Our Team

The Data and Decision Sciences Lab is composed of top-tier researchers with years of experience in data science, operations research, and statistics projects.

Betty N. Love, Ph.D.

Professor

Ph.D., Operations Research, Southern Methodist University, 1991
M.S., Operations Research, Southern Methodist University, 1988
M.S., Mathematical Sciences, Clemson University, 1986
B.S., Mathematics, University of Louisiana – Monroe, 1984

Contact Information

blove@unomaha.edu
(402) 554-2831

Location

Department of Mathematics
Durham Science Center
6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68182
Office: DSC 224

Research Interests

Mathematical Programming and Optimization
Predictive Analytics
Mathematics Education

Academic and Professional Experience

Betty is a Professor in the Mathematical and Data Sciences Department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She has a Ph.D and M.S. in Operations Research (OR) from Southern Methodist University. She also has a M.S. in Mathematical Sciences from Clemson University and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Louisiana – Monroe. During her career at UNO, she has taught a variety of operations research, mathematics, and computer science courses.

Betty’s research interests are quite varied. Within operations research, she is primarily interested in the development and implementation of algorithms for solving large-scale discrete optimization problems. She has extensive experience in network optimization and parallel computing. She is also interested in metaheuristics for integer programming problems. In recent years, she and her students have developed and implemented (1) integer-programming-based methods for determining the optimal routes for rebalancing the Omaha B-Cycle bike sharing system, (2) ant-colony-optimization methods for scheduling and routing visiting nurses for an insurance company, and (3 – for fun) mathematical programming methods to optimize resource use within World of Warcraft!

Betty is a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the Mathematical Association of America (MAA). She serves on the INFORMS Education Committee and the K-12 Outreach Committee. Over the past five years, she has been PI or Co-PI on two NSF IUSE grants for $600,000 in funding. These grants have resulted in the development and assessment of two new general-education mathematics courses: Introduction to Mathematical and Computational Thinking, and Data Literacy and Visualization.

Selected Publications

Corritore C., and Love B., Redesigning an Introductory Programming Course to Facilitate Effective Student Learning: A Case Study, Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 19(1), 91-135 (2020).

Jakopovic P., Friend M., Love B. , and Winter V., Changing the Game: Teaching Elementary Mathematics Through Coding, Proceedings of the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference , 55-60 (2019).

Winter V., Love B., Friend M., and Matthews M., A Computer Scientist Teaches Gen Ed Math, Proceedings of the 2019 International Conference on Computational Science and Computational Intelligence (CSCI), 793-799 (2019).

Winter V., Friend M., Matthews M., Love B. , and Vasireddy S., Using Visualization to Reduce the Cognitive Load of Threshold Concepts in Computer Programming, Proceedings of the 2019 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (2019).

Winter V., Love B., and Corritore C., The Art of the Wunderlich Cube and the Development of Spatial Abilities, International Journal of Child-Computer Interaction, 18(1), 1-7 (2018).

Friend M., Matthews M., Love B. , Winter V., Moisset D., and Goodwin I., Bricklayer: Elementary Students Learn Math Through Programming and Art, Proceedings of the 49th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education (SIG-CSE) , 628-633 (2018).

Winter V., Love B., and Harris C., Delphi: A Source-Code Analysis and Manipulation System for Brick-Layer, Proceedings of the Twenty-Ninth International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (SEKE), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2017).

Winter V., and Love B., Two Birds – Teaching Coding and Math in Primary Schools and Beyond, Technical Symposium of the Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education (SIGCSE), Seattle, Washington (2017).

Winter V., Love B., and Corritore C., The Bricklayer Ecosystem – Art, Math, and Code, Electronic Proceedings in Theoretical Computer Science (EPTCS), 47-61 (2016).

Winter V., and Love B., The Art of the Wunderlich Cube and the Development of Spatial Abilities, The 2nd European FabLearn Conference , Preston, United Kingdom (2016).

Love B., Winter V., Corritore C., and Faimon D., Creating an Environment in Which Elementary Educators Can Teach Coding, Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, 643-648 (2016).

Winter V., and Love B., Two Birds – Teaching Coding and Math in Primary Schools, Workshop at the 15th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children, Manchester, United Kingdom (2016).

Love B., Hodge A., Corritore C., and Ernst D., Inquiry-Based Learning and the Flipped Classroom Model, PRIMUS, 25(8), 745-762 (2015).

Hodge A., Love B., Grandgenett N., and Swift A. W., A Flipped Classroom Approach: Benefits and Challenges of Flipping the Learning of Procedural Knowledge, Online Learning: Common Misconceptions, Benefits and Challenges, P. R. Lowenthal, C. S. York, and J. C. Richardson, Eds., Nova Science Pub, 49-60 (2014).

Love B., Hodge A., Grandgenett N., and Swift A. W., Student Learning and Perceptions in a Flipped Linear Algebra Course, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 45(3), 317-324 (2014).

Taylor J., and Love B., Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique for Renewable Energy Deployment Decisions (SMART REDD), The Journal of Defense Modeling and Simulation: Applications, Methodology, Technology, 11(3), 227-232 (2014).

Taylor J., and Love B., Proof-of-Concept for a Green Energy Linear Program for Optimizing Deployments, Proceedings of Defense and Military Modeling and Simulation Symposium (DMMS), 28-31 (2012).

Research Grants

Undergraduate Service Learning Experiences with Data: Mathematics in the Community (U-SLED), National Science Foundation – IUSE, Co-Principal Investigator, $299,985 (2020-2023).

Using Bricklayer Coding and Visual Art to Engage Students in Learning Mathematics, National Science Foundation – IUSE, Principal Investigator, $299,375 (2017-2021).