About

Ahmed Ghoniem is a Professor of Operations & Information Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, appointed in 2022. He has previously served as an Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in the same department. His research interests include retail analytics, supply chain management, manufacturing and service operations management, routing and scheduling, and airport operations management. Ghoniem's work involves mathematical modeling and optimization methodologies to address complex problems in these areas. He holds a PhD and MSc from Virginia Tech, obtained in 2007 and 2003 respectively, and an MSc from Ecole des Mines de Nantes in France, earned in 2002. Throughout his academic career, Ghoniem has been recognized with numerous honors, including awards for his research on infrastructure and capacity planning for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and multiple teaching awards. His contributions extend to developing advanced optimization algorithms and models for various operational challenges, such as vehicle routing, assortment planning, and airport capacity management.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Mathematics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Operations research
• Engineering
• Computer Security
• Business
• Microeconomics
• Aerospace engineering
• Data science
• Geography
• Real-time computing
• Transport engineering
• Economics

Selected publications

• Correction: Harnessing microbial communities for enhanced plant resilience against diseases

  Frontiers in Microbiology · 2025-11-17

  erratumOpen access

  Plant diseases pose a considerable risk to global agriculture, impacting food security, crop yields, and ecological equilibrium (Afridi et al., 2022). These microscopic adversaries, including several kinds of nematodes, fungi, viruses, and bacteria, take advantage of holes in plant defenses to cause diseases that can potentially wipe out entire crops (Verma et al., 2023). Unchecked plant diseases have far-reaching effects on human societies and the agricultural landscape (Firoozi and Firoozi, 2023). Plant pathogens result in significant financial losses due to decreased crop quality, lower yields, and higher production costs needed to treat these diseases (Ponnampalam and Holman, 2023). Beyond the immediate loss of crops, there is also an economic cost that includes managing diseases, controlling pests, and developing resistant crop varieties (Balaska et al., 2023).Moreover, plant diseases have an ecological impact because they upset the ecosystem's delicate balance (Iqbal et al., 2023). As per the findings by Ankit et al. (2020), the extensive application of chemical pesticides and fungicides in the fight against pathogens can cause environmental deterioration and have detrimental effects on nontarget organisms, water quality, and soil health. Certain plant species' extinctions may occasionally have a domino effect on entire ecosystems (Sanders et al., 2018). Therefore, developing sustainable agricultural practices that balance environmental stewardship and productivity requires understanding plant pathogens and their complex effects (Kumawat et al., 2022). As one addresses modern agricultural challenges synthetic, it becomes more and more important to deal with the problems that plant pathogens present. This is essential for developing resilient, environmentally responsible, and commercially successful food production systems.In plant pathology, P. infestans is a dangerous foe that primarily attacks potato plants, wreaking havoc on agriculture (Ivanov et al., 2021;Verma et al., 2023). The late blight disease, which has had a significant impact on global food security and left its mark on history, is caused by this infamouoomycete pathogen. Significant historical events, Sprinkle P. plagues the mid-nineteenth-century Irish Potato Famine (Carpenter, 2015). Famine, relocation, and death confirmed late blight's severity (Goss et al., 2014). The pathogen's rapid evolution, versatility, and ability to wipe out potato harvests threaten global potato agriculture (Ramakrishnan et al., 2015). Years after the Irish Potato Famine, P. infestans damages crops (Corredor-Moreno and Saunders, 2019). National outbreaks have caused financial losses, food shortages, and livelihood disturbances (Workie et al., 2020). The historical and current significance of P. infestans highlights the necessity for appropriate strategies to mitigate its impact (Ortíz, 2023). Studying this illness is essential to ensuring the world's food supply and potato crops' resilience to biological threats (Botta et al., 2022).Significant costs to human health, the economy, and the environment have resulted from the growing use of synthetic fertilizers to meet the world's food demands (Behera et al., 2021). In response to these challenges, microbial consortia, including Pseudomonas strains, have emerged as a promising alternative. According to Morales-Cedeño et al. (2021) and Rojas-Solís et al. (2020), plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) are now crucial for plant development, soil fertility, and environmental health. The commercialization of PGPB as microbial inoculants has been prompted by their functional traits, which govern crop growth, development, and productivity (De los Santos Villalobos et al., 2018;Gupta et al., 2013). Microbial consortia are becoming increasingly popular as an environmentally friendly food production strategy to enhance the benefits offered by individual bacterial strains (Panwar et al., 2014;Poszytek et al., 2016;Sarma et al., 2015). Microbial consortia, which are often made up of two or more suitable bacteria interacting synergistically or additively, show higher activity levels than individual strains (Ju et al., 2019). According to Villa-Rodríguez et al. (2019), these consortiums have exhibited remarkable efficacy in alleviating various stressors, such as pests, phytopathogenic infections, salinity, drought, and crop nutrient shortages.Additionally, certain bacterial consortia can change nutrients, chelate iron, fix nitrogen in the soil, and produce phytohormones. These skills enhance soil quality and reduce the detrimental impacts of traditional farming methods (Gosal and Kaur, 2017). Based on the fermentation strategies used in the production of inoculants, simple and complex bacterial consortia can be distinguished from one another (Bashan et al., 2020). Under field conditions, these consortia's effectiveness depends on the strains' functionality and selection, which calls for consideration of factors like