Gerald R. Wagner, Ph.D., is widely recognized as a visionary in data visualization and decision support technology. As a Senior Scientist for the Gallup Organization, Wagner leads an initiative on visual storytelling and data visualization held at the Gallup University Riverfront campus in Omaha, Nebraska. More than 400 Omaha managers have attended his seminars and workshops, which he organizes with leading experts from around the world. Several of his students work as interns for Gallup's data visualization needs.
In 2001, Wagner left Austin, Texas to join the College of Information Science and Technology faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). At UNO, he started and now directs the International Academy for Advanced Decision Support Systems (IAADS) and One Innovation Place (OneIP). IAADS is a consortium of DSS leaders from around the world that consults with businesses and government agencies on complex modeling issues; it also sponsors an annual thought leader's summit. One IP trains, mentors, and places approximately 25 student interns who are interested in advanced software development (with a special emphasis on multi-media technology and user-interaction design).
While a member of the faculty at the University of Texas, Austin, Wagner was head of the Industrial Engineering and Operations Research group for the College of Engineering. During his tenure, he was one of the founders of the field known as Decision Support Systems (DSS).
Wagner is a prominent and successful software technology entrepreneur, having built software companies from the ground up that resulted in successful products in the world marketplace. He founded Execucom Systems, Corp. in 1978 and served as its CEO until the company was acquired by GTE in 1984. Execucom was a world leader in DSS. In 1989, Wagner founded Collaborative Technologies Corp., Inc., also in Austin, Texas. CTC produced one of the first commercial groupware/group collaboration software applications for real-time electronic meetings.
In 1991, Wagner founded Milagro Systems, Inc.; its software enabled novice computer users to create multimedia books. In 2000, he founded WebIQ, Inc., where he designed Web-based group decision support software. In 2005, along with students at UNO, he started GRW Studios, Inc., which designs and develops software that combines an English-like simulation with state-of-the-art visualization technology.
Wagner received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his doctorate from Iowa State University. He is the author of many articles and is a frequent keynote speaker. He has held public offices as a city councilman and president of a Chamber of Commerce, both in Texas.
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