Darrall Henderson, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant

Professional Profile

Dr. Henderson has over 26 years of experience solving problems and leading teams of experts in a wide range of disciplines.  As a strategic planner with a comprehensive blend of skills, he has experience working with and guiding large organizations, managing teams of professionals and tackling large scale problems.  

As a former Colonel in the Army Corps of Engineers, Darrall has experience building teams to conduct analysis of alternatives and resource allocation for multi-billion dollar budgets.  He has a broad education and years of leadership experience ranging from the classroom to operations throughout the world.

Since joining Hromadka & Associates in 2006, Dr. Henderson has participated in more than 25 investigations involving flooding events, ground water issues, land slides, debris & sediment transport issues, investigations of design defects, development of flood protection systems, design reports, design schematics, drainage studies, historic flooding, and Doppler Radar analysis among other topics.

Clearance: TS-SCI

Education

PhD – Industrial and Systems Engineering / Operations Research, Virginia Tech, 2001
Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College, 2002
Master of Science - Operations Research, Stanford University, 1990
Bachelor of Building Construction, University of Florida, 1981

Previous Professional Positions

Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Army for 26 years.  Served in command and staff positions in units consisting of thousands of soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines.  Supported operations on a global scale with international partners.

2005–2007 Director of the Math Science Center of Excellence, West Point, New York

Responsible for the outreach and research efforts of over sixty-five full time faculty members.  Planned, coordinated and allocated resources for all outreach efforts to the Army, Department of Defense and other governmental agencies in conjunction with cadet and faculty professional development. 
2004–2005 Senior Analyst and Deputy Chief of Strategy, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Plans and Assessment, Multinational Force – Iraq.  U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, Iraq

Worked as the lead analyst for the Multinational Force – Iraq (Deputy Chief of Staff-Strategy Plans and Assessment) and subsequently assigned as the deputy chief of strategy for the command.  Coordinated strategy and de-conflicted Policy for the 18 billion dollar Iraqi Reconstruction program.  Worked with US Embassy, Iraqi Government, and Coalition partners to develop a means to quantify value added to the economy and reconstruction effort.
2002–2004 Academy Professor, Department of Mathematical Science, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York
1995–1998 Operations Research, Systems Analyst in the Combat Assessment Division of the Plans, Policy and Strategic Assessment Directorate, United States Special Operations Command. Tampa, Florida
1994–1995 Operations Officer for a combat engineer battalion in a light infantry division.  Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
1990-1993 Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, United States Military Academy. West Point, New York
1986-1988 Company Commander for a Combat Heavy Engineer Construction Company. Fort Rucker, Alabama
1985-1986 Civil Engineer for a Combat Heavy Engineer Construction Battalion. Fort Rucker, Alabama
1984 - 1985 Assistant Operations Officer for a Combat Engineer Battalion. Fort Bragg, North Carolina
1983 - 1984 Executive Officer of a Combat Engineer Company.  Fort Bragg, North Carolina
1982 - 1983 Platoon Leader for a Combat Engineer Platoon and an Engineer Equipment Platoon. Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Key Project Summary

Flood Control and Flood Related Investigations
Since joining Hromadka & Associates, Dr. Henderson has participated in more than 25 investigations involving flooding events, ground water issues, land slides, debris & sediment transport issues, investigations of design defects, development of flood protection systems, design reports, design schematics, and drainage studies, historic flooding, and DOPPLER RADAR analysis among other topics.

Sediment Transport Studies, Debris, Mud Floods, Transport Processes in Fluids, Wetlands
2007 Sediment Transport in San Diego Bay, in pipelines draining to Convair Lagoon, California.
2007 Sediment Transport, effect of valley fills and dam-break, West Virginia.
2007 Sediment transport, Lake Elsinore, California.
2007 Sediment transport, Rancho Palos Verdes, California.
2007 Sediment transport, Rancho Cucamonga,California.

Water Quality Studies and Monitoring Plans
2007 BMP performance at General Dynamics, TDY, Port Authority, at Convair Lagoon, California.

Groundwater and Contaminant Transport Studies
2007 Heavy Metals, PCB, BTEX transport to Convair Lagoon, California. Tidal influence. Back wave/run-up effects.
2007 Groundwater analysis, residential developments, Pahrump, NV.
2007 Groundwater seepage into commercial facility, Placerville, California.

