Team

Abdullah Alsaheal
Graduate Research Assistant
a.alsaheal@umiami.edu

Research Topics:
Optimization of Large-Scale Complex Systems; Smart Grids; Self-Healing Grids; Smart Cities

Bio: Abdullah Alsaheal is a doctoral candidate in industrial and systems engineering at the University of Miami. He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Miami and his master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California.

Alsaheal has worked across multiple industries, including manufacturing, operations planning, real estate development and management, and industrial and business consulting. His professional experience allows him to apply technical expertise across a range of disciplines.

He has extensive experience developing and implementing operations and decision support systems to support organizational decision-making at higher levels. His current research focuses on optimizing decision-making for smart grids enabled by 5G and beyond 5G technologies.

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Alejandro Diaz Barreiro
Graduate Research Assistant
axd2331@miami.edu

Bio: Alejandro Diaz Barreiro is pursuing a master’s degree in industrial and systems engineering at the University of Miami. He earned his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey.

His academic and professional interests focus on data analytics, team performance optimization, and intelligent systems design, particularly in the sports and health care industries. His interdisciplinary project experience includes research on surgical team proficiency, injury prevention in sports, and operational efficiency in complex systems.

His work has been presented at academic showcases, including Expo Ingenierías, and incorporated into university research initiatives. He is interested in applying systems thinking to real-world challenges and aims to advance innovation in sports management and analytics.

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Ziyi Xu
Graduate Research Assistant
ziyixu@miami.edu

Research Topics:
Time-Series Analysis; Nonlinear Dynamics; Physics-Informed Generative AI; Data Analytics; Video Analysis

Bio: Ziyi Xu is a Ph.D. student in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Miami. His research focuses on modeling complex and data-limited healthcare systems, with particular emphasis on nonlinear dynamical analysis of biomedical time series and physics-informed generative AI.

He develops nonlinear dynamical, time-frequency, and complex-system representations of physiological signals for disease identification, patient-state assessment, and clinical prediction. He also investigates how physical principles, system mechanisms, and domain knowledge can be incorporated into generative models to improve their reliability and generalizability under small-sample and data-scarce conditions.

In addition, he conducts healthcare data analytics and develops video-processing methods for surgical training and medical education, including procedural step recognition, technical performance assessment, and quantitative training feedback.

Omar Borja Medina
Graduate Research Assistant
oxb234@miami.edu

Research Topics: 
Data & Statistical Analytics Optimization; Energy Systems; Waste Management

Bio: Omar Borja Medina is originally from Peru, and he is pursuing a combined BS/MS degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He is a member of the Engineering Student Ambassadors and serves as Treasurer of the Peruvian Student Association. 

As a new research assistant in the Simulation and Optimization Research Laboratory (SimLab), he is interested in data driven decision making for complex systems, with particular focus on SmartGrids & MicroGrids and Solid Waste Management. Omar's operational experience involves inventory oversight, documentation, and applying 5S and PPE- based safety practices. He brings this same focus on process discipline and system performance into his research work.

Priscila Haro
Undergraduate Researcher and Coordinator
pxh383@miami.edu

Bio: Priscila Haro, currently pursuing her undergraduate studies at the College of Engineering with a focus on Industrial Engineering, has embarked on a trajectory deeply rooted in scientific exploration, which initially took flight in her hometown of Boston, MA.

During her formative years in high school, she actively participated in Harvard's Health Profession Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP), a pivotal experience that facilitated her integration into Harvard's YES for CURE program. Within this program, Priscila garnered invaluable experience by working within the esteemed laboratories of Dana-Farber Harvard Cancer Institute for a continuous span of three years, during which she consistently delivered oral presentations to the scientific community during each summer session.

Throughout her collegiate journey, Priscila has remained an integral member of the SimLab for the entirety of her undergraduate tenure. Within this capacity, she assumes the role of event, workshop, and conference coordinator, alongside contributing to the development of the lab's research papers and presenting poster presentations to disseminate their findings.

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Victor Jaimes
Undergraduate Research Assistant
vaj30@miami.edu

Bio: Born and raised in Miami, Victor Jaimes is an undergraduate student pursuing a B.S. in mathematics at the University of Miami, with plans to continue into a Ph.D. program. He also works as a tutor at the university's Math Lab, where he helps students develop problem-solving skills and abstract reasoning.

