Ricardo Valerdi

Department Head of Systems and Industrial Engineering
Distinguished Outreach Professor
Faculty Athletics Representative
Member of the Graduate Faculty

Dr. Ricardo Valerdi is a professor in the Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering.  His research focuses on systems engineering, cost estimation, and sports analytics.  He was the founder and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Enterprise Transformation and was the editor-in-chief of the Journal of Cost Analysis and Parametrics.  He is a Fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and a foreign member of the Mexican Academy of Engineering. Previously he was a visiting fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering, a visiting professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and a Fulbright Scholar at Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (Spain). Valerdi is also UA’s Faculty Athletics Representative, serving as a liason to the PAC-12 and NCAA.

Degrees

  • PhD Industrial and Systems Engineering
    • University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
    • The Constructive Systems Engineering Cost Model
  • MS System Architecture and Engineering
    • University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
  • BS Electrical Engineering
    • University of San Diego, San Diego, California, United States

Work Experience

  • University of Arizona (2020 - Ongoing)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2018 - Ongoing)
  • University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (2011 - 2018)
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts (2005 - 2011)

Interests

Teaching

Systems engineering, cost estimation, sports analytics

Research

Systems engineering, cost estimation, sports analytics

Selected Publications

Chapters

  • Bukhari, H. J., Valerdi, R., & Ward, D. (2014). Quantifying risk of acquisition portfolios. In Digital Enterprise Design & Management(pp 143--143). Springer International Publishing.
  • Gorod, A., White, B. E., Ireland, V., Gandhi, S. J., Sauser, B., Cizaire, C., & Valerdi, R. (2014). Heathrow Terminal 5: Cost Management for a Mega Construction Project. In Case Studies in System of Systems, Enterprise Systems, and Complex Systems Engineering(pp 731--749). CRC Press.
  • Latner, A., & Valerdi, R. (2011). Feature Performance Metrics for Software as a Service Offering. In Improving Complex Systems Today(pp 151--158). Springer London.
  • Valerdi, R., & Fernandes, B. (2011). Underestimation in the “When It Gets Worse Before it Gets Better” Phenomenon in Process Improvement. In Improving Complex Systems Today(pp 3--10). Springer London.

Journals/Publications

  • Boehm, B., Lane, J. A., Kern, P. M., Jost, A. C., Thayer, R. H., Leach, R. J., Valerdi, R., Ross, A. M., & Rhodes, D. H. (2016). Systems Engineering CrossTalk. crosstalk, 801, 775--5555.
  • Cisneros, J. A., & Valerdi, R. (2016). An{'a}lisis Cuantitativo y Cualitativo para Determinar la Cultura Intr{'i}nseca de la Norma Mexicana NMX-I-59/NYCE-2005..
  • Cisneros, J. A., Valerdi, R., & Oca, C. M. (2016). Adopci{'o}n de Tecnolog{'i}as de Desarrollo de Software Considerando la Brecha Cultural Existente entre la Cultura Organizacional y la Cultura Intr{'i}nseca de una Tecnolog{'i}a..
  • Collar, E., & Valerdi, R. (2016). Role of Software Readability on Development Cost. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
  • Conboy, B. F., Valerdi, K. P., & Stol, L. M. (2016). Lean Enterprise Software and Systems.
  • Dimitrov, I. Z., Hess, J. T., & Perkins, L. N. (2016). Healthcare Reborn.
  • Dorey, M. S., Oehmen, J., & Valerdi, R. (2016). Enhancing Cost Realism through Risk-Driven Contracting.
  • Downes, C. G., Chung, P. W., Morris, A., Yang, K., Chen, Y., Lu, Y., Zhao, Q., Hess, J. T., Valerdi, R., Mane, M., & others, . (2016). 5th International Conference on System of Systems Engineering (SoSE 2010).
  • Giombea, M., Valerdi, R., & Wagner, S. (2016). The influence of software quality requirements on the suitability of software cost es{c{S}}ma{c{S}}on methods.
  • Honour, E. C., & Valerdi, R. (2016). Toward an Ontology for Measuring Systems Engineering Return on Investment (SE-ROI).
  • Madachy, R., & Valerdi, R. (2016). University of Southern California-Center for Systems and Software Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology--Systems Engineering Advancement Research Initiative madachy@usc.edu, rvalerdi@mit.edu.
  • Pan, X., Valerdi, R., & Kang, R. (2016). Procedia Computer Science.
  • Russac, J., Jones, C., Garmus, D., Alm{'e}n, P., Malkiewicz, H., Mayer, L., Morris, P., Pandey, N., Buglione, L., Chemuturi, M., & others, . (2016). The IFPUG Guide to IT and Software Measurement.
  • Torrance, C. (2016). Systems Engineering Sizing in the Age of Acquisition Reform.
  • Turner, R., & Pyster, A. (2016). The Graduate Software Engineering Reference Curriculum: A Joint Industry, Government and Academic Project.