Flooding/Floodplain Inundation Studies/Rainfall Analyses/Land Slide Analysis
2007 Arid Hydrology, County of San Bernardino, California
2007 Analysis of flooding in West Virginia related to mining and logging operations.
2007 Analysis of Doppler radar and severe rainfall analysis or flooding, Chicago, IL.
2007 Analysis of municipal combined sewer system, Chicago, IL.
2007 Analysis of land subsidence, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
2007 Analysis of landslides, Rolling Hills, California.
2007 Flooding along horse-trail and residential tract, San Juan Capistrano, California.
2007 Analysis of sink holes, Rancho Cucamonga, California.
2007 Flooding of industrial facility caused by interstate highway construction, Seabrook, New Hampshire.
2007 BMP and analysis of rock wall, Cornwall, New York
2007 Tidal and river flow analysis, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
2007 Analysis of ground water and street drainage, East Patchogue, New York.
2007 Analysis of landslides, Pacific Palisades, California.
2007 Analysis of landslides, La Conchita, California.

Litigation Experience

Dr. Henderson has worked with several law firms throughout the United States, for both plaintiff and defendant actions, preparing technical reviews and analyses. Cases involved floods, surface and groundwater evaluations, contamination issues, sedimentation, mud flow, debris flow, landslide, inverse condemnation, design adequacy, failures of dams, and other elements, probability and statistics, life and property loss claims.
Research Directed / Conducted:

Joint Strategic Planning System re-invention (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff).
Army Material Command reorganization and relocation study (Director of Strategic Planning and Integration).
West Point facilities use and coordination study (Garrison Commander, USMA).
Office of the Director of the Army Staff reorganization study (Director of the Army Staff).  MAJ Doug McInvale and LTC Simon Goerger.

Project Tracking and Resource Management Tool (Vice Director of the Army Staff).  CDT Jasmine Walker.

Chaplain Deployment Assignment Tool (Office of the Chief of Chaplains).  CDT Adam Maciuba, CDT Michael Mingler, MAJ Doug McInvale.

Laboratory Metrics to Support Base Realignment and Closure Efforts (Army Research Labs, BRAC).  CDT Christopher Freeborg and CDT Nicole Posey.

Key Word Database for Government Contracts (Vice Director of the Army Staff).  CDT Matthew Hoffman
Individual Fitness Development at USMA (DPE).  CDT Jonathon Florance.

Program Assessment Process and Metric Development (Army G8).  CDT Phillip Kim, CDT Scott Warnke, and MAJ Harold LaRock.

IED Lifecycle analysis study – USMA interdisciplinary team.

Organizational study of USMA research and study program office – Establishing an Academic Research Council at USMA.

Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) location and consolidation study (Military Entrance and Processing Command). MAJ John Jackson.

MEPS simulation and space allocation model (Military Entrance and Processing Command).  MAJ Joe Baird.

Developed and implemented the Special Operations Cost Benefit Analysis Model (SOCBAM) which is used to justify the Program Objective Memorandum that USSOCOM submits to Congress.

Developed the Strategy to Task Assessment Model (STAM) that provides a framework for USSOCOM to justify and defend programs to Congress.

Lead analyst for USSOCOM during the first Quadrennial Defense Review.

Conducted analysis to support the Dynamic Commitment exercises which were used to justify all services contributions to the DOD based on value added to the Defense Planning Scenarios at the time.

Conducted analysis to support the Commando Commitment exercises which were used to justify National Mission and Other Governmental Agencies contributions to Presidential directed missions.

Created and implemented a Deployed Forces Data Base which tracked and accounted for all SOF assets world wide.  This tool provided the first means to defend end strength and map back the POM process.

Presentations:

Balancing the Elements of National Power, 14 June 2006, 74th Military Operations Research Symposium, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.

Operations Research Supporting a Nation at War, 20 April 2006, Keynote Address, Service Academy Math Conference, United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.

Supporting Emerging Democracy in Iraq, 23 March 2006, Gordon College, Boston, MA.

System Dynamics Applied to Strategic Planning, 24 March 2006, BAE Systems, Boston, MA.

Analysis in Support of the Campaign Plan for Operation Iraqi Freedom, 11 July 2005, IFORS, Honolulu, HI.

West Point Reaches out to the Army and the Department of Defense, 11 July 2005, IFORS, Honolulu, HI.

Economic Analysis in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, 11 July 2005, IFORS, Honolulu, HI

Operations Research Supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, 21 June 2005, 73d Military Operations Research Symposium, West Point, NY.

Analytical Support to the Multinational Force - Iraq Campaign Plan, 21 June 2005, 73d Military Operations Research Symposium, West Point, NY.

Using System Dynamics to Enhance the Counterinsurgency Efforts in Iraq, 21 April 2005, Workshop on System Dynamics of Physical and Social Systems for National Security, Washington, DC from 21-22.

The Military Entrance Processing Command Location Optimization Study - A Team Effort, 5-8 July 2005, Joint Mathematics Meetings, American Mathematical Society, Atlanta, GA.