With a strong foundation in theoretical mathematics, Victor's academic interests include dynamical systems and analysis. He joined SimLab to explore how rigorous mathematical methods can be used to model and better understand complex systems.

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Will Nelson
Undergraduate Research Assistant
wtn12@miami.edu

Bio: Will Nelson, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, is an Industrial Engineering student with a concentration in Finance. His academic interests focus on system analysis and optimization. He has conducted research in energy efficiency, applying analytical methods to evaluate system performance and identify opportunities for improved resource utilization.

Will is particularly interested in financial modeling and simulation within the cryptocurrency industry, especially in areas related to market behavior, risk, and price dynamics.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email:  axy286@miami.edu

Research Topics: 
Simulation; Optmization; Islanded Microgrids; Stochatic Systems

Bio: Abdurrahman Yavuz is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Ankara, Turkey in 2017 and 2019, respectively. He has a strong background in operations research tools and data analytics and he is comfortable with various programming languages. He also has carried out the teaching assistantship of the Industrial Engineering courses during his M.Sc. degree. His current research efforts have been directed towards the development of a computational method to make optimal decisions under uncertain conditions. He also received the ISE Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Research in 2021. His email address is axy286@miami.edu.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: mthanos1986@gmail.com

Bio: Aristotelis E. Thanos, Ph.D., joined the General Electric Global Research Center’s Management Sciences Lab in 2016. He received his Ph.D. in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami under advisory of Dr. Celik. His research interests include the simulation and optimization of large-scale systems with a focus on energy and its applications. He earned his diploma (bachelor's and master's degree) from the Department of Applied Mathematical and Physical Sciences at the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in February 2010. He also earned his master's degree in Logics Algorithms and Computation at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece in July of 2012.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: axn624@rsmas.miami.edu

Research Topics: 
Marine/Atmospheric Science; Data Analytics; Optimization; Waste Management

Bio: Asheka Newman is an undergraduate student in the Industrial and Systems Engineering Department at University of Miami and is minoring in Psychology. She is from St. Catherine, Jamaica and graduated from Campion College ranking on the CAPE Territorial and Regional Merit Lists. She is currently President of Mission JA, a Resident Assistant in Stanford Residential College and a Teaching Assistant for the College of Engineering's First Year Directions. Her research interests include optimization and waste management.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: b.hayton@miami.edu

Bio: Breanna Hayton is an undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Miami. Her research interests include solid waste management and the simulation of large-scale systems. 

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: d.coogan@miami.edu

Bio: Danielle Coogan is currently an undergraduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Miami. She graduated from the International Baccalaureate Program at Coral Reef Senior High School in Miami, FL as a National Merit Scholar. Her research interests include solid waste management, waste reduction technologies and energy generation from biomass.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: delante.moore@gmail.com

Bio: DeLante Moore, joined the Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2014. DeLante E. Moore received his Masters in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He is currently a Captain in the United States Army, serving as an Operations Research/Systems Analyst and he also serves as an instructor in the Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY from where he also obtained his Bachelor’s of Science in Electrical Engineering. His research interests include modeling and simulation of complex dynamic systems and utility resource planning.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: duyguyasar@miami.edu

Bio: Duygu Yasar, M.S., started as a Supply Chain Analyst at Chewy in 2017. Duygu Yasar graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. She earned her bachelor's degree in the field of Industrial Engineering at Yildiz Technical University, Turkey in June 2014. She graduated in the top 5 percent of her class. Her research interests evolve around the operations research, deep learning, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: epm66@miami.edu

Bio: Emma Malone is an undergraduate student in the Industrial Engineering Department at the University of Miami and is minoring in Management. She is from Philadelphia, PA and graduated from Unionville High School as class president. She is the treasurer of the Society of Women Engineers and the secretary of UConnect. Her research interests include optimization and simulation.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: e.antmann@miami.edu

Bio: Eric D. Antmann is an undergraduate student in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Miami. His research interests include solid waste management and the simulation of large-scale systems. He is presently treasurer of the Engineering Advisory Board at the University of Miami. He graduated from Cooper City High School in June of 2010.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: gcollins7007@gmail.com

