Dr. Thomas Sharkey is a Professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering (IE) at Clemson University. Dr. Sharkey has a B.S. (Honors) and M.S.E in Mathematical Sciences from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Florida. Prior to joining Clemson’s IE Department in Fall 2020, Dr. Sharkey worked as a professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he spent the past 12 years. He specializes in operations research with a focus on network optimization. His recent work emphasizes the disruption of illicit trafficking networks, resilient infrastructure, and supply chains, and emergency response.
In this episode of the podcast, Dr. Sharkey shares his journey into OR and gives insight into the several dynamics aspects of his research. He also gives insight on: (i) transitioning from doing research in undergrad to doing research in graduate school; (ii) how network optimization is applied in different industries; (iii) why open communication with your advisor is key to the research process.
To learn more about Dr. Sharkey, make sure to visit his personal website and his Google scholar page.