#faculty
Ugur Aytun Ozturkアイトゥン オズターク
Professor
Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Email : ozturk [at] fc.ritsumei.ac.jp (Replace "[at]" with "@")
Office Location : AC5314
Education History /
Work Experience
Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2003
M.S. in Industrial Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 2001
B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research, University of California at Berkeley, 1999
Since 2003, I have held academic positions in the U.S., China, and Japan, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, including business analytics, data science, management science, quantitative methods, and operations management. With over two decades of pedagogical experience, I have been involved in team teaching, executive education, distance education courses, and curriculum design for undergraduate, MBA, and Executive MBA programs. My current teaching focus is at the intersection of business analytics and artificial intelligence. I also have leadership experience, having previously served as MBA chair, assistant dean, and dean of the College of Business Administration at Hawai'i Pacific University in the U.S. I currently serve as the Vice President of the International Centre for Innovation and Industrial Logistics.
Specialization /
Research Interests
Research keywords
Business Analytics, Data Science, Management Sciences, Operations Research, and Operations Management.
Specialization / Research Interests
I conduct research in Operations Research and the Management Sciences, applying analytics to help organizations make better decisions. My past work addressed planning problems in energy systems, logistics, tourism, and group decision-making, with a focus on efficiency, sustainability, and long-term outcomes. I have published in peer-reviewed journals and received competitive research support, including support from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. I continue to draw on ideas from multiple fields to develop analytical models with practical applications.
Message to Students
Despite all the technological advancements, two skills that still matter deeply have not changed: thinking clearly and practicing curiosity. At GLA, you'll practice asking better questions, working with data responsibly, and using tools to inform your decisions—not make them for you. Your judgment matters most when there's no clear answer. You'll weigh trade-offs and understand the consequences of your choices. You'll do this alongside people who care about solving real problems. In the courses you’ll take from me, my job is to help you become a thoughtful, globally minded thinker who can explain what you believe and support it with evidence. I'll challenge you when it helps, and I hope you'll challenge me too. I look forward to working with you.