Bio: Gregory Collins, M.S., became an Instructor in the Department of Systems Engineering at the United States Military Academy in 2017. Gregory Collins is currently studying at Penn State. He graduated from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami and is from Fleming Island, Florida. He is interested in a number of subjects including: Optimization, Decision Making under Uncertainty, and Data Cultivation. He is the president of the Rotaract Club at the University of Miami and a member of Kappa Sigma.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email:  haluk.damgacioglu@miami.edu

Bio: Haluk Damgacioglu, Ph.D., joined the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston as a Postdoctoral Associate in 2019. He received his B.S. and M.S in Industrial Engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey. He received his Ph.D. in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He has received several awards including the 2016 UM GSA Academic Excellence, Leadership and Service Award and 2015 ICCS Best Workshop Paper Award. His research interests lie broadly in the application of dynamic data driven adaptive simulations and simulation optimization under uncertainty.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: jmd437@miami.edu

Research Topics:
Machine Learning; Stochatic Optimization; Data Science; Energy Systems; Dynamic Data-Driven Application Systems

Bio: Joshua Darville is a Ph.D. candidate in Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami (UM). He acquired a dual bachelor's degree in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from Fisk University in 2017 and Vanderbilt University in 2019, respectively. He was captain of the Fisk University Rocket Team and his team was the only HBCU to participate in the NASA Student Launch Competition from 2017 to 2018. He then graduated from Vanderbilt to pursue his passion for research at SimLab under the mentorship of Dr. Nurcin Celik at UM. His current research interest is centered around machine learning, optimization, and autonomous microgrids and he is a strong advocate for STEM education in underrepresented groups. He also received the Toppel Graduate Student of the Year Award and ISE Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Leadership in 2022. His e-mail address is jmd437@miami.edu.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: juansaenz@gmail.com

Bio: Juan Pablo Saenz Corredor, Ph.D., joined Falcon Farms in December 2013 as a Business Intelligence Manager and also started teaching at the University of Miami as Adjunct Lecturer. Senior Manager for Business Intelligence at Falcon Farms Inc. He received his PhD in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami in 2013. He received the ACM SIGSIM Best Ph.D. Student Paper Award in 2011. He serves as a part time member of the Department of Industrial Engineering faculty as an Adjunct Lecturer, where he teaches Operations Research and Production and Inventory Control courses. His research interests include production scheduling, inventory management, management of perishable goods, and manufacturing systems.

Position: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: lvs37@miami.edu

Research Topics:
Cybersecurity; Optimization; Data Structures; GIS

Bio: Luke is a Junior in the College of Arts and Sciences Department at the University of Miami. He is majoring in Computer Science with a Cryptography and Security Track and is minoring in Mathematics. He is from Miami, FL, and graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School. Luke has interned with the City of Coral Gables in their GIS Department where he created a small Smart City ontology using RDF triplestores. He is currently working full-time at Questfit as a software engineer where he develops angular components and modules for Questfit's website 

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: mxf898@miami.edu

Bio: Mahmoud Fahmy is an undergraduate student in the Department of Industrial Engineering who is also minoring in Economics. He is of Egyptian descent and grew up in Miami, Florida. He graduted from Coral Reef Senior High as a National Merit Scholar. His research interests include data analytics, systems modeling, and optimization.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: bastani@stanford.edu

Bio: Mehrad Bastani, Ph.D., joined Stanford University School of Medicine as a Post Doctoral Fellow in 2017. He recently started as an Assistant Professor in the Center for Health Innovation and Outcome Research at Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami in 2017. His research interests include applied operation research, simulation, and statistics. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the Sharif University of Technology, Iran in September of 2011. He also earned his master's degree in Industrial Engineering at the University of Tehran, Iran in July of 2013. Mehrad was a recipient of the Computer and Information Systems Division Best Student Paper at the Industrial and Systems Engineering Research Conference in 2015.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: mxm2301@miami.edu

Bio: Michael Mesham is an undergraduate student in the Engineering Technology Department at Drexel University. Before studying at Drexel University, he studied in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He grew up in Margate City, NJ and graduated from Atlantic City High School. He is currently concentrating in Mechanical and Manufacturing Technology. His research interests include cybersecurity, machine learning, and simulation.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: mlh155@miami.edu

