2009
Auto-Owners Insurance Company
Proposer/liaison: Jon Williams
Project 1: Determining the leading factors of long-term customer retention in the insurance industry.
Municipal Employees Retirement System
Proposer/liaison: William St. Amour
Problem: Strengthening Communities Through Citizen Data.
2008
Dow Chemical
Proposer/liaison: Tim Rey
Phase I: Replicating a Commodity Market Simulation Using Agent Based Modeling Techniques
Phase II: Modeling the Supply/Demand Dynamics in a Commodity Chemical Market
Steelcase Inc.
Proposer/liaison: Matthew Putti
Problem 1: Development of Pricing Prediction Model
Problem 2: Wood Veneer Yield Analysis
Ford Motor Company
Proposer/liaison: Alfredo Cateriano and Gene Grabowski
Problem: Estimating the Workload and Credit Loss Impact of Collections Strategy Changes
L&S Associates
Proposer/liaison: Kim Norman
Problem: Revenue Analytics and Financial Forecasting
Chrysler Holding LLC
Proposer/liaison: Bruce Geist
Problem: Development of an Efficiency Maximizing Tool for Custom Design of a Rocker Arm Joint
2007
ACO Hardware
Proposer/liaison: John Williamson
Phase I: Developing a "Strong Store Profile" for Future Expansion
Phase II: Developing a "Strong Customer Demographic Profile" for Future Sales Growth and Expansion
Project Report (Phase I): (MS Word) (pdf)
Project Report (Phase II): (MS Word) (pdf)
Center for Automotive Research
Proposer/liaison: Kim Hill
Problem: Developing a Full Cost Comparison of Offshore Sourcing versus Onshore Sourcing for the Automotive Industry
General Motors
Proposer/liaison: David Field
Problem 1: Substructuring the Cost Evolution of Technology Products: Laptop Case Study
Problem 2: Descriptive ID's for Vehicles and Their Subcomponents
Steelcase Inc.
Proposer/liaison: John Shull
Problem: Applied Mathematics in Win/Loss Analysis
Pfizer Pharmaceutical
Proposer/liaison: Patrick Lukulay
Problem: Developing a Numerical Metric for the Quality of a Chromatographic Separation
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
L&S Associates
Proposer/liaison: Kim Norman
Problem: Development of a Cash Flow Forecasting Model
2006
Institute for Public Policy and Social Research
Proposer/liaison: Doug Roberts and Catherine Cusick
Problem: Cost Analysis for a New Criminal Justice Campus
General Motors
Proposer/liaison: David Field
Problem: Understanding the Cost Evolution of a Product
Pfizer Pharmaceutical
Proposer/liaison: Patrick Lukulay
Problem: Determining the Maximum Allowed Error in an Analytical Method
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Lansing State Journal
Proposer/liaison: Mike Wieber
Problem: Explain the Unaccountable Shortfall in Press Runs
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Proposer/liaison: Neil J. Bush, GM Business Unit
Problem: To be defined at a later date
Delta Dental Plan of Michigan
Proposer/liaison: Toby L. Hall
Problem 1: Refinement of Credibility Factors
Problem 2: Analysis of Data Used in Annual Rating Studies
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Steelcase Inc.
Proposer/liaison: John Shull
Problem: Uncovering Hidden Business Patterns
2005
The National Food Safety & Toxicology Center, MSU
Proposer/liaison: Ewen Todd
Problem 1: Anthrax as a Bioterrorism Agent.
Project 2: Survival of Pathogens in Manured Fields.
Project 3: Quantify Listeria Risk.
Project Report: Limited distribution by request.
ITS Michigan
Proposer/liaison: Thomas E. Borton
Model the Economic Impact of Intelligent Transportation Systems
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Delta Dental Plan of Michigan
Proposer/liaison: Toby L. Hall
Problem 1: Anticipating Monthly Claims.
Problem 2: Fine-Tuning Forecasting Methods.
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
DaimlerChrysler
Proposer/liaison: Bruce Geist
Problem: Distortion Inside a Piston Bore
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Johnson Controls, Inc.
Proposer/liaison: Colleen Serafin
Problem 1: Clustering Human Feelings Using Neural Networks and Metric Topology for Small Sample Size
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Problem 2: A Process Model for Analyzing Driver Performance
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Department of Economics, MSU
Proposer/liaison: Charles Ballard
Problem: Optimal Income Taxation
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Michigan Department of Transportation
Proposer/liaison: Jill Morena
Problem 1: Optimization of Retro-Reflectometry Measurements
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Proposer/liaison: Ed Timpf
Problem 2: Predicting Revenue Loss from Alternate Fuel Vehicles
Ford Motor Company
Proposer/liaison: Michael Caveretta
Problem: Product Defect Diagnosis
American Automobile Association of Michigan
Proposer/liaison: Daniel Padilha
Problem: Classification System for Fire Losses in Homeowners Insurance
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Meijer Inc.
