethics. The paper identifies two key themes...

This paper describes an automatic text analysis of values contained in the Enron email dataset that seeks to explore the potential to apply value patterns to cluster a social network. Two hypotheses are posed: individuals communicate more frequently with other individuals who share similar value patterns than with individuals with different value p...

As sensors become more complex and prevalent, they present their own issues of cost effectiveness and timeliness. It becomes increasingly important to select sensor sets that provide the most information at the least cost and in the most timely and efficient manner. Two typical sensor selection problems appear in a wide range of applications. The f...

In this work, we present the software library graphOnt. The purpose of this library is to automate the process of dynamically extracting ldquointerestingrdquo graphs from semantic networks. Instructions on the extraction are fed into the library via an ontological language specification custom built for this application. A set of SPARQL queries are...

This panel will draw on interdisciplinary research relating to information and values. It will open with an interactive session during which the audience members will discuss the role of values in current and future information research. The panel members will then present three papers describing current information research projects in which the c...

After a disruption in an interconnected set of systems, it is necessary to restore service. This requires the determination of the tasks that need to be undertaken to restore service, and then scheduling those tasks using the available resources. This chapter discusses combining mathematical programming and constraint programming into multiple obje...

Modern society relies upon the complex interaction of the civil infrastructure systems, such as transportation, power, telecommunications and water. These systems are highly dependent on each other to provide service. The reliance on any of them on power is obvious. Failures in one system can have far-reaching effects. This paper will present an ov...

Computational models, used every day in a wide variety of products and policies, should recognize the potential for and importance of building computational models to be transparent. Transparency can play an important role in resolving ethical dilemmas in the development and use of computational models. The reasons computational models should be tr...

We present a machine learning approach to discover the agent dynamics that drives the evolution of the social groups in a community. We set up the problem by introducing an agent-based hidden Markov model for the agent dynamics: an agent's actions are determined by micro-laws. Nonetheless, We learn the agent dynamics from the observed communication...

Recent advances in GPS technology, wireless communications technologies, and route guidance systems make it possible to create ATIS systems in which the vehicles both act as probes and engage in real-time route guidance. This paper describes an ATIS experiment in which 200 route guidance-equipped vehicles shared information about network travel tim...

This chapter explains and integrates new approaches to teaching computing and information ethics (CIE) and researching CIE education. We first familiarize the reader with CIE by explaining three domains where information ethics may be applied: Information Ownership; Information Privacy; and Information Quality. We then outline past and current appr...

We present a modeling laboratory, Virtual Laboratory for the Simulation and Analysis of Social Group Evolution (ViSAGE), that views the organization of human communities and the experience of individuals in a community as contingent upon on the dynamic properties, or micro-laws, of social groups. The laboratory facilitates the theorization and vali...

We present a generative model for determining the infor- mationcontentofamessagewithoutanalyzingthemessage content. Such a tool is useful for automated analysis of the vastcontentsofonlinecommunicationwhichareextensively contaminatedbyuninformative,spam,andbroadcast. Con- tent analysis is not feasible in such a setting. We propose a purely statisti...

Social networks that arise spontaneously and evolve over time have become an important component of ever growing global societies used for spreading ideas and indoctrinating people. Their loose membership and dynamics make them difficult to observe and monitor. We present a set of tools for discovery, analysis and monitoring evolution of hidden soc...

We report on an exploratory study of the use of sketches by experts engaged in the formulation of operational research models. We outline a methodology to identify sketches, link them to text in an associated verbal protocol, classify them, and relate their use to the modelling process. We found that use of sketches is part of the personal modellin...

Trust in information is developing into a vitally important topic as the Internet becomes increasingly ubiquitous within society. Although many discussions of trust in this environment focus on issues like security, technical reliability, or e-commerce, few address the problem of trust in the information obtained from the Internet. The authors asse...

The power of social values that helps to surreptitiously shape or formulate our behavior patterns is not only inevitable, but also influential as the directions of our decision making can never seem to escape the impact of this hidden agent. Therefore, the search of such power agent can be validated through a machine learning approach that enables...

We study the communication dynamics of Blog networks, focusing on the Russian section of LiveJournal as a case study. Communication (blogger-to-blogger links) in such online communication networks is very dynamic: over 60% of the links in the network are new from one week to the next, though the set of bloggers remains approximately constant. Two f...

This paper presents a unique view of modeling the diffusion of warnings in social networks where the network structure may change over time. Since the characteristics and actions of people in a community have significant influence on the flow of information through a network, we present an axiomatic framework for modeling the diffusion process thro...

Abstract The United States equipment service sector supports the nation’s infrastructure and accounts for a significant portion of the ,nation’s economy. Availability of improved ,diagnostics technologies and prognostics methodologies has enabled aggressive equipment producers to offer a new ,service. They provide a long-term guarantee on the opera...

