ROBIN L. DILLON
Assistant Professor, McDonough School of Business
Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057
(202) 687-5398, (202) 687-4031 (fax)
rld9@georgetown.edu
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Engineering Risk Analysis, Dept. of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management
Stanford University, Stanford, California, June 1999
Dissertation title: Programmatic Risk Analysis: Engineering and Management Risk Tradeoffs for
Interdependent Projects, Advisor: Dr. M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell
M.S./B.S. with Highest Distinction, Systems Engineering with Risk Analysis Concentration
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, May 1993
Master’s Thesis title: The Application of Risk Analysis and Multiobjective Decision Trees to Policy
Decisions for GTE of Virginia, Advisor: Dr. Yacov Y. Haimes
RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Faculty Affiliate, Center for Business and Public Policy, McDonough School of Business, Georgetown
University (2001-present)
- Supporting the development of a research agenda and associated educational programs focusing
on worker health and safety issues from a risk management perspective
Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell (2000-2003), National Science Foundation
- Developing a multi-period decision model designed to support the management of the risks of
technical failures and organizational failures in engineering project development
Co-Principal Investigator with Dr. M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell (1997-2002), Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Prepared four case studies of faster-better-cheaper unmanned space missions to examine the
potential long-term success of this management formula and provided recommendations for future
project design
- Developed an advanced programmatic risk analysis and management (APRAM) model to support
management decisions by focusing on both technical and managerial failure risks
- Currently developing a framework for valuing mission proposals and also implementing the APRAM
model into the project management process for several on-going missions at JPL
Decision and Risk Analysis Consultant (1995-1997), Decision Insights, Inc.
Consultant with Dr. Detlof von Winterfeldt and Dr. Ralph Keeney of the University of Southern California
Electromagnetic Field Modeling for the Electric Power Research Institute
- Developed a probabilistic time-and-motion simulation model to examine instances of utility worker
exposures exceeding a health standard of 10 Gauss and a decision analysis methodology to
examine the tradeoffs among mitigation strategies.
- Contributed to the Evaluation of Occupational Magnetic-Field Exposure Guidelines, Interim Report,
EPRI TR-111501.
Systems Engineer (1993-1995), Fluor Daniel, Inc.
Technology and Site Selection Analysis for the Department of Energy
- Analyzed several technologies and sites for tritium supply and recycling using decision analysis and
risk analysis to consider schedule risk, cost risk, technical risk, and environmental impacts.
- Assisted in the facilitation of workshops focusing on the major uncertainties.
- Contributed to the Technical Reference Report for Tritium Supply and Recycling, DOE/DP-0134,
October 1995, in support of the Record of Decision submitted to Congress in November 1995.
ROBIN L. DILLON
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Assistant Professor of Operations and Information Management (OPIM)
McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University, August 2001-present
Assistant Professor of Management Science and Information Technology
Pamplin College of Business, Virginia Tech, August 1999-August 2001
Program Director and Lecturer in Advanced Project Management Executive Short Courses
Stanford/IPS Advanced Project Management Mastery Certificate Program, June 21-23, 2000, and
September 16-18, 2003, Stanford, California.
Graduate Assistant, Stanford University
- Supervisor, “Industrial Engineering Senior Project Course”, supervised three student groups in
1997 and 1998. In 1998, one group won the department’s outstanding project competition.
- Graduate Mentor, Freshman Advising and Mentoring Program, 1998-1999
- Teaching Assistant, “Engineering Economy”, Winter 1996 and Fall 1997
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
INFORMS member
Decision Analysis Society Council, 2000-2002, Treasurer 2002-2004
Decision Analysis Track co-chair for INFORMS San Antonio Meeting, November 2000 and for
INFORMS San Jose Meeting, November 2003
PUBLICATIONS
Robin L. Dillon, M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, and Seth Guikema, “Programmatic Risk Analysis for Critical
Engineering Systems Under Tight Resource Constraints: Applying APRAM,” Operations Research, in
press – May/June 2003.
Robin L. Dillon, Richard John, and Detlof von Winterfeldt, “Assessment of Cost Uncertainties for Large
Technology Projects: A Methodology and an Application,” Interfaces, Vol. 32, No. 4, July-August,
2002, pp. 52-66.
M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell and Robin L. Dillon, “Probabilistic Risk Analysis for the NASA Space Shuttle: A
Brief History and Current Work,” Reliability Engineering and System Safety, Vol. 74, No. 3, 2001, pp.
345-352.
M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell and Robin L. Dillon, “Success Factors and Future Challenges in the
Management of Faster-Better-Cheaper Space Missions,” IEEE Transactions on Engineering
Management, Vol. 48, No. 1, February 2001, pp. 25-35 – Selected as the best paper for 2001.
Robin L. Dillon and M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, “APRAM: an advanced programmatic risk analysis
method,” International Journal of Technology, Policy, and Management, Vol. 1, No. 1, 2001, pp.4765.
Robin L. Dillon and Detlof von Winterfeldt, “An Analysis of the Implications of a Magnetic Field Threshold
Limit Value on Utility Work Practices,” American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, Vol. 61, No.
1, Jan/Feb 2000,pp. 76-81.
Robin L. Dillon, Blake Johnson, and M. Elisabeth Paté-Cornell, “Risk Assessment Based on Financial
Data: Stakeholders’ Response to Airline Accidents,” Risk Analysis, Vol. 19, No. 3, June 1999, pp.
473-486.
Robin L. Dillon and Yacov Y. Haimes, “Risk of Extreme Events Via Multiobjective Decision Trees:
Application to Telecommunications,” IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Vol. 26,
No. 2, March 1996, pp. 262-271.