In-person
Decision Making in M&A Workshop (Viktor Koosh)
- November 11, 2026
- 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- CBB 104
University of Houston Student Chapter
Society of Decision Professionals
Empowering Better Decision Makers at the University of Houston.
We teach the frameworks professionals actually use, build leadership through real project teams, and open direct access to industry practitioners — all on campus.
Raji Aiyer
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Berta
SDP Instructor
Why SDP?
- Learn a decision framework you'll use in every internship and interview.
- Practice on real problems with mentors from industry, not textbook cases.
- Build a Houston professional network before you graduate.
About the chapter
Structured thinking, taught by people who do it for a living.
SDP is the professional society for decision analysis practitioners. Our UH chapter — founded in Fall 2025 and the first of its kind — brings that practice to campus through weekly classes, project teams, and industry mentorship.
What is Decision Analysis?
A discipline for making high-stakes choices under uncertainty: clarify the frame, lay out real alternatives, model the trade-offs, and commit with clear reasoning. It is how energy companies decide on billion-dollar projects and how strategists choose between imperfect options.
Why it matters for you
Recruiters do not just want an answer — they want to see how you got there. Members leave with a repeatable method for structuring ambiguous problems and the confidence to defend a recommendation out loud.
Member benefits
Why join SDP at UH
Six things every member gets from day one.
Professional Development
Workshops on resumes, recruiting, and workplace communication led by people who hire students.
Industry Networking
Direct access to decision analysts and consultants across Houston energy, healthcare, and finance.
Leadership Opportunities
Lead a project team, run an event, or serve on the executive board as the chapter grows.
Decision Analysis Skills
Learn framing, decision trees, value of information, and the full Decision Quality chain.
Real-World Team Projects
Work in small teams on live decision problems sourced from our industry partners.
Presentation & Communication
Defend a recommendation to practicing professionals and get direct, useful feedback.
Signature learning experience
The Friday Decision Framing class
Every Friday, Dr. Berta leads members through one full turn of the decision cycle — the same sequence practitioners run on real projects.
- 01
Frame
Define the real decision, the alternatives on the table, and what actually matters to the decision maker.
- 02
Analyze
Build the model: data, uncertainties, trade-offs, and the value of gathering more information.
- 03
Recommend
Turn analysis into a clear, defensible recommendation with the reasoning made visible.
- 04
Present
Deliver it to industry mentors, take the hard questions, and iterate on the feedback.
What's next
Upcoming events
Open to all UH students — members get priority seating.
- In-person
SDP × MISSO: Decision-Making & AI in the Workplace with Access Sciences
- November 12, 2026
- 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
- TBD
Co-host: MISSO Guests: Access Sciences - Bright Boakye, Denzel Wilson & Steve Erickson (CEO)
- In-person
Decision Chef: From the Boardroom to the Kitchen (David Skinner)
- November 17, 2026
- 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- TBD
Guest: David Skinner - Decision Quality professional, author, entrepreneur, and award-winning chef. Highlights: - Career in commodity trading and decision analysis (Conoco, DuPont, founded Decision Strategies, Inc.) - Author of best-selling "Introduction to Decision Analysis" and taught at Rice University Jones School EMBA for 16+ years - Acclaimed restaurateur & entrepreneur (Eculent, ISHTIA, 2025 James Beard semifinalist, Meticulous Spirits)
- In-person
Communicating the Case for Better Decisions, Workshop (David Hoffman)
- November 18, 2026
- 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
- CBB 104
Gallery
Moments from the chapter
Get involved
Come to a workshop this semester
The chapter is not charging dues right now — there is nothing to pay and no application to pass. Tell us you are interested and an officer will let you know what is coming up.
The professional credential is a separate thing: SDP national membership runs $25 a year for students. How the parent organization works.
Tell us about you
Takes two or three minutes. An officer will follow up by email.
- 12 questions — your major, academic level, and what you want out of SDP
- About three minutes, and there are no dues to pay
- Google emails you a copy of your answers when you finish
Opens in Google Forms. Would rather ask a question first? Email us instead.