Research
The Decision Theater provides services to Arizona State University researchers seeking to enhance their work through visualization representations. These representations can aid in making research proposals and subsequent results clearer and more compelling. Visualizations can also dramatically increase audience level of understanding as researchers attempt to communicate information rich in complexity and detail.
Research Collaborations
Decision Theater has experience in a wide array of research areas. Current projects include Crisis Preparedness and Training Exercises, Solar Deployment, Water Resources, Sustainability, Urban Planning, GIS Siting and Environmental Sensitivity, Optimization of Resources, and much more. The staff of Decision Theater is here to discuss your specific research interests and potential projects.
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
The Decision Theater and the School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) at ASU are partnering with Tec De Monterrey (ITESM), FEMSA and the Inter-American Bank (IDB) to study, develop and deploy a sustainable water planning model in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. This international collaboration will address the prevention of future flooding and optimal water sustainability and planning in the wake of Hurricane Alex and the severe flood which damaged the center of Monterrey, Mexico in the summer of 2010. Sustainable water planning continues to be a critical component of scalable and sustainable energy progress.
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Saturday, July 3rd, 2010
Science Foundation Arizona, Industry and Universities
Challenge
Today, successful renewable energy planning and policy-making require collaborative efforts to solve our state’s energy challenges. Although numerous analyses have been undertaken in the course of regular utility operations and planning, no analytical, flexible and integrated economic, policy, and engineering decision environment exists within which all stakeholders can explore the potential for solar markets in Arizona.
Solution
Arizona’s Solar Market and Research Tool (AzSMART) integrates disparate data and research related to deployment of solar power generation facilities in the state, while collaborating public-private engagement, unique visualization capabilities, and finally, coupling the technical platform dashboards to offer a comprehensive approach for informed decisions based on scientific research.
Results
Through the collaborative efforts of Decision Theater, Electrical Engineering, WP Carey and the U of A, AzSMART’s interactive visualization environment, web-based analysis, and outreach will enable decision makers to engage in a comprehensive framework for Arizona’s deployment of solar.
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Crisis Preparedness Workshops
Challenge
Facing a possible pandemic in the near future, groups and organizations around Arizona were asking the same question: How would Arizona mass vaccinate thousands of people in a timely matter? With diseases that are time-sensitive, such as anthrax, the time it takes to disperse a vaccination is both crucial and critical to its impact. Various factors, such as staffing needs, resources and efficiency, are difficult to anticipate and test.
Solution
Decision Theater built a system powered by back-end data with a user-friendly front-end to help decision-makers understand the points of dispensing (POD) and the challenges they could expect. The participants learned about patient flow, time factors and multitude of resources that needed to come together. In addition, participants were able to manipulate different resources, run the model and see whether their setup was efficient and effective.
Results
Different cities and counties throughout Arizona utilized this exercise as an educational planning tool. Instead of dedicating significant resources and time toward running many different scenarios, users were able to manipulate data and numbers while seeing the results within minutes in relation to a 24-hour sequence.
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Arizona School Preparedness Table Top Exercise
Challenge
Should the H5N1 bird flu virus reach Arizona, it could rapidly spread across the local population through public schools. The Arizona Department of Health (ADHS) needed to look at how decision-makers would handle school closures, and specifically to test how public health and education officials in different counties would coordinate their efforts.
Solution
The Decision Theater, in collaboration with the College of Healthcare Management and Policy at the W. P. Carey School of Business, designed a multi-media exercise using interactive brainstorming sessions, rich data simulations, realistic TV news reports, and a geospatial map to track the disease spread. Officials from three counties, representing 4.3 million people, were invited to take part in the exercise.
Results
Participants soon realized that they needed to break out of a silo mentality and understand others’ plans. They quickly understood the implications that their decisions would have on mortality rates and the state’s economy when they shut down a school district. This exercise reinforced the need for public schools and county health officials to update their plans, and to collaborate across county lines when facing a pandemic.
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Arizona State University
Challenge
A pandemic flu can wipe out large populations, severely stress emergency and health systems, and cause economic turmoil. What could an university do to prepare for such an event? How would it collaborate and coordinate efforts with several stakeholders, including university, city, state, emergency and health officials to reduce fatalities in the community and the state?
Solution
ASU’s Decision Theater and Campus Health Services conducted a pandemic preparedness exercise with participation from the Arizona Department of Health Services, Homeland Security Institute, local hospitals and police departments. Decision makers who comprised emergency operations, incident command and an executive policy group were presented with scenarios through fictional but realistic video newscasts and required to take action.
Results
Participants were able visualize and make sense of large amounts of data in a rapidly changing crisis. Teams learned to build rapport and trust. The scenario-based decision support tool, used in the Decision Theater’s rich-media environment, theoretically saves more than 70 lives.
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Decision Center for a Desert City
Challenge
The Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC) is a “boundary organization” that bridges the divide between academic research and policy making. They wanted to show the relationships between climate change, water supplies and urbanization in Phoenix.
Solution
DCDC created a system dynamics model with a graphical “dashboard” that allows water professionals in the state to explore alternative scenarios for growth, water supply and water demand. Called WaterSim, the model incorporates growing water demand on the Salt-Verde watershed and the Colorado River in the face of climatic variability and growth.
Results
DCDC WaterSim has the ability to predict the impact of droughts on Arizona’s watersheds, their impact on regional growth, and assist policy makers to explore sustainable water conservation and use policies.
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