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Ingram School of Engineering
Integrated Modeling and Optimization for Service Systems (iMOSS) Lab

DR-Disaster Relief Planning

Characterizing and planning for key logistic obstacles in food banks operations after hurricane events

Goal: Derive policies to support the management and distribution of supply of domestic hunger relief organization (food banks) facilities under sudden demand surges due to natural disasters.

The first research aim looks at analyzing and predicting food donation behavior and volunteer attendance at hunger relief organizations after natural disasters.

The second research aim is to develop decision-making models that consider the volunteer and donor behavior uncertainty when coordinating the distribution of supplies for emergency relief.

Funded by: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Principal Investigator: Dr. Eduardo Pérez

Collaborators: Dr. Francis Mendez Mediavilla (Texas State University)

Students: Monica Kothamasu (graduate student)

Distribution network example

Distribution network example for Hurricane Harvey

Data analysis-based optimization

  • The first research aim looks at collecting and analyzing data on supply demand and donations at different population regions in Texas 
  • The second research aim is to model the Stochastic Assignment and Configuration Problem (SACP). SACP is to prescribe prepositioning actions and distribution assignments for natural hazards.
Data analysis-based optimization

Data analysis-based optimization

Research publications

  1. Marthak, Y.V., E. Pérez, and F.A. Méndez Mediavilla, (2021) “A Stochastic Programming Model for Tactical Product Prepositioning at Domestic Hunger Relief Organizations Impacted by Natural Hazards” Natural Hazards,Vol.107, pp.2263-2291.  

  2.  Kothamasu, M., E. Pérez, and F.A. Méndez Mediavilla, (2021) “A Stochastic Programming Model for Food Bank Disaster Relief Operations considering Transportation Capacity Limitations” Proceedings of the IISE Conference 2021, virtual, May 22-25.

  3. Marthak, Y.V., E. Pérez, and F.A. Méndez Mediavilla, (2022) “Analysis and Forecast of Donations at Domestic Hunger Relief Organizations Impacted by Natural Disasters” Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Accepted.

  4. Kothamasu, M., E. Pérez, and F.A. Méndez Mediavilla, “Modeling and Simulation of Food Bank Disaster Relief Operations” Proceedings of the 2022 Winter Simulation Conference, Singapore, Dec.11-14.