Proposer/liaison: Connie Hook
Problem 1: Benefits of Self-Checkout
Project SummaryProject Report 1: (MS Word) (pdf)
Problem 2: Magnetic Ink Character Reader Preventative Maintenance Analysis
Project Report 2: (MS Word) (pdf)
General Motors
Proposer/liason: Eleanor M. Feit
Problem: Data mining to determine customer satisfaction over time
Project Report: Proprietary
Sparrow Hospital
Proposer/liaison: Florence Nezamis
Problem: Model Future Emergency Services Needs
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Stryker Medical, Kalamazoo, MI
Proposer/liason: Martin Stryker,
Problem 1: Test design using logarithmic distributions
Problem 2: Cam design
Problem 3: Patient transfer device
Project Report 1: (MS Word) (pdf)
Project Report 2: (MS Word) (pdf)
Ford Scientific Research Laboratory
Proposer/liaison: Michael Cavaretta
Problem: Product Defect Diagnosis
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
MBI International, Lansing, MI
Dr. B. F. Severin, liaison/proposer
Problem. Design and cost-analyze a soil treatment model. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Ford Motor Research Laboratory
Mark Everson, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. What factors limit nimble redistribution of product lines? - Project summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
David Scholl, liaison/proposer
Problem 2. Model the perception of car-body rattles. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Jet Engineering, Lansing, MI
John Thomas, liaison/proposer
Problem. Schedule a forging operation. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Pratt and Whitney, Lansing, MI
George H. Schriver, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. Improving the accuracy of a real-time planning tool. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Problem 2. Projecting labor contract costs. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University
Frank B. Dazzo, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. To design a clustering algorithm that defines natural borders of size and shape for an AI morphotype classifier of bacteria. - Project Summary
Problem 2. How many images of a microbial community are necessary to estimate its diversity with confidence? - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
MSU Credit Union, East Lansing, MI
Jeffrey G. Jackson, liaison/proposer
Problem. Analyze the future profitability of the MSUFCU ATM network. - Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word) (pdf)
Department of Microbiology, MichiganState University
Frank B. Dazzo, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. To design a clustering algorithm that defines natural borders of size
and shape for an AI morphotype classifier of bacteria.
Project Summary
Problem 2. How many images of a microbial community are necessary to estimate its
diversity with confidence?
Project Summary
McCleer Power, Inc., Jackson, MI
Pat McCleer, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. Optimizing windmill alternator size: direct drive versus high gear ratios.
- Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
(pdf)
Problem 2. Optimize the Diesel versus electric motor sizes in hybrid vehicles to
maximize fuel efficiency. - ProjectSummary
Project Report: (MS Word)
(pdf)
Problem 3. Revise pulse-width modulation algorithms in automotive power inverters
to minimize the number of necessary electrolytics. -
Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
(pdf)
Neogen Corporation, Lansing, MI
Dr. P. Satoh and Dr. J. Madden, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. How many 25 gm samples of ground beef must be taken to yield a 95% confidence that there are fewer than 2 Ecoli per kilogram in the entire lot? - Project Summary
Problem 2. Model the dispersion of Ecoli from a point source via groundwater. - Project Summary
Problem 3. Grain exported to the EU can contain at most 1% genetically modified content. Design a sampling regimen to ensure this purity is achieved. - Project Summary
Problem 4. Apply kinetic methods to immunoassays to shorten assay times. - Project Summary
Department of Entomology, MichiganState University
Professor R. Isaacs, liaison/proposer
Problem. Predict the outbreak of the Grape Berry Moth using degree-day data. - Project Summary
Instrumented Sensor Technology, Okemos, MI
Mr. R. Lambert, liaison/proposer
Problem. Model the evolution of crack density in solid rocket propellant using past temperature history. - Project Summary
Project Report: (pdf)
Total Flow Products, Troy, MI
Mr. P. Sanchez, liaison/proposer
Problem. Instruct a numerically controlled milling machine to blend in valve seats into rebuilt dragster cylinder heads.- Project Summary
Project Report: (pdf)
B. F. Goodrich Avionics, Grand Rapids, MI
Kris Devarasetty and G. Watson, liaison/proposer
Problem 1. Reduce drift in a modern solid-state artificial horizon. -
Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
Problem 2. Using vibration spectrum and torque, predict the remaining useful life
of a gyroscope-based artificial horizon.
Project Summary
Ingham County Drain Commission, Mason, MI
P. E. Lindemann and E. Schertzing, liaison/proposer
Problem. Tollgate Wetlands Storm Water Retention
Model the uptake capacity of the Tollgate Wetland when driven by statistical monthly
weather. - Project
Summary
Toxics Unit, Air Quality Division, MI Department of Environmental Quality, Lansing, MI
D. O'Brien and C. A. Simon, liaison/proposer
Problem. Perform a cost-benefit study of 12 versus 6 day sampling, with the savings
invested in additional sampling sites.
Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
Department of Criminal Justice, MichiganState University
J. Siegel, Forensic Scientist, liaison/proposer
Problem. Model the shedding and persistence of fibers at a crime scene. -
Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
Delta Dental of Michigan, Okemos, MI
Ed. Kiernan, liaison/proposer
Problem. Design a clumping of States into groups with similar fee-for-service structure.
- Project Summary
Project Report: (MS Word)
We were regretfully unable to constitute full teams to attack the following three problems. We are grateful to their proposers and hope to serve them in the future.
Michigan State Police Emergency Management, East Lansing, MI
Mr. M. Schnepp and Mr. D. Duckworth, liaison/proposer
Problem. Construct a generic disaster mitigation cost-benefit model. - Project Summary
LansingState Journal, Lansing, MI
Ms. Alford, Mr. Swanson, and Mr. Syjud, liaison/proposer
Problem. Explain the unaccountable shortfall in press runs. - Project Summary
Delta Dental of Michigan, Okemos, MI
Ed. Kiernan, liaison/proposer
Problem. Given the negotiated contracts, predict future weekly claim patterns. - Project Summary
MSIM is a division of the Department of Mathematics: