The
U.S. and Russia Evaluate Plutonium Disposition Options with
Multiattribute Utility Theory
Who: James Dyer, Ph. D.
Department of Management Science and Information
What: Faculty Research Presentation Speaker Series
When: April 26, 2005 5:00 p.m.
Where: Special Events Room,
GSB 3.304, McCombs School of Business, 21st and Speedway
Why attend: At the end of the Cold War, the United States and
Russia entered into agreements to reduce the numbers of nuclear
weapons in their arsenals. The excess-weapons plutonium recovered from
dismantled weapons is stored at the Pantex facility near Amarillo and
is extremely toxic in the environment. The National Academy of
Sciences has characterized the possibility that it could fall into the
hands of terrorists as a “clear and present danger.” A team of faculty
members and graduate students from the McCombs School of Business
supported the Department of Energy (DOE) by developing a
multi-attribute utility (MAU) model to evaluate alternatives for the
disposition of the excess-weapons plutonium. Russian scientists
modified the model with the aid of the US team and used it to evaluate
Russia’s disposition alternatives. This approach to policy analysis
can be applied to strategic planning for business, government, and
not-for-profit entities.
Who’s invited: Open to the public
MSIS
Department
More info: Contact
Laura Holtz.
For information on speaking events at McCombs, contact Public Affairs Representative Gayle Hight, 512-475-6423, gayle.hight@mccombs.utexas.edu.
