This volume originates from two workshops, both focusing on themes that
are reflected in the title of the volume. The first workshop took place
at Eindhoven University of Technology, April 24-26, 2001, on the
occasion of the University granting a doctorate honoris causa to Profes-
sor John A. Buzacott. The second workshop was held on June 15, 2002 at
Cornell University (preceding the annual INFORMSjMSOM Confer- ence),
honoring John's retirement and his lifetime contributions. Each of the
two workshops consisted of about a dozen technical presentations. The
objective of the volume, however, is not to simply publish the
proceedings of the two workshops. Rather, our objective is to put to-
gether a select set of articles, each organized into a well-written
chapter, focusing on a timely topic. Collected into a single volume,
these chapters aim to serve as a useful reference for researchers and
practitioners alike, and also as reading materials for graduate courses
or seminars.