Professor, Business Analytics

Gary C. Fethke Research Professor in Business Analytics, Business Analytics

Senior Associate Dean, Dean's Office

PhD in Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan

MS in Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan

BA in Mathematics and Economics, Grinnell College

dynamic programming, approximate dynamic programming, reinforcement learning, vehicle routing

Collegiate Teaching Award - Tippie College of Business, 2014

Dean's Teaching Award - Tippie College of Business, 2007

Glover-Klingman Prize for Best Paper - Networks, 2020

Anzabi Zadeh, S., Street, W. N., & Thomas, B. W. (2024). Optimizing Warfarin Dosing using Deep Reinforcement Learning. Journal of Biomedical Informatics. 167 pp. 104267.

Reed, S., Campbell, A. M., & Thomas, B. W. (2022). The Value of Autonomous Vehicles for Last-Mile Deliveries in Urban Environments. Management Science. 68 (1) pp. 280–299.

Goodson, J. C., Thomas, B. W., & Ohlmann, J. W. (2017). A Rollout Algorithm Framework for Heuristic Solutions to Finite-Horizon Stochastic Dynamic Programming. European Journal of Operational Research. 258 (1) pp. 216-229.

Lamsal, K., Jones, P. C., & Thomas, B. W. (2017). Sugarcane Harvest Logistics in Brazil. Transportation Science. 51 (2) pp. 771-789.

Ehmke, J. F., Campbell, A. M., & Thomas, B. W. (2016). Data-Driven Approaches for Emissions-Minimized Paths in Urban Areas. Computers & Operations Research. 67 pp. 34-47.

Lamsal, K., Jones, P. C., & Thomas, B. W. (2016). Harvest Logistics in Agricultural Systems with Multiple, Independent Producers and No On-Farm Storage. Computers & Industrial Engineering. 91 pp. 129-138.

Ehmke, J. F., Campbell, A. M., & Thomas, B. W. (2016). Vehicle Routing to Minimize Time-Dependent Expected Emissions in Urban Areas. European Journal of Operational Research. 251 pp. 478-494.

Chen, X., Thomas, B. W., & Hewitt, M. (2016). The Technician Routing Problem with Experience- based Service Times. Omega. 61 pp. 49-61. DOI: j.omega.2015.07.006.

Hewitt, M., Chacosky, A., Grasman, S. E., & Thomas, B. W. (2015). Integer Programming Techniques for Solving Non-linear Programs with an Application to Workforce Planning Models with Learning. European Journal of Operational Research. 242 (3) pp. 942-950.

Goodson, J. C., Thomas, B. W., & Ohlmann, J. W. (2015). Restocking-Based Rollout Policies for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Stochastic Demand and Duration Limits. Transportation Science. 50 (2) pp. 591-607.

"Value of Reserved Parking for Commercial Last-Mile Delivery in Urban Environments," Guest/Invited Speaker at International Workshop on Vehicle Routing, Intermodal Transport and Related Areas, Vienna, Austria, May 2024.

"Time Window Sizing for Service Routing," Guest/Invited Speaker at INFORMS Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, October 2019.

"From Models to Methods: MDP, ADP, and Reinforcement Learning," Guest/Invited Speaker at National Science Foundation, Chicago, Illinois, May 2019.

"Dynamic Time Window Allocation and Sizing for Service Routing," Guest/Invited Speaker at University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, April 2019.

"The Value of Autonomous Vehicle-Aided Last-Mile Delivery," Guest/Invited Speaker at Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, February 2019.

"Multi-Period Dynamic Technician Routing with Experience-based Service Times," Guest/Invited Speaker at INFORMS Annual Meeting, Phoenix, Arizona, November 2018.

"The Restaurant Meal Delivery Problem: Dynamic Pick-Up and Delivery with Deadlines and Random Ready Times," Accepted Speaker at EURO Working Group on Transportation Meeting, Braunschweig, Germany, September 2018.

"AlphaGo and Amazon: Reinforcement Learning for Same-Day Delivery with a Heterogeneous Fleet of Drones and Vehicles," Accepted Speaker at ODYSSEUS International Workshop on Freight Transportation and Logistics, Cagliari, Italy, June 2018.

"Approximate Dynamic Programming for Dynamic Vehicle Routing," Guest/Invited Speaker at Ningbo Supply Chain Innovation Institute China (part of the MIT Global SCALE Network), Ningbo, China, January 2018.

"Same-Day Delivery with a Heterogeneous Fleet of Drones and Vehicles," Accepted Speaker at INFORMS Transportation Science and Logistics Society Workshop, Hong Kong, January 2018.

Thomas, B. W. (Principal Investigator), Principal Investigator(s): Brown, K. Collaborative Research:  Solving Large-Scale, High-Fidelity Workforce Planning Models That Recognize the Potential of Human Learning. National Science Foundation (NSF). Funded. July 2013 - June 2017.

Thomas, B. W. (Co-Principal), Principal Investigator(s): Jones, P. Sugarcane Harvest Logistics in Brazil. John Deere. Funded. January 2012 - December 2012.

Thomas, B. W. (Co-Principal), Principal Investigator(s): Jones, P. Sugarcane Harvest Logistics in Brazil. John Deere. Funded. September 2011 - December 2011.

Thomas, B. W. (Co-Principal), Principal Investigator(s): Jones, P. Sugarcane Harvest Logistics in Brazil. John Deere. Funded. September 2010 - December 2010.

Thomas, B. W. (Co-Principal), Principal Investigator(s): Ohlmann, J. & Jones, P. Instructional Improvement Award. University of Iowa. Funded. January 2007 - June 2007.

Thomas, B. W. (Co-Principal), Principal Investigator(s): Campbell, A.,. Tippie Speaker Series in Transportation. Tippie College of Business. Funded. January 2002 - December 2009.

Area Editor, Transportation Science, January 2021.

Editorial Board Member, Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, January 2019 - December 2019.

Associate Editor, Transportation Science, September 2015 - December 2020.

Associate Editor, Transportation Science - Special Issue: Uncertainty in Logistics and Transportation Systems, May 2014 - February 2018.

Associate Editor, IIE Transactions - Special Issue: Focused Issue on Operations Engineering and Analytics, Transportation Systems Analysis Department, January 2013 - January 2020.

Editorial Board Member, Surveys in Operations Research and Management Science, January 2013 - January 2016.

Associate Editor, INFOR: Canadian Journal of Operational Research and Information Processing, January 2004 - May 2016.