survival, postinoculation persistence in the soil, and adaptation to unfavorable climatic conditions (Verbruggen et al., 2012).In the context of microbial consortia, the strain selection process depends on the current environmental conditions in which these strains are intended to be applied, taking host, soil type, and climate into consideration. Remarkably, within a bacterial consortium, each strain serves as a functional rival to encourage plant growth in addition to complementing the others for plant and soil establishment (Morriën, 2016;Ney et al., 2018;Niu et al., 2020;Pandey et al., 2012). The complex interactions among bacterial strains in consortiums demonstrate the potential of these microbial communities as powerful tools for sustainable agriculture, offering the prospect of effective and environmentally friendly plant disease control.In plant disease management, Pseudomonas strains are essential because of their exceptional capacity to suppress plant pathogens (David et al., 2018). Certain types within the Pseudomonas genus are recognized for their efficacy as biocontrol agents, attributed to their antagonistic characteristics and versatile metabolic capabilities (Mehmood et al., 2023). Pseudomonas strains can hinder the growth and development of various plant pathogens by producing antimicrobial compounds, including phenazines, pyrrolnitrin, and cyclic lipopeptides (Omoboye et al., 2019). Furthermore, these strains have successfully strengthened plants' built-in defenses against invasive pathogens by fostering systemic resistance (Shahid et al., 2021). Some strains of Pseudomonas are useful against Phytophthora infestans because they produce antibiotics, have siderophores, form biofilms, induce systemic resistance (ISR), and are compatible with farming methods. These bacteria are able to halt the progression of the infection because they produce antibiotics such as DAPG, phenazines, and pyrrolnitrin. Additionally, they inhibit the pathogen's growth by secreting siderophores, which trap iron. Strong biocontrol agents include Pseudomonas strains that can grow biofilms on the surfaces of roots (Santoyo et al., 2016). Beyond simple pathogen inhibition, Pseudomonas strains effectively control disease (Haas and Keel, 2003). They are resilient parts of the plant's microbiome because of their adaptable nature, enabling them to flourish in various settings (Noman et al., 2021). Pseudomonas strains reduce the environment's ability to establish pathogens through competitive exclusion and niche occupation (Dutt et al., 2021). These strains' versatility, capacity to inhabit plant surfaces, and generation of secondary metabolites that provide resistance against phytopathogens all highlight their efficacy (Rieusset et al., 2020). Pseudomonas strains inhibit late blight pathogen P. infestans through different methods, making them useful in sustainable agriculture. These bacteria directly limit pathogen growth with antimicrobial substances including pyoluteorin and DAPG (Haas and Défago, 2005). In addition, they boost plant systemic resistance to infection (Pieterse et al., 2014). Pseudomonas competes for iron, limiting pathogen access and illness spread (Compant et al., 2005). By blocking pathogens, biofilm and root colonization protect plants (Lugtenberg and Kamilova, 2009). By improving nutrient availability, Pseudomonas boosts plant development and resilience (Bhattacharyya and Jha, 2012).Therefore, using the biocontrol agent of Pseudomonas strains is a promising approach to the goal of environmentally friendly and sustainable plant disease management (Waghunde and Sabalpara, 2021). The research aims to enhance plant resistance to P. infestans using microbial consortia and environmentally friendly techniques. It assesses the effectiveness of Pseudomonas strains in suppressing the pathogen using dual culture Petri dish assays and leaf disk infection experiments. This multidisciplinary approach promotes sustainable plant disease management.A selection of Pseudomonas strains was initially extracted from the rhizosphere (R) and shoot (S) regions of potato plants cultivated under field circumstances. A comprehensive identification and screening process was done to select strains with the most promising biocontrol agent. These strains were selected due to their superior inhibitory activity against P. infestans in preliminary tests. The approach commenced with the isolation of strains from rhizosphere soil and plant tissue samples, thereafter, cultured them on nutrient-specific media to facilitate Pseudomonas growth and enable preliminary morphological screening. Isolates were subsequently evaluated for antagonistic activity against P. infestans in vitro by dual-culture tests, wherein the capacity of each strain to suppress P. infestans growth was measured. (Guyer et al., 2015;De Vrieze et al., 2020). • Functional Screening for Biocontrol Agent: The nine strains identified for their robust in vitro inhibition of P. infestans were subsequently evaluated for biocontrol-related characteristics, including siderophore synthesis, protease activity, and hydrogen cyanide generation, as these factors are recognized for their antifungal efficacy. • Final Selection: Nine strains were selected for future investigation based on their consistent and considerable inhibitory effects against P. infestans as demonstrated in these functional tests.LB medium was primarily used for bacterial growth, medium the isolation of Pseudomonas of and of were in This is used to bacterial was by individual from the in Therefore, these were on medium as of the culture This process a of bacterial were cultured • and in et al. bacterial with strains resistant to and The medium used in these and Pseudomonas isolation with or the addition of and which were used to isolation medium was by of isolation per in of per was to and bacterial there were in the per among the nine strains, these within a an of most strains have a and per In and higher from to per with an of P. infestans which of was used in the inhibitory assays out in this media was used to culture the to and In addition, were out with the of in A medium was to by and of medium a suitable growth for the pathogen. of were in an with water to The medium was by of to the extracted Potato were often with P. infestans to provide to the were by tissue from and them in tissue was from the by it through a after A was used to the of and the was in the the was to This was by the to with water and it for • to encourage the of the were left to for after potato plants were from the and of and The different potato