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Kenneth E. Murphy

Kenneth E. Murphy

•Assistant Professor of Teaching, Paul Merage School of Business
•Program Director, MS Business Analytics, Paul Merage School of Business
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Biography

Kenneth E. (Ken) Murphy, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Teaching and the Program Director for the MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) at the Merage School of Business, UC Irvine. He obtained a PhD in Operations Research from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University, an MS in Statistics from Oregon State University, and a BA in Mathematics from Reed College.

Dr. Murphy regularly teaches courses in Predictive Analytics, Management Science, and Operations Management in undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs at the Merage School. In the MSBA Business Capstone course, he leads real-world experiential learning through the supervision of analytical consulting projects with client organizations in Orange County, CA and beyond. Currently, Dr. Murphy is focusing on the integration of AI concepts and coursework throughout the MSBA curriculum. He has also taught in the UCI Lifted program delivering management education to students incarcerated at Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.

Previously Murphy served for 3 years as Associate Provost for Academic Administration at Chapman University, where he oversaw academic operations for a 9,500-student university. He also spent 4 years as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at Chapman's Business School supporting the entire portfolio of activities for student completion and success. Finally, from 2019-2023, he was Director of Data and Systems, the business unit that provides the technology to support all Merage School academic operations from admissions through placement.

Murphy's research focuses on analytical methods and technology in higher education, as well as innovation and equity in teaching. His work has appeared in Operations Research, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, Information Systems Journal, Decision Support Systems, and JAMA Dermatology. He is the author of Applied Management Science: Prescriptive Analytics in Practice, published by Great River Learning in 2021.

In service to his academic community, Murphy serves as Chair of the INFORMS Education Outreach Committee which focuses on building interest for careers in Operations Research and Analytics. He is a member of the INFORMS Committee on Teaching and Learning, and he served as Local Arrangements Chair for the INFORMS Annual Conference in Anaheim in 2021.

Murphy has received numerous teaching awards, including multiple Excellence in Teaching awards from the MSBA and EMBA programs at Merage School. Prior to working at UCI, he received teaching and service awards for his contributions to academic excellent in the classroom and at the schools he previously served. He recently received the INFORMS Volunteer Service Award in 2025.

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Education

  • Ph.D. in Industrial Administration (Operations Research), Carnegie Mellon University, 1996
  • M.S. in Operations Research, Carnegie Mellon University, 1990
  • M.S. in Statistics, Oregon State University, 1988
  • B.A. in Mathematics, Reed College, 1983
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Distinctions

  • INFORMS Volunteer Service Award, 2025
  • Dean's Honoree, Merage School, UCI Celebration of Teaching, 2025
  • Excellence in Teaching Elective Course, Predictive Analytics, MSBA Program, 2020, 2023
  • Excellence in Teaching Core Course: Management Science, MSBA Program, 2022
  • Excellence in Teaching Core Course: Operations Management, EMBA Program, 2022
  • Faculty Excellence Award, 2016
  • Excellence in Teaching in a Core Course: Operations Management, EMBA Program, 2012, 2016
  • Award for Outstanding Teaching, MBA Program, 2008
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Areas of Expertise

  • Business Analytics and Operations
  • Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
  • Shift Scheduling Optimization
  • Knowledge Transfer Through Learning
  • Equity in Management Education
  • Capstone Project Evaluation Frameworks
  • Predictive Dermatology Models

Recent Publications

  • K Murphy, “Teaching Operations Management Behind Bars: Reflections and Prescriptions for Student Empowerment”, pp. 8102-8107, 2025. Presented at EDULEARN25.
  • K Murphy, “A Measurement Framework for Driving Improvement in Analytics Capstone” (opens in new tab), 2024. Presented at 2024 Pre-ICIS SIGDSA Symposium.
  • AN Sharma, K. Murphy, S. Shwe, M. Miller, NA Mesinkovska, NW Rojek, S. Worswick, “Predicting DRESS Syndrome Recurrence: A multi-institutional cross-sectional study”, JAMA Dermatology, 2022.
  • K. Murphy, “Applied Management Science: Prescriptive Analytics in Practice” (opens in new tab), Great River Learning, 2021.
  • Y. Levy, S. Zanakis, K. Murphy, “A Value-Satisfaction Taxonomy of IS Effectiveness (VSTISE): A Case Study of User Satisfaction with IS and User Perceived Value of IS”, International Journal of Information Systems in the Service Sector, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 93-118, 2009.
  • Y. Levy, S. Zanakis, K. Murphy, “Towards A New Taxonomy of IS Effectiveness: A Review of User Satisfaction with IS and User Perceived Value of IS”, 2008. Presented at IS OneWorld Conference.
  • E. Maltz, K. Murphy, M. Hand, “Decision Support for University Enrollment: Implementation and Experience”, Decision Support Systems, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 106-123, 2007.
  • I. Becerra-Fernandez, J. Elam, K. Murphy, “Successfully Implementing ERP: The IBM Personal Systems Group Experience”, International Journal on Internet and Enterprise Management, vol. 3, no. 1, pp. 78-97, 2005.
  • T. E. Wang, K. E. Murphy, “Semantic Integration in Multidatabase Systems: How Much Can We Integrate?”, Advanced Topics in Database Research Volume 5, Idea Group, 2005.
  • K. E. Murphy, “Critical Success Factors for Implementing ERP Systems as a Vehicle for Business Curriculum Integration at a Large State University”, Enterprise Systems Education in the 21st Century, Idea Group, 2005.
  • T. Wang, K. Murphy, “Semantic Heterogeneity in Multidatabase Systems: A Review, and a Proposed Meta-data Structure”, Journal of Database Management, vol. 15, no. 4, pp. 71-87, 2004.
  • I. Becerra-Fernandez, K. Murphy, “Semtor becomes iRG”, 2003. Presented at Hawaiian International Conference on Business.
  • K. Murphy, S. Simon, “Intangible Benefits Valuation in ERP Projects”, Information Systems Journal, vol. 12, pp. 301-320, 2002.
  • Y. Levy, K. Murphy, “Toward a Value Framework for Online Learning Systems”, 2002. Presented at Hawaiian International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-35).
  • K. Murphy, J. Elam, I. Becerra-Fernandez, “Planning for SAP R/3 Implementation at IBM Personal Systems Group”, 2002. Presented at North American Case Research Association (NACRA).
  • K. Murphy, S. Simon, “Using Cost Benefit Analysis for Enterprise Resource Planning Project Evaluation: A Case for Including Intangibles”, 2001. Presented at Hawaiian International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-34).
  • A. Mehrotra, K. Murphy, M. Trick, “Optimal Shift Scheduling: A Branch and Price Approach”, Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 185-200, 2000.
  • I. Becerra-Fernandez, K. Murphy, S. Simon, “Integrating ERP in the Business School Curriculum”, Communications of the ACM, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 39-41, 2000.
  • S. Simon, I. Becerra-Fernandez, K. Murphy, “ERP as an Enabler of Curriculum Integration”, 2000. Presented at Sapphire Asia Conference, Singapore.
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Contact Information

Website: https://merage.uci.edu/research-faculty/faculty-directory/kenneth-murphy.html

Email: murphyke@uci.edu

Address: SB1 4309

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Last updated on 7/1/2026.