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Michael J. Armstrong

Associate professor of operations research, Brock University

I work in the field of operations research. This specialty uses mathematical models to analyze and improve the performance of systems in business and the public sector. My current research involves models of military combat. These models can help us understand issues in international security studies and in military history. I have analyzed missile warfare at sea (e.g., anti-ship cruise missiles), rocket defenses on land (e.g., Israel's Iron Dome), and key battles in history (e.g., Balaclava, Gettysburg, and Coral Sea).

I have also collaborated on research to help university students make better decisions about their studies. We have examined how students respond to feedback about their grades, and how well they perform when repeating courses.

I have been a Fulbright visiting research chair at Norwich University, and a visiting professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Most of my research papers are available on Brock University's Digital Repository site.
http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/6819

I teach courses in quality improvement, game theory, and operations management. I hold several professional certifications from the American Society for Quality.

Rewarding your loyalty with points

Dec 16, 2018 13:06 pm UTC| Insights & Views Economy

How many points have you collected so far this holiday shopping season? Like millions of consumers, you likely belong to at least one loyalty rewards program. These programs give you points, miles or some virtual...

Israel-Gaza brinkmanship slips over the brink

Nov 26, 2018 16:55 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The Israeli-Gazan conflict flared up dramatically recently when Gaza militants fired more than 460 rockets and mortar shells into Israel. Iron Dome interceptors shot down about 100 of the projectiles, while most of the...

Legal cannabis vs. black market: Can it compete?

Oct 17, 2018 21:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

The Oct. 17 launch of legal recreational cannabis in Canada brings many challenges. Retailers are now worrying about possible product shortages or web site glitches. Governments are still debating how to handle amnesties,...

Cannabis with your coffee? Ontario could have thousands of pot retailers

Sep 18, 2018 12:37 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Legalized cannabis is just a month away, but Ontario wont have any cannabis stores until April. Thats due to the provinces recent decision to have cannabis outlets run by businesses rather than a government agency,...

Ontario uproots its plans for selling weed

Aug 27, 2018 15:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health

Ontario has announced big changes to its recreational cannabis retail plan. Government-owned Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC) will still sell online, but will no longer open physical stores. Instead, businesses...

Better borrowing boosts start-ups

Jul 24, 2018 06:26 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

Starting a new business can be satisfying but stressful. Among other tasks, entrepreneurs must raise enough funds for their ventures. But it turns out the type of funding matters, not just the amount. Start-ups funded via...

Provinces prepare to push pot

Jul 12, 2018 06:19 am UTC| Insights & Views

Cannabis retailing isnt Doug Fords top priority as Ontarios new premier. But its on his agenda. As he said in June: The stated goal … is to ensure that we can tackle the illegal market. To pursue that goal, Ontario...

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Economy

Arctic Ambitions and Tariff Tremors: Trump’s Greenland Gambit Rattles Global Markets

Geopolitical Ambitions: The U.S. aims to establish a missile defense system (Golden Dome) in the Arctic, secure critical minerals and rare earths, and control Arctic shipping lanes, reflecting the increasing strategic...

WTI Crude Oil Prices Slide as Inventory Concerns and Geopolitical Risks Weigh on Market

West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices declined on Wednesday as traders focused on mounting geopolitical uncertainty and expectations of a build in U.S. crude inventories, which overshadowed supply disruptions from...

Asian Markets Slide as “Sell America” Fears Rattle Global Stocks, Bonds, and Currencies

Asian stock markets extended their losses for a third consecutive session on Wednesday as rising geopolitical tensions and renewed fears of a Sell America trade weighed heavily on investor sentiment. Markets were unsettled...

Dollar Slips Near Multi-Week Lows as Greenland Tensions and Japan Bond Turmoil Shake Markets

The U.S. dollar hovered near three-week lows against the euro and Swiss franc on Wednesday as renewed geopolitical tensions and fiscal concerns triggered a broad selloff across U.S. assets, including stocks, bonds, and the...

U.S. Stock Futures Edge Higher After Wall Street Rout, Netflix Slumps on Outlook

U.S. stock index futures rose modestly on Tuesday evening following Wall Streets sharpest losses in three months, as investors continued to digest escalating geopolitical tensions linked to President Donald Trumps renewed...

Politics

Trump Signs Executive Order to Limit Wall Street Investment in Single-Family Homes

U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening signed a new executive order designed to curb Wall Street investors from buying and speculating on single-family homes, a move aimed at improving housing affordability and...

Trump’s Greenland Ambition Sparks NATO Tensions, Trade War Fears, and Global Market Turmoil

U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited international controversy by declaring there is no going back on his ambition to control Greenland, a move that has unsettled NATO allies, strained U.S.-Europe relations, and...

Syria Announces Ceasefire With Kurdish Forces as U.S. Pushes Integration Deal

Syria has announced a four-day ceasefire with Kurdish-led forces in the northeast, marking one of the most significant shifts in territorial control since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad over a year ago. The...

U.S. Plans NATO Staff Reductions, Raising Fresh Concerns Over Alliance Commitment

The United States is planning to reduce the number of personnel stationed at several key NATO command centers, a move that is already heightening concerns across Europe about Washingtons long-term commitment to the...

Trump Says U.S. and NATO Will Reach Agreement on Greenland’s Future

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States and NATO will eventually come to an agreement regarding the future of Greenland, emphasizing that any deal would satisfy both Washington and the military...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

HKEX’s Permissive IPO Rules Could Open Opportunities for Korea to Strengthen Its Position in International Listings

In 2025, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) became the premier venue for initial public offerings (IPOs) globally, having raised nearly US$36 billion from new listings. This notable 200% year-on-year increase is directly...

Global DRAM Chip Shortage Puts Automakers Under New Cost and Supply Pressure

Automakers worldwide are bracing for renewed cost pressures and potential production disruptions as a deepening global shortage of memory chips, particularly DRAM, intensifies due to surging demand from data centres and...

OpenAI Launches Stargate Community Plan to Offset Energy Costs and Support Local Power Infrastructure

OpenAI has officially unveiled its Stargate Community plan, a new initiative designed to ensure that the massive energy demands of its AI data centers do not drive up electricity costs for local communities. Announced on...

Elon Musk Says Tesla Cybercab and Optimus Production Will Start Slowly Before Rapid Growth

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has cautioned investors and technology enthusiasts that the early production rate of the companys highly anticipated Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot will be agonizingly slow before...

Micron to Buy Powerchip Fab for $1.8 Billion, Shares Surge Nearly 10%

Shares of Taiwans Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp jumped nearly 10% on Monday following news that U.S. memory chip giant Micron Technology plans to acquire one of Powerchips fabrication facilities in Taiwan,...