Hi! I’m Puneet, an Assistant Professor in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. My research interest is to develop mathematical models by integrating Operations Research, Game Theory, Data Analytics, and Machine Learning to provide strategic decision-making tools and prescriptive insights for disaster risk management and communication.

Background

I received my Master’s and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo). I received my Bachelor’s in Production Engineering (Gold Medalist) from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India. My expertise lies in the areas of predictive analytics using machine learning, data science, and statistical modeling, and prescriptive analytics using risk analysis, decision analysis, game theory, and optimization. My research interest is to improve the process of strategic decision-making in application areas such as disaster management, homeland security, social media analytics, supply chain, healthcare, energy, and sustainability. I have published several research articles in prestigious international journals such as Risk Analysis, Decision Analysis, Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Annals of Operations Research, Natural Hazards, and the European Journal of Operational Research. My research on the topic of rumors and fake news on social media platforms has been highlighted in several platforms such as a cover story in ISE Magazine and an article in ORMS Today Magazine.

Prospective Students

I advise undergraduate and graduate research projects in Data Science/Analytics, Game Theory, Operations Research, Decision Analysis, and Risk Analysis. If you are interested, please contact me via email (pagarw05@calpoly.edu) or come by my office (Room 232, Bldg. 192).