were due to their levels of resistance to P. infestans and their different These can impact disease development and response to pathogens, into the effectiveness of potential a leaf with a of were and up on a water of a bacterial and was in the of each leaf The of P. infestans was with an of for a for a and for a of a control bacterial culture was The were in an environment to the growth of P. by a of • and a of of severity was by using as in a by and of each were in two with and from different plants, ensuring a and In were used for the each of leaf from can the of The in the of in be due to the of plants for this to and The the effectiveness of different for each of the plant The the infection levels of and of the plant to the effect of different infection of control was to for the of leaf with to the control the infection The efficacy of the is using the of this the of infection as the control a of for the a higher infection than for the were with bacterial strains and P. infestans of each bacterial as was with from the from a P. infestans culture were the of the A control was also by the bacterial with of of which were in were for the experiments. a in the of a of • the were in the growth of P. infestans with is of tissue growth The of growth the on the with bacteria by the on control bacteria were present. This a of the effect of on is using the The was with the bacterial by of the was to each of a and one was were using a the take the and the to spread the for was by the of the which were in This a and of the was by the of in by the of in This to the impact of on in to A control of was to the for the of infection or This control is essential for the impact of the pathogen from plant were to P. infestans in the were to a wherein are and which and based on their and were to mitigate human and the a of infection as the offered a of the impact on in to the each bacterial strain was and in to growth and This comprehensive approach was to the potential impact of strain interactions on bacterial understanding of bacterial resilience in competitive was by on microbial on plant surfaces was by interactions resistant strains and This on and are the A was used to and bacterial • The were left in an • • in a were with P. infestans in water in the as the in the leaf experiments. This of was used to that the interactions and bacteria were in with in on leaf • and of bacterial culture was with of to These made it to individual and different by the bacterial • medium that based on growth or resistance were with of each • for or on the were By on growth characteristics, media made it to and a understanding of the interactions and different bacterial strains for of each were using the methods by et al. was used and for by the and this nine Pseudomonas strains were selected in the (S) or rhizosphere (R) of in the In these strains of antifungal The was to out using these strains provide than using them this an was to leaf with nine strains, dual and different potato varieties were each with a different to late Based on is is and is As in the the efficacy of bacterial strains, dual and for potato and The efficacy was in by and individual strains, the of illness development all its potential as an effective exhibited activity, the in strain • The to dual for for and for antagonistic interactions strains in show that different types of bacteria, different potato and different strategies have different effects on the effectiveness of bacterial Potato In of response to bacterial had the of to late which may there were more the on the was the in which is consistent with its resistance • on antifungal activity is by effectiveness all the highlights crucial strain selection is developing • A of In several dual were more effective than strains, to the that certain as can boost through it that there may be among the various strains due to the decreased effectiveness of the strains' efficacy in and the of effective are based on that have disease for all As in this was for each strain by the of or in the efficacy of strains under different application methods. strains consistent the methods. was with one or two strains, had than used and consistent the strains were used than they were used it to strains were often more effective in than in As in and show The the lower of successful and in in the and This is due to in bacterial and of for for and for the effect of this strain different were to this of the strains and resulted in of P. infestans strains and had a growth to two strains result in a of Furthermore, as in the strain its inhibitory with effective was made or was with which resulted in the inhibition of growth as was and to or effect is in the and and in the the addition of is because it activity on the which was as as the and which were a the more effective in inhibition was from the findings of this one can that be the most effective food in and in the in has effect in the and can the effectiveness of the and this all were an of the the had a lower of and the had an of A was to a change in the of the of the the of growth of the strains such an inhibitory effect on that the of a strain an important in its efficacy against P. infestans used or in As a two were used for the a and a lower significant inhibition of bacteria were In the dual than each strain the was significant to the A more application decreased activity, in the of with or in a loss of The activity the strains were was the various strains were to or different Pseudomonas strain suppress P. infestans bacterial had or generation, with most strain decreased with strain was that more than or strain selection can pathogen with lower and one strain of the to the of and the of and the of more than each strain this show a in all the with and exhibited the potential and the selection was by the of successful for each the activity by and This that and the strains in their in the In and the strain Some of the that or inhibitory effects may selected strains were in a of and in for to under conditions to used in the leaf disk resulted in or growth of the of the and the of each strain was measured. It be that the by for each in this was the each strain with the to a it a of the in and of individual this the of the of the strain was higher for the for the This that a nutrient in the culture The strain can the the growth and the strain from the strains of per in a their decreased and a from the to the the the of was than that of the development was or in on the and was two rhizosphere strains, and it to be or in to its in with Remarkably, to have effects on these This is because