Dr. Hicks' research interests are in combinatorial optimization, graph theory and integer programming. Some applications of interest are network design, manufacturing and logistics. His current research is focused on using graph decompositions to solve NP-complete problems. He teaches courses in discrete optimization.

Education

BS in Mathematics, Texas State University, 1995.

Academic & Research Interest

TSP website offered by my advisor Bill Cook

Operations Research

Graph Theory

Graph Instances

Courses

INEN 420: Operations Research I

INEN 622: Linear Programming

INEN 628: Combinatorial Optimization

INEN 689: Theory of Linear Inequalities

INEN 689: Packing and Covering Optimization

Professional Organizations

Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), Minority Issues Forum (President), INFORMS Annual Meeting 2005

Mathematical Programming Society (MPS)

National Association of Mathematicians (NAM)

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM)

African-American Professional Organization at Texas A&M University (AAPO)

Black Faculty Alliance at Texas A&M University (BFA)

Conferences and Workshops

2006 Blackwell-Tapia Conference

MIP 2006: Mixed Integer Programming Workshop

NSF Workshop: Development of Minority Faculty in Engineering

CombinaTexas, April 9-10, 2004

10th Annual Conference for African-American Researchers in the Mathematical Sciences (CAARMS)

MSRI Introductory Workshop in Discrete and Computational Geometry, August 20- 29, 2003

NCI/NSF Workshop on Operations Research and Radiation Therapy, Feb. 7-9, 2002

Papers

1.      Clique Relaxations in Social Network Analysis: The Maximum k-plex Problem, with B. Balasundaram, S. Butenko, and S. Sachdeva (working paper) pdf

2.      Combinatorial Branch-and-Bound for the Maximum Weight Independent Set Problem, with J. Warren (working paper) pdf

3.      Composition of Stable Set Polyhedra, with B. McClosky (working paper) pdf

4.       New Facets for the Planar Subgraph Polytope , (working paper) pdf

5.      The Branchwidth of Graphs and their Cycle Matroids, with N. McMurray, Journal of Combinatorial Theory Series B (to appear) pdf

6.      On Greedy Construction Heuristics for MAX CUT problem, with S. Kahruman, E. Kolotoğlu*, and S. Butenko, International Journal on Computational Science and Engineering (to appear)

7.      Restricted b -factors in Bipartite Graphs and t- designs, with I. Arambula, Journal of Combinatorial Design 14(3), 2006, 169-182 pdf

8.      A Branch-and-Price Approach for the Maximum Weight Independent Set Problem, with J. Warren, D. Warrier, and W. Wilhelm, Networks 46(14), 2005, 198-209 pdf

9.      Graphs, Branchwidth, and Tangles! Oh My!, Networks 45(2), 2005, 55-60 pdf

10.      Planar Branch Decompositions I: The Ratcatcher , INFORMS Journal on Computing 17(4), 2005, 402-412 pdf

11.  Planar Branch Decompositions II: The Cycle Method , INFORMS Journal on Computing 17(4), 2005, 413-421 pdf

12.  Branch Decompositions and Minor Containment , Networks 43(1), 2004, 1-9 ps Errantum

13.  Service Restoration in Naval Shipboard Power Systems, with K. L. Butler- Purry and N. D. R. Sarma , IEE Proceedings Generation, Transmission and Distribution 151(1), 2004, 95-102 pdf

14.  Branchwidth Heuristics, Congressus Numerantium 159, 2002, 31-50 ps pdf

15.  Optimization Procedures for Simultaneous Road Rehabilitation and Bridge Replacement Decisions in Highway Networks , with A. Garcia-Diaz and M. Bonyuet , Engineering Optimization 34(5), 2002, 445-459

Chapters

·         Branch and Tree Decomposition Techniques for Discrete Optimization, with A. M. C. A. Koster and E. Kolotoglu, to appear in Tutorials in Operations Research: INFORMS--New Orleans 2005, pdf Errantum

Projects

1.     A New Decomposition Approach for a Class of NP-hard Graph Problems , with W. E. Wilhelm, NSF DMI-0217265, $175K, 9/1/2002 -- 8/31/2005, ($24K REU)

2.     Travel Support for Minority Students to Attend INFORMS Annual Meeting; October 24-27, 2004; Denver, CO , NSF DMI-0440785, $4.75K, 9/1/2004 -- 8/31/ 2005

3.     Pathways to the Doctorate Research Assistantship Award 2005 , Texas A&M University, $25K, 9/1/2005 -- 8/31/2007

4.    SGER: Branch Decomposition Techniques for Independence Systems, NSF DMI-0521209, $80K, 8/1/2005 -- 7/31/2006

5.     Travel Supprot for Minority Students to Attend INFORMS Annual Meeting; November 13-16, 2005; New Orleans, LA, NSF DMI-0537840, $5K, 9/1/2005 -- 8/31/2006

6.    GAAN: Fellowships for Research in Industrial and Systems Engineering, with G.-A. Klutke and S. Cetinkaya, DoEd, $380K, 9/1/2006 -- 8/31/2009

7.    Innovative Techniques for Constructing Branch Decompositions, NSF DMS-0611723, $95K, 9/1/2006 -- 8/31/2009

Current Doctoral Students

1.      Adewale Faparusi, TBA

2.      Elif Kolotoglu, TBA

3.      Benjamin McClosky, TBA

4.      Jeffrey Warren, maximum weight independent set problem

Past Doctoral Students

Ivette Arambula Mercado, "A New Polyhedral Approach to Combinatorial Designs", Spring 2004 PROS Revenue Management

Past MS Students

Jegganathan Balu, MS non-thesis, spring 2004