The systems of our most critical infrastructure (energy, water, communications and transportation) are increasingly interconnected.  While increasing efficiency in operation, this interconnectedness introduces vulnerabilities and the potential for cascading impacts during a hazardous event or disruption to the infrastructure. Modeling a physical system of infrastructure, such as the electric grid, is computationally challenging. To model the impacts of a disruptive event, these large systems must be connected to capture the cascading impacts, adding layers of complexity in modeling. This discussion explores the complexity of this space to include the depth of information needed for the infrastructure systems.

Bio:  Julia Phillips is the Deputy Director of Methodology for RISC at Argonne National Laboratory. Julia has considerable experience in the application of operations research methods in a number of different disciplines to include decision analysis, modeling and simulation and statistical analysis.  She is currently assisting with the development and implementation of risk methodology with respect to critical infrastructure with special focus on capturing system level resilience and the impacts of dependencies and interdependencies between critical infrastructure assets and systems. Prior to joining the RISC, Julia spent 13 years as an active duty Air Force officer as a scientific analyst. Julia received her B.S. in Mathematics from the US Air Force Academy, an M.S. in Operations Research from the Air Force Institute of Technology, an M.S. in Mineral Economics from the Colorado School of Mines and a PhD in Operations Research from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO