Hong Wan
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Aossociate Professor
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Fitts-Woolard Hall 4325
919.515.3086 hwan4@ncsu.edu WebsiteBio
Hong Wan is an associate professor in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department. Before joining the NC State faculty, she was an associate professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. She also directed the Purdue Blockchain Lab, co-directed the Smart Design Lab, and is part of the SEED Center for Data Farming at the Naval Postgraduate School.
She is the director of the ISE department’s blockchain lab that focuses on studying blockchain as a complex system using simulation, feature selection, game theory, optimization, and other operations research and statistical methods.
Education
Ph.D. Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Northwestern University 2004
M.S. Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences Northwestern University 2002
M.S. Materials Science Northwestern University 2001
B.S. Chemistry Peking University 1998
Area(s) of Expertise
Wan's research focuses on the fields of complex simulation modeling, data analysis, and experimental design. Also, simulation and data analysis of the healthcare system, blockchain simulation and analysis, learning-based experimental design and analysis, quality control for nanomanufacturing, and game theory and its application in quality management.
Publications
- Sequential Group Morris Method with Error Control for Efficient Factor Screening in Simulation Experiments , IISE Transactions (2026)
- Leveraging Transfer Learning to Enhance Generative Postural Variability for Ergonomics , Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting (2025)
- GANCQR: Estimating Prediction Intervals for Individual Treatment Effects with GANs , (2024)
- Bonferroni-Free and Indifference-Zone-Flexible Sequential Elimination Procedures for Ranking and Selection , Operations Research (2023)
- Blockchain: A Review from the Perspective of Operations Researchers , 2022 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC) (2022)
- A discrete-event simulation model for the Bitcoin blockchain network with strategic miners and mining pool managers , Computers & Operations Research (2021)
- Machine learning in/for blockchain: Future and challenges , Canadian Journal of Statistics (2021)
- Social Influence Network Simulation Design Affects Behavior of Aggregated Entropy , IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems (2021)
- Blockchain: A Review from The Perspective of Operations Researchers , (2020)
- Capturing Miner and Mining Pool Decisions In A Bitcoin Blockchain Network: A Two-Layer Simulation Model , (2020)
Grants
We propose to begin to explore how Blockchain technology can be used to increase the security associated with fertilizer distribution. Blockchain provides a unique platform to contain a decentralized, non-changeable digital ledger that can enable fertilizers to be tracked and monitored by the producer, importer, distributor, wholesaler and farmer. Through introducing sensors on the packaging and using mobile phone (widely used in SSA) to acquire data during distribution, failure points can be more easily detected. This proposed work will focus on exploring how this system could be implemented in a robust way, through exploring what data could enable the most resilient security. With growing importance concentrated on understanding the role food security and economic development play in reducing poverty and social inequities in developing countries, blockchain based technologies could potentially play an important role in ensuring equitable global nutrient transport
Honors and Awards
- 2017 | Featured Paper in IIE Transactions on Healthcare Systems Engineering
- 2014 | Best Student Paper Finalist Award (2nd place), QSR
- 2013 | Military Application Society Koopman Prize, INFORMS
- 2007 | Best Student Paper Awards, I-Sim/ACM-SIGSIM
- 2005 | Pritsker Doctoral Dissertation Award - 3rd Place, IISE
- 2003 | Quality, Statistics, and Reliability Section Best Student Paper Award