Ronald A. Howard
Ronald Arthur Howard was an emeritus professor in the Department of Engineering-Economic Systems in the School of Engineering at Stanford University.
Howard directed teaching and research in decision analysis at Stanford and was the Director of the Decisions and Ethics Center, which examines the efficacy and ethics of decision making under uncertainties. He coined the term "Decision Analysis" in a paper in 1966, kickstarting the field. He was a founding Director and Chairman of Strategic Decisions Group. Interests included improving the quality of decisions, life-and-death decision-making, and the creation of a coercion-free society. Howard also taught a graduate-level course, "Voluntary Social Systems," which investigated the means of constructing and operating a coercion-free society.
In 1986 he received the Operations Research Society of America's Frank P. Ramsey Medal "for distinguished contributions in decision analysis". In 1998 he received from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences the first award for the teaching of operations research/management science practice.
Howard directed teaching and research in decision analysis at Stanford and was the Director of the Decisions and Ethics Center, which examines the efficacy and ethics of decision making under uncertainties. He coined the term "Decision Analysis" in a paper in 1966, kickstarting the field. He was a founding Director and Chairman of Strategic Decisions Group. Interests included improving the quality of decisions, life-and-death decision-making, and the creation of a coercion-free society. Howard also taught a graduate-level course, "Voluntary Social Systems," which investigated the means of constructing and operating a coercion-free society.
In 1986 he received the Operations Research Society of America's Frank P. Ramsey Medal "for distinguished contributions in decision analysis". In 1998 he received from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences the first award for the teaching of operations research/management science practice.