A Method for Allocating Financial Resources to Combat Terrorism: Optimizing the Reduction of Consequences, 19-22 October 2003, INFORMS, Atlanta, GA.

Allocating Financial Resources to Combat Terrorism: Optimizing the Reduction in Consequences, 11 June 2003, 71st Military Operations Research Symposium, Quantico VA.  Awarded best working group presentation and nominated for the Barchi prize.

Joint Research and Orientation Program:  Exposing the Combatant Commander to Quantitative Support, 29 January 2003, Military Operations Research Workshop - Combat Analysis: Deploying Quantitative Support to the Combatant Commander, Mclean, VA.

Simulated Annealing and Local Search Algorithms Tutorial,  20 November 2002, Military Operations Research Mini Symposium - New Techniques: A Better Understanding of Their Applications to Analysis, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, Laurel, MD.

Building a Capabilities Based Strategic Planning Process for Homeland Defense, 8 November 2002, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, D.C.

Modeling a Strategy for Homeland Security and Terrorism, 8 November 2002, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, D.C.

Modeling a Strategy for Combating Terrorism, June 2002, 70th Military Operations Research Symposium, Fort Leavenworth, KS.

Modeling Terrorism, October 2001, ISE departmental seminar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

Investigating Neighborhood Strategies for Local Search Algorithms, June 2001, 69th Military Operations Research Symposium, Annapolis, MD.

Estimating the Effectiveness of and Establishing Stopping Conditions for Local Search Algorithms, September 2000, ISE departmental seminar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

Optimal Search Strategies Using Simultaneous Generalized Hill Climbing Algorithms, September 2000, ISE departmental seminar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

Optimal Search Strategies Using Local Search Algorithms, June 2000,  68th Military Operations Research Symposium, Colorado Springs, CO.  Awarded best working group presentation and nominated or the Barchi prize.

Optimal Cut and Fill Strategies Using Local Search Algorithms,  December 1999, ISE departmental seminar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

How Bad is Bad? Comparing Algorithms Plus an Incomplete Guide to P and NP, September 1999, ISE departmental seminar, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.

Analysis for the United States Special Operations Command, June 1997, Army Operations Research Symposium, Fort Lee, VA.

Special Operations Cost Benefit Analysis Model,  June 1996,  64th Military Operations Research Symposium, Fort Leavenworth, KS.  Awarded best working group presentation and nominated for the Barchi prize.

Publications:

Jacobson, S.H., Mclay, L.A., Hall, S.N., Henderson, D., Vaughan, D.E., 2005, “Optimal Search Strategies Using Simultaneous Generalized Hill Climbing Algorithms,” Mathematical and Computer Modeling.

Henderson, D., E.K. Rugenstein, 2004, "Facilitating Outreach and Teaching," Mathematica Militaris, vol. 14, issue 3 pp. 5-8.

Henderson, D, Jacobson, S.H., Johnson, A.W., 2003, “The Theory and Practice of Simulated Annealing,” (in Handbook on Metaheuristics, F. Glover and G. Kochenberger, Editors), Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell, Massachusetts.

Henderson, D., D. E. Vaughan, S. H. Jacobson, R. R. Wakefield, and E.C. Sewell, 2003, "Solving the Shortest Route Cut and Fill Problem Using Simulated Annealing," European Journal of Operational Research, vol. 145, pp. 72-84.

Henderson, D. (2002), Modeling a Strategy for Combating Terrorism, Strategy Research Project, United States Army War College.

Henderson, D., Wakefield, R.R., Vaughan, D., Jacobson, S.H., 2001, "Optimal Earthmoving Vehicle Routes Using Local Search Algorithms, "Perspectives on Innovation in Architecture, Engineering and Construction, Anumba, C.J., Egbu, C. and Thorpe, A. Editors, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on 'Innovation In Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC)', Loughborough University, United Kingdom.

Henderson, D. (2001), Assessing the Finite Time Performance of Local Search Algorithms, Doctoral Dissertation, Virginia Tech.

Henderson, D. (1998), Special Operations Cost Benefit Analysis Model, Technical Report, United States Special Operations Command, MacDill AFB, FL

Memberships and Service:

Adjunct faculty, Department of Mathematical Sciences, United States Military Academy

Institute for Operations Research

Society of American Military Engineers

International Council on Systems Engineering

Military Operations Research Society – Co-Chair of Working Group 16, Special Operations, Operations Other Than War and Interagency Issues

INFORMS COMAP Subcommittee

Charter member of the Academic Research Council, United States Military Academy (2004–2006)

USMA Teaching Committee (2002–2006)

Operations Research and Systems Analysis council of Colonels (2002–2006)

Army Operations Research and Systems Analysis advisory Committee (2002–2006)