This chapter explains and integrates new approaches to teaching computing and information ethics (CIE) and researching CIE education. We first familiarize the reader with CIE by explaining three domains where information ethics may be applied: Information Ownership; Information Privacy; and Information Quality. We then outline past and current appr...

The capabilities for computer technologies to provide aid in disaster response are now well recognized. Effective response requires managing information flow prior to, during, and after potentially catastrophic events. Information technology can play a vital role in this process. Discusses a relatively new facet of information technology, artificia...

The power of social values that helps to shape or formulate our behavior patterns is not only inevitable, but also how we have surreptitiously responded to the hidden curriculum that derives from such social values in our decision making can be just as significant. Through a machine learning approach, we are able to discover the agent dynamics that...

Modern society depends on the operations of civil infrastructure systems, such as transportation, energy, telecommunications, and water. These systems have become so interconnected, one relying on another, that disruption of one may lead to disruptions in all. The approach taken in this research is to model these systems by explicitly identifying t...

We present a machine learning methodology (models, algorithms, and experimental data) to discovering the agent dynamics that drive the evolution of the social groups in a community. We use a parameterized probabilistic agent- based model integrating with micro-laws to present the agent dynamics. The micro-laws with different parameters present diff...

We present a machine learning methodology (models, al- gorithms, and experimental data) to discovering the agent dynamics that drive the evolution of the social groups in a community. We use a parameterized probabilistic agent- based model integrating with micro-laws to present the agent dynamics. The micro-laws with different parame- ters present...

This NSF-funded research study examines the role of social, cultural, and moral values in computational modeling. This project emerges at the intersection of the process of modeling and the ethics of modeling. Three hypotheses were used to guide the research: 1) that values are embedded in computational models; 2) that the ethical frameworks of the...

A reliability theoretic construct is proposed for conceptualizing the process of information flow. It focuses on information produced to satisfy specified purposes or to achieve preconceived objectives. Furthermore, the model incorporates explicitly the concept of an information producer contemplating a choice of action in an uncertain environment....

New technologies emerge every day in response to a variety of needs. In research and development (R&D) project portfolio selection, the agencies responsible for budget allocation must make the crucial decision of which projects to fund. A quantitative, objective decision-making process necessarily avoids internal strife amongst decision-makers, and...

We present a machine learning approach to discovering the agent dynamics or micro-laws that drives the evolution of the social groups in a community. We set up the problem by introducing a param-eterized probabilistic model for the agent dynamics: the acts of an agent are determined by micro-laws with unknown parameters. Our approach is to identify...

This paper suggests that a multi-agent based decision aid can help individuals and groups consider ethical perspectives in the performance of their tasks. Normative and descriptive theories of ethical problem solving are reviewed. Normative theories are postulated as criteria used with practical reasoning during the problem solving process. Four de...

An enduring characteristic of emergencies is the need for near-simultaneous development and deployment of new management procedures. This need can arise with the onset of highly novel problems and the need to act quickly-factors that reduce opportunities for extensive planning in managing the emergency. As a result, decision makers in emergencies m...

We present an extended version of a software system SIGHTS (statistical identification of groups hidden in time and space), which can be used for the discovery, analysis, and knowledge visualization of social coalitions in communication networks such as Blog-networks. The evolution of social groups reflects information flow and social dynamics in s...

An experimental design responsive to a unique opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation as a training, research, and design environment for crisis management was developed when an actual crisis situation occurred less than a week after the authors had observed and evaluated a full-scale training simulation. The crisis event at the Rob...

Industrial network flow involves three domains: infrastructure, individual subjects of movement, and planning and control of the movement. Examples include supply chain and intelligent transportation. These traditionally isolated domains can be digitally connected to enhance their performance. Digitization of the infrastructure provides real-time d...

On December 26, 2004, countries in the Indian Ocean basin were struck by a tsunami generated by a large magnitude earthquake just south of the western tip of Sumatra. Observations made during a post-tsunami visit to coastal Thailand suggest that the value of the proposed emergency warning system (EWS) for the Indian Ocean would be greatly enhanced...

This chapter presents statistical and algorithmic approaches to discovering groups of actors that hide their communications within the myriad of background communications in a large communication network. Our approach to discovering hidden groups is based on the observation that a pattern of communications exhibited by actors in a social group purs...

On December 26, 2004, countries in the Indian Ocean basin were struck by a tsunami generated by a large magnitude earthquake just south of the western tip of Sumatra. Observations made during a post-tsunami visit to coastal Thailand suggest that the value of the proposed emergency warning system (EWS) for the Indian Ocean would be greatly enhanced...