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Research Interests
The primary focus of my research program is to use quantitative methods (discrete-event simulation, mathematical modeling, and statistics) to develop management policies for humanitarian relief, supply chain, and production systems. My early work focused on developing and applying performability (performance and reliability) measures to production systems, which provided a foundation for research focused on larger-scale production and service (supply chain) systems. Since then, I have applied this foundation to new areas, including environmentally conscious supply chain management and humanitarian relief chains.
Sustainability
My early work in this area focuses on closed-loop supply chains. In particular, I developed
a performance measurement framework for measuring the performance of closed-loop supply chains
that serve the dual purposes of supply and sustainability. This framework was subsequently
used as a basis for developing a model that locates collection centers in a product recovery
network. More recent work in this area includes developing an environmental ethic for supply
chain management, and understanding the impacts of sustainability on supply chain
management.
Humanitarian Relief Chains
My particular expertise relates directly to the support of humanitarian logistics research and
practice through establishing effective performance evaluation and management of humanitarian
relief chains. The unpredictability of global emergencies (e.g., volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
floods) and the stakes associated with adequate and timely delivery dominate the uniqueness and
challenge of managing the material flow of the relief chain, with the ultimate objectives of
delivering the correct amount or number of people, goods, and monetary resources to locations
worldwide in a timely manner.
Supply Chain and Production Systems
This work centers on developing performance metrics and models to achieve high-performance
large and small-scale production systems. More specifically, my work in this area focuses on
developing performance measurement systems for the supply chain, developing models using those
systems to form linkages to key supply chain controls and understanding how to manipulate those
controls to design high-performance supply and service chains.