their is to it is as in The inhibitory effect of is with the addition of each strain in the of or in all including and the for and strains and media were used to strains by growth and of By the strains had their that they and in the competitive the rapid bacteria the and strains by the strains' growth had the and competitive advantage of the the of the in growth be by different strains have to in that are competitive and potentially These include like nutrient or resistance to antimicrobial significance of microbial in agricultural and ecological settings is by the and persistence of various Pseudomonas strains, their were in a each of the which and the strains' was measured. capacity to in by a This on the and efficacy of each strain used in environmental in which on the competitive interactions and bacterial P. infestans through plant research on developing strategies to plant defenses against P. a pathogen with impacts on agriculture, and in current farming to the significant by this effective management strategies are essential to protect crop (Ivanov et al., 2015). The the biocontrol agent of Pseudomonas strains and their interactions within microbial consortia to disease investigation with in sustainable agriculture, to environmentally friendly to disease management (Morriën, 2016;Ney et al., et al., 2012). Pseudomonas strains, for their and ability to inhibit a of plant pathogens, were for their in biocontrol strategies (David et al., 2018). By interactions Pseudomonas strains and P. the addresses a in research and understanding of application of bacterial consortia to control phytopathogens a sustainable agriculture. that microbial communities can synergistically to crops, the use of consortia in disease management et al., 2019). This with the global chemical in agriculture, microbial consortia are as essential tools for crop resilience and controlling pathogens in an (Bashan et al., including leaf infection and dual-culture Petri dish antifungal among the nine Pseudomonas strains Certain strains, such as and demonstrated consistent against P. Additionally, the use of strain promising with resistance in various potato strain the of microbial as it exhibited effects with that the efficacy of Pseudomonas strains among different potato the of strategies in These findings the for biocontrol to the plant host, ensuring for disease crucial in the efficacy of biocontrol was the of the bacterial The that different strain the of understanding microbial for successful The of Pseudomonas strains on from P. infestans also into microbial interactions impact pathogen research highlights the of microbial consortia in disease control and the for strategies that strain (Ju et al., 2019). By the of Pseudomonas strains in microbial consortia, the the potential of these strains in sustainable agriculture. This is crucial for developing disease management practices that agricultural productivity and growth that bacterial strains demonstrate a significant competitive advantage strains in as by their in by strains exhibited growth, the strains' growth their to competitive This the resilience of strains, to their such as nutrient and resistance to antimicrobial These findings highlight the of understanding microbial in agricultural and ecological as they provide into the of microbial communities and their potential in biocontrol This the useful for environmentally friendly and plant disease management techniques. The potential for developing biocontrol agents against P. a pathogen recognized for its and effects on potato is by the effects of Pseudomonas strains in microbial consortia, as by and agricultural may be able to their on chemical pesticides and the environmental caused by their use by the biocontrol agent of Pseudomonas strains et al., and Kaur, et al., 2014). A more and sustainable is by the demonstrated effectiveness of certain strains and their in suppressing late blight This with the global for food production et al., et al., 2019). The use of microbial consortia, in demonstrated efficacy the of effects in is crucial to the in to its context and The effectiveness of Pseudomonas strains against a of pathogens has been have on their biocontrol agent against P. their use for crops, future research the interactions Pseudomonas strains and various plant on and in vitro is a because they field circumstances. and can for and this can have a impact on microbial activity and these are in in vitro circumstances. settings take soil and climate into which the of and the effectiveness of It is essential to microbial consortiums to these in field in to the and of Pseudomonas there are and with the of microbial consortiums for It may be to appropriate microbial in field with and different soil Additionally, including the with and microbial inoculants on a to be into These biocontrol be and through field research that include various agricultural soil climate and crop This that they are for extensive application in agriculture (Gosal and Kaur, the use of microbial communities for plant disease the potential of on chemical pesticides and plant It that strains like Pseudomonas can enhance crop resilience various The research through soil or to agricultural the identified microbial consortia's and is important for future important to the economic and the of these biocontrol with current agricultural biocontrol agents to be used in different farming this is that Pseudomonas strains to they soil health, microbial and sustainable crop yields, as as these factors with is also crucial to the the different strain efficacy and effects in the of these may provide on to to biocontrol to Pseudomonas strains' biocontrol capabilities is to them with such as resistance to environmental colonization or antifungal agricultural and is essential to research from the to the in different it to microbial consortia to and up the process of developing application effective microbial inoculants be with the of this which also to that are in with sustainable farming successfully demonstrated the potential of Pseudomonas strains in plant resistance to P. strains and exhibited significant antifungal activity, against the pathogen. The promising from the the potential of these biocontrol This research for a on chemical with the of sustainable agriculture and offering for several be including the necessity for extensive field and a financial to research on to enhance biocontrol traits, as as and of these By the use of Pseudomonas strains as of management this research the for more sustainable agricultural potentially on chemical pesticides and their environmental