Bio: Mizelle Joy Hornilla is an undergraduate student in the Department of Industrial Engineering. She is from Saint Paul, MN and graduated from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in the Top 10. She is Membership Vice President of Alpha Phi Omega (Co-ed Service Fraternity), Director of External Philanthropy for Chi Omega, and a President's 100 Student Ambassador. Her research interests include modeling, simulation, and optimization.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: o.bafail@umiami.edu

Bio: Omer Bafail, Ph.D., started as an Assistant Professor in King Abdulaziz University in 2020. He earned his bachelor's degree from the Department of Industrial Engineering at the King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, in 2012. He worked at Fluor Arabia Ltd. as a Planning Engineer for 2 years and then received his M.S. in Engineering Management from the University of Central Florida in 2016. His research interests consist of optimization, system and manufacturing management, data analytics, and quality management.

Position: Graduate Research Assistant

Email: qab3@miami.edu

Bio: Quintarius Bell is pursuing a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He is passionate about space technologies, operations research, the deep-tech and national security startup ecosystems and venture capital.

He currently works as a VC Fellow at Type One Ventures, where he supports the investment team in sourcing, evaluating, and executing early-stage deals. He also works as an Analyst at 'Cane Angel Network, where he collaborates with an interdisciplinary team of graduate students to conduct initial review of company submissions and provide early-stage funding and a network of advisors. Quintarius has previously worked in engineering roles at organizations such as Planet, Relativity Space, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: rxd678@miami.edu

Bio: Rachel De Paz is an undergraduate student in the Department of Computer Engineering studying Software Engineering in the class of 2022. She grew up between Menlo Park and Miami, graduating from MAST Academy in Key Biscayne. She is the High School Outreach Coordinator for the University of Miami's Society of Women Engineers, an office assistant in the College of Engineering's Dean's Office, and an active member of the UMaker organization. In her free time, she enjoys prototyping apps for the Magic Leap One. Her interests include mixed reality and procedural 3D modeling.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: t.alyamani@umiami.edu

Bio: Talal received his master's degree in Engineering Management from the University of South Florida in 2008. Upon graduation, he worked for Afia International Company as a Production Planning Manager. He was responsible for organizing seven production lines and four refineries along with the organization's support system. He used scheduling techniques for production and material plans preparation in order to meet the company’s business targets. Since starting his Ph.D. in 2011 at the University of Miami, his research interests evolved around understanding the potential benefits of different renewable energy options (and policies) for different stakeholders (with varying objectives) via agent-based modeling and simulation.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: tor9@miami.edu

Research Topics: 
Data & Statistical Analytics; Machine Learning; Optimization; Energy Systems; Waste Management

Bio: Temitope Runsewe is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Miami. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Covenant University, Nigeria. She then received her master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas State University, San Marcos. She was also awarded the Texas State University Graduate College Scholarship and Student Government Dcholarship. Her research interest includes application of optimization techniques in solving complex systems, modeling and simulation of various systems and data analytics. She also received the REMADE Institute rising Star Spotlight in 2020 and the ISE Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Research in 2022. Her email address is tor9@miami.edu.

Postion: Undergraduate Research Assistant
Email: t.cacicedo@umiami.edu

Bio: Tomas R. Cacicedo is an undergraduate student in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami. He is presently a Senator in Student Government representing the College of Engineering, also the Chairman of Academic Affairs, a student Ambassador for the College of Engineering, and is a liaison for the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee (SAFAC). He was awarded the Silver Knight in Mathematics in 2012. His research interests include optimization and simulation.

Postion: Graduate Research Assistant
Email: x.shi1@umiami.edu

Bio: Xiaoran (Eileen) Shi, started with the Department of Management Science and Engineering at the Tianjin University of Technology as an Assistant Professor in 2015. Xiaoran received her Ph.D. in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Miami under the advisory of Dr. Celik. Her research interests include integrated system simulations and supply chain management. She earned her bachelor's degree from Department of Industrial Engineering at the Nankai University, China in June of 2011. She is the recipient of Second-grade Scholarship of Nankai University, Top-grade of Tianfu Company Scholarship, and the title of Excellent Student Leader of Teda College.