Research Scientists
 | Angi Acocella, PhD Presentation: Moving Beyond Contracts: a Portfolio Approach to Transportation Procurement Bio: Dr. Acocella is a research scientist in CTL’s FreightLab working in transportation procurement. This includes research on shipper-carrier relationships, portfolio assessments, supplier selection, contracting, pricing strategies, and market dynamics. She has worked with US and North American as well as with European partners, including a research stay in the Netherlands working with the Port of Rotterdam, among other actors. |
 | Miguel Rodríguez García, PhD Presentation: The Warehouse of the Future: Navigating Technological Disruptions in Highly Automated Warehouses Bio: Dr. García is a Research Scientist at MIT CTL, where he leads the Warehouse of the Future initiative within the Omnichannel Supply Chain Lab. His research focuses on the future of supply chains, with a particular emphasis on technology adoption, risk management, and the evolving role of humans in modern warehouses. With expertise in procurement, manufacturing, warehousing, and transportation, Miguel specializes in e-commerce and omnichannel logistics. Over his career as a researcher, he has collaborated with multiple global industry partners to address real-world challenges. He is also a frequent presenter at international conferences, and his work has been published in some of the most prominent scientific journals in supply chain management. Beyond his research, he plays a pivotal role in advancing digital learning at MIT, leading the largest course within the MITx MicroMasters Program in Supply Chain Management, serving over 20,000 students annually. He also teaches in MIT's graduate degree and executive education programs, equipping future leaders with the knowledge and tools to drive innovation and excellence in supply chain management. |
 | Selene Silvestri, PhD Presentation: Intelligent Inventory Decisions in Strategic Network Design Bio: Dr. Silvestri is a Research Scientist at the MIT CTL Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab. Her current research focuses on supply chain network design and inventory management. Her work is conducted in collaboration with global organizations and aims to leverage optimization methods to enhance their decision-making in supply chain management. Dr. Silvestri received her Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Salerno, in Italy. Following her doctoral studies, Dr. Silvestri was a Postdoctoral Fellow at HEC in Montréal, Canada, affiliated with the Institute for Data Valorisation (IVADO) and the Interuniversity Research Center on Enterprise Networks, Logistics and Transportation (CIRRELT). Before joining MIT, Dr. Silvestri worked as a Pre-Sales Technical Consultant in Optimization at FICO. |
Postdoctoral Researchers
 | Camilo Mora, PhD Presentation: Last-mile Logistics for Nanostores in Emerging Markets: Addressing the Parking Problem Bio: Dr. Camilo Mora-Quiñones holds a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences, an M.Sc. in Engineering Sciences, and a B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey. As a Postdoctoral Associate at MIT LIFT Lab, his work focuses on applied research, field experiments, and streamlining last-mile logistics in emerging markets to serve nanostores. He is also the host of the "Emerging Market Retail Podcast" and was recognized with the "Best Master’s Thesis of Mexico 2020" award by the Mexican Logistics and Supply Chain Association. |
 | Harol Mauricio Gamez Alban, PhD Presentation: The Race Against Time: Optimizing Fresh Food Supply Chains Under Uncertainty Bio: Dr. Gamez is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Food and Retail Operations Lab. His main research focuses on the development of decision support models in different areas of supply chain management, such as vehicle routing, logistics network design, warehousing and agricultural supply chains. |
 | Katerina Boukin, PhD Presentation: Optimizing Post-Flood Road Management: Weight Waivers, and Resilient Route Design for Enhanced Emergency Response Bio: Dr. Katya Boukin is a Postdoctoral Associate at the Center for Transportation & Logistics (CTL), where her research focuses on the intersection of flood hazards, infrastructure resilience, and supply chain. She holds a BSc in Structural Engineering from the Technion in Israel, an SM from MIT specializing in geotechnical engineering, and a PhD from MIT in Systems Engineering. With three years of experience in structural design for bridges and tunnels and five years in water supply engineering, Katya brings a holistic perspective to addressing the challenges posed by fluvial and pluvial flooding in both urban and rural environments under current and changing climate conditions. |
 | Thomas Hans Arjen Koch, PhD Presentation: Transaction Classification with Machine Learning and Large Language Models Bio: Thomas Koch is a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Center for Transportation & Logistics (MIT CTL), where he collaborates with the U.S. Department of Transportation on the FLOW project (Freight Logistics Optimization Works). His research focuses on leveraging high-performance computing, real-time data processing, and geospatial analytics to enhance visibility and efficiency in maritime shipping and intermodal logistics. Thomas holds a Ph.D. from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where his research examined multimodal route choice after the opening of a metro line in Amsterdam. His expertise lies in algorithm development, large-scale data systems, and predictive modeling, applying advanced computational methods to optimize freight movement and supply chain resilience. By integrating diverse data sources, Thomas develops scalable solutions that support data-driven decision-making in transportation networks. He is passionate about bridging cutting-edge technology with real-world logistics challenges, driving innovation in freight and intermodal transportation. |
 | Sarah Katharina Schaumann, PhD Presentation: Leveraging Machine Learning to Improve Outbound Logistics Bio: Dr. Schaumann is a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Center for Transportation and Logistics, working in the Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab. She leverages AI, machine learning, and optimization methods to tackle real-world challenges in logistics. Sarah earned her Dr. Sc. ETH Zurich from ETH Zurich, where she focused on evaluating innovative last-mile logistics concepts such as collaborative truck and drone delivery systems. Additionally, she collaborated with humanitarian organizations and the INSEAD's Humanitarian Research Group on research projects aimed at improving humanitarian fleet management. She holds an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from the Technical University of Darmstadt. |
 | Breno Serrano De Araujo, PhD Presentation: Data-driven Inventory Management for the Operation of Complex Supply Chain Networks Bio: Dr. Serrano is a Postdoctoral Associate at the MIT Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab. His current research focuses on developing data-driven optimization and machine learning techniques for distributed inventory management. Dr. Breno Serrano received his PhD in Operations Research and Management Science from the Technical University of Munich in Germany and has four years of industry experience in data science and engineering roles. |