by Nicole Capozziello
Published November 1, 2021
Since joining UB ISE in 2008, Jun Zhuang has been exemplary in every realm of academia: research, teaching and mentorship, and service.
Most recently, Zhuang was named the new Morton C. Frank Professor, which is awarded to an outstanding industrial and systems engineering faculty member working within the field of operations research.
An internationally renowned scholar, Zhuang’s research has made advancements in homeland security, disaster relief and other areas. His research integrates a handful of fields – operations research, big data analytics, game theory, decision analysis – to create data-driven models that help decision makers mitigate risks, often during times of crisis or disaster. Examples include how to best allocate resources, how to manage misinformation, and how to create functional partnerships among disparate organizations.
Zhuang has been a principal investigator of over 30 research grants funded by the National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Energy, Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and National Fire Protection Association. His publications include 116 peer-reviewed journal articles, 20 conference papers, nine book chapters, and six edited books and journal special issues.
A dedicated educator, Zhuang has mentored over 150 students and professionals ranging from high school students to visiting scholars. He has received the 2020 UB Teaching Innovation Award, the 2019-2020 UB Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award, the 2019 UB Student Engagement’s Exemplary Faculty/Staff Mentor Award, as well as the 2012 UB President Emeritus and Mrs. Martin Meyerson Award for Distinguished Teaching and Mentoring.