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Harnessing microbial communities for enhanced plant resilience against diseases

  Frontiers in Microbiology · 2025-04-11 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background Phytophthora infestans ( P. infestans ) and other plant infections threaten global agriculture and food security. This research incorporated Pseudomonas strains in microbial consortia to boost plant tolerance to P. infestans . The P. infestans fungus causes collapse and deterioration in many crops like potatoes by quickly spreading through their tubers and leaves in warm, damp weather. Objective The main goals were to identify effective Pseudomonas strains (those with high inhibitory activity), test their interactions (both inhibitory and synergistic), and determine the effect of inoculum density on disease treatment. Methods We used the following methodologies, from potato shoots and rhizosphere samples, Nine different strains of the antifungal bacterium Pseudomonas which were identified with preliminary antifungal activity. Bintje showed the greatest resistance to P. infestans among the three potato types that were examined. Methods utilized comprised: Quantification of bacterial density and growth, the inhibitory assays for P. infestans , experiments on leaf disc infections, Assessing the severity of an infection, Analysis of zoospore discharge. Studies on the integrated development of bacteria and valuation using statistical methods. Results The study revealed the complexity of microbial interactions, host-specific reactions, and cell density's impact on treatment success. The study suggests using Pseudomonas strains as biocontrol agents, advancing sustainable agriculture. Microbial consortia disease management requires advanced methodologies, according to the findings. Investigating long-term ecological impacts on soil health, microbial diversity, and crop yield sustainability; validating identified microbial consortia through field trials; evaluating scalability and economic viability; and researching genetic engineering for customized disease control are recommended. Conclusions Results suggest a shift from chemical pesticides to environmentally friendly plant disease control considering its ethical and regulatory implications. This study emphasizes the intricacy of microbial interactions and the need for informed biocontrol decisions. Their study also increases ecological knowledge and encourages innovative, sustainable worldwide agriculture.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Parcel delivery by vehicle and drone in ordered customer neighborhoods

