Kyle J. Hunt

About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Management Science and Systems in the School of Management at the University at Buffalo (UB). I completed my PhD in industrial engineering (operations research) at UB in 2023. I am married with one son (Jack; 3.5 years old) and one daughter (Ellie; 0.5 years old), and love spending my free time with them. My contact information can be found on the next tab - don't hesitate to reach out! Faculty profile at UB: Click here.

Kyle J. Hunt, PhD

Name	:	Kyle J. Hunt
Email	:	firstnamelastname@buffalo.edu
Phone	:	716-645-3271
Address	:	338 Jacobs Management Center, Buffalo, NY 14260

Research

I am interested in utilizing operations research, machine learning, and empirical methods to address problems in security/defense, healthcare, and technology management. I enjoy working on multidisciplinary teams that draw expertise from academia and industry. My research has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

Hunt, K., S. Guney, J. Zhuang, and R. John, “On the Disclosure of Defensive Posture: Adversarial Belief Formation and Target Selection Decisions,” Production and Operations Management, forthcoming.

Ihsan Tokel, Y., K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Signaling the Capability of New Counterterrorism Technologies in the Face of a Strategic Threat,” Naval Research Logistics, forthcoming.

Steever, Z., K. Hunt, M. Karwan, J. Yuan, and C. Murray, “A Graph-based Approach for Relating Integer Programs,” INFORMS Journal on Computing, forthcoming.

Hunt, K., B. Behlendorf, S. Wang, S. Mukherjee, and J. Zhuang, “Near-repeat Terrorism: Identifying and Analyzing the Spatiotemporal Attack Patterns of Major Terrorist Organizations,” Expert Systems with Applications, forthcoming

Agarwal, P., K. Hunt, E. Jose, and J. Zhuang, “Shutdown and Compliance Decisions in the Face of a Viral Pandemic: A Game between Governments and Citizens,” Decision Support Systems, 178: 114128, 2024.

Hunt, K. and J. Zhuang, “A Review of Attacker-defender Games: Current State and Paths Forward,” European Journal of Operational Research, 313(2): 401-417, 2024.

Chen, X., Y. Dong, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Counterterrorism Resource Allocation during a Pandemic: The Effects of Dynamic Target Valuations when Facing a Strategic Terrorist,” Risk Analysis, 43(6): 1235-1253, 2023.

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, and J. Zhuang, “On the Adoption of New Technology to Enhance Counterterrorism Measures: An Attacker-defender Game with Risk Preferences,” Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 218: 108151, 2022

Hunt, K., A. Narayanan, and J. Zhuang, “Blockchain in Humanitarian Operations Management: A Review of Research and Practice,” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, 80: 101175, 2022.

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, and J. Zhuang, “Monitoring Misinformation on Twitter during Crisis Events: A Machine Learning Approach,” Risk Analysis, 42(8): 1728-1748, 2022.

Ding, X., X. Zhang, R. Fan, Q. Xu, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Active Rumor Recognition Behavior of Social Media Users in Emergencies,” Journal of Management Science and Engineering, 7(1): 36-47, 2022.

Xia, L., B. Chen, K. Hunt, J. Zhuang, C. Song, “Food Safety Awareness and Opinions: A Social Network Analysis Approach,” Foods, 11(18): 2909, 2022.

Song, C., S. Zhou, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Comprehensive Evolution Analysis of Public Perceptions Related to Pediatric Care: A Sina Weibo Case Study (2013-2020),” Sage Open, 12(1): 21582440221087260, 2022.

Wan, Q., X. Xuanhua, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Stay Home or Not? Modeling Individuals' Decisions during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Decision Analysis, 19(4): 319-336, 2022.

Hunt, K. and J. Zhuang, “Blockchain for Disaster Management,” in Big Data and Blockchain for Service Operations Management, Springer, 253-269, 2022.

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, and J. Zhuang, “Technology Adoption for Airport Security: Modeling Public Disclosure and Secrecy in an Attacker-defender Game,” Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 207: 107355, 2021.

Dong, Y., X. Chen, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “Defensive Resource Allocation: The Roles of Forecast Information and Risk Control,” Risk Analysis, 41(8): 1304-1322, 2021.

Agarwal, P., K. Hunt, J. Zhuang, B. Sarkar, A. Sarkar, and R. Sharma, "An Exploratory Analysis for Performance Assessment of State Police Forces in India: An Eclectic Approach," Operational Research, 21(2): 1125-1151, 2021.

Hunt, K., B. Wang, and J. Zhuang, “Misinformation Debunking and Cross-Platform Information Sharing through Twitter during Hurricanes Harvey and Irma: A Case Study on Shelters and ID Checks,” Natural Hazards, 103(1): 861-883, 2020.

Agarwal, P., K. Hunt, S. Srinivasan, and J. Zhuang, “Fire Safety Code Inspection and Compliance: A Game-theoretic Model between Fire Inspection Agencies and Building Owners,” Decision Analysis, 17(3): 208-226, 2020.

Song, C., C. Guo, K. Hunt, and J. Zhuang, “An Analysis of Public Opinions Regarding Take-Away Food Safety: A 2015-2018 Case Study on Sina Weibo,” Foods, 9(4): 511, 2020.

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, R. Al Aziz, and J. Zhuang, " Fighting Fake News during Disasters," OR/MS Today, 47(1): 34-39, 2020. [download preprint]

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, and J. Zhuang, "Tracking Storms of Misinformation Spread Amid Disasters," ISE Magazine, 51(9): 28-32, 2019. [download preprint]

Hunt, K., P. Agarwal, and J. Zhuang, “A Multi-algorithm Approach for Classifying Misinformed Twitter Data during Crisis Events,” 2019 IISE Conference Proceedings, pages 1-6, 2020.

Teaching

My teaching interests lie in the fields of analytics, operations research, and information systems. While I enjoy teaching the theoretical underpinnings of these fields, I am also passionate about teaching in a practice-oriented manner where students understand the business value of the skills they learn.

In Spring 2025, I will be teaching 2 sections of MGS 616 (Predictive Analytics) in person, and 1 section of MGS 616 online. In Fall 2025, I will be teaching 2 sections of MGQ 608 (Statistical Analysis for Managers) in person.