Jamie Owen
Queensland University of Technology
Biography
Jamie Owen is currently completing his final year in a Bachelor of Mathematics and finished in November 2018. With a particular interest in Operations Research and Mathematical modelling and problem solving, he is hard-working and can apply high levels of problem-solving skills. He has worked with a variety of different coding languages and environments including R, C#, CPLEX, MATLAB, EXCEL and VBA. Having extensively investigated the efficiency of different number bases for establishing primality, he is currently working on a static model for the gaming industry, with intentions of publishing online.
Jamie works well in a team, as illustrated in his QUT project for SEQ water, in which a small group developed a model to investigate water supply in drought conditions. His role in the group was that of the Excel developer, which involved formulating and implementing a static model as well as creating a user-friendly interface. The representative from SEQ water was particularly impressed with the team’s model and presentation.
He enjoys and has been very successful in tutoring mathematics to a number of students from Year 8 to Year 12, across a variety of abilities. Jamie’s aim is not only to improve grades but also to instill a deeper understanding and enjoyment of maths. Working with others follows on from his previous engagement with the scouting movement. Through scouting, Jamie took part in many community activities including remembrance services, community fund raising, community projects and working with the elderly. Jamie was a patrol leader for many years and participated in an expedition to Hungary, a large number of camps and many outdoor activities including orienteering, archery, white-water rafting. He also developed skills in first aid, survival and mountain rescue.
Outpatient Scheduling in Public Hospitals
Large public hospitals often serve as a regional hub for a variety of outpatient services. Whilst there is improved access to healthcare in rural locations, patients are often redirected to capital city hospitals where the range of specialists and equipment is better suited to their needs. For patients travelling long-distances for their treatment, it is important that their appointments within multiple outpatient clinics can be scheduled for a single trip. Whilst some patient care pathways are well defined, activity durations are inherently stochastic and specialists may request ad-hoc services to assist in diagnosis and treatment. Through this research we will investigate the multi-appointment outpatient scheduling problem in large public hospitals. A mixed integer programming model will be created to minimise the total time patients are required to spend at a hospital.