Thomas W. Knowles and Associates

OPTIMIZATION SPECIALISTS

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ABOUT US

After years of consulting by its founder, the firm of Thomas W. Knowles & Associates (TWKA) was formed in 1984. The firm specializes in developing computer-based planning models for business decisions, with an emphasis on optimization models.

Our consultants have more than 40 years of experience in providing solutions to problems of our clients. Our clients include both manufacturing and service organizations. Public, private, and not-for-profit organizations have used our services. A large number of industries have been served. A partial list of TWKA's clients include Arcelor Mittal Steel Company (the world's largest), Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, a major beverage company, Citigroup, Tall Tree Investment Management, an international food processing company, Eastman Kodak, SAIC, UNEXT, Idacorp Energy, Sakatchewan Divisions of Highways, Bender Management Consultants, Salomon Smith Barney, Amoco (now BP), Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Newmont Gold Company, National Science Foundation, Institute of Gas Technology, Sun Oil Company, Motorola, Northern Illinois Gas Company, National Arbitrage Management, Office of Naval Research, North Shore Gas Company, Metropolitan Sanitary District of Cook County, Boston Energy Associates, Turner Broadcasting, Lucent Technologies, a Baby Bell, Minera Yanacocha, Eka Chemicals, Andean Flowers, Eaglebrook, Inc., the Gas Research Institute, and Continental Airlines.

Dr. Tom Knowles, president of TWKA, received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, (West Lafayette, Indiana). After his undergraduate graduation, he took a position with Lever Brothers Company with production management/engineering responsibilities.

Dr. Knowles received both his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. His major emphasis was in Management Science with minor specializations in production management and mathematics.

Dr. Knowles is Professor of Management Science at the Stuart School of Business of the Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago), where he teaches MBA and PhD students. He has served as a full-time faculty member and consultant since he received his Ph.D. Dr. Knowles has also served as a faculty member at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.

His teaching and research interests focus on methods and applications of decision models. His particular specialty is mathematical programming, including linear, dynamic, nonlinear, and integer programming. He also teaches operations management and other quantitative courses (e.g., mathematics, statistical methods, spreadsheet modeling, and models for decision making).

Dr.Knowles is a member of the honor societies: Tau Beta Pi (engineering), Beta Gamma Sigma (business), and Sigma Xi (science).

He is the author of the textbook Management Science: Building and Using Models, and its Instructors' Manual, both published by Richard D. Irwin, Inc. He has published and/or presented over sixty papers, including journals such as Interfaces, Operations Research, Decision Sciences, Journal of Quality Technology, Journal of Operations Management, and IIE Transactions. He has been the dissertation advisor of many Ph.D. students.

He is a member of many professional societies and frequently serves as a speaker and organizer of national meetings. His research keeps him current in his field and consulting provides insights into new areas that will benefit from additional research.