  Transportation Research Part E Logistics and Transportation Review · 2025-03-25 · 4 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• In-stream video Advertisement effectiveness and Consumer brand engagement: An Exploratory Study

  مجلة البحوث التجارية · 2025-09-09

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Purpose- This study aims to explore the relationship between in-stream video advertisement (Ad/S) dimensions (emotional, creativity, and informativeness) via SNS and consumer brand engagement (CBE) (cognitive, affective, and intentional engagement). Presenting the perspectives of both the general public and practitioners as a cornerstone of the study. Methodology- The data collection was conducted through 32 semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Included 24 interviews with Egyptian consumers of both genders from various age groups, and 8 interviews with marketing practitioners from prestigious companies across different industries in Egypt. The interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings- The results revealed that in-stream video Ad/S effectiveness dimensions possess a direct relationship with CBE. Additionally, a direct relationship between cognitive and affective engagements with intentional engagement. Further more, an indirect relationship between Ad/S effectiveness dimensions and intentional engagement, with cognitive and affective engagements as mediators. Lastly, digital Ad/S features were found to have a potential role as moderators between Ad/S effectiveness dimensions and CBE. Originality- CBE is studied in terms of cognitive, affective, and behavioral, with limited attention given to intentional engagement. To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this study is among the first to explore the relationship between in-stream video Ad/S effectiveness and intentional engagement. The paper introduces a broader research perspective by considering the differing viewpoints of both the general public and practitioners in the conducted interviews. The insights highlight the role of digital Ad/S features, pointing to opportunities for further research on this under explored topic.

