Fall 2019 - Crisis Management Information System

Affiliations:	Department of Information and Operations Management
Project Leader:	Parker Caputo parker.caputo@tamu.edu Information and Operations Management
Faculty Mentor:	Dr. Dwayne Whitten, Ph.D.
Meeting Times:	TBD – Weekly
Team Size:	3 (Team Full)
Open Spots:	0
Special Opportunities:	Develop a information system proposal at the end of the semester, hands-on data collection from law enforcement agencies/crisis management centers, faculty networking, potential to earn credit hours in research in later semesters, potential to support the development of an information system in later semesters
Team Needs:	Motivated students who are interested in meaningful research Cross-disciplinary students are encouraged to apply (this is NOT only for computer science students). Range of majors including business, finance/accounting, psychology, government, law enforcement, information systems, computer science, and other related fields are desired. Sophomores, juniors or seniors are preferred Comfortable with discussing sensitive topics such as sexual assault and mass shootings Must be able to commit to weekly meetings throughout the semester 5-10 hours of time each week is expected, with reasonable accommodations for class activities, exams, etc.
Description:	In this project, research is being conducted into the applications of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data concepts as they are applicable to a crisis management system. More specifically, the ability of these concepts to produce data in a meaningful way such that it may promote the safety of an individual during a crisis. This study will observe the feasibility of connecting first responders to individuals affected by a crisis situation via a centralized information system. The goal of the system is to increase the flow of accurate communication, thereby reducing the chaos that typically follows a crisis. A number of functional crisis situations will be investigated, including but not limited to natural disasters, mass shootings, sexual assault, and gang violence. This project does not consist of developing an actual information system, but rather it investigates the capabilities of such a system if it were to be created. There is potential for students to participate in the development of an actual information system in later semesters. Students from a range of majors are encouraged to apply, no technical experience is required.