Dr Michael Justin O'Sullivan

BSc, MPhil, MS, PhD

Senior Lecturer

In: Engineering Science » Faculty of Engineering

Biography

Senior Lecturer
My resume/CV on LinkedIn
My research group, Operations Research Union Analytics (ORUA)
My qualification details
- 2002, PhD, Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University
- 1998, MS, Engineering-Economic Systems and Operations Research, Stanford University
- 1996, MPhil (Distinction), Operations Research, The University of Auckland
- 1994, BSc (First Class Honours), Mathematics and Computer Science, The University of Auckland

Research | Current

My main research interests are the application of Operations Research to complex systems, in particular the formulation of optimisation and simulation models and the development of advanced techniques for solving these models. Currently I am focusing on:

improving health delivery services;
modelling to inform government policy;
building intelligent (computing and storage) clouds;
conceptual modelling for simulation;
developing innovative optimisation software; and
simulating construction projects.

I co-founded the Operations Research Union Analytics (ORUA) research group. ORUA’s research programmes realise innovative tools for OR and Analytics for use across all the application areas. One such tool is Dippy, an open source Python integration of the open source Python mathematical modelling language PuLP and the open source C/C++ integer programming solver DIP. Dippy has been downloaded over 300,000 times since 2010.

I am actively working with industrial partners and have either collaborated with and/or consulted for: The Ministry of Health, NZ; The Ministry of Social Development, NZ; Auckland, Waitemata, Counties Manukau, Waikato and Mid-Central District Health Boards, NZ; Steel and Tube, NZ; Hewlett Packard Labs, Palo Alto, USA; ICS Consulting, UK; M & G Investments, London, UK; Intergen, NZ; OneNet, NZ; The Ministry of Education, NZ; and Hose Manufacturers Ltd, NZ.

Teaching | Current

Currently Teaching

ENGSCI 761 - Integer and Multiobjective Optimisation

Previously Taught

ENGSCI 111 – MM1
ENGSCI 131 – Engineering Computing
ENGSCI 211 – MM2 Statistics Module
ENGSCI 213 – MM2 SE
ENGSCI 255 – Modelling in Operations Research
STATS 255 – Introduction to Operations Research
ENGSCI 313 – MM3 ECE
ENGSCI 355 – Applied Modelling in Simulation and Optimisation
ENGSCI 363 - Engineering Science Design II
OPSRES 385 – Stochastic Methods in Management Science
OPSRES392 – Optimisation in Management Science
ENGSCI 402 – Object-Oriented Programming with C++
ENGSCI 450/1 – CT3A/B C++ Module
ENGSCI 760 – Algorithms for Optimisation
ENGSCI 761 – Integer and Multiobjective Optimisation (formerly Computational Optimisation in Operations Research)
ENGSCI 763 – Simulation and Stochastic Modelling
ENGSCI 768 – Research Topics in Operations Research 1
ENGSCI 792 – Nonlinear Optimisation

Postgraduate supervision

Current PhDs

Enrolment (* Main supervisor)	PhD Project	Student
*2020	Integrating Social Benefits/Impacts in Whole-of-Life Infrastructure Investment Planning	Warren Ladbrook
2019	Developing a New Framework to Improve Emergency Departments’ Performance; A New Zealand Perspective	Neda Pourezza
2019	A Framework for Construction Simulation through the integration of Lean Construction Practices and Building Information Modelling	Amila Wickramasekara
*2019	Combining Conceptual Modelling and Model-Driven Engineering for Rapid Implementation of Simulation Models	Clever Alves
2016	Evaluating and Improving Patient Pathways Within Tertiary Healthcare	Kian Wee Soh
2016	Planning and Control Improvement of Construction Projects via Hybrid Simulation Modeling	Ashkan Naraghi
2016	Conceptual Modelling Framework for the Simulation of Construction Systems	Adel Abdelmegid
*2016	Evaluating and Improving Patient Pathways within Tertiary Healthcare	Thomas Adams
*2015	Predicting Cloud Infrastructure Utilisation	Hamid Moghaddam
2015	Modelling and Analytics for a CVICU	June Lau
2014	Dynamics of project-driven systems: A production model for repetitive processes in construction	Ricardo Antunes
2014	Assessing Production and Environmental Performance in Construction through Integration of Discrete-Event Simulation and Life Cycle Inventory	Hamed Golzapoor
*2014	Risk and Mitigation in Agribusiness Supply Chains	Golnar Behzadi
2013	Simulation and Optimisation of Dispatch in Health Delivery	Peiran Quan
*2013	Measurement and Adaption in Cloud Infrastructures	Tim Harton
*2013	Optimising Cloud Infrastructures	Isaac Hamling
*2013	Integrating Optimisation and Simulation for Health Delivery	Ploy Pongjetanapong