  PublisherDOI

• Retail Space Analytics

  International series in management science/operations research/International series in operations research & management science · 2023 · 5 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Business
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Store-Wide Shelf-Space Allocation with Ripple Effects Driving Traffic

  Operations Research · 2023 · 17 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Operations research

  How Product Locations Drive Traffic Throughout a Retail Store In “Store-Wide Shelf-Space Allocation with Ripple Effects Driving Traffic,” Flamand, Ghoniem, and Maddah develop a framework for deciding where to place products in a store, in addition to apportioning the shelf space among products, in a way that maximizes impulse profit, a phenomenon that may account for 50% of transactions. By analyzing a large data set of customer receipts from a grocery store in Beirut, the authors develop a regression model that estimates traffic at a shelf based on its location and the “attraction” from products allocated nearby. The traffic model is embedded within a mixed-integer nonlinear program, which they solve via specialized linear approximations. For the store in Beirut, a 65% improvement in impulse profit is anticipated, and the location of products is found to be significantly more important in driving store-wide traffic than the relative shelf-space allocation.

  PublisherDOI

• A variable neighborhood search for parcel delivery by vehicle with drone cycles

  Computers & Operations Research · 2023 · 25 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Computer Science
  • Operations research
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Solver-Free Heuristic for Store-Wide Shelf Space Allocation

  International series in management science/operations research/International series in operations research & management science · 2023-01-01

  book-chapterCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• The cost of carrier consistency: Last-mile delivery by vehicle and drone for subscription-based orders

  Journal of the Operational Research Society · 2023-05-12 · 10 citations

  articleCorresponding

  We investigate a deterministic last-mile delivery problem in which a firm delivering scheduled orders determines a subset of customers to be prioritized for drone delivery, relegating the rest to vehicle delivery. The vehicle and drone deliver in tandem over a planning horizon. The problem is amenable to a multi-day Traveling Salesman Problem with Drone, with consistency in the assignment of customers to each carrier across all days. We develop a mixed-integer program (MIP) that yields provably optimal solutions for instances having up to 40 customers over a 6-day horizon. We also devise a heuristic underpinned by the MIP to effectively and accurately prioritize customers for drone delivery. A computational study involving instances with up to 150 customers ordering over 6 days shows the matheuristic often matching the results of the proposed MIP, and also reveals a logistical burden of less than 0.5% on average over a solution lacking carrier consistency..

  PublisherDOI

• Parcel delivery by vehicle and drone

  Journal of the Operational Research Society · 2019-10-24 · 59 citations

  articleCorresponding

  We investigate a single-vehicle parcel delivery problem in which customers may be served either by the vehicle or by a portable companion drone launched from the vehicle. The problem may be viewed as a Traveling Salesman Problem with Drone (TSP-D), and is modelled as a 0-1 mixed-integer program (MIP) that synchronizes vehicle and drone operations with the objective of minimizing the duration of the joint tour. Using a combination of valid inequalities, pre-processing, and other bound tightening strategies, we enhance the tractability of the proposed MIP formulation.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Gian Paolo Beretta

  30 shared

• George Hatsopoulos

  28 shared

• Mohammed Al-Salem

  12 shared

• Ghaith Rabadi

  University of Central Florida

  10 shared

• Mohamed Kharbeche

  Qatar University

  10 shared

• Bacel Maddah

  American University of Beirut

  9 shared

• Farbod Shahrestanaki

  Old Dominion University

  9 shared

• Gülşah Hançerlioğulları Köksalmış

  9 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1990

• M.S., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1986

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering

  University of California, Los Angeles

  1984

Awards & honors

• Analytics for System-Wide Infrastructure and Capacity Planni…
• Isenberg School of Management Outstanding Teaching Award (20…
• IIE Transactions Best Paper Prize, ISERC Conference, winning…
• Nominated for Isenberg School of Management Outstanding Teac…
• Chancellor's Junior Faculty Fellow (2011-2012)