Proceedings Publications

  • Wang, G., Roedler, G. J., Pena, M., & Valerdi, R. (2014). 3.3. 1 A Generalized Systems Engineering Reuse Framework and Its Cost Estimating Relationship. In INCOSE International Symposium, 24.
  • Valerdi, R., & Christopherson, T. L. (2013). 6.3. 1 COSYSMO Calibration Steps and Results. In INCOSE International Symposium, 23.
  • Wang, G., Roedler, G. J., Valerdi, R., & Pena, M. (2013). 9.2. 2 Quantifying Systems Engineering Reuse--a Generalized Reuse Framework in COSYSMO. In INCOSE International Symposium, 23.
  • Valerdi, R., & Zonnenshain, A. (2012). Teaching Them How to Fish: Industry-Focused Student Projects in Systems Engineering. In INCOSE International Symposium, 22.
  • Valerdi, R., & Zonnenshain, A. (2012). Teaching them how to fish. In 22nd Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2012 and the 8th Biennial European Systems Engineering Conference 2012, EuSEC 2012.
  • Boehm, B., & Valerdi, R. (2011). Impact of software resource estimation research on practice: a preliminary report on achievements, synergies, and challenges. In 2011 33rd International Conference on Software Engineering (ICSE).
  • Boghosian, M., & Valerdi, R. (2011). Cost Estimating Methodology for Very Small Satellites. In COCOMO Forum.
  • Lane, J. A., & Valerdi, R. (2011). System Interoperability Influence on System of Systems Engineering Effort. In Proceedings of the Conference on Systems Engineering Research.
  • Valerdi, R. (2011). 10.4. 2 Convergence of Expert Opinion via the Wideband Delphi Method: An Application in Cost Estimation Models. In INCOSE International Symposium, 21.
  • Valerdi, R. (2011). Convergence of expert opinion via the wideband delphi method. In 21st Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, INCOSE 2011.
  • Yang, Y., Xie, L., He, Z., Li, Q., Nguyen, V., Boehm, B., & Valerdi, R. (2011). Local bias and its impacts on the performance of parametric estimation models. In Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Predictive Models in Software Engineering.
  • Deonandan, I., Valerdi, R., Lane, J. A., & Macias, F. (2010). Cost and risk considerations for test and evaluation of unmanned and autonomous systems of systems. In System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), 2010 5th International Conference on.
  • Dickerson, C., & Valerdi, R. (2010). Using relational model transformations to reduce complexity in SoS requirements traceability: Preliminary investigation. In System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), 2010 5th International Conference on.
  • Hess, J. T., & Valerdi, R. (2010). Test and evaluation of a SoS using a prescriptive and adaptive testing framework. In System of Systems Engineering (SoSE), 2010 5th International Conference on.
  • Hess, J., Agarwal, G., Cowart, K. K., Deonandan, I., Kenley, C. R., Mikaelian, T., & Valerdi, R. (2010). 5.2. 2 Normative and Descriptive Models for Test & Evaluation of Unmanned and Autonomous Systems of Systems. In INCOSE International Symposium, 20.

Others

  • Aggarwal, T., Valerdi, R., & Potoski, M. (2016). When More is Better: Design Principles for Prediction Markets in Defense Acquisition Cost Forecasting.
  • Dabkowski, M., & Valerdi, R. (2016). The Budding SV3: Estimating the Cost of Architectural Growth Early in the Life Cycle.
  • Deonandan, I. D. (2016). A Cost Model for Testing Unmanned and Autonomous Systems of Systems.
  • Kotzian, M. J., Kobren, B., Wood, R. L., Fast, W. R., Tremaine, R. L., Seligman, D. J., Axiotis, G., Liu, K. K., Valerdi, R., Rhodes, D. H., & others, . (2016). Defense Acquisition Review Journal. Volume 17, Number 2, Issue 54. Achieving Excellence in a Changing Acquisition Environment.
  • Liu, K. K., Valerdi, R., Rhodes, D. H., Kimm, L., & Headen, A. (2016). The F119 engine: A success story of human systems integration in acquisition.
  • MARA{~n}{'O}N, R., GUALDA, E., & VALERDI, R. (2016). The Dynamics of Circular Migration in Southern Europe: An Example of Social Innovation.
  • Madachy, R., & Valerdi, R. (2016). Knowledge-Based Systems Engineering Risk Assessment.
  • Olwell, D., Roedler, G., Henshaw, M., & Valerdi, R. (2016). The Body of Knowledge and Curriculum to Advance Systems Engineering.
  • Roetzheim, W., Jones, C., Dekkers, C. A., Putnam, L. H., Putnam, D. T., Beckett, D. M., Boehm, B., Valerdi, R., Lane, J. A., Brown, A., & others, . (2016). CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 18, Number 4.
  • Valerdi, R., & Potoski, M. (2016). Prediction Markets as an Information Aggregation Tool for Effective Project Management in Defense Acquisition Projects.
  • Wang, P., Valerdi, R., Zhou, S., & Li, L. (2015). Introduction: Advances in IoT research and applications.
  • Fitzgerald, B., Conboy, K., Power, K., Valerdi, R., Morgan, L., & Stol, K. (2013). Lean Enterprise Software and Systems: 4th International Conference, LESS 2013, Galway, Ireland, December 1-4, 2013, Proceedings.
  • Muralidharan, S. (2012). Assessment of ocean thermal energy conversion.
  • Zini, F. A. (2012). How do senior leaders conceive and re-architect their enterprises?.
  • Aggarwal, T. (2011). Prediction markets for cost and risk assessment.

Awards

  • Best paper award, Journal of Systems Engineering
    • International Council of Systems Engineering, Summer I 2016
  • Foreign Member
    • Mexican Academy of Engineering, Summer I 2016
  • Frank Freiman Award for Lifetime Achievement in Cost Estimation and Parametric Modeling
    • Highest award given by the International Cost Estimating & Analysis Association, Fall 2015