Completed Masters

Year	Masters Project	Student
*2013/14	Sensory Systems for Intelligent Clouds	Sherry Shahbazi
*2013	Prototyping Innovative Data Storage (MEngSt)	Tim Harton
2011	Spatial and Functional Modelling of Cardiac Cell ECC Proteins	Evan Blumgart
*2010/11	The Vehicle Routing Problem	Tong Zhang
2010/11	Stochastic Modelling of Myofibril and Mitochondrion Patterns in Cardiac Myocytes	Elizabeth Theakston
*2006/07	Simulation of Network Switches	Dakshai Soni
2005/06	Optimal Diamond Cutting	Yelena Li
*2004/05	Simulation of Storage Area Networks	Mihiri Elangesinghe
2004/05	Optimal Knot Location in Regression Splines	Matt Gordon
*2004/05	Optimal Core-Edge Storage Area Network Design	Tim Thompson

Distinctions/Honours

1992, Senior Prize in Computer Science

1995, Fowld’s Memorial Prize for Best Engineering Masters Thesis

2009, Faculty of Engineering Teaching Awar

Responsibilities

Precise and Timely Healthcare Theme Leader, Precision Driven Health Research Partnership
Member of IT Faculties Forum, University of Auckland

Areas of expertise

Operations Research

Analytics

Optimisation

Simulation

Integer Programming

Committees/Professional groups/Services

1997-1998, Member of inaugural Asia-Pacific Scholars Program

2002, Member of INFORMS

2005-2006, Council member of ORSNZ

2010-2012, Member of ORSNZ

2013-2016, Council member of ORSNZ

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Kempa-Liehr, A. W., Lin, C. Y.-C., Britten, R., Armstrong, D., Wallace, J., Mordaunt, D., & O'Sullivan M (2020). Healthcare pathway discovery and probabilistic machine learning. International journal of medical informatics, 13710.1016/j.ijmedinf.2020.104087
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Andreas Kempa-Liehr
Moghaddam, S. M., O'Sullivan M, Walker, C., Piraghaj, S. F., & Unsworth, C. P. (2020). Embedding individualized machine learning prediction models for energy efficient VM consolidation within Cloud data centers. FUTURE GENERATION COMPUTER SYSTEMS-THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ESCIENCE, 106, 221-233. 10.1016/j.future.2020.01.008
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Cameron Walker
Abdelmegid, M. A., González VA, Poshdar, M., O'Sullivan M, Walker, C. G., & Ying, F. (2020). Barriers to adopting simulation modelling in construction industry. Automation in Construction, 111.10.1016/j.autcon.2019.103046
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Vicente Gonzalez, Cameron Walker
Soh, K. W., Walker, C., O'Sullivan M, & Wallace, J. (2020). An Evaluation of the Hybrid Model for Predicting Surgery Duration. Journal of medical systems, 44 (2)10.1007/s10916-019-1501-4
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Kian Wee Soh, Cameron Walker
Abdelmegid, M. A., González VA, O'Sullivan M, Walker, C. G., Poshdar, M., & Alarcón LF (2020). Establishing a link between the last planner system and simulation: A conceptual framework. 27th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction, IGLC 2019. 10.24928/2019/0200
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Cameron Walker, Vicente Gonzalez
Pearce, M. G. S., O'Sullivan MJ, Carretero, C., Covic, G. A., & Boys, J. T. (2019). Optimising Ferrite-less Pad Reflection Winding with a Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm. 2019 IEEE PELS Workshop on Emerging Technologies: Wireless Power Transfer, WoW 2019. 10.1109/WoW45936.2019.9030684
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Matthew Pearce
Pongjetanapong, K., Walker, C., O'Sullivan M, Lovell-Smith, M., & Furian, N. (2019). Exploring trade-offs between staffing levels and turnaround time in a pathology laboratory using discrete event simulation. The International journal of health planning and management, 34 (2), e1119-e1134. 10.1002/hpm.2748
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Cameron Walker
Adams, T., O'Sullivan M, & Walker, C. (2019). Physician rostering for workload balance. OPERATIONS RESEARCH FOR HEALTH CARE, 20, 1-10. 10.1016/j.orhc.2018.11.